3-13-23 Emerald Media Group - ODE

Current Open Positions

elections@uoduckstore.com

• One (1) Freshman position for a two (2) year term

• Two (2) Sophomore positions each for a two (2) year term

• One (1) Graduate position for a one (1) year term

• One (1) Graduate position for a two (2) year term

• One (1) Teaching Faculty position for a (2) year term

All candidates must be The Duck Store Members enrolled in the academic year of the position as of Spring Term 2023. Nominations are accepted during the Annual Meeting or by emailing elections@uoduckstore.com prior to the annual meeting.

The Duck Store Annual Meeting

Wednesday, April 19th, 2:00 p.m.

Via Zoom (link at events.uoduckstore.com)

NEWSROOM

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Hannarose McGuinness

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

Brandon Roth

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

Sarah Matlick

NEWS EDITORS

Alexis Weisend

Gavin Gamez

Caleb Barber

A&C EDITORS

Krista Kroiss

Evan Reynolds

SPORTS EDITORS

Aaron Heisen

Mojo Hill

OPINION EDITORS

Emma J Nelson

Sophia Cossette

PHOTO EDITOR

Maddie Stellingwerf

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Ian Enger

DESIGN EDITOR

Liz Blodgett

COPY CHIEF

Amanda Lurey

ASSOCIATE COPY EDITORS

Dylan Farrell Logan Robertson

VIDEO EDITOR Troy Munson

PODCAST EDITOR

Jamie Diep

SOCIALS EDITOR

Jennifer Singh

VISUALS EDITOR

Julia Stalnaker

BUSINESS

PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT

Bill Kunerth X317 bkunerth@dailyemerald.com

VP OPERATIONS Kathy Carbone X302 kcarbone@dailyemerald.com

DIRECTOR OF SALES & DIGITAL MARKETING

Shelly Rondestvedt X303 srondestvedt@dailyemerald.com

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Annie Smith X327 creative@dailyemerald.com

STUDENT SALES MANAGER

Amy Mendez

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Riley Valle

Keaton Roberts

Max Goldenberg

Josh Delapena

ON THE COVER

Despite eventually transferring into UO

Reese recounted the importance of his time and experience at NAU. University of Oregon transfer students give their opinion on the transfer process. (Skyler Davis/Emerald)

THE DAILY EMERALD

The Daily Emerald is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in

FOR YOU

Top viewed story in the past week:

“Eugene Springfield Fire responds to fire at Valley River Inn” by Alexis Weisend (Alexis Weisend/Emerald)

Second most read story in the past week: “Sex offender reported masturbating in women’s locker room of rec center given letter of trespass” by Alexis Weisend

Student Recommends

BY ADRIAN CARDENAS-MEJIA

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

“EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE.” A BOOK WRITTEN BY DOLLY ALDERTON

Summary: “Everything I Know About Love” is Dolly Alderton’s memoir which follows her path to the meaning of love. Alderton takes us through her work, party and romantic problems while always being able to rely on her pillar — her best friend Farly. The book was adopted into a TV series in 2022 available on Peacock in the US.

Recommended by: Zoe Gruszczynski. “It doesn’t have to be some tragedy or something amazing. Yes, it has those moments but its just about her finding herself in the good and the bad.”

(Kevin Wang/Emerald)

Do you want your voice heard literally? Scan here to respond to our Voices of UO prompt with a brief voice message, and head to www. dailyemerald. com/ multimedia/ podcasts/ next week to listen to the replies!

We want to hear from you:

We want to hear from you: Email editor@dailyemerald. com to submit a tip or a letter to the editor. The ideal length for a letter is 200-500 words, but we publish letters of various lengths online.

(Maisie Plew/Emerald)

For updated coverage of sports and digital-exclusive content, go to www.dailyemerald.com

Photo by Adrian Cardenas-Mejia

NEW ASUO AMENDMENT MET WITH OPPOSITION

BY PAUL ROBINSON

ASUO voted to send an amendment that would “limit funding increases for continuing programs to the rate of inflation or to three percent, whichever is lower,” to a student vote in spring.

During the meeting, members of the nonprofit Oregon State Public Interest Research Group and its supporters spoke out against the amendment.

Last spring, UO students voted in support of a ballot measure that will increase OSPIRG’s budget by 113% — or $128,671 — for the 202426 academic years, putting ASUO in a position where it may have to prioritize funding OSPIRG over other student organizations.

OSPIRG’s budget increase would force ASUO to increase its existing overall budget above the maximum 5% increase allowed for the Incidental-Fee, a student-paid fee that makes up ASUO’s budget.

Contract Finance Committee chair Jenna Travers said in an email that OSPIRG had initially submitted a wrong year range on their initial ballot measure. ASUO and OSPIRG also agreed to reduce the amount of OSPIRG’s budget increase due to the financial strain it would put on ASUO.

While students voted in favor of the ballot measure taking effect for the 2024-26 academic years, ASUO’s Constitution Court voted in favor that the measure would go into effect in the 2023-2024 academic years.

Instead of the 113% budget increase, Travers said ASUO granted OSPIRG a 30% budget increase for the 2023-24 academic years.

She said the increase will go into effect on July 1, 2023 when the fiscal

year 2024 begins.

The ballot measure does not work retroactively, so ASUO will still have to figure out a way to fund OSPIRG’s budget increase. But the amendment prevents a situation like this from happening again.

OSPIRG statewide board chair Hibah Hammad said the group aims to give University of Oregon students the resources and tools to advocate for the issues they care about.

Hammad said the CFC’s amendment would restrict student power on campus. “We as a coalition believe that we should be moving in the opposite direction and expanding the referendum process for organizations to participate in the direct representation within the system,” she said.

If ASUO’s budget increase is to exceed 5%, ASUO would need to get approval from university administration and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Travers said.

“It makes it really difficult for us to plan, and it puts us in a difficult position of trying to figure out how to do all this equitably and make sure everybody’s getting what they need,”

CFC member Jonah Kaplan said.

Hammad said ASUO and OSPIRG worked together last year to minimize its initial ask of a 113% budget increase but OSPIRG disagreed that a cap is the best solution.

“We think there should be other avenues of solving this, like coming up with educational trainings on how the I-Fee works and how the budgetary process works so you know how much is okay to request — things like that,” she said.

Travers said the approval by the senate will allow students to vote on the amendment to the constitution during the spring elections. She said the amendment will make groups that receive their budget through ballot measure get the same 3% budget increase that other contracted groups receive every year.

“This still legally obligates us to

fund them. They still allow students to have a voice. That still allows students to vote on an amount, and then if they need more than the amount that we typically give any of our contracts in a multi-year agreement, they ask for it,” Travers said.

In addition to the amendment, ASUO sent a voluntary budget process amendment to ballot measure at their Mar. 8 meeting. Travers said it will allow groups funded through ballot measures to voluntarily go through the budget process.

“It will allow groups to ensure their needs are met for unexpected costs such as one-time funding or economic recessions and encourages groups to utilize the budget process,” she said.

(Eleanor Klock/Daily Emerald)

ASUO sends a new amendment to ballot measure that would “limit funding for continuing programs.”

THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON IS IMPLEMENTING AN INCREASE IN TUITION FOR THE 2023-2024 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR

The UO Tuition and Fee Advisory Board and UO Interim President Patrick Phillips will propose an increase in tuition for the 2023-2024 school year to the Board of Trustees.

BY JASMINE SABOORIAN

On Monday and Tuesday, the University of Oregon Board of Trustees is set to vote on Interim President Patrick Phillips’ recommendations for an increase in tuition beginning the 2023-2024 academic school year.

The tuition increase only applies to incoming freshmen since each class has a fixed tuition rate.

Phillip’s tuition increase proposal is based on the recommendations of the University of Oregon’s Tuition and Fee Advisory Board. The tuition and fee proposal is broken up into two different sections. One for Oregon resident tuition and one for out-of-state resident tuition.

For Oregon resident tuition, the fees will increase by 4% of the 2022 tuition cohort rate. The annual full-time tuition will be locked at around $13,000 for five years, about $290 per student credit hour.

For out-of-state resident tuition, the fees will increase by 3.8% of the 2022 tuition cohort rate. The annual full-time tuition will be locked at around $40,600 for five years, about $900 per student credit hour.

The Oregon Guarantee, the guaranteed tuition program that locks fees and tuition for five years, will remain in effect for enrolled students and futureenrolled students. Currently enrolled students will still pay their original tuition fee while future-enrolled students will pay the increased tuition fee.

“As part of the Oregon Guarantee, tuition and administratively controlled mandatory fee rates for undergraduate students who are already enrolled at

the University of Oregon are guaranteed and will not change for five years after matriculation to the university,” Phillips wrote in an email.

According to Phillips via email, the university will dedicate additional funds for remissions and scholarships as tuition rates increase. These funds include up to 10% of new revenue from undergraduate tuition.

PathwayOregon and Home Flight scholarship and advising programs cover tuition and fees for all program participants through federal grants, state grants and university scholarships.

The Tuition and Fee Advisory Board and Phillips have also agreed on tuition increases for graduate students, as well. They range from no increase to 5% increase depending on the specified program. An additional endorsed fee will be a 3.46% total increase in administratively controlled mandatory fees for graduate students.

The President’s Forum on Tuition on Feb. 16 and the ASUO-Tuition and Fee Advisory Board Student Tuition Forum on Jan. 17 were both open to the public and accepting suggestions.

“Students attended both events and shared a number of perspectives related to UO tuition and fees,” Phillips wrote in his email. “These perspectives, as well as those received from students, faculty and staff via the online community feedback form, were considered before the provided tuition and fee proposal.”

A graduate takes a photo of his fellow classmates on a disposable film camera. University of Oregon holds its 2022 Commencement Ceremony at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on June 13, 2022. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

EUGENE RENTERS’ BLUES EUGENE RENTERS’ BLUES

Does the search for an apartment make you want to scream? You’re not alone.

BY SADIE TRESNIT

I was full of the righteous irritation that comes with the yearly apartment-hunting hullabaloo when I started writing this article. As I was writing it out in my head, my planned first line was “The woman writing to you today is, in a word, drained.” Any college student in Eugene right now could rant to you about the frustrations of the housing market. So what caused the shift from melodrama to waffling on about my writing process? Coincidentally, my lease application for next year was just approved as I started writing. But if you thought the solution to my personal problems would deter me from writing about the problems in Eugene as a whole, think again.

To be completely fair, the woman writing to you is still drained. The fact that I’ve finally secured a lease doesn’t take away from how exhausting the whole process has been so far. This is my second year of having to plan housing so I know the drill by now, but experiencing it all over again is a fresh nightmare. At any given point within the past three months, a solid half of my open tabs have been houses and apartments. I’ve moved from one group of roommates to another and looked into all sorts of apartments, townhomes and houses. My email and phone history are littered with responses to tour requests and notices that certain properties have already been rented. None of these issues are monumental alone, but together they’ve been driving me up the wall.

Part of what makes this process so difficult is the endless competition. The class of 2026 is the largest

freshman class in UO’s history, and this influx of students means the fight for a decent apartment is more fierce than usual. The rate of available apartments doesn’t always perfectly match the increase in potential renters, and I understand that development takes time (and is a hotly contested issue on its own), but it would be nice to not constantly struggle against my peers in the quest for a decent place to live. I’ve lost track of the number of applications I’ve started to fill out only to be told that a property was no longer available.

I’m also frustrated by the orchestrated timeframe of the entire rental process. Last year, I was shocked when people started talking about next year’s living arrangements in early December. By that point, I had only been living in Eugene for around three months. The idea of thinking that far ahead was crazy to me. This year, I knew it was coming, but the timeline was no less absurd in my view. Given the competitive rental market, people will start to question your choices if you don’t know who you want to live with by January. By that point, you’re only three to four months into the school year and your lease. The pressure of trying to plan your next move that early is so unnecessary.

Although I can recognize this is the most inconsequential point on my list, one glaring flaw in the apartments here is that so many of them are downright ugly. For some reason, almost every property management website is rife with photos of the most repulsive looking tile floors you’ve ever seen in your life. Beyond that, many housing

options seem to have been designed by people who have never actually spent time in modern society. I can’t count the apartments I’ve seen without basic laundry facilities. One of my friends has a kitchen entirely lacking drawers. If you’re lucky enough to find an affordable apartment in Eugene, chances are it has some major aesthetic and/or practical downsides.

And I promise I realize how much of a firstworld problem this is. I can only speak from a college student’s perspective, but the unbelievable housing market here obviously has more serious effects. Eugene has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the entire country, and the city government points to a lack of affordable housing as a primary reason. Not only is the market a headache to deal with, but its exclusivity has serious repercussions.

Prohibitive cost is a roadblock for students and community members alike. As of October 2022, the average rent in Eugene was a whopping $1,750. Although this is often split by roommates and doesn’t necessarily reflect the average person’s individual rent, it’s still absurdly expensive, especially for students on a tight budget. I don’t have the economic background to prescribe a solution, but it’s clear that the rental market in Eugene is in serious need of an overhaul. As it stands, dealing with the system is a headache for everyone involved.

The identity is the most recent apartment built for students. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

STORIES FROM UO’S TRANSFER STUDENTS

The American college student narrative arc starts in one place: freshman year. Most commonly dictated by communal restrooms and subpar dining hall food, the shared suffering of the freshman experience creates bonds that sometimes last through all four years of college. But sometimes it’s not that simple.

While many UO students spend their freshman year parading to and from Autzen Stadium, getting locked out of LLC or spending all their Duck Bucks at Chipotle, 19% of University of Oregon’s student body are transfer students; they will never share these moments.

MISSING OUT ON DORM LIFE

Reese Gold, a junior art student at UO, transferred from Northern Arizona University and knew several people at UO from high school prior to transferring. With experience hanging out at his friend’s dorms, Gold said being a freshman and living in the dorms is an essential resource for meeting people in college.

BY JESS MCCOMB

“I basically lived in my friends’ dorms unofficially my first year at UO because I would just go there from my apartment and hang out all day,” Gold said. “It was so quick to meet people, just from interacting in the hallways or going to get food at the dining halls. If I had gone to UO without transferring

I think I would have made close friends in freshman year just based on proximity.”

Gold said he transferred universities in search of a community of like-minded people. While he was successful in finding at UO what he was missing at NAU, things weren’t instantly better upon transferring for others.

Gabbi Micheli, an advertising graduate from UO, said her transfer experience was not immediately smooth sailing. Micheli attended Fresno City College before coming to UO in 2020. Because Micheli started at UO during the pandemic, the combination of being in quarantine and being a transfer student made it difficult to meet people.

“I never thought I would get the experience of having a community and having friends,” Micheli said.

Once in-person classes resumed, Micheli was able to meet more people. She considers herself lucky for the connections she was able to make, but admits that she felt left out of certain things as a transfer student.

“Once I did get to meet a lot of people and students, I felt a little left out in terms of not having a typical dorm experience,” Micheli said.

Although dorm living can be instrumental in finding and creating a community, it is not always the magic solution. For sophomore music student Henry IvieGardener, living in the dorms didn’t

The college experience is not linear. Each student came from different places for different reasons and some went elsewhere first. But of those of us who landed here, we’re grateful.

Reese Gold looks through a vinal collection pointing out his favorite records. (Skyler Davis/Emerald)

necessarily help him to feel less left out as a transfer student. Ivie-Gardener transferred to UO from Oregon State University in the fall of 2022 and lived in the dorms for the first semester.

“Making new friends can suck sometimes because it is often easier to meet new people when you already have a set group of friends,” IvieGardener said. “I made some great friends last year at OSU which set the bar really high and gave me really big expectations for what I’m looking for in a friend here.”

Ivie-Gardener transferred primarily because the music program at UO is better suited for him. He said despite feeling less of a community here he doesn’t regret his decision.

“I would really be sacrificing my education at OSU, and there is no guarantee that I’m sacrificing my social life at UO because I could always meet new people,” Ivie-Gardener said.

TRANSFER STUDENTS AND THE DUCK IDENTITY

An aspect of the transfer experience that isn’t always considered is the disconnect with the UO identity. Some transfer students feel hesitant to call themselves a Duck or enthusiastically participate in school events. Because UO wasn’t their first choice, it is hard to feel the sense of loyalty that bolsters school spirit.

“I definitely feel less school spirit in general. I just feel like I came to this school rather than this IS my school,” Ivie-Gardener said.

Gold recognizes that UO makes school spirit very accessible through event planning and merchandising, but also admits he doesn’t feel entirely connected to the fan culture at UO.

“I don’t think it’s really been a huge part of my life to say I go to University of Oregon; 60% of the time I feel like I’m just going here,” Gold said.

Emma Highfield, a sophomore, transferred to UO in the fall of 2022 from University of Minnesota Twin Cities and said she feels a bit of imposter syndrome when it comes to having school spirit.

“I didn’t really establish myself at UM, and I would just stay at home instead of trying to make connections with people,” Highfield said. “So when I found myself here dressed up to theme at the football games I was like, ‘how did I get here?’”

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS PRIOR TO TRANSFERRING

While she sometimes feels out of place, Highfield said UO has given her the sense of community that she couldn’t achieve at her previous school. Highfield grew up in Minneapolis, not far from UM. Because one of her friends from high school attends UO, she came in with several social connections despite moving to Eugene from across the country.

“I’m really grateful that I had social connections coming into UO,” Highfield said. “It was really comforting to already have an established group of people to hang out with. It allowed me to meet people more organically because I wasn’t so worried about looking for friends.”

While she recognizes the perks of having a social circle before coming to UO, Highfield said sometimes she wishes she had come to UO as a freshman to make her own connections.

“A part of me wishes I could have been here as a freshman and do it all myself,” Highfield said. “A lot of the foundation of my friend group was built last year, and I wasn’t a part of that. I was just added in.”

Gold shares the experience of coming to UO with an established friend group already set in stone.

“I think immediately knowing more than five people made it easier,” Gold said. “Within an instant I felt like I had been there for like two years already.”

Unlike Highfield, Gold nearly immediately branched out of his social circle. Growing up in Portland, Gold knew a decent amount of people at UO from highschool. But he said he’s not in contact with any of his original friends now.

“I used my closest original friend group as a proxy for meeting other people,” Gold said. “It wasn’t like I was seeking to cut them off by meeting new people; I just wanted to separate myself from my high school self. I wanted to be an adult.”

Although he didn’t connect with his first choice university, Gold said he is glad he went to NAU before transferring to UO. Being from Oregon, Gold said UO is a pipeline school for many in-state high schools, and it can feel a little too close to home. Gold said if he had attended UO as a freshman, it would feel like highschool all over again.

“I would have resented being here if I hadn’t gone to NAU first,” Gold said. “I would have wondered the

entire time if I was missing out on something so much cooler.”

Now Gold appreciates the similarities between UO and his hometown. He said people here are similar to Portland kids in their willingness to be open-minded in social situations, and that is something he values a lot.

Each transfer student has their own unique path and reasons for coming to UO, but what they mostly agreed on is the undeniable sense of community UO fosters.

“Last year I couldn’t make friends, and I am very social. I just couldn’t find a community because the school doesn’t push it the way UO does,” Highfield said about her previous school UM. “This school does a very good job of having resources to meet people, resources for mental health, there’s just much more of a push for these things. Where I came from it was just everyone for themselves.”

Micheli said she felt the warmth of the community while touring UO and noted how friendly and down to earth the students were. She also said, although she was much happier at UO, she finds value in her transfer experience.

“I think you just have to know yourself and be like, ‘I’m me, and this is my unique experience,’” Micheli said. “I wouldn’t have changed anything. Transferring from community college gave me a little bit more time to discover what I really wanted to do, rather than jump into a university and not know.”

Despite his transfer to UO Henry Ivie-Gardener still connects often with his friends from Oregon State to rock climb and have Jazz Jams. Unuversity of Oregon transfer students give their opinion on the transfer process. (Skyler Davis/Emerald)

Oregon may not be one of the first states that come to mind when people think of movies, but the Beaver state has actually been the location of numerous big-name films throughout the years. Between the picturesque coastlines, lush forests and charming cities, Oregon has been the filming destination of more films than most people realize. Here are five classic movies filmed in Oregon.

“STAND BY ME” (1986)

Directed by Rob Reiner

This 80s coming-of-age classic is based on a short story by Stephen King. Following a group of boys who set out on an adventure to find a dead body, the movie examines the fleeting nature of childhood friendships and how our experiences in them form

Read this list to experience a cinematic trip across the state.

BY ANDREW GRIFFIN

AN OREGON MOVIE ROAD TRIP

who we come to be. Set in the fictional Castle Rock, Oregon, the film was shot in numerous real Oregon locales, including Eugene and Brownsville. A tear-jerking and sweet comedydrama, “Stand by Me” is an enduring, relatable 80s classic. Available on: Paramount +, Amazon Prime, Hulu

“DRUGSTORE COWBOY” (1989)

Directed by Gus Van Sant

A crime drama from Portlandbased director Gus Van Zant, this film follows a drug abusing couple who go on a spree robbing pharmacies to fund their addictions. A bleakyet-sympathetic look at the tough and unrelenting lives of addicts, “Drugstore Cowboy” has received overwhelming praise. The film is set and was shot in Portland, and local residents will likely recognize familiar sights in the Pearl district that appear in the movie.

Available on: Amazon Prime, Apple TV

“THE SHINING” (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

This 70s horror masterpiece is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The film follows a man who moves to a mountain resort hotel with his family after taking a job as a caretaker, not knowing about the supernatural horror that lies within it. Disturbing and disquieting, it’s widely considered to be one of

the greatest horror movies ever made. While the interior of the hotel was shot in Colorado, the Timberline lodge on Mt. Hood was famously used for the exterior shots of the building, turning the lodge into an essential tourist destination for horror buffs traveling through Oregon.

Available on: Amazon Prime, Apple TV

“THE

GOONIES” (1985)

Directed by Richard Donner

This family friendly adventure flick was a box office smash upon release and has lasted through generations an all-time adventure classic. It follows a group of children — the titular “goonies” — who embark on a journey to find lost pirate treasures, coming across deadly traps and a family of dangerous criminals who seek to take the treasure for themselves. Endearing and lighthearted, the film is set and was shot in Astoria, Oregon. To this day visitors in this sleepy coastal town still make it a point to visit the famous “goonies house,” a Victorian home used as the setting for the Walsh residence in the beginning of the movie.

Available on: Apple TV, Amazon Prime

“NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE” (1978)

Directed by John Landis

The cinematic debut from comedy publication National Lampoon is one of the highest grossing comedies of all time and was inducted in 2001 to the National Film Registry. Following the chaotic lives of a group of frat boys in the fictional Faber college, the movie is known for being something of a breakthrough for normalizing raunchy humor for wide audiences. The college setting was shot at the University of Oregon in Eugene, and has become locally iconic. In fact, at every Ducks football game, the cover of “Shout” performed in the movie is sung at every game during the third quarter!

Available on: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Roku, Apple TV

Give these classic films a watch and get to know the state of Oregon better through the screen!

(Illustration by Stella Fetherston)

PTLA is proud to celebrate our 50th Anniversary!

Reach out today to hear about our beautiful communities or schedule to tour our newest additions to the PTLA family –

The Pearl, Westgate, The Sonja, & The Anthony!

‘GIFT OF LIFE’ : SHARING THE ART OF PYSANKA ‘GIFT OF LIFE’ : SHARING THE ART OF PYSANKA

Celebrating Ukrainian art and culture is an important part of fighting against the Russian Invasion, according to a Ukrainian Oregonian.

BY ROMIE AVIVI STUHL

Kristine Mushkevych, a Ukrainian tradition-keeper residing in Beaverton, led a Pysanka — Ukrainian Easter egg painting — event in the Museum of Natural and Cultural History on Sunday, March 5. Attendees learned about the history and symbolism of Pysanky and had the opportunity to view the process through Mushkevych’s demonstration.

Mushkevych used a kistka, a wax pen, to draw on the egg. Between each wax application she dipped the egg in a bowl with colored dye. She repeated the step several times with different colors. Mushkevych then used a small white candle to melt the wax off and reveal the design. At that moment several attendees whispered words of amazement, one saying “oh my God, this is magic.” The room filled with applause as Mushkevych smiled.

Pysanka is a traditional form of egg painting that is specific to Ukrainian culture. Its symbolism and meaning varies from egg painting seen in other cultures. Mushkevych said many decorated eggs used in South Africa were used for utilitarian purposes, such as storing water. However, Pysanky are viewed by some as a “gift of life.”

During the Soviet era, when Ukraine was part of the USSR, Russia banned practices relating to Ukrainian culture. Mushkevych said that during that 70year period only one book was written about Pysanky in Ukraine and all of its exhibitions closed off.

It wasn’t until 1991, when Ukraine gained its independence, that the practice of Pysanky was revived. According to Mushkevych, with the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, those living in Russian-occupied territories face restrictions on their culture similar to those seen during the Soviet Times.

“This art was almost wiped out,” Mushkevych said about Pusanky practice during the Soviet times. “People were not allowed to practice art and that’s what Russia is still trying to do.”

Iryna Stavynska, a student pursuing a master’s degree in folklore at the University of Oregon and one of the event organizers, was born in Ukraine in 1994. While she always lived in Ukraine as an independent country, she experienced internal colonization. According to “Internal Colonization” by Alexander Etkind, a historian and cultural scientist, this concept refers to “culture-specific domination” within a nation’s borders. Stavysnka said Russian propaganda presented Russian culture as superior and Ukrainian culture as inferior.

“Putin and Russia want to destroy our lives. They want to rob us of everything that’s dear to us on every possible level,” Stavynska said.

Before the war, Stavynska didn’t consistently speak Ukrainian, due to the Internal Colonization she experienced. However, today she takes great pride in her culture. Even when visiting Ukraine in September, she said she’s seen a resurgence in others celebrating their traditions and heritage.

“Our culture is finally a symbol of persistence and strength and freedom, as opposed to the image that was imposed on us by Russia,” Stavynska said. Currently residing in Oregon, Stavynska felt hopeless not knowing how to aid Ukrainian efforts. After being inspired by other initiatives, she collaborated with the Oregon Folklife Network to bring the Pysanky event to life. The Oregon Folklife Network is the state’s designated folk and tradition program.

The event ended with a call to action. Mushkevych urged attendees to come to Ukrainian events, write to their representatives and support the Ukrainian Foundation, which aids Ukrainian refugees and sends food and medical supplies to Ukraine.

“I feel like it’s one of the boldest things that we can do as Ukrainians right now is to continue [to] practice our art and our culture,” Stavynska said.

Through the event Stavynska and Muchkevych hoped to educate the community about Pusynky, Ukrainian culture and the current war efforts.

Stavynska said participating in art such as Pysanky is a way to support Ukraine.

“By doing this art, you support Ukraine,” Stavynska said. “And by coming to events like this, you support the effort of decolonization.”

As part of Stavynska’s work, three other Ukrainian artists will be presenting

their work on University of Oregon’s Campus. The Museum of Natural and Cultural History will host a Ukrainian weaving event on April 8, and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art will host events on the art of Petrykyivka on April 15 and art and Ukrainian resistance on April 23.

Each color and pattern present on a written Pysanka has a different significance in Ukranian culture. Pysanka is a traditional Ukrainian art frm that has a lot of culutural and historical significance. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)

Iryna Stavynska, a student at the University of Oregon, helps Kristine Mushkevych by holding the heat gun so Mushkevych can wipe the wax off the egg. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)

OREGON LEARNING FROM ITS PAST MISTAKES IN 75-70 WIN OVER WASHINGTON STATE

OREGON LEARNING FROM ITS PAST MISTAKES IN 75-70 WIN OVER WASHINGTON STATE

Two weeks ago Oregon crumbled in its loss to Washington State. On Thursday it used that experience to outlast the Cougars and advance to the Pac-12 Tournament semi final.

In the four years that center N’Faly Dante has been a part of the Oregon men’s basketball team, he’s been subjected to the unpredictable sarcastic adages that dominate head coach Dana Altman’s vocabulary.

One message, however, has remained constant, and Altman’s never once delivered it in a satirical manner.

On Thursday, it was written out on the whiteboard in the locker room before Oregon’s (19-13, 13-8) second round Pac-12 Tournament matchup against Washington State (17-16, 11-10).

It read: “It’s going to be a 40 minute fight.”

“He was right about that,” Dante said.

The Ducks responded to their head coach’s message and beat the Cougars 75-70 to earn a spot in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinal against UCLA. It was a charge led by Keeshawn Barthelemy’s 17 points and Dante’s ability to control the interior on both sides. In many ways, the game reflected Altman’s definition of a true 40-minute fight.

It didn’t seem that way at first.

The Ducks controlled the opening 15 minutes of the game. They jumped out to a 34-15 lead, powered by a 26-6 scoring run that made it clear the game plan behind Altman’s message was to own the paint.

Why wouldn’t it be? Just 16 days ago the Ducks

BY AARON HEISEN • TWITTER @AARON_HEISEN

had lost to the Cougars 68-65, in large part due to center Mouhamed Gueye’s game-high 18 points.

“Gueye’s a handful inside,” Altman said. “So we knew it was going to be a tough game.”

Twelve of their first 16 made field goals came on layups and dunks and on the defensive side an effort led by Dante and supported by center Kel’el Ware, who corralled seven rebounds in the nine minutes he played.

At halftime, Gueye had just one point and didn’t play the final four minutes of the half. But in that period he was on the bench, the Cougars’ offense began to click. They put together a 15-4 scoring run that carried over into the second half. With 9:10 remaining, the Cougars took their first lead since the score sat at 9-8.

It was a scoring barrage, in which they shot 9-of-13 from three-point range.

“This is a team that has hit 14 threes on six different occasions,” Altman said. “No lead is safe with them, I kept reminding the fellas of that.”

For all of the positives that come with Dante as the marquee player — a consistent and efficient source of offense and a stabilizer on defense — it’s tough at times for a team whose best player tends to make his mark within five feet from the basket.

During the Cougars’ comeback, that much was apparent. The Ducks reverted to drop coverage on defense, almost asking the Pac-12’s best three point shooting team to pull from deep and on offense, they struggled to move the ball and find Dante. “I made a mistake, we let them get that run and I should have taken a timeout,” Altman said. “They made their move, and I thought our offense got a little tentative.”

Suddenly, the Ducks trailed 58-57 with just over nine minutes remaining.

They had delivered the first blow and were hit with one back. It’s a spot they’ve grown accustomed to over the last few weeks — one highlighted by a three-game stretch composed of a one-point overtime loss to Washington, that three-point loss to the Cougars and a last-second two-point win against Oregon State.

Regardless of how they found themselves in those holes against worse teams, it seemed as if the Ducks learned a thing or two from those experiences.

No. 1: Collectively, feed the hot hand.

Not all that dissimilar from Feb. 19, it was Barthelemy who fit that bill.

“In the second half, my teammates were there for me,” Barthelemy said. “They allowed me to do what I do.”

Sixteen days ago, he had 17 points but attempted just one shot in the last five minutes. On Thursday, his teammates made sure his offense would decide it.

“We knew he had the hot hand,” guard Will Richardson said. “He knew he had the hot hand. He wanted the rock, and we got it to him.”

Barthelemy’s jump-shot tied the game at 70 with three minutes to go. But it was what got the Ducks there that helped them finish off the game.

The next time down, Dante cleaned up Barthelemy’s miss and gave the Ducks a two point advantage. The Ducks didn’t allow a basket in the final 3:30, an effort capped by an emphatic block from Dante on a layup attempt from Justin Powell that would have tied the game with 28 seconds to go.

And in a season that’s been complicated by an injury bug, one that’s lacked lineup continuity making it so many of Altman’s little innuendos have fallen mute, Thursday’s pre-game lesson certainly stuck.

Oregon center N’Faly Dante dunks against Washington State in the quarterfinals of the Pac12 Tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Photo courtesy of WRoss Turteltaub).

NATIONALLY KNOWN SPORTS JOURNALIST SHARES HER STORY FOR THE END OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BY MCKENZIE DAYS

In the last stretch of Black History Month events on campus, the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center ended with a resounding keynote by hosting award-winning Black journalist Jemele Hill on Feb. 27 at the University of Oregon’s Ford Alumni Center.

Today, Hill is a contributor to The Atlantic magazine and assigns her energy more to cultural commentary than sports writing. In her new memoir titled “Uphill,” she discusses this organic transformation from the newspaper reporter role to a cultural commentator, her ESPN journey and her upbringing in Detroit.

Aris Hall, the coordinator of the BCC, who hosted the event, stressed that Hill represented a crucial theme for Black History Month: Black Truth.

“This concept is something that is near and dear to me,” Hill said. “Especially throughout the course of my career, even when I didn’t realize I was doing it, I was living in my Black truth. But in order for me to live in that Black truth, I had to start off by finding my own voice.”

Although Hill’s journey of self-discovery originated from the flickers of pain that radiated throughout her childhood, it was also the site of her nascent journalistic skill and budding voice. In an upbringing that featured drug addiction, poverty and sexual abuse in the reeling of the 1980s crack epidemic in Detroit, Hill’s respite was reading and journaling.

“All of these very adult things were happening

around me and the only way I knew how to cope and live with these nightmare scenarios was through journal writing,” Hill said.

Hill quickly discovered that in her journaling she was able to affirm the discordant sounds of “frustrations, anger, pain, crushes, highs and lows of being a young adult in Detroit.” She could live “her own truth” in her journal.

When Hill was 13 years old, she arrived home from school to the precarious sight of her mother reading her journal. She felt the sharp rise of clamorous thoughts and the stirring of fear upon her mother’s glance at her arrival.

“I think it’s a very heartbreaking moment to be able to find out these truths from her own child,” Hill said. “After that incident, my mother never stopped supporting me as a writer. She was the first person to encourage me to live in a certain truth and be okay with that, regardless of what people thought about it, even my own mother.”

Since that moment, the pieces aligned for Hill’s career. In 10th grade, she took a newspaper class in which she was granted the privilege to print her stories in official newsroom offices such as The Detroit Free Press. The first time Hill walked into the professional newsroom, she was exhilarated by the rapid opinions and discussions that swirled around the room with aerobatic agility.

“I remember they were discussing things and yelling at each other,” Hill said. “It was the energy of that newsroom that really sucked me in; I knew

this was where I wanted to be.”

It first began when Hill started to struggle with many of the ideological undercurrents and aspects that accompany market-driven journalism and corporate media: relentless competition, the drive for power and an obsession with ratings.

Her troubled feelings were then accentuated when Hill faced persistent skepticism regarding her talent and work ethic due to her identity as a Black woman. She was called a “diversity hire” by many.

A boiling point arose in September 2017 when Hill posted a thread of Tweets that mentioned the former president’s identity as a white supremacist. She emphasized his threat to democracy. Her tweet evoked a national reaction when critics labeled her series of statements as an example of “ESPN’s liberal bias,” and the White House reached out to ESPN to fire her.

“When it happened, ESPN’s reaction was the one that disappointed me the most,” Hill explained. “I cared about the fact that the company I worked for 12 years did not have my back. When that didn’t happen, that’s when I knew my relationship with ESPN was over.”

Hill’s life is inspiring for Black students in regard to her navigation in the many challenges that Black people encounter in the workplace: respectability politics, tone policing and assimilation. Her experience exemplifies the crucial need for centering Blackness in industries and calibrating internalized power asymmetries.

The journalist climbed her way to the top of the sports journalism industry while remaining grounded in her continual courage to speak the truth.

Jemele Hill signs the last book belonging to Black Cultural Center Staff Member Arie to end the evening. Jemele Hill visits the University of Oregon as the 2023 Black History Month Keynote Speaker. (Skyler Davis/Emerald)