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ON THE COVER

College students pouring beer into cup at University of Wisconsin party.

(Unsplash/Jonah Brown)

THE DAILY EMERALD

CAHOOTS OVERBURDENED, CITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNCOORDINATED,

STUDY FINDS

Consultants offered findings and recommendations to improve Eugene’s emergency response.

BY ALAN TORRES

Eugene city councilors heard a mixed review of the city’s police alternatives, which highlighted an overburdened CAHOOTS and a lack of coordination between emergency departments, during a work session on Jan. 18.

The review came from a study commissioned by the council in May 2022 and was conducted by BerryDunn consulting group. It was led by Michele Weinzetl, a former police chief who now works in police reform.

Weinzetl summarized the study into 13 key findings, three of which she highlighted as critical: the city needs to change how it responds to emergency calls, CAHOOTS is overburdened with non-crisis calls and there is a lack of coordination between response departments.

“At the end of the day, it’s about being efficient and effective,” Weinzetl said.

Her team found a lack of clear distribution of work between response teams, which has led to redundancies such as multiple departments responding to the same call.

She said the scope of CAHOOTS’ responsibilities has expanded over decades and called on councilors to update call protocols to limit how often the department is deployed to non-crisis calls. Acting Communications Director Cambra Ward Jacobson, gave an example of CAHOOTS providing transportation to some residents.

“It’s become detrimental to the point that city departments are reluctant to even summon them because there’s an underlying thought that they won’t be available,” Weinzetl said.

Additional findings included a recommendation to improve the city’s data management so it can collect more data, better share data between departments, streamline the emergency call center and provide more job stability.

Weinzetl praised some areas. She pointed to a city change to redesign ambulances and deploy emergency medical services separately from fire fighters, which has improved operations for both departments.

She also praised the city’s resources for the unhoused.

“You are providing what I would suggest, is an unprecedented level of service to your community that we haven’t seen,” she said.

An additional recommendation that got councilors’ attention was that the city hire a community paramedic, someone who could provide “low-level” health care to those who need it, particularly unhoused people, and

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further help reduce the volume of EMS calls.

Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner said his department would look to implement some of BerryDunn’s recommendations.

He said different kinds of officers can deflect responsibility to each other and need to be brought under one framework. “I think there’s a way we can coordinate our resources better in the city, and so I’m thinking about what that might look like,” Skinner said.

Councilors were receptive to the findings.

“I know and understand that CAHOOTS is deeply under-resourced, is asked to do things that it was not originally charged to do, and one of the things that we really need to do is realign our systems so that they perform more efficiently,” Councilor Greg Evans said.

However, they expressed concern over how to pay for some of BerryDunn’s recommendations.

Weinzetl also acknowledged the city will likely have to choose between recommendations because of budgetary constraints.

Councilors Emily Semple and Mike Clark expressed concerns about Eugene’s high level of services, with Clark saying the city is providing more services than people in Eugene expect it to and Semple, who said she got onto the council advocating for people without housing, suggesting the amount of services may be contributing to Eugene’s high population of unhoused people.

“It’s just horrifying to hear and know that we are the highest per capita of homeless in the country. How do we stop doing that? And then the other part of that is that we are providing an unprecedented level of service –– and I can’t believe these words are coming out of my mouth, but they may be connected,” Semple said.

But, as a whole, councilors acknowledged a need for change.

“I watch these incredible growth swings and calls for service, and I watch the street level resources that we have that have changed very, very little since 1980, when I started here. So it’s very interesting, and it’s something I think we need to keep at the forefront,” Councilor Randy Groves said.

Weinzetl declined a request for an interview, citing BerryDunn’s policy to not speak to the media. CAHOOTS did not respond to a media inquiry in time for this article’s publication.

(Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

Second most read story in the past week: “Eugene’s best sandwich spots” by Nick LaMora

(Nick LaMora/Emerald)

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NEW UO GROCERY SHUTTLE SERVICE TO COMBAT STUDENT FOOD INSECURITY

BY ALICIA SANTIAGO AND MIRANDAH DAVIS-POWELL

Increasing transportation to nutritional food is the next step toward creating more accessible wellness at UO.

At the University of Oregon, some students have minimal access to fresh and nutritious food. Between issues of access to resources and transportation, 22.1% of students face food insecurity, according to the UO Student Wellbeing and Success Initiative.

To work toward combating the prominent issue of food insecurity, the Duck Nest Wellness Center and Duck Rides launched a new project. Its new Grocery Shuttle is a free transportation service for UO students and faculty that will take up to six students or UO faculty members to affordable grocery stores each week on Thursdays.

Halo Lynch, a sophomore at the UO, said grocery shopping can be expensive and intimidating while living in a college town like Eugene.

The closest grocery stores near campus are Market of Choice and Whole Foods, and the more affordable grocery stores are typically farther from campus.

“I went shopping at Whole Foods, and a case of a dozen eggs was $9, which is outrageous,” Lynch said.

Ava Hearn, a Peer Wellness Lead at the Duck Nest and a founder of the Grocery Shuttle program, said issues with food security are rooted in something as simple as not having access to a car.

“A lot of college students don’t have access to transportation, making it difficult for them

to reach more affordable grocery stores or buy groceries in big enough loads to be able to meal prep,” she said.

A Duck Nest Instagram poll revealed resounding approval for the creation of a grocery shuttle program, with 74% saying they did not have a car on campus, 66% saying it was difficult for them to get to the grocery store and 84% saying they would benefit from a campus grocery shuttle.

The student leadership team for Duck Rides was very supportive when the idea for a grocery shuttle was introduced, Adrian Cruz, the Shuttle Program Manager for Duck Rides and a founder of the Grocery Shuttle, said. “It’s definitely been very exciting to know that we do have that support,” Cruz said.

According to Hearn, the Grocery Shuttle also hopes to provide a solution for individuals in different identity groups across campus. The Grocery Shuttle is aiming to eventually partner with groups such as the Asian Pacific American Student Union, UO Muxeres, UO Latinx Male Alliance and the African Student Association.

Mattie Nelson, a sophomore at UO, experienced food insecurity when moving back to Eugene for the fall term. Nelson said finding a stable job that would pay enough money to cover rent, utilities,

school supplies and food was nearly impossible.

“I had to post on my Snapchat story about my situation and how my partner and I barely had enough food in the house to eat two full meals a day,” Nelson said.

Cruz said programs like Grocery Shuttle and others that combat food insecurity are beneficial to student life and students’ well-being. “The more students we can provide the service to, the better it will be for the overall campus community,” he said.

Hearn said food insecurity often ends up being the default experience for students who are balancing finances.

“So many students have internalized the idea that eating ramen every day is ‘part of being a college student,’ but realistically so many college students are living very busy, active lives, and it is hard to thrive in college if your basic nutritional needs aren’t being met,” Hearn said.

Students behind the programs like Grocery Shuttle hope more contributions to combating food insecurity will help destigmatize the issue in the future. “So many students struggle with [food insecurity], and it should not be considered a rite of passage for any college student,” Hearn said.

Duck Rides vans are used to transport University of Oregon students, faculty, members, and staff. Duck Rides is the new transportation service at the University of Oregon. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

TAPIA’S TAKE: U.S. POLICE KILLINGS IN 2022 — A ‘RECORD HIGH’?

BY CAITLIN TAPIA

Last week, the streets of Atlanta were met with violent protests after an activist was shot and killed by police officers earlier in the week.

According to a Reuters witness, some protesters threw fireworks and rocks, smashed windows and set a cop car on fire. They marched with signs and chants revolving around “Stop Cop City.”

“Cop City” refers to the 85-acre area of land which is planned to become a new public safety training center. While already owned by the city of Atlanta, activists claim that the $90 million project — funded by the Atlanta Police Foundation — would cut down so many trees that it would damage the environment. They are also generally opposed to the idea of that much investment into police operations.

As a result, protests have occurred at the location for over a year, with some activists committing arson, using explosives and other seriously harmful devices while others have peacefully camped out.

One of these protestors was Manuel Teran. They were removed from the site by police officers in a clearing effort when, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Teran refused to comply and allegedly shot a state trooper. The surrounding state troopers returned fire in self-defense.

While this incident remains under investigation, Mapping Police Violence — which claims to be the most comprehensive account of police killings since 2013 — has released its database for 2022. It reports that in 2022, 1,186 civilians were killed by police officers.

Headlines quickly followed the report claiming police killings have reached a “record high,” featuring “US police kill record number of people in 2022” and “‘It never stops’: killings by US police reach record high in 2022.”

While it is true the police killed an astonishing and unacceptable amount of people last year, it’s important to consider the limitations of this data set.

Mapping Police Violence has only been collecting data since 2013, and while there are databases from the U.S. National Vital Statistics System and the FBI, these lists are incomplete and often inaccurate.

That being said, data accumulated by Peter Moskos — a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice — shows that in New York, police killed an average of 62 people per year between 1970 to 1974 in a population of 7.5 million people. Between 2015 and 2021 though, police killed an average of nine

people a year in a population of 8.7 million people.

Look also to cities such as Los Angeles, where the average in the 1970s was 30 people a year compared to 15 people a year recently. Across the 18 cities Moskos examined, there was a 69% drop in fatal police shootings.

But can we really compare the 1970s to now? In terms of straight numbers, yes. In terms of social and political tensions, no.

It is clear from the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others in 2020 that there is a racial disparity in policing.

“Black people were 26% of those killed by police in 2022 despite being only 13% of the population,” Mapping Police Violence reported.

Additionally, only one in three police killings began as a response to an alleged violent crime. The majority were the result of traffic stops, mental health checks or non-violent disturbances. There were no alleged crimes or violent acts to justify a police officer’s killing of a person.

While there has been a drop in police killings overall in the past 50 years, the number of police killings has continued to increase year to year.

Regardless if you would like to claim last year as a “record high” or not, policy implications must be considered if we would like to see this number begin to trend downwards.

Time after time, members of Congress, activists and communities have called for police and criminal justice reform, and while slight shifts in policy have been implemented locally, we must be looking toward a national, systematic reform.

Recommendations by the Brookings Institution, a non-profit public policy organization, begin with eliminating qualified immunity and creating national standards for de-escalation. Once that has been achieved, compensation for civilians as a result of police violence and officer wellness must be assessed. Finally, what results is a restructure of the “fraternal” order of police institutions and the culture surrounding policing.

I don’t believe this can all be achieved in the next 12 months. Frankly, I’m unsure if there is a possibility for this to be achieved in the next decade. However, whatever steps we begin to take, we should hope they result in a headline next January that reads “U.S. police killings began to decline in 2023,” rather than another “record high.”

Caitlin Tapia is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a senior from Colorado majoring in journalism and political science. She is most passionate about social justice and politics but will also write about her bike being stolen.

New reports show that police killings in 2022 set a new high for the last decade. Do these figures hold up to crime statistics from the past century, and what can we do to resolve them?

(Jessica Bolden/Emerald)

LEARNING TO LIVE AMID COVID-19 WITH

“COVID is part of living together. It is a symptom of what population growth and decreasing space between humans is going to result in,” Jason Davis, a Lane County spokesperson, said.

COMMUNITY-BASED THINKING COMMUNITY-BASED THINKING

BY ADRIAN CARDENAS-MEJIA

Is the coronavirus pandemic over? With most regulations and restrictions lifted and UO courses having few remote options, it appears as though COVID-19 has become a part of history. This is far from the truth. Though not as pertinent, the virus is still affecting the UO and Lane County community, with new cases still being recorded daily in Lane County. The week of Jan 15, there were 217 reported new cases. Rather than questioning whether it continues, the better question might be how COVID-19 should be handled in a post-pandemic setting.

LANE COUNTY: POST-PANDEMIC

Though vaccinations and preventative actions heavily diminish the impact of COVID-19, there is still no known cure. Because of this

suppressed impact, Lane County removed social restrictions—mask and distancing regulations for indoor spaces—as of March 15, 2022, putting the responsibility of community safety on the individuals within it. Consequently, more than a year of isolation potentially weakened immune systems just in time for flu season. Also, the unpredictability of COVID-19 sheds light on the importance of “health literacy” and trust in public health officials. Ultimately, it is important to keep learning from the pandemic.

“COVID and infectious diseases are not something our current technology will allow us to conquer, we have to live with them,” Jason Davis, a public information officer for Lane County Health and Human Services and lead spokesperson for its COVID-19 response, said. “Part in living with it is reacting rather than controlling.”

While Lane County Public Health currently mandates no regulations or restrictions in response to COVID-19, there are suggested actions, getting vaccinated, staying home when sick and washing your hands, in order to keep the community healthy

UO: POST-PANDEMIC

The University of Oregon provides similar suggestions to the county, including symptom checks, ensuring the availability of masks and washing hands. However, the lack of concrete restrictions entails an individual choice of action. Still, it’s essential for individuals to care for their health in order to not endanger the community.

Some students feel that COVID-19 precautions are less relevant in the wake of vaccines. UO junior Mackenzie Garner said she doesn’t wear her mask anymore, but when feeling sick she tests and either stays home or wears a mask to class if she is not positive for COVID-19. “I still think it’s important to be aware, but if you’re vaccinated there shouldn’t be much concern,” Garner, an art and technology major, said.

Camilla Kim, a UO senior majoring in architecture and art and technology, felt similarly. “I think people should still wear masks when sick, especially in class since it’s such a closed area,” Kim said.

While student behavior is crucial to the safety of the UO community, students are not the only ones affected by COVID-19. Instructors also had to adapt to changes after more than a year of virtual learning. With restrictions being lifted as of March 19, 2022, and classes becoming predominantly inperson, many instructors were put in limbo.

“I’m relieved, I feel like I can teach better now,” Yoko O’Brien, a UO Japanese senior instructor, said. “[But] every week I get emails from students: ‘I got COVID,’” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said language teaching is heavily

After being held off two years due to COVID-19, hundreds of music

fans gather for the annual Foam Wonderland show at the Cuthbert Ampitheater in Eugene, Ore. on May 21, 2022. (Serei Hendrie/ Emerald)

communication-based. Now that classes are inperson and mask-free, she feels as though students can learn to the best of their abilities.

“I’m really happy for them to freely participate in class activities,” O’Brien said.

However, since language courses typically have fewer students and rely on conversation amongst peers, O’Brien shared the importance of her health in the learning of her students. She feels a responsibility to her students to wear a mask and take precautions to avoid a return to virtual learning.

“I don’t like masks, trust me, I don’t want to teach in the class with a mask because I have to shout, but if I get COVID, all the class becomes Zoom, that’s why I’m really worried,” O’Brien said. “That’s a whole week of everything becoming Zoom, and I really want to avoid that as much as I can.”

While COVID-19 certainly brought adversity for students and instructors, there were some net positives to virtual learning during the pandemic.

As a UO student who has experienced an 8 a.m. class, Kim has an appreciation for Zoom options. “I like online classes; you don’t have to get up early, get ready, find parking,” Kim said. “I feel like they should have online options, especially during summer.”

Garner had experience with online courses before COVID-19. She felt like Zoom wasn’t the best option for learning online and offered an alternative solution. “It definitely would’ve helped if it was a different sort of software,” Garner said. “Blackboard Collaborate and it was specifically for teaching and it all these interactive tools and stuff, and I think something more akin to that would’ve been a lot more beneficial.”

Without prior knowledge of Zoom, O’Brien didn’t know if it would be possible for her to do virtual learning. Despite the struggle, O’Brien didn’t stay defeated. “I learned how to do the option with Zoom,” O’Brien said. “Now, I have that skill for meeting with students and staff and such.”

COVID-19’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE

COVID-19 has yet to “settle into a season,” according to Davis, so it is unpredictable in its effects on communities. Rather, COVID-19 peaks based on the ways different communities interact and socialize.

“COVID is part of living together. It is a symptom of what population growth and decreasing space between humans is going to result in,” Davis said. After more than a year of limited socialization, people could build what is called a “naive” immune system, Davis said.

“Your body is constantly learning new viruses and new bacteria and how to respond to them,” Davis said. “If you reduce that by like 10%, it has a huge impact on your immune system. It’s coming into contact with fewer viruses, fewer bacteria and more often.”

Additionally, the Hygiene Hypothesis suggests childhood exposure to viruses and germs benefits the immune system. Current studies surround

asthma, but there is curiosity about a possible link to the pandemic lockdown possibly affecting immune systems.

Rapid re-socialization after the lifting of mandates and the potential cultivation of “naive” immune systems created an environment for a particularly infectious flu season.

Flu Bites, the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) influenza surveillance report, corroborated this. They perform weekly reports of Oregon’s influenza rates, hospitalizations, etc. For the first full week of December 2022, the OHA reported 32.3% positive influenza tests while in December 2021 it was only 0.6%.

Presumably, this is due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and the minimal socialization, but the report of December 2018 was only 8.4% positive influenza tests, pointing to a possible change in immune system health after re-socialization.

For Lane County it was the “worst flu season since 2017,” Davis said. He said influenza vaccination rates for adults were down 10-15% this season which didn’t help the already unfavorable conditions.

Although there are no longer official regulations and the “imminent” danger of COVID-19 has somewhat subsided, Davis said individuals should start being more community-minded in their approach to COVID-19. “Your health has an impact on all those communities you interact with,” Davis said.

Davis highlighted the importance of “health literacy” in communities and at large. Health literacy is defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention—updated in August 2020—to “emphasize people’s ability to use health information rather than just understand it.” Trust between health officials and citizens is necessary for the usage of health literacy.

The mistrust during the pandemic made the sheer impact of COVID-19 unpredictable.

As of August 2022, 21% of people in Oregon have yet to receive one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. That is 702,630 people unvaccinated in Oregon. 60% of people in Oregon haven’t gotten a booster shot.

“Yeah, it might get here, it’s a coronavirus, it’s like the common cold,” Davis explained health officials’ thoughts in January 2020. This insinuation was based on trust that clearly was not present.

He feels that it “really falls on the shoulders of public health” to have better-prepared people on the possibilities of COVID-19 which could have “circumvented” a lot of the impact. It was the responsibility of health experts to build trust with people.

“Typically you trust the experts, and we didn’t see that sort of just general trust in our experts on the government levels and even community level,” said Davis.

It is crucial for people to adapt to more safe and more conscious lifestyles. COVID-19 quickly became one of the worst things to affect society because of the widespread lack of preparation. If people make efforts to take care of their own health and learn from it, communities will be able to move forward in healthier ways.

“It’s impacting us in a different way, but it is still very much here, and it’s ingrained and a part of who we are,” Davis said. “COVID is absolutely one of those things that we must learn from and that we must evolve from.”

As students come back to campus, the University of Oregon community is navigating moving forward with COVID still as a concern (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald)

OPINION

STRENGTHEN YOUR CRISIS RESPONSE TRESNIT: STRENGTHEN YOUR CRISIS RESPONSE

Opinion: You’re completely prepared until you aren’t.

The phrase “emergency preparedness” likely brings up images of earthquakes and other natural disasters in your mind, but my brain is still reeling from the events of last weekend and conjures up spilled bleach instead. My roommates and I managed to spill an entire gallon of bleach in our living space and nearly poisoned ourselves in the subsequent freakout. The incident gave me a new perspective on my response to emergencies, and I, like many other members of the general public, have some serious room for improvement.

Although I tend to think of myself as a reasonable and quick-thinking person, my composure often falls apart immediately when I’m confronted with a potentially dangerous situation. I once started a small microwave fire and instead of turning the machine off or getting a fire extinguisher, I stared into it for a few seconds and thought “I bet this is what a time machine would look like.” It’s safe to say that my emergency response skills could use some work.

This time, though, I was initially proud of myself. I paced around the floor and called my mom in a panic like a real adult. My roommates and I opened every window in the apartment and poured cold water on the bleach spot while

dabbing at it with paper towels. This worked well for about three minutes until we all got lightheaded and decided a breath of fresh air was in order. I vividly remember sitting in my pajamas (I’m a blast on Saturday nights) in the lobby of my building drinking bottled coffee and wondering how many brain cells I had lost.

It was around this time that we started figuring out how to get rid of the smell. The good news is that our plan worked and the apartment smelled normal after a few days. Unfortunately, the method we used is known in scientific circles as “making chlorine gas.” That’s right, we tackled the overpowering bleach with vinegar.

Luckily we’re all still alive and functioning, but I’ve been kicking myself in hindsight for over a week now. The phrase “losing your head in a crisis” keeps running through my mind, and I know I’m guilty of it. We all have a tendency to think that we’ll just know what to do when disaster strikes, but when confronted with a situation that demands fast action, it’s not always easy to do exactly the right thing. It’s important, though, to slow yourself down and consider the risks of anything you do to try to mitigate the problem.

This is naturally easier said than done.

BY SADIE TRESNIT

Researching tips for staying calm in a crisis results in list upon list of advice such as “breathe,” and if you’re anything like me, this is infuriating –– especially bad when your crisis is spilled bleach. There’s seemingly no practical advice for responsibly dealing with emergency situations without making mistakes. While I can’t offer you a foolproof method for handling every catastrophe with grace, I can share what I’ve found helpful in the time since the spill: the old adage “think before you act.” Taking a moment to think about the potential consequences of your actions can stop you from making a bad situation worse. Moving quickly is important, but it’s not more important than saving yourself from more significant harm. Obviously you can’t be constantly prepared for every possible emergency, but having a general idea of how you might act can’t hurt. I’ve been browsing disaster preparedness resources this week, and I already feel better having a loose survival plan. The bleach was a freak accident and not really something I could’ve prepared for, but going forward, I know what not to do if I spill a chemical indoors.

Experience is a good teacher, but I imagine it’s even nicer to avoid nearly poisoning yourself. Don’t forget to evaluate your decisions before you’ve made an emergency situation even worse.

Sadie is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a second-year English student from Portland. In her free time she reads and plays music, and she likes to write about little inconveniences and trends that disproportionately bother her.

Considering personal preparedness and enlisting an action plan for hazardous events can provide vital decision-making time when it is most needed in potentially dangerous situations. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

SPORTS

JO-YEE CHAN’S BIG DEBUT LEADS OREGON

WOMEN’S TENNIS 6-1 PAST SEATTLE UNIVERSITY

Oregon Women’s Tennis built an early season momentum with an undeafeted home stand to start the season

BY BRADY RUTH • TWITTER @BRADYRUTH10

Oregon women’s tennis (2-0) defeated Seattle University (1-4) for the third straight season, 6-1 on Sunday in Eugene. The Ducks were stronger, more agile and more accurate in all aspects of the game as they continued their perfect start to 2023.

“We had some very decisive wins,” coach Courtney Nagle said. “Doubles improved from Friday and I think we carried that into singles very well.”

Uxia Martinez Moral was in full control of her No. 4 match against Jade Quintana. She won both of her sets 6-1, was the first to win her match and put the Ducks ahead 2-0. Just a few moments later, Ares Teixido Garcia capped off her own match. She swept Lola Tavcar with 6-1 and 6-3 set wins. Teixido Garcia and Martinez Moral both improved to 2-0 in singles play on the season. Their wins brought Oregon to a 3-0 lead and just a point away from a 2-0 season start.

It was Jo-Yee Chan – the only new face to the Ducks in 2023 – who sealed the win for Oregon. After she dominated in doubles play, she walked right past Mireia Fehr in the No. 5 singles match with a 2-0 sweep. She won her first collegiate singles set 6-1 and the second set 6-2 en route to her first win as a Duck. Chan is a freshman from Sugar Hill, Georgia, and was a highly ranked recruit in high school. Her win on Sunday put Oregon ahead 4-0 and clinched its second victory of the weekend.

“I just told myself to breathe,” Chan said. “It helped a lot because I just wanted to focus on one point at a time.”

After Chan’s dazzling debut, the Redhawks and Ducks decided to play out the remaining singles matches. Mere seconds after Chan’s win, Misaki Kobayashi won her second set over Shuanghu Huang 6-0 to seal her 2-0 sweep (6-2, 6-0) and bring the Oregon lead to 5-0.

Myah Petchey, playing from the No. 2 spot, had the Ducks’ only singles loss of the impressive weekend. She was swept by Liliya Dimova, 2-6 and 5-7. She put together a nice rally in her second set, but it fell short and Dimova put Seattle

on the board.

“[Petchey] didn’t play her best tennis,” Nagle said. “But she came back from a 0-4 deficit and got in a position to win the set. We’re always looking for those situations where we can get back in position when we’re down, and she did that today.”

Sophie Luescher’s match against Elena Kraleva was the last to finish. She defeated the Redhawks’ No. 1 player in two sets. She won 6-2 and 7-6 (7-5 in tiebreaker) and completed Oregon’s 6-1 win.

The Ducks also remained undefeated this season in doubles play by capturing the doubles point with a 2-0 sweep. Teixido Garcia and Chan teamed up for the first time for a 6-0 doubles match win. They had their Redhawk opponents off balance and dazzled. Chan had the accuracy to seemingly place her hits wherever she wanted on the court, and Teixido Garcia had unmatchable power that Seattle U couldn’t return.

“Going into the doubles match I was so nervous,” Chan said. “But we got off to such a quick start. I got really comfortable and it felt good.”

Luescher and Martinez Moral also picked up a doubles win with their 6-3 win over Kraleva and Dimova. They never trailed in their match, and sealed the Ducks’ first point with their victory. Petchey and Kobayashi’s match against Tavcar and Fehr was unfinished, but the two teams were tied 5-5.

Sunday’s win capped off a strong weekend homestand. Wins over Portland State (4-0) and Seattle University (6-1) saw the Ducks outscore their opponents 10-1 through their first two games and start the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.

Oregon heads to Stillwater, Oklahoma, next weekend for the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Ducks will play No. 13 Oklahoma State (1-0) on Saturday, Jan. 28 and either No. 20 Michigan (1-0) – who eliminated Oregon from the NCAA tournament last season – or Kansas (1-0) on Sunday, Jan. 29.

The team huddles up after the conclusion of all the doubles matches to prepare for the singles matches to begin. The Oregon Women’s Tennis team hosts Portland State at the Student Tennis Center in Eugene, Ore., on January 20th. (Jonathan Suni, Emerald)