7-10-23 Emerald Media Group - ODE

Fire seasons have become more prolonged than ever before, which has had negative consequences on the firefighters that tame and prevent fires across Lane County.

VOL . 125, ISSUE NO. 1

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OREGON BILL ALLOWING SELF-SERVE GAS PASSES STATE LEGISLATURE

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

Evan Reynolds

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

Emma J Nelson

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

Romie Avivi Stuhl

NEWS EDITOR Tristin Hoffman

A&C EDITOR Reilly Norgren

SPORTS EDITORS

Nina-Grace Montes

Brady Ruth

OPINION EDITOR

Kayl Wohl

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Eric Becker

DESIGN EDITOR

Liz Blodgett

COPY CHIEF

Olivia Ellerbruch

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Alex Woodward

VIDEO EDITOR

Anne Marie Armstrong

PODCAST EDITOR

Mirandah Davis-Powell

SOCIALS EDITOR

Alicia Santiago

VISUALS EDITOR

Stella Fetherston

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

Anna Smith X327 creative@dailyemerald.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Max Goldenberg

ON THE COVER

Firefighters work to remove debris from a fire. Chris Ryan said that while firefighting is rewarding, the adjustment back to “everyday life” can be difficult. (Photo courtesy of Chris Ryan)

LOOK ONLINE

“Consumer fireworks banned in Eugene for Fourth of July, beyond” by Alisa Dougherty

House Bill 2426, if signed, would make attendant-serviced gas optional in Oregon.

BY IAN PROCTOR

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 1900.

(Eric Becker/Emerald)

The Oregon Senate voted on June 21 to end a 72-year-long bill which required all gas stations to be serviced by attendants by a vote of 16-9.

The bill, if signed, would end Oregon’s position as one of two states that prohibit drivers from filling their own cars with gas. It guarantees attendant-serviced gas will still be optional for customers, as half of available pumps at gas stations will be serviced by an attendant.

“I know that the new law they’re trying to provide is more of an option for people to get self service for themselves if that’s what they choose to do,” said Tia, a gas station owner at an Oregon Texaco branch in Clackamas County. “Because half of the pumps have to be available to customers for self-service, you still have a gas attendant to provide some services. So, I think that’s an okay option.”

House Bill 2426 passed in the Oregon House on March 20 by a vote of 47-10. The bill has large bipartisan support, with both Democrats and Republicans voting for and against the bill. It would require that gas stations designate the same number of self-service gas pumps as attended service gas pumps.

According to its supporters, House Bill 2426 would partially remove the requirement of gas stations, especially in rural counties, to hire attendants. Oregon previously allowed some eastern Oregon counties to fully offer self-serviced gas, and some coastal Oregon counties to provide self-serviced gas between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, self-serviced gas was temporarily prohibited in rural counties.

The newfound potential of Oregonians being able to pump their own gas has caught on, however; 63% of Oregonians voted in favor of

allowing self-serviced gas in a 2021 poll.

Critics state the bill is overcomplicated, will cost jobs and will negatively affect those with disabilities – both drivers and gas station employees.

“I am generally supportive of this option for a variety of reasons,” said Senator Sara Gelser Blouin in a written vote explanation. “However, I cast a ‘No’ vote due to concerns that the measure does not include sufficient protections to ensure elderly and disabled Oregonians will be able to access an attendant as necessary.”

Critics of the bill point to the fact that other states, which have made attendant-serviced gas optional, have faced criticisms regarding the lack of accessibility that comes with self-serve gas for those with disabilities.

Oregon Senate Majority Whip Lew Frederick was one of the primary opponents of the bill. The Northeast Portland state senator also submitted a vote explanation in opposition to the bill.

“I have personally had to get out and pump gas for elderly folks in other states whom I witnessed were not able to get the assistance they were legally entitled to,” said Senator Frederick.

Representative Julie Fahey, representing west Eugene, is a chief proponent of the bill.

“Because of these difficulties, Oregonians in many parts of the state have encountered closed pumps or long lines as they attempt to fill up,” said Rep. Fahey in a floor testimony, citing staffing challenges for gas stations in rural areas. “Giving stations the option to have some of those closed pumps be open as self-service would benefit consumers, station owners and workers.”

The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Tina Kotek, who has yet to announce a position on the bill or whether she will sign it into law.

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 dailyemerald. com/ multimedia/ podcasts next week to listen to the replies!

(Maisie

For updated coverage of sports and digital-exclusive content, visit dailyemerald.com

(Photo courtesy of University of Oregon)

Critics of House Bill 2426 believe it will cost jobs. Proponents of the bill believe self-serviced pumps will shorten lines of customers at gas stations. (Ian Proctor/Emerald)

TRESNIT: SPOTIFY’S AI DJ IS WEIRD

Have we really hit a point where music is a chore?

When I first started paying for Spotify Premium, the main feature that drew me in was being able to control my music queue. While using the free version of the app, I could still build playlists and shuffle them, but a premium account lets me decide exactly what to listen to next. Anyone who’s ever met me (or even walked past me when I’m wearing one of my million band shirts) knows that music plays a massive role in my life, so when Spotify launched an AI DJ, I was intrigued. Essentially a personalization of Spotify’s existing algorithm, the DJ plays around five songs of a certain mood or theme before cutting in to introduce the next song. I’m a DJ for the campus radio station, KWVA, and I was curious how the program would measure up.

I walked away from the experience frustrated, believe it or not. Fundamentally, the DJ isn’t very different from Spotify’s regular recommendation algorithm. One major difference that drives me up the wall is that you can’t see the queue of what the DJ will play next. Though this mimics the radio in some ways, I’m not a fan. And for a program that’s supposed to know all about me and my tastes, it misses the mark more than I’d like. Of course it does! There’s just no way an algorithm can “know” what I want to listen to at any given time better than I do. Other times, the DJ makes minor choices that are just plain bizarre, like saying R.E.M. and Aretha Franklin have the same “vibe” or that “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones is perfect for a fun family barbecue. In what world?

The thing that really drives me crazy, though, is the voice it uses. It’s based on the company’s head of cultural partnerships, Xavier Jernigan, and I’m sure he’s a perfectly lovely person. It’s just strange to me to know that the voice isn’t really human because it’s coming from a machine and there’s no one at the other end of that. Call it jealousy on my part, but it’s annoying that artificial intelligence can talk with that knowing-tastemaker quality I’m trying so hard to cultivate.

I still think real DJs win the battle, though. When I’m on air Thursdays

BY SADIE TRESNIT

from 8-10 a.m. on KWVA, I make an effort not only to share facts about the songs and bands I’m playing, but also to add a personal touch. I talk about the concerts that I’ve been to and share memories of the people and moments that introduced me to the music I like. No artificial DJ can share the memory of Bob Dylan glancing at it while playing “To Be Alone With You,” which is something that really happened to me, I swear. Though Spotify claims that the DJ shares facts about the music it plays, I’ve found in my own experience that this feature is lacking and surface-level at best. None of the personalization is there.

Maybe after reading this, you’re convinced that I’m just a bitter old radio grouch, and I’m certainly not going to argue that point. You’ve got me there. Of course, I have a personal stake in traditional radio, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t wish more people listened to it. That said, Spotify’s AI disturbs me not only as a DJ, but as a person. I’m curious about when we got too lazy to choose the songs we listen to.

Every time I’ve heard AI pitched in a positive way, people champion its ability to complete boring jobs so that humans have availability for more fulfilling work. In reality, I notice that it seems to be used more frequently to take over the creative sphere. For something that was supposed to be used for menial tasks, it does a lot of writing and drawing. It troubles me to see AI being used to replace creativity, especially since its output lacks the fundamental human element of truly meaningful art.

If we’re really at a point where it’s too boring to even pick the songs we listen to, I have genuine concern for the future of art. Technological innovation is interesting, of course, and I still have hope that AI could be used to genuinely help people and make a positive difference in the world. That said, its current creative applications are misguided and I, for one, have no desire to be spoon-fed entertainment from an algorithm that doesn’t know me as well as it thinks it does.

(Ellyce Whiteman/Emerald)

LONGER FIRE SEASONS, LIMITED MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Some firefighters say the extent of their mental health resources ends in one page of a training book.

BY ALISA DOUGHERTY

As the peak of fire season approaches in the months ahead, wildland firefighters are preparing for the hard work they will face as they respond to fires across the state.

Managing fires is a knowingly dangerous job that not only threatens the physical safety of firefighters, but poses a threat to the mental health of those who protect their communities.

As fire seasons become prolonged and more intense, and firefighters have been asked to work longer and harder hours, the mental and physical toll of the job has only increased.

The Western Fire Chiefs Association says

that past wildfire suppression, hotter and drier conditions due to climate change and shifts in the water cycle are all contributors to the increasing intensity of wildfires in Oregon.

Firefighters also experience other stressors such as grief from witnessing increased loss in communities — sometimes including their own colleagues — as fires spread due to increasingly hot and dry conditions.

Chris Ryan, a local wildland firefighter for a private contracting company, Dust Busters, says that while the job is rewarding, it is difficult to adjust back to everyday life after working a fire season.

“When you come home, you’re going to be in flux,” Ryan said. “You’re going to be in a weird spot because you’re doing all this work outside, and then you come back and you don’t really have to do anything.”

Ryan explained that it is easy to crash after coming back from a season and trying to stay as busy as possible during the season. He said overworking in the offseason is a common way to cope with not having as much to do, but that it is an unsustainable way to live.

Firefighters are often expected to work through anything without concern for their own well-

Local firefighters are preparing for peak wildland fire season in Oregon, which often begins in early July. (Photo courtesy of Chris Ryan)

being, according to wildland firefighter Courtney Kaltenbach, who is employed by a local contractor.

“Firefighting is an extremely patriarchal, masculine field, so it’s dominated by a culture of toxic masculinity, which is ‘don’t show any weakness,’ so already there’s a huge difficulty trying to change the culture around talking about mental health,” Kaltenbach said. “It’s especially difficult I think for people who aren’t men, mental health-wise, to exist in that world.”

Kaltenbach mentioned that in their experience, they have only just begun discussing mental health in their training process, but it is far from adequate.

“What we need is comprehensive, job-specific training to talk about the stressors that we face, and we are nowhere close,” Kaltenbach said. “Right now all we have is a page in a book that talks about mental health, and it is really easy to flip through it, and it doesn’t really do anything concretely for anyone on the ground.”

One organization working to create mental health resources available for firefighters in need of support is Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. GWF is a nonprofit composed of past and present federal employees. According to its website, the nonprofit advocates for classification, pay and benefits, comprehensive health and wellbeing, expanded workforce to accommodate for expanded fire seasons and a federal wildland fire service.

GWF works to ensure that firefighters across the country are receiving financial stability, and that there is adequate funding and support for the programs that are being built to support firefighters.

Cofounder and current president of GWF, Luke Mayfield, said mental health services for firefighters are still in their infancy stage and emphasized the importance of examining the work-to-rest ratio as fire season expands.

“Evolution is key. You don’t see it, you know, you start out as a seasonal employee, with a light at the end of the tunnel being that winter,” Mayfield said. “This has turned into more and more of a career, and people are being asked to work full time, year round or eight months out of the year. We’re losing that light at the end of the tunnel.”

GWF Comprehensive Health and Well-Being Subcommittee Chair Pete Dutchick highlighted how complex the topic of mental health is.

Dutchick said GWF’s goal is to create an environment with an array of different resources because each firefighter’s mental health varies. What works for one person may not work for another.

“It’s innate in the job, to where you have to be able to push yourself through a lot of discomfort, and I think, unfortunately, sometimes that translates into the realm of mental health,” Dutchick said.

Dutchick noted a “cultural shift” around mental health in the firefighting industry within recent years. Older generations of firefighters, coupled with younger generations, are talking about the topic more than before.

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is another organization working to create mental health support for firefighters. Its mission is to financially and emotionally provide support to firefighters and their families affected by critical incidents on and

off duty across the country. While they are based in Boise, Idaho, they provide services nationwide.

While WFF has provided support for mental health related calls for the 30 years it’s been in service, its official mental health program was only recently established in February 2023.

WFF now has structure and funding in place to specifically support this mental health program. Its director of mental health, Eric Brocksome, said suicides are becoming a greater concern as there are now almost as many suicides as regular fatalities in the field.

Brocksome said while those in the fire community are aware of federal resources, they are not always the most accessible.

“Sometimes it’s cumbersome and difficult to navigate, so they generally shy away from it as a collective because it can lead to them becoming blacklisted or looked upon as less-than in their crews.”

Brocksome said that some firefighters are concerned with reporting mental health concerns for fear that they will be deemed unfit to serve or be removed from their crew.

“That is like death to them. It’s worse in some ways, because that’s their whole life. A lot of them

are closer to their crew than they are to members of their own family,” Brocksome said.

Brocksome explained that WFF is meant to fill in the gaps of resources available through employee assistance programs provided by different agencies. WFF offers emotional support, referrals to therapists, self care, rehabilitation and provides the financial support needed to receive these services.

Brocksome emphasized the importance of mental health education and raising awareness to destigmatize the topic in the firefighter community. He said he’s hopeful for a tipping point to quickly encourage change in the future.

“Our motto is ‘compassion spreads like wildfire.’ And so that’s what we’re really trying to do is teach them how to show compassion in those moments, and how to step up and support each other.” Brocksome said.

He said that with the right mental health care and “self-care ideology,” the idea and belief system will “take off across the community.”

For those endangered by this fire season, Oregon Wildlife Response & Recovery has a list of local resources to turn to for help.

Firefighters work to clear debris from a previous fire. (Photo courtesy of Chris Ryan)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

This week’s editor’s picks...

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12

“Instrument Petting Zoo”

Come try your hand at a variety of instruments you’ve never encountered before!

Sponsored by the Eugene Symphony, this free event provides the musically inclined and/or curious visitors with an opportunity for handson experience with a variety of orchestral instruments. The “instrument petting zoo” is located in Harry Holt Park from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the symphony is putting on similar events in the Eugene area through the end of August. If your curiosity is piqued, come sample some music!

THURSDAY, JULY 13

Every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Native Plant Garden Work Party

Brighten your Thursday by spending time volunteering at Hendricks Park’s native plant garden.

This summer, Hendricks Park is making it easy for native plant enthusiasts to connect with each other and spend quality time in nature. Every Thursday, the park’s native plant garden will be hosting volunteers to help preserve the garden, while learning more about local Willamette Valley plants and how to use them in one’s own life. Come prepared to get into some soil – and dress accordingly! Interested volunteers should meet at the Wilkins shelter at 9 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

Relief Nursery’s Bowling Night

Nothing says ‘win-win’ like going bowling in support of your community!

Local nonprofit Relief Nursery is partnering with West Eugene’s Lane 25 Bowling Alley & Pub for a charity bowling night. will be hosting the event, which costs $100 per team of four. Attendees can enjoy Lane 25’s wide variety of food and drink options, including rotating taps of beer, cider and wine, as well as games like shuffleboard and pinball for when bowling seems less appealing. Proceeds from the event will go towards assisting low-income families with “unexpected hardship expenses.” Those interested can sign up through the Relief Nursery website for either the 5:30 or 7 p.m. time slots.

SATURDAY, JULY 22

Dude Perfect at Matthew Knight Arena

Sports comedy group and YouTube sensation Dude Perfect heads to Eugene.

Come hang out at Matthew Knight Arena for the Eugene stop on Dude Perfect’s Pandamonium tour! The influencers will make the event’s entertainment value well worth the while with the kind of on-stage battles, trickshots and stunts that have made Dude Perfect such a lasting entertainment brand. The event starts at 7 p.m. on July 22; tickets are still on sale through Ticketmaster starting from $30.

SUNSCREEN IS CRUCIAL FOR EVERYDAY PROTECTION

Using sunscreen as part of a daily routine is important for maintaining skin health.

BY ADRIAN CARDENAS-MEJIA

(Stella Fetherston/Emerald)

One of the best ways to protect your skin is sunscreen. Sunscreen generally is reserved for summer hikes and going to the beach, but there are many benefits that point toward more frequent usage. On top of this, there are many misconceptions about proper sunscreen application and what SPF means.

Sunscreen is something that should be in everyone’s skincare routine no matter how many products you use. It helps prevent skin cancer and premature skin aging, but most people don’t know they are in danger of skin cancer year round, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Sunscreen should be applied every day; even if you can’t see the sun, the sun still can see you. According to the SCF, 80% of the sun’s UV radiation still reaches Earth on cloudy days.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, you should put sunscreen on all your bare skin at least 15 minutes before walking out the door or your skin may not be protected. When applying sunscreen, it is crucial to remember the commonly forgotten areas such as your ears, neck and feet if they are bare.

Most adults should use about one full shot glass of sunscreen, or one ounce, to fully protect their body, according to the AAD. Ideally, sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, or immediately after swimming and sweating, the SCF and AAD said.

Sunscreen is a crucial step in not only having beautiful skin, but keeping your skin safe from skin cancers. Every day, it is important to make sure you protect your bare skin, even in the winter, so make sure you have someone check your sunscreen application. But in many cases, a mirror will suffice.

Read the full story online at dailyemerald.com

STUDENTS MANAGING SUCCESS FOR OREGON ATHLETICS STUDENTS MANAGING SUCCESS FOR OREGON ATHLETICS

The unsung heroes of Duck sports teams: student managers.

BY RUBY WOOL

Student managers fuel and support Duck sports teams from dawn until dusk in Eugene and throughout the country. Oregon athletics are successful because of the student staff. Similarly, the student manager position champions the present and future success of athletes and students alike.

Fletcher Ahl, who followed in his older brother’s footsteps on the first day of his freshman year in 2019, is now the student manager for the Oregon women’s tennis team.

The Tigard, Oregon, native entered this position as a novice to the sport. “I was not a tennis expert or even a player, myself,” he said. Ahl grew up playing football and baseball, but innately he had a passion for all sports, especially UO sports. The manager role offered the former competitor an opportunity to remain actively involved in the sports world without needing a D1 athletic ability.

Unlike the basketball and track and field teams, which have multiple managers, tennis is unique because there is only one. Ahl fulfills the needs of nine athletes and two coaches by himself.

Some of his tasks during practices include setting up drills, bringing out balls and refilling water bottles. During home matches his responsibilities grow, as it’s a full-day event. Four hours before the match, Ahl is at the Student Tennis Center setting up scoreboards, singles sticks and Gatorade sideline coolers. Throughout the match, he is behind the baseline loudly cheering on his teammates – always alert in case anyone needs him. Ahl doesn’t travel with the team to away matches due to the tennis team’s budget, except in the postseason to the Pac12 and NCAA tournaments.

“I’m on my own,” Ahl said. “If I have questions, sometimes I have to figure them out for myself. This aspect is challenging, but it’s also rewarding because I can look back on my experience and say, ‘Wow, I did this by myself and I figured out how to be successful.’”

Will Hohmann, a rising senior at UO and student manager for the Oregon men’s basketball team, has already taken this advice to heart and to the Matthew Knight Arena court.

“The reward of being surrounded by basketball at such a unique facility, reporting to a hopeful Hall of Fame Coach in Dana Altman and being around a team of fellow managers and great athletes motivates me to put in the hard work,” Hohmann said. He said that the day-to-day grind is worth it for these reasons.

Hohmann is one of 10 student managers, he said, so practice and game day responsibilities are shared

among the staff. At practice, Hohmann wipes up sweat with towels, keeps scores of different games and handles the hydration station for athletes. In pregame warmups, he is out on the court passively guarding the players during shootarounds and rebounding free throws in the paint. Come game time, the managers split up on the court. Hohmann is typically stationed behind the bench with four other students; they give players water and towels, and set up stools for media timeouts.

Duck basketball fans — in the stands and online — can observe the playful camaraderie and chemistry among the athletes, managers and staff on game day. One game day tradition for Hohmann is that he gives Lök Wur, the Oregon forward who wears number 15, a Rice Krispie Treat before the start of every second half.

Another tradition is the “Manager Game,” where Hohmann and the UO student staff play their opponent’s manager team the day before the actual game on the team’s home court. The Oregon men’s

basketball managers post the game results and additional content on their Instagram account, @ theduckmanagers. Their posts highlight the fun and excitement of the job, but there are also aspects of the work that are not easy and light-hearted.

“In-season, the days are long,” Hohmann said. “It’s difficult to balance all of my commitments, but it has become more manageable over the years.”

Over time, he learned how to balance six hours of basketball with his double major in economics and Spanish, and his social activities. He even studied abroad twice during his undergrad — in Segovia in 2022 and London in 2023— once the Ducks finished their season.

Hohmann is an example of what it means to gain professional experience and leadership skills as a student manager while still pursuing and exploring other areas of interest at the UO.

^ Oregon women’s tennis fans, family and friends celebrate their student manager, Fletcher Ahl, on Senior Day 2023 in the Student Tennis Center. (Molly McPherson/Oregon Athletic Communications)

< Will Hohmann, the student manager for the Oregon men’s basketball team, rebounds shots during the 2022 Phil Knight Invitational at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center. The annual three-day event celebrates college basketball and Knight’s impact on the game, with a bracketed event hosting 8 of the nation’s top men’s basketball programs and 4 of the nation’s top women’s basketball programs. (Photo courtesy of Carter Cunningham)

CROSSWORD

6 Tree limb

40 Swindle

41 World-weary sigh

42 Ada Limón, e.g.

44 Monopolizes

45 Hall of “Coming

2 America”

46 Fatigue after a long flight

47 Vague reply to “Where are you?”

48 Teacher, during exam week

50 Tater Tots maker

51 MLB official

53 Starting squad

57 Cabbagelike vegetable

58 Offramp

59 Circle

63 POTUS on a dime

64 Attach (to)

65 “Count me in!”