11-2-20 Emerald Media - Monday Edition

NOV. 2, 2020

Monday Edition

Emerald Media

AN ANONYMOUS INSTAGRAM PAGE RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT COVID-19 SAFETY

NEWS: THE REALITY OF COVID TEST RESULTS P. 3

A&C: ESSAYS ABOUT AOC P. 6

OPINION: COVID-19 IS CREATING HOSTILITY P. 8 M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 0

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Everything You Need to Know, Everything UO

@Dailyemerald

NEWS

NO ‘GET OUT OF COVID-19-JAIL FREE CARD’

WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE TEST RESULTS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT

Around OR

BY SALLY SEGAR • TWITTER @SALLYSEGAR VOL. 122, ISSUE NO. 20

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ON THE COVER

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To contact the Daily Emerald with tips or letters to the editor, email: editor@dailyemerald.com

(Courtesy of Ellen Peters)

COVID-19 testing is imperfect. Just like testing for any other medical ailment, there is a chance you’ll get a false positive or a false negative when testing for COVID-19 antibodies or a current infection.

Coronavirus antibody tests look for signs of past COVID-19 infections, and diagnostic or screening tests look for current infections.

Ellen Peters, director of the University of Oregon’s Center for Science Communication Research, said it would be “amazing” if people could rely just on COVID-19 antibody test results — for example, to tell if we are likely to become infected by the virus in the future.

“Tests are imperfect,” Peters said. “And so, when you test positive, you just don’t know for sure what you think you know for sure.”

For example, Oregon head football coach Mario Cristoball announced Tuesday that five positive COVID-19 cases among players turned out to be false positives.

COVID-19 testing accuracy varies, according to Harvard Health Publishing. For one type of diagnostic testing — including qPCR tests, those used by University Health Services, for example — false negative rates have ranged from 2% to 37% and false positives “should be close to zero,” according to the Sept. 30 article.

On Oct. 7, Peters presented during an Ideas on Tap webinar hosted by the Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Peters used Bayes’ theorem, a mathematical formula used for probability, to determine whether her friend, Doug, should have a “get out of COVID-jail free card.”

Doug tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, Peters said during the presentation, and he wanted to know if this meant he was “immune” to the virus and could finally travel. Peters used the word immune, she said, to say that Doug had tested positive for antibodies consistent with the virus.

Bayes’ theorem considers a test result, but also considers the likelihood the test was wrong and the prevalence of the disease in people similar to Doug. Testing is only one piece of information you need, she said. For example, it’s important to consider the rate of COVID-19 in Doug’s area.

Using the equation and additional information, Peters found that — even though Doug had tested

positive for antibodies — his likelihood of actually having antibodies and being “immune” was only 49%.

“It’s like flipping a coin whether or not he’s immune, despite the fact that he tested positive,” Peters said during the presentation.

In an interview, Peters said she wanted to convey two points during that talk: tests are imperfect, and it’s important to use numbers to make good decisions.

It’s human nature to rely on feelings and emotions rather than data when making decisions, Peters said. College students and others are all tired of the virus, she said, and of the restrictions that come with it.

Similarly, most people have not experienced the virus. After months of worrying but not getting it, it’s natural for fears to start going away and for the lure of activities we’ve been missing out on to come back, Peters said.

“It’s this weird situation where experience is informing us that this isn’t a big deal, but it is,” she said. “So it’s like we all kind of have to keep in mind that that risk is still out there.”

UO senior Alexey Didenko has gotten tested for COVID-19 twice in the past few months and gotten negative results both times.

Even months into the pandemic, Didenko said he goes between feeling fine about coronavirus restrictions and feeling disheartened by the effects on businesses and friends.

“I’m still aware of the risks but there is less fear and more just struggling to adapt to the new reality,” Didenko said in an email.

The human reactions to the virus are understandable, Peters said.

“It’s just that sometimes in life we have to step back a minute and look at the bigger picture of not just ourselves but other people,” she said.

Peters recommends that people always take their COVID-19 test results with a grain of salt.

“If there’s some chance that you actually think you’re infected, quarantine yourself,” she said.

“Keep people safe.”

Peters said people should start quarantining the moment they think they need to get tested for COVID-19. If the result ends up positive, individuals could have been contagious and unintentionally spread the virus.

If you really want to know for sure about your results, get a second test, she said. Getting the same result twice is a good indication of it being correct.

Didenko said he would feel more comfortable trusting COVID-19 testing if it was faster and more accurate. People might be walking around for days after a test before they know if they’re actually sick, he said.

“Sure they tell us to quarantine, but do you really think everyone does that?” Didenko said.

During the pandemic, Peters and those in her lab have tracked a national panel of Americans to study how emotions toward something like the coronavirus guide the public’s thoughts and intentions toward it.

“People’s fears about the coronavirus end up informing their risk perceptions,” she said.

REGIONAL AND STATE NEWS HOLIDAY FARM FIRE CLEAN UP CONTINUES: On Wednesday, Oct.28, the Environmental Protection Agency visited Lane County to clean up dangerous household items such as propane tanks, fertilizer, pesticides and bleach leftover from local properties affected by the Holiday Farm Fire. Lauren Wirtis, a spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Quality, said these items can be dangerous and explosive. The EPA needs permission to enter local properties, and over 400 property owners have agreed upon their request. They are waiting to hear back from 150 more.

– REINA HARWOOD

(Maddie Knight/Emerald)

20X21EUG MURAL PROJECT: The 20x21EUG Mural Project is an initiative dedicated to creating 20 or more world-class outdoor murals in Eugene before the 2022 IAAF World Championships, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Use the Mural Project’s map to get out and explore over 20 of these gigantic works of art on the streets of Eugene with your friends or family, all while remaining socially distanced.

– SAM ANTHONY FALSE POSITIVES: On Tuesday, head football coach Mario Cristobal announced the team has resumed activities after five positive COVID-19 tests turned out to be false positives. Despite losing a few days of practice, Cristobal remains confident that the team will be prepared for their first game on Nov. 7 against the Stanford Cardinal.

– DANIEL FRIIS

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COVER

@covid.campus

An anonymous Instagram page questions safety protocol at UO

BY EM CHAN • TWITTER @CATCHINGUPWITHEM

When speaking against the measures UO took to prepare for an in-person term over the summer, some members of the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation and UO students found they weren’t being heard or acknowledged by administrators. To gather more support and input, four of these current and former UO students, who wish to remain anonymous, created the Instagram page @covid.campus. Their goal is to give students a platform “to call for and enact the changes they deem necessary,” they said in a statement to the Emerald.

The @covid.campus page posts anonymous user-submitted entries it receives from direct messages and an open Google Form linked in its bio.

Submissions range from students expressing general disdain for how safety procedures on campus are being followed to complaints about work conditions.

This isn’t a phenomenon limited to UO — college students on campuses across the country, such as Washington State University, University of Michigan and University of New Hampshire, have started social media accounts aimed at blowing the whistle when admin or students violate COVID-19 protocols.

“It’s a good example of how people can reach out and find each other and accomplish something together,” said one of the students running the page.

“Sharing these stories is the first step in changing how things are.”

The page seeks to educate students through infographics and breakdowns in its posts and story highlights. One of the most recent posts breaks down how Greek life has contributed the highest number of COVID-19 cases compared to the rest of the student population. The page moderators said since the creation of the page they have received countless DMs thanking them for their posts, since students feel acknowledged in their concerns and relieved they are not alone.

Despite official university methods for reporting behavior and operations inquiries, the group believes that reporting to UO has been ineffective.

Early on, some posts expressed concern about safety for student workers in the Knight Library, students taking in-person human physiology labs and Greek life participants.

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STUDENT WORKERS IN THE KNIGHT LIBRARY LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE The account posted two submissions concerning student library workers. Both claimed that the Knight Library was not a safe place due to the administration’s protocol and returning students’ behaviors.

All student library workers spoke on the condition of anonymity, for fear their speaking to the press would impact their employment. They will be referred to using pseudonyms: Alex, Frankie and Taylor.

One student worker, Alex, who worked in-person from the beginning of the pandemic and through the summer, said they didn’t feel the communication to workers was sufficient or transparent enough.

“Realistically, opening the library was a financial move, so they could justify having students on campus,” said Frankie, who submitted one of the two library-related @covid.campus posts.

Taylor stated the shift to reopening was strange, because it was so sudden and that the “only difference is that they added the plexiglass barriers.”

Student workers expressed that despite only allowing students, staff and faculty in the facility, it was only students that were “disrespecting” the space.

Taylor emphasized that students wouldn’t follow the required mask-wearing protocol and that “the thing that’s gonna fix it is holding people accountable.”

All the student employees stated they would have preferred the library remained closed, not just for their own safety but for patrons. Frankie mentioned that if they got routine testing provided by administration, even without symptoms present, they would feel better about working.

“I feel like they owe it to us to keep us updated and informed as much as possible. Because [administrators] have offices in the back, but we’re in the front and walking around or having people come up to us. I’ve been disappointed in their response,” Alex said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with my direct staff — I feel like they do what they can, because they’re subject to library admin, their bosses.”

When library administrators caught wind of the page, they were shocked and concerned about safety, said Susan Breakenridge, assistant dean and library administrative services. Upon closer inspection, they found that although they appreciated the concerns expressed, “the reality of some of that is not actually correct.”

“I believe the confessions are real, of students and student employees — that doesn’t make them completely accurate in reality,” Breakenridge said.

“We read posts and contextualized them, and looked at what our operations are,” Mark Watson, interim library dean, said. “For example, students clean surfaces, and we think it’s a good idea for people to sanitize their area. It doesn’t mean that’s the only way we kept safe, but that’s what the post would imply. We would argue with every point addressed.”

The administrators said that they recently added laminated papers on each table to provide physical reminders about whether a table was cleaned or still dirty. There are also signs in and outside of the buildings to remind students to keep areas clean and masks on.

Breakenridge added that there is a third cleaning crew that goes through the library at night.

Otherwise, high touch points are cleaned throughout the day.

Getting the same information through many communication channels during the pandemic has been challenging, Breakenridge said. She explained that after communicating with full-time employees, those supervisors are responsible for conveying that info to student employees.

Concerning students who may be hiding out in different areas of the library and not wearing their masks, Rick Stoddart, a library strategic coordinator, said the library staff have been monitoring behavior and moving furniture as more information is

COVER available.

Breakenridge emphasized that student workers are permitted to approach and remind students to put their masks on, but not expected to ─ only if they feel empowered to do so. Erin Stoddart, strategic projects and grants development librarian, added that anyone using the library or any other on-campus facilities needs to wear masks at all times, and that groups are not permitted.

Watson said he finds confessional sites problematic because they can spread misinformation and reinforce the assumption that UO admin aren’t doing anything.

“Individual conversations are better, because I don’t know how things get better when someone anonymously posts to a social media website when they could just as easily have spoken to any one of us and heard the info we’re telling you, to complain about problems which may or may not actually be real problems,” he said.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY LABS

The account also published a couple posts concerning the human physiology department and requirement of in-person cadaver labs in early October. The cadaver lab is the only in-person section for human physiology students. Two anonymous posts, one by an individual and the second by a group of human physiology students, outlined fears of inability to social distance and of contracting COVID-19 from classmates.

The individual said they found it was unfair that they would be forced to take the lab or be late a year in obtaining their degree.

The anonymous group of students expressed

“IT’S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW PEOPLE CAN REACH OUT AND FIND EACH OTHER AND ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING TOGETHER. SHARING THESE STORIES IS THE FIRST STEP IN CHANGING HOW THINGS ARE.” ANONYMOUS STUDENT concern about being unable to socially distance.

The post said that “the professor explicitly stated in lecture that social distancing won’t be maintained at all time” and that the department had the ability to make the course online but wouldn’t.

When word of these posts got to the department head of human physiology Dr. John Halliwill, he expressed how he “wished they reached out directly for a dialogue.”

He said he was glad the page existed as an outlet for students to air their concerns, but regarding department-specific worries, that it’s challenging to see that students are concerned without learning more about their perspective, especially because there can be a mass spread of misinformation.

Halliwill emphasized that after looking at historical data, feedback from alumni and informal feedback from student interactions, the majority of students disliked remote labs and wanted them in-person.

Additionally, enrollment trends showed that not many students registered for remote classes.

“Students getting experience with cadavers in the lab are difficult to replicate with online resources,” he said. “It’s about important three-dimensional relationships, but it’s hard to demonstrate that with online options. We didn’t feel that we could put together a course with the resources available so we stuck with the in-person lab option.”

Concerning the individual post alleging the professor stated that social distancing will not be maintained, Halliwill said the student took the statement out of context.

“The times that are spent in close proximity is very limited and only meant to be purposefully pointing things out,” he said. “We’ve been working really hard in the last week to reiterate that sentiment, and adhering to that rule.”

Halliwill added that the lead instructor has been talking to learning assistants to reinforce instructions, while also reaching out to students to clarify those expectations.

The department also supplied students with masks and eye goggles with side sheets. It also bought a HEPA air scrubber, cut down on the amount of embalming fluid to reduce odor and invested in commercial disinfectant spray machines, Halliwill said.

GREEK LIFE

Since the @covid.campus page started, one complaint has remained consistent. They say some fraternities and sororities have been blatantly ignoring COVID-19 restrictions and throwing parties.

Fraternities explicitly named in posts include Delta Sigma Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Lambda Chi Alpha, the last of which is mentioned multiple times. Sororities Alpha Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Delta Gamma and Tri Delta are also explicitly named. Submissions have called out these chapters for having parties in live outs, inperson bid day events and overall getting off without any reported consequences.

Subsequent posts from other Greek life students claim that not all organizations are being as reckless, and that they disapprove of other houses’ behaviors.

However, all the posts mention that Fraternity and Sorority Life and chapter leadership should hold students more accountable.

No group responded for comment except for the fraternity Beta Theta Pi. “I can’t speak for other fraternities, but we’re taking it very real and seriously, following the set guidelines

by Lane County and the state,” Jonathan Hughey, fraternity president said. “Having spoken with other chapter presidents, we all understand this is a glaring issue as being responsible for our personal conduct.

We’re just doing everything we can to plan for limiting spread, since this virus has the potential to go on for years.”

UO’s Fraternity and Sorority Life, Panhellenic Council and the Interfraternity Council deferred to the official statement released by UO media and communications manager Saul Hubbard. The statement said that while the administration is aware of the account, “many of the posts, after further investigation, either contain inaccurate information, lack important context, or result from people misunderstanding the UO’s or an individual unit’s policies or rules.”

In place of submitting to the page, Hubbard advised using the UO Operations Inquiries or Behavioral Concern reporting forms or speaking directly with the leaders to follow up.

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A&C

NEW ESSAY COLLECTION CONTEXTUALIZES AOC

BY AUDREY KALMAN • TWITTER @AUDKAL17 She is such a maverick that it is difficult to pick only one striking characteristic. The fact that she is the youngest congresswoman ever might be the obvious choice, or perhaps that her work uniform includes red lipstick. But the thing is, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the list goes on and on.

In addition to being chock-full of historical facts and firsts, the new essay collection “AOC: The Fearless Rise and Powerful Resonance of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” explains the historical backdrop behind AOC’s election. The book is made up of 17 essays by 17 authors, and offers compelling insights into various elements of the congresswoman’s importance.

Even those of us who like her tweets and watch her livestreams have a lot more to learn about the New York representative.

These essays explain not only why Ocasio-Cortez is revelatory in the now, but also why her presence is deeply necessary given our country’s recent history.

In the book’s introduction, “The Meaning of AOC,” journalist Lynda Lopez premises how AOC is not only culturally symbolic, but that the congresswoman’s importance is augmented by our “particular American moment.” AOC’s significance is centered around how she stands up for communities who have gone underrepresented in Washington for an inexcusably long time.

In particular, Ocasio-Cortez has played an especially important role in advocating for Puerto Ricans. In the book’s final essay, “The Hustle,” Maria Cristina “MC” Gonzalez Noguera writes how Puerto Ricans have a long history of contributing their strengths to the United States but have historically not had a seat at the table. AOC is changing this.

She not only speaks proudly of her own Puerto Rican heritage, but she is also continually embodying that pride in her actions. As Gonzalez Noguera writes, Ocasio-Cortez is “always showing up, making room, widening the lane, and reminding everyone that we deserve to be there.” The way that AOC validates the presence of historically excluded

folks in the political sphere is a theme throughout the book’s essays.

The essays in “AOC” range from casual to formal, personal to academic. One of the more casual essays, Jennine

Capó Crucet’s “An Open Letter to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez,” is a first-person piece about how the author feels deeply connected to AOC and also wants to be friends with her. A more formal piece is Nathan J. Robinson’s “The Democratic Socialism of AOC,” which reads more like a longform magazine piece. Robinson defines what it means to be a socialist, and also analyzes how crucial AOC has been to defining “intersectional socialism.” The varying tones of the essays in “AOC” mirror the varying degrees of formality that the congresswoman herself uses, making for a text that is both accessible and informative.

The book explains how AOC is a gamechanger in several arenas. She stands up for herself and others, brings politics to new audiences and is changing how politicians communicate altogether. Multiple essays in “AOC” further the argument that Ocasio-Cortez’s power is in her social media presence. In one of the book’s most memorable essays, “AOC the Influencer,” journalist Mariana Atencio writes about how the congresswoman is “elevating the agenda” through social media, “rewriting the traditional rules of governance with every post.”

AOC is not only ever-present to her almost 11 million followers across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, but she is present in a never-before-seen relatable way. She could be making dinner, tastefully sipping wine or even assembling IKEA furniture, but when AOC streams her daily life, folks tune in by the thousands.

While a vast social media presence alone could in other circumstances be seen as vapid, Ocasio-Cortez pairs her virtual presence with her ability to show up IRL as well.

She meets voters where they are, whether it’s on Instagram or at Standing Rock. As Wendy Carillo states, this “was, and still is, her winning card.”

(Audrey Kalman/Emerald)

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Wherever you are.

OSPIRG 46826 OSPIRG Students is the state’s oldest student-directed and funded nonprofit started in 1971. We train students to be effective activist and win a greener, healthier future for us all. Since our start, we’ve done everything from passing Oregon’s Coal to Clean bill, to protecting $2.6 billion of the Pell Grant. Last year we put Wildlife Over Waste by winning a ban on foam cups and takeout containers in Eugene. Last spring after the switch to remote classes we helped raise $1,800 for local food banks by hosting an online stream-a-ton with Greek life. Now we’re working to make sure every Ducks votes with our New Voters Project. Make sure to cast your ballot by Nov. 3rd at 8pm! Find your dropbox at ospirgstudents.org/dropbox The thing that makes us effective is that we’re funded by all of you! Every two years students at UO vote to reaffirm our funding. We’re funded by students chipping-in $1.75 per term, and two years ago over 80% of Ducks voted yes for OPSIRG —so thanks! We pool this money statewide and hire professional staff to work for students. Expert staff give students the skills and resources to make a difference here on campus, and also in Salem and Washington D.C. where decision are made.

We will refund any UO student who does not wish to fund OSPIRG, please go to ospirgstudents.org/refund to request one.

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OPINION

COVID-19 CONCERNS ARE CREATING HOSTILITY

BY ANDY STEVENS • TWITTER @VNDREWWS

Jack Hardley (left) and Grant Leiphart, seniors at UO, chat and prepare for their work out outside of the Rec. Center. “It’s definitely a little weird with the masks,” Hardley said when asked about how working out is different since the Rec. reopened.

On sunny days my three roommates and I used to enjoy sitting on our front porch talking and drinking beers. Now out of fear of ridicule from our peers or potential punishment from the university, we choose to drink our beers inside.

Quarantine has been a long seven months, at least half of which I’ve spent with my roommates in Eugene. All of us are taking COVID-19 very seriously, especially since I tested positive in June. We have been getting tested once a week and not spending time with other groups. I think what we do on our porch is no one’s business but our own, since we’re not putting anyone at risk, but I still receive negative messages and bad looks from passersby. The COVID-19 behavioral form and Instagram page @covid.campus have cultivated a hostile environment where I no longer trust other students to respect my privacy.

More than once I have been sitting on my porch with my roommates enjoying what little sun is left only to notice someone walking by, or our neighbors, taking a picture of us.

I am fully in support of COVID-19 resources, and I think people should be held accountable for their actions, but this is not the way to do it. The COVID-19 behavioral form encourages students to tell the university specific details about other students, including their ID number, for a perceived violation of social distancing rules. How is someone I have never met supposed to know that my roommates and I are roommates who have been quarantined together? It is true that the first offence merely receives a warning PA G E 8

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from the university, but that still means any serial porch sitters like myself are in danger. The behavioral form is only half the issue though.

The instagram page @covid.campus has blown up for posting anecdotes from anonymous people disappointed by the UO community. Some posts provide interesting stories of neglect by the university, like this one from a Barnhart dining employee: “I worked there last year and they failed to tell me that Barnhart was designated as the covidpositive dorm. They expected me to deliver food to students even though they never asked me if I would even be comfortable with it.”

The COVID-19 behavioral form and instagram page @covid.campus have cultivated a hostile environment where I no longer trust other students to respect my privacy.”

Quotes like this highlight real issues with how the university is handling COVID-19, but many of the other quotes just express animosity toward other students, particularly those who drink.

One such post talks about seeing a group of students walking without masks in the street: “On Friday night I was hanging out at my apartment in the West-University neighborhood when I heard this

huge group of (presumably drunk) people walking in the middle of the street. I peaked my head outside to see what was going on only to see one of the frat guys involved yelling about ‘that guy in the yellow jacket’ being a ‘fa**ot.’ I don’t remember ever seeing anything like this before quarantine started so it’s very unsettling.”

This post was very alarming to read because it highlights the animosity in our community. I am in no way defending the use of slurs or violence, but in this story the biggest issue I see is the group being in the street and the appearance of no masks. Students using slurs and being rude amongst their peers is not a new development despite what this quote says, and has nothing to do with COVID-19. Calling these students “dumbasses” might actually be accurate for their use of a slur, but there is no way to tell if this group has quarantined together or all just tested negative.

I think people should be held accountable for their actions, but anonymous stories about the behavior of other students does not accomplish this. The @covid.campus Instagram provides an important and valuable resource for students to voice their concerns, but they should do a better job of making sure posts are about real concerns and not just anger at other students.

I don’t feel comfortable being in public with my roommates at all now, even though we always wear masks. If there isn’t any sense of unity or kinship among students during this crisis, it is going to stay that way even when there is no pandemic.