9-26-23 Emerald Media Group - Week of Welcome

Food security disproportionately affects the Latino community in Lane County. One Eugene organization is working to change that.

NEWSROOM

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

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Nina-Grace Montes

Brady Ruth

OPINION EDITOR

Sophia Cossette

PHOTO EDITORS

Molly McPherson

Jonathan Suni

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

Lola Tagwerker

Cori Caplinger

Cooper Gast Taylor Baumgardner

ON THE COVER

Huerto de la Familia grows crops at Churchill Community Garden in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 8, 2023. (Eric Becker/Emerald)

Welcome back to campus!

It’s supposed to be another classically rainy week in Eugene as students return to UO for the first week of classes (as editor-in-chief, I take no responsibility for changes in the weather between now and the time of this article’s publication!). It’s an opportune time to reflect on the year ahead.

Since I took over this job in June, the biggest misconception I’ve dealt with has been countless friends and family asking me what it’s like to “work for the university” — whether I’ve signed my union card, who I report to and more. It’s always a mild surprise when I tell them the Emerald is, in fact, not financially affiliated with UO at all.

The Daily Emerald has been an independent publication since 1971. We receive no funding from the university administration or the journalism department; in fact, our only source of UO funding comes from student fees recently negotiated with ASUO. Our media company, Emerald Media Group, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that derives most of its annual revenue from print and digital advertising, fundraising and donations.

Independent student media is like a unicorn — increasingly rare and particularly exciting. It allows us to deliver impactful journalism and storytelling to our readers and the campus community without sacrificing editorial autonomy. Over the years, Emerald reporters have pushed boundaries, held local institutions accountable for wrongdoings and helped define what it means to be a student journalist.

There’s a lot of news happening in our community. There’s an impending election process that could create the largest undergraduate student workers’ union in the country right here in Eugene. University athletics’ move to the Big Ten has stoked simultaneous excitement and outrage, with enormous implications for student travel times and class schedules. And, of course, there’s a new president on campus — many are wondering how Scholz and his team will address tuition hikes, salary negotiations for faculty and graduate employees and other pressing issues.

The Emerald has a key opportunity to reassert itself as the paper of record on the key issues facing our community. Let us help you make sense of it all –– and offer an independent, student-led voice to help move us into the future.

Evan Reynolds Daily Emerald Editor-in-Chief

HOW IT’S REPORTED

“ONE GARDEN AT A TIME” BY HANA DUSSAN

Hana Dussan, a third-year communication disorders and sciences student, wrote about a program that serves the Eugene Latinx community, Huerto de la Familia. Dussan first heard of the organization when she volunteered at one of its gardens as a member of OSPIRG. Her first intention with the story was to simply let the broader Eugene community know that the organization existed, she said, as it relied on word of mouth for advertising.

Finding sources was troublesome for Dussan. Although she “knew people [from OSPIRG] that volunteered,” she “had a conflict of interest” due to her affiliation with the student group, she said. Instead,

IN OTHER NEWS

BY EMMA J NELSON • DESIGNED BY LIZ BLODGETT

Dussan reached out directly to the organizers of Huerto de Familia through the contact information listed on its website.

“I didn’t want it to be too statistic-y,” Dussan said. “I really wanted to focus on the people and the impact that just one person could make.”

However, as she interviewed Elva Webster, the garden and community engagement coordinator, Dussan discovered a larger story.

“It turned into a piece about how food is tied into cultural identity,” Dussan said. “I think the most successful thing [about the article] was telling [Webster’s] story. Even though she’s not living in Mexico, those traditions never left her.”

Dussan has been an A&C reporter for the Daily Emerald since June and this is her second cover story.

Eugene gathered at Alton Baker Park on Sept. 9 to raise funds for Maui wildfire survivors and celebrate Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture.

We want to hear from you:

(Eric Becker/Emerald)

Oregon won an overwhelming victory at Autzen despite predictions to the contrary from Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.

(Jonathan Suni/Emerald)

FENTANYL CREEPS TOWARD

CAMPUS FENTANYL CREEPS TOWARD CAMPUS

As the risk of fentanyl overdoses grows, UO is promoting prevention strategies and education for students

BY REILLY NORGREN • DESIGNED BY PAYTON LIEBELT

On Aug. 29, the Eugene Police Street Crimes Unit interrupted a transaction and arrested both a suspected fentanyl dealer and buyer in a neighborhood near the University of Oregon campus.

The arrest came amid a broader pattern of fentanyl use near campus. Since August, there has been an increase in fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Eugene.

According to a press release on the City of Eugene website, 43 grams of fentanyl were sold, and the dealer had additional grams of fentanyl on his person. Both individuals possessed evidence of additional narcotics distribution, including scales and pay-owe sheets.

Alexis Drakatos, assistant director of substance misuse and prevention at UO, said that the closer instances of fentanyl sale and overdose happen to campus, the more concerning it is for students that are part of the Eugene community.

“No matter whether it happens next to campus or if it’s in the community as a whole, it’s something we’re going to take seriously just knowing the impact it has had on some students,” Drakatos said.

Drakatos said that an important part of the prevention program is the peer education team.

“I think that students learn best from each other,” she said. “We have a staff there to support students and provide some supervision, but we feel it’s really important to have students helping with that because you all are on the ground with each other, and you have a pulse of what’s going on.”

Drakatos said that peer education works because student educators are able to know what’s happening on and around campus and see what their peers are experiencing all while having their own experiences as a student.

“It’s something we value in prevention, the student voice,” Drakatos said. “We can make sure we’re providing the best resources possible that students want and need. We want to make sure anything we’re doing meets this current student need.”

Drakatos said that, in general, there has been a rise in student concern about fentanyl in the last couple of years. Regarding fentanyl specifically, Drakatos said that UO wants to educate students on common myths about fentanyl, spread awareness on social media if overdoses occur near campus and increase awareness on where to get resources like testing strips.

“We’ve really tried to increase resources specific on

how to access Narcan,” Drakatos said. “So educating on where folks can get it, if that’s going to the pharmacy or accessing places they can get it for free.”

Narcan, or Naloxone, can treat a narcotic overdose in an emergency.

According to Fentanyl Aware Lane County’s website, youth aged 16-29 can get access to Narcan from Community Outreach through Radical Empowerment, an organization that advocates for young people in Lane County. Families in Eugene can contact the HIV Alliance about obtaining Narcan.

Drakatos said that UO Prevention has been partnered with the HIV Alliance for several years. They are able to visit campus and offer training

throughout the school year, and typically these trainings are able to send students home with a free dose of Narcan.

“Should [students] encounter an overdose, we want to make sure that they have the means necessary to approach that, and the education to approach that as well,” Drakatos said.

Students looking for more information are encouraged to look at UO’s Substance Abuse Prevention Page, the Substance Abuse Prevention and Education Instagram page and the Collegiate Recovery Center. All of these resources provide information to students not only about fentanyl, but other substances as well.

A University of Oregon Police Department vehicle is parked on campus. (Kimberly Harris/Emerald)

SHINES

HAYWARD FOR THE 2023 PREFONTAINE CLASSIC

The Prefontaine Classic and Diamond League Final met for an inc redible, record-smashing display of track and field prowess at Hayward Field on September 16 and 17

PHOTOS BY JONATHAN SUNI •

BY RYAN EHRHART

DESIGNED

Almost as an extension of the World Championships in Budapest, athletes like Ivana Vuleta (long jump) continue to earn hardware and show their dominance in the prestigious Hayward Field.

On his last attempt at 2.35, Sanghyeok Woo makes it over the bar to capture the Diamond League high jump title along with setting a new national record for his home country of South Korea.

Hansle Parchment kisses his trophy and celebrates a new personal best in the 110m hurdles.

Grant Holloway of USA (left) and Hansle Parchment of Jamaica (right) are neck and neck as they reach the finish line of the 110m hurdles, but Parchment ultimately comes out on top to capture the Diamond League title.

Christian Coleman won the 100-meter at Hayward, upsetting world champion Noah Lyles.

Day 1 is capped off with Jakob Ingebrigsten capturing the Diamond League title in the mile and falling just milliseconds short of breaking a long lasting world record.

Amusan embraces her diamond trophy and later states that this win is not for her but for her family and coaches.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS LITTER CAMPUS

The UO campus may look a little different as students flock back for the start of fall term

BY ALISA DOUGHERTY • DESIGNED BY ESTHER SZETO

Building 2 of the Knight Campus is being specifically designed for engineering students to be able to thrive in their studies, according to Lewis Taylor, director of Knight Campus Communications, via email. The new building will also host new research facilities and tools for biomedical studies, facilities to host speakers and events and a public bistro.

Just off campus, next to the Duck Store on 13th street, is the site of a construction project that will soon be a mixed retail and housing building. The 7- story tall building will have 108 units with retail space on the first floor and less than a dozen parking spaces. The retail space will be home to a bistro-type business with food and coffee for residents and the public. The leasing office for the residential space will also open up on the first floor with the goal of convenience and creating an active lobby.

Mark Miksis, partner of deChase Miksis Development, the contracting company running the project, is a University of Oregon alum. He remembers the liveliness of 13th during his time at school, and hopes this project will bring similar life back to the area following COVID-19.

“They have the balcony that overlooks 13th; we really wanted to bring that energy back to the street,” Miksis said. “We didn’t put it up on the roof, we wanted there to be interaction between the passersby, and the people that live in the building, really create that and that energy with the building.”

The disruptive banging and clanging of construction projects has become an everyday fact of life for many UO students on their walk to campus. With numerous buildings being renovated, expanded or torn down simultaneously, it can be difficult for students to keep track.

Perhaps the most notable difference on campus to students is the opening of the new residence halls. These two buildings are open for occupancy this fall, one being a conventional freshman dormitory and one being on campus “apartment style” living for upperclassmen. These are located in between LLC and Unthank halls, on the site where Walton Hall used to be.

The Kalapuya Ilihi dormitories will be closed for residence this academic year due to cracks in the walls. The dorm, which cost $45 million to build, is expected to reopen in the fall of 2024.

Also taking place on campus is the ongoing project of updating Huestis Hall. This science research facility built in 1973 has been undergoing renovation for safety upgrades, and modernized biology and Institute of Neuroscience labs. A few other improvements include restored brick, paint and

windows, an equipment elevator and a bike shelter.

According to Angela Seydel, the director of issues management at university communications, Huestis Hall is expected to meet USGBC sustainability certification of LEED Gold. This means that the building is identified as a “healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green building.” All new construction on campus is being built with the goal of meeting this status.

As football season kicks off, students will likely notice the construction site of Phase 2 of the Knight Campus. The walk to Autzen on Riverfront Parkway will not be impacted by this construction.

“You’ll start to see things above ground here pretty soon as we build our way out of the excavated hole,” Denise Stewart, owner’s representative at Campus Design and Construction, said. “So that’ll be really exciting as the building will start to take shape over the next six months.”

During this phase of construction, the existing Knight Campus building will continue to be open for business as usual. Later in the process of the project, a smaller third phase includes plans to connect the two buildings via footbridge. The project is set to be complete in winter of 2025.

Construction is set to be completed in August of 2024, with the goal of holding hardhat tours in the spring of 2024, prior to completion. They are expected to be open for residence in September of 2024.

Miksis reminds students to use the protected pedestrian zone when walking on 13th street, and being aware of one’s surroundings around the site, as well as asking bikers to dismount and walk their bikes through the narrow pedestrian channel.

Finally, a project in the Knight Library was completed to consolidate and improve campus testing centers. In an email, Seydel said 5,000 square feet of space was demolished in the basement of the Knight Library, and redesigned to house a variety of different testing spaces. These rooms include sound dampening walls, individual and group spaces and a new waiting area at the northwest entrance of the library. The goal of this project is to create a comfortable space that is easy to navigate to reduce the stress of the testing process.

While UO’s ever-changing construction projects and closures of specific sections of the university can be frustrating, the end result of new, modern buildings may prove to broaden the size of campus and its resources for students.

A UO construction worker primes a wall with an enamel undercoater. (Sarah Northrop/Emerald)

HOBBS: AN ODE TO THE OREGON GLIZZY

GROWING A

HUERTO DE LA FAMILIA IS WORKING TO BATTLE FOOD INSECURITY IN EUGENE – ONE PLOT OF LAND AT A TIME

Huerto de la Familia is a nonprofit organization in Eugene that aids Latino families in becoming food secure. Their organic garden program provides the Latino community with their own plots of land so they can grow their own organic, culturally appropriate food, as well as monthly workshops taught in Spanish about organic gardening, small-scale farming, food preservation and more. This gives families both sustenance and economic security in that they can rely on having produce from their garden instead of buying it from the store.

WHAT IS FOOD INSECURITY?

While food insecurity is an epidemic that millions of people in the United States are regrettably familiar with, the term continues to be incorrectly used. Food insecurity is not simply a lack of any type of food; it is the lack of quality or healthy food.

lives in food deserts — geographic areas that meet standards for food insecurity — which disproportionately affect the Latino population in the United States. This means that an area can be considered a food desert even if it is littered with fast food restaurants, which they often are.

This clarification also calls into question what “healthy” means. Healthy foods are most often thought of as being any type of fruits and vegetables — which is accurate — yet there is another layer to health. Culturally appropriate foods, or nutritious foods that are tied to one’s cultural identity, bring people a sense of joy and comfort — especially if they are far from home.

THE STRUCTURAL PROBLEM OF FOOD INSECURITY

In Lane Country, Latinos make up 24% of the food insecure population, compared to 12% of non-hispanic whites. According to Megan Carney, a cultural anthropologist featured in Huerto de la Familia’s documentary “Harvest of Pride: The Garden,” food insecurity is “very much a structural problem, and that income, lack of a livable wage, lack of affordable housing; these are the driving forces for preventing families from accessing an adequate, nutritional, culturally acceptable diet via appropriate socially acceptable means.”

These structural problems stem from language, cultural or educational barriers that make the Latino community more susceptible to job insecurity, which depletes their income,

BY HANA DUSSAN • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

therefore causing food insecurity as a result.

Sarah Cantril, the founder of Huerto de la Familia, saw how many Latino parents went hungry in order to feed their children, as well as their lack of access to food assistance programs, and decided to take action.

“In 1989, I was working with a group of Latinas in a birth-parent education course and approached them about starting a garden and so that first year in ‘99 we started with six women in a 300 square foot plot,” Cantril said in “Harvest of Pride: The Garden.” “Then in 2004, we changed locations and received non-profit status and worked with twelve families and it’s steadily grown ever since. In 2008, we were working in three community garden sites with thirty families and now we’re working with over fifty.”

That was eleven years ago. Since then, the number of community gardens has doubled — with a seventh on its way in Cottage Grove — and they are working with 200 families.

STARTING AN ORGANIC GARDEN

The process of becoming part of the Huerto de la Familia program is quite simple. You call the organic garden program office and get added to the waitlist of the community garden that is closest to your home or place of work. Once there is an opening you are given one to two plots of land, which measure 15 by 20 feet each, which

Alshuyukh, the organic garden program manager, reminisced over some of the gardeners that have had their plots for 17 years.

“The community gardens are definitely a space of consistency and autonomy, because people get to keep those plots, make decisions in the plots,” Alshuyukh said. “Their children grow up in those community gardens and they choose what they plant, how they plant it and it’s really, really lovely because it can be a place for families to really put down their roots in this community.”

Elva Webster, the garden and community engagement coordinator, as well as a plotowner of seven years, echoed these sentiments, further detailing the ways in which this program fosters something more than produce: a community.

COMMUNITY

“If you have extra [food] — it’s a community — we share,” Webster said. “That gives us an opportunity not to learn about just our food, it’s also medicinal plants because our community has a lot of knowledge about that too.”

Webster is from Michoacán, Mexico. She is the fifth of 12 children, but is the only one that lives in the area. She’s been living here for almost 24 years and is now married with two kids. She reminisced over her family recipes made from herbs native to Mexico that she has been harvesting in the community gardens.

“Epazote — my parents used it before when I was a kid — if you have worms in your stomach, she cooks milk with that epazote plant, boils that and you drink that before you eat anything and that

was super good for cleaning your stomach,” Webster said. “So things

produce anymore.

“We do a lot of canning, a lot of people can those tomatoes and also in my case I froze them. Unless I want to do a pico de gallo [during the winter], I don’t buy tomatoes,” Webster said. “That supports and helps a lot to families, because it’s not only me, they preserve the food or sometimes they dry them. That’s why every year we provide these workshops that way we teach them [about food preservation].”

YOUR CONTRIBUTION

If you are interested in volunteering for this organization but do not know the first thing about gardening, you are not alone. Huerto de la Familia welcomes volunteers with open arms — even if they have no prior gardening experience. Alyssa Rueda is a prime example of this.

more about it, it’s always felt very intimidating, like no one wants to teach me,” Rueda said. “But I just kept showing up and I kept asking people to help, especially Elva … and I just kept asking her if I could help her water, if I could help her harvest, or anything that she needed and it just kind of stuck.”

Food alleviates so much more than physical ailments — it can bring back childhood memories, reconnect you to your roots and create communities — which is why it is so devastating when families go without it. Huerto de la Familia’s program aids Latino families in becoming self-sufficient and food secure — one garden at a time.

make her feel better as a young girl. As an added bonus, she reported that she is almost entirely reliant on her harvest and rarely has to buy

“Personally, I’m not much of a gardener because I grew up in Las Vegas, but I’ve always loved the idea of it. I’ve always wanted to learn

“I feel more healthier than before because gardening provides you everything: exercise, sunshine, energy,” Webster said. “Yes, you get tired, but it’s a really nice way to get tired because at the same time you see your plants — your babies — grow and then you use that to eat.”

Huerto de la Familia grows crops at Churchill Community Garden in Eugene, Ore. (Eric Becker/Emerald)

Photos by Eric Becker / Emerald

NAG: KOTEK’S VETO WILL HURT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

Opinion: Oregon continues to turn a blind eye on the ongoing sex trafficking crisis, disproportionately affecting communities of color

BY AISHIKI NAG • DESIGNED BY ESTHER SZETO

As the 2023 legislative session wraps up, Gov. Tina Kotek carries out a list of vetoes to decide what will go into law in the subsequent year. During the deliberations, Kotek line vetoed SB 5506, a proposal to appropriate $100,000 to a state study to decriminalize sex work and prostitution from the state’s general fund.

After the bill’s initial proposal, there was a debate in the House and Senate, but it eventually passed both chambers of the Oregon Legislature. However, Kotek’s veto has stopped such efforts to decriminalize sex work.

One of the leading champions for this bill, Senator Elizabeth Steiner, said, “It’s possible that if sex work were not criminal, then people who get trafficked would feel more comfortable going to law enforcement, or sex workers who get assaulted would feel more comfortable going to law enforcement.”

These following reasons demonstrate why the continued criminalization of sex work will continue to hurt the most vulnerable communities in Oregon, and how Kotek’s veto to not appropriate funds can lead to a worsening crisis.

Human and sex trafficking rates remain high in Oregon, with 177 recorded signals received 2021 from sex trafficked victims and survivors. Oregon National Trafficking Hotline Statistics stated there were 13 hotel-based cases, 13 pornography cases and 90 others. According to the hotline demographics, most victims of sex trafficking and forced sexual exploitation remain women and girls. Additionally, due to the nature of human and sex trafficking, data can frequently go unreported, making the actual number of cases higher.

The American Civil Liberties Union also released a report regarding the status of decriminalization of sex work in 2020, covering various cases and international studies. According to data analysts, “Clients know they can rob, assault, or even murder a sex worker — and get away with it — because sex workers cannot rely upon protections from the law.”

Those who get trafficked for sexual exploitation can find it difficult or nearly impossible to contact law enforcement for legal help. Sex workers also face higher rates of sexual assault under a criminalized status.

In Rhode Island, there was a study conducted on “indoor prostitution” from 1980 to 2009, during which there was a switch in policy to loosen criminalization policies. After decriminalization, there was a 30% decrease in reported rape offenses from the sex workers. This demonstrates how decriminalization policies benefit the overall wellbeing of sex workers.

Due to Kotek’s veto, Oregon cannot conduct similar studies to look into the extent of damage to the state’s most vulnerable populations. Although Kotek had acknowledged the importance of this study, she mentioned that it should be privately funded.

However, private funding can often fail to bring succinct change and carry the urgency of the critical issue to the highest forms of government. Leaving the study to be conducted by a private firm sets no tight timeline, disregarding the urgency of the current unprotected status of sex workers in Oregon.

The criminalization of sex work is also an issue of equity. Those forced into sex work are disproportionately people of color, and sex work can further marginalize these groups.

Vanessa Warri is an advocate and strategist for Black transgender women, the queer community and other oppressed identities. Warri has continuously spoken about the dangers of criminalizing sex work and the pressing need for decriminalization.

“[Decriminalizing sex work] does mean the most marginalized members of our society, who are criminalized simply for their existence, are not discriminated against simply for trying to survive,” Warri said.

The decision not to fund the study can seriously impact the future of carrying out similar policies around the status of sex workers in Oregon. Other states — such as Hawaii, New York, Vermont and Massachusetts — have moved on with various legislation that would decriminalize multiple aspects of sex work and study the impacts further. Oregon could have joined that list; however, due to one signature, progress stalled.

Tina Kotek, a then-gubernatorial candidate in the 2022 midterm elections, beams at the crowd prior to the beginning of her speech. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders joined Oregon’s Democratic party leaders at the University of Oregon’s Erb Memorial Union on Oct. 27, 2022. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

(Ellyce Whiteman/Emerald)

It is no secret how important representation is on a national and global level in the music industry. South Asian representation, especially in the mainstream music scene, is not very prominent. With that being said, many South Asian artists have the talent and musical ability to deserve a greater platform in the mainstream music industry. Be it soulful R&B tinged with South Asian percussion and production or unabashed hyper pop, South Asian musicians’ musical versatility goes far too unnoticed. Here are five of my favorite South Asian artists gracing the music world today.

CHARLI XCX

Undoubtedly the most famous of the bunch, Charli XCX’s music has been unavoidable for the past decade. Bursting onto the scene with “I Love It” in late 2012, her techno, new wave and power-pop influences were on full display, instantly making her a name on the rise. She has remained a fixture in pop culture, boasting an unapologetic personality on social media while consistently making music that seamlessly fits into the trends of its times. “Vroom Vroom,” “Boys” and “Speed Drive” are just a few examples of Charli simultaneously making catchy pop hits and pulling in a variety of influences and samples to make her sound stand out from her pop peers.

RAVEENA

While only coming onto the scene somewhat recently, Raveena has already proven that she belongs. She mixes a plethora of different musical styles into her sound, such as jazz, folk and Indian percussion into dreamy R&B. On top of her fusion

CHECK OUT THESE SOUTH ASIAN ARTISTS

Five essential South Asian musicians to add to your playlists

BY CADEN TRAW • DESIGNED BY PAYTON LIEBELT

of different sounds, she established herself as a queer icon upon the release of her 2018 single “Temptation” with lyrics like “Miss Temptation, I don’t think you know / You keep me waitin,’ know you like to take it slow” and “I tell you things I can’t tell my boyfriend / Sometimes he don’t understand.” As the years passed and she continued to release new music, she maintained her lush and intimate production while introducing a wide variety of collaborations to her catalog with artists like Vince Staples and Asha Puthli. She also takes much inspiration from Bollywood classics, which is especially evident on her 2022 release “Asha’s Awakening.” The entire album is centered around a character named Asha, who is a Punjabi princess living with aliens. On the track “Secret” featuring Vince Staples, Raveena seamlessly blends Indian woodwinds and percussion with an addictive, bouncy bass line. The album contains a plethora of tracks with R&B/ Bollywood fusions, and her flawless execution of this style makes her stand out from her peers.

JOY CROOKES

Joy Crookes is another example of an artist recently arriving on the scene but making a profound impact. She, like Raveena, combines exploratory R&B sounds with numerous other influences. Even though she only has one album, her music is detailed enough to listen to it over and over again while finding new things to like each time. The comparisons to Amy Winehouse are obvious, but where she differs from Winehouse is the source of her inspirations. As a British-Irish-Bangladeshi woman, the song “19th Floor” is a gorgeous tribute to who raised her and where she comes from. The track is densely coated in strings and contains both a spoken word passage between Crookes and her grandma as well as deeply poetic lyrics. It is the kind of song that transports you to another world while listening.

NIKI

An artist with Indonesian heritage, NIKI takes her pop sound to newfound heights. In her 2021 breakthrough hit “Every Summertime,” NIKI displays her soothing falsetto in the midst of blues rock-inspired horn sections and punchy piano melodies. She masterfully created a concept album in 2020 titled “MOONCHILD,” which is divided into three parts, and in this case, three different phases of the moon all representing different stages of personal evolution. Each part of the album contains a different mood, primarily characterized by the production choices and lyrics. On her 2022 album “Nicole,” NIKI explores new songwriting territory, highlighted on the song “Oceans & Engines.” Using folky, acoustic instrumentation amplifies the emotions behind her words greatly, with lines like “Baby, don’t cry, we’ll be fine, you’re the one thing I swear I can’t outgrow.”

DHRUV

Dhruv, an R&B artist with roots in both India and Singapore, took a very unique path into the limelight. Having grown up in Singapore and having relatives in India, his childhood was filled with Bollywood music. His parents, even after his songs went viral on TikTok, still only listen to Hindi music. After moving to New York to pursue his R&B/pop dreams full time, it didn’t take long for his songs to blow up. “double take” is a standout track for him, and like Raveena, establishes him as a queer icon. He intricately winds through his complicated feelings for an exlover over minimalist production, making for an emotionally draining yet fulfilling listen.

Bollywood has influences all over the mainstream music scene, and a lot of those South Asian artists who contribute to that influence don’t get the praise that they deserve. Next time you are on the lookout for some new music, make sure to add these talented artists to your queue. You won’t regret it.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

This Wednesday’s editor’s picks...

READ-treat! A Unique ‘Book Club’ Experience”

Settle down with a good book and a warm beverage tomorrow afternoon.

The standard book club experience goes something like this: a group of people decide what book to read and they meet to discuss it once or twice. Inevitably, one person will fall behind on the book. Then another. Suddenly, you’re the only one who has finished reading, and you don’t have anyone to discuss it with. Breakthrough Co Lab has flipped the concept of a “book club” on its head. Rather than gathering to discuss a book, you’ll gather to read one during the 45-60 minutes period of uninterrupted reading time! Before you read, you’ll be welcomed with friendly banter, a warm beverage and a “little snackysnack.” From there, you’ll read a book of your choosing and share recommendations with other attendees. Be sure to RSVP on the event website to attend Wednesday’s 4 p.m. reading session at the Springfield location of Breakthrough Co Lab!

Bingo Wednesdays at Beergarden

Prepare to shout “Bingo!” tomorrow evening.

Are you looking for something fun — and free! — to do with your family, friends or new classmates? Check out this week’s Bingo Wednesday at Beergarden! People of all ages are welcome to join in on the “crazy fun, good old-fashion game of BINGO with local legend Ty Connor.” Prizes will be awarded to lucky winners, of course, and you can purchase food and drink from Beergarden while you play. Bingo at Beergarden goes from 7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday, so if you miss it this week, be sure to check it out the next!

Introduction to Dungeons & Dragons

Take a chance and roll the dice on a new gaming experience!

Hear ye, hear ye! Calling all Eugene adults! Join the Eugene Public Library for a fantastical experience and learn the basics of the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. You’ll play prefabricated characters, learn the rules of the game 50 million people are playing worldwide and participate in an introductory session. This is the last of three sessions offered of this experience, so be sure to sign up now on the Events page of the Eugene Public Library website for a chance to participate from 4 to 6 p.m. We wish you the best of luck on your quest!

Teens: Animanga Club

“Strike” up a friendship with fellow anime fans!

Are you a fan of anime and manga? Join other like-minded teens at the Eugene Public Library’s Animanga Club for a showing of “Blue Lock.” “Blue Lock,” the anime based on the same-named Japanese manga series by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, tells the story of a highschool football (soccer) player named Yoichi Isagi and his admittance into the Japan Football Union’s project to train strikers, Blue Lock. The showing will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and will provide a litany of Asian snacks for your enjoyment.

(Ryan Stasel/Emerald)

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

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DUCKS VOLLEYBALL HITS A TURNING POINT

Oregon traveled to Stanford for the Big Ten/Pac-12 challenge and had mixed results. But overall, there were many positives to take from the weekend

BY JACK LAZARUS • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

The Ducks have started their 2023-24 season very hot, losing just one game out of their first 11. They are currently ranked No. 6 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll and have played some of the nation’s best squads, earning their 10-1 record.

Oregon’s only loss came in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge in early September. The Ducks started off the weekend with a tough loss against a No. 10 ranked Minnesota team. It was a close fight throughout each set, with Oregon taking a 2-1 lead going into the fourth set. After the Gophers won that set, the fifth set was an incredible back-andforth battle which featured eight ties.

They quickly bounced back the next day against No. 15 Ohio State. The Ducks got this done in just four sets and hit .327 throughout the match, which was the sixth time they had done that this season.

The weekend in Stanford, Cali., revealed a lot about what this squad has to offer for the rest of the season and what is predicted of them moving forward into conference play. Oregon’s loss showed how it has the resilience to fight through whatever adversity comes its way.

This team is run by setter Hannah Pukis. She

jumping off point for her. After going for 21 points against Minnesota, she struggled in the Ohio State match, only scoring 15.5 points. Since that match, she hasn’t gone below 20 points in any game.

Colyer is leading the team in kills with 184 and is the team’s best server with 19 service aces. If this team goes far in the postseason again, it will be similar to last year’s Elite Eight run as Pukis and Colyer will be a large part in the Ducks’ offense.

This is also a very solid defensive squad, with their opponents hitting an average of .170 during the season. Oregon’s defense is led by senior middle blocker Kara McGhee, a transfer from Baylor who has nine solo blocks so far on the season with 43 assisted blocks. McGhee also averages 1.37 blocks per set, which is among some of the best in the conference.

McGhee is aided on defense by opposite hitter Morgan Lewis and middle blocker Karson Bacon, who are experienced and returning players that are important to the defense, while adding more offense on the other end.

Libero Georgia Murphy leads the team in digs, with 3.07 digs per set and a total of 126 for the season. Murphy is among the most reliable liberos in the country. Over her five seasons in Eugene, she has completely owned the libero position.

Pukis also works hard on defense, and her stats are not too far behind Murphy with 2.85 digs per set and a total of 117 digs.

The Ducks squad has a tremendous amount of leadership, talent and experience. It’s gaining a lot of momentum from its current win streak. Oregon is a scary team, not only for the Pac-12, but for the rest of the nation. The Big Ten/Pac-12 challenge was a major turning point for the team, as it has taken its play to the next level and looks to carry that through the rest of the season into the postseason.

The Oregon student section reacts to seeing themselves on camera. The Oregon Ducks volleyball team defeated the Oregon State Beavers in a home match at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 22, 2023. (Eric Becker/Emerald)

Players are greeted after substituting off. The Oregon Ducks volleyball team defeated the Oregon State Beavers in a home match at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 22, 2023. (Eric Becker/Emerald)

Georgia Murphy (10) tracks down a ball. The Oregon Ducks volleyball team defeated the Oregon State Beavers in a home match at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 22, 2023.

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST

For the first time ever, the Diamond League Final was hosted in the United States as the world’s finest competed in Eugene to finish off the track and field season

Two time olympian, Sanghyeok Woo, looks to outshine his impressive list of competitors > as the bar continues to be raised jump after jump. The Prefontaine Classic and Diamond League Final meet in Tracktown USA for an incredible display of world record smashing and a constant flow of meet records being broken in Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 16 and 17, 2023. (Jonathan Suni/Emerald)

Over the course of two days, the world’s best track and field athletes took the stage to compete for their chance for a Diamond League Final Championship. Athletes competed in 32 events and put on a show for a sold out Hayward Field crowd for the 2023 Nike Prefontaine Classic.

Normally, the Pre Classic falls at the beginning of the Diamond League season as athletes are starting their journey on the professional circuit of track and field. This year, however, was different. The 2023 Pre Classic served as the Diamond League Final for this outdoor season.

The Diamond League Final happens at the end of the five-month season and consists of only final events. This means no preliminary rounds or qualifications, and competitors have only one chance. The qualification process for the final includes competing in various meetings throughout the season and collecting points through top finishes. At the close of the season, the top eight competitors qualify for the Diamond League Final and earn a chance to close out their season competing for a Diamond Trophy.

The Diamond League announced this 2023 Prefontaine Classic ranks as the “Best Meet Ever” in terms of competition performance rankings. This is scored based on the results and the level of the athletes that are participating. These two things are calculated using the World Athletics Scoring Tables for the results, and the participation comes from the athletes’ World Rankings.

The highlights of the meet include 21 national records, nine area records, five Diamond League records and 14 Pre Classic Records. There were also

BY EMMA LOGAN • DESIGNED BY LIZ BLODGETT

< With a big smile on his face, Simon Koech breaks through the finish line with a full four second lead on the second place runner. The Prefontaine Classic and Diamond League Final meet in Tracktown USA for an incredible display of world record smashing and a constant flow of meet records being broken in Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 16 and 17, 2023.

(Jonathan Suni/Emerald)

world records set for the 5000-meter and pole vault.

Holding the Pre Classic at the end of the season allowed for athletes to build up to this meet throughout their training and competition schedule. Many athletes who qualified for and competed at the World Athletics Championships in August also qualified for the Diamond League Final, making this meeting a victory lap of their season.

Aside from the Pre Classic being hosted at the end of the season as opposed to the beginning, there were many new additions made to the overall fan experience. This included a fan festival on Agate Street outside Hayward Field called the “Marshfield District,” where fans could enjoy food, drinks, games and buy merchandise prior to the start of competition, as well as following the close of the final events of the day. The main headline of the Marshfield District was the Pre-Pre Show hosted by Citius Mag. This was a live show hosted by two members of their media team and included guest appearances from athletes and coaches prior to the day’s competition. Fans were encouraged to make signs and interact with the athletes similar to ESPN’s College Gameday show.

The Prefontaine Classic will return to Hayward Field on May 24, 2024. Hopefully the high energy brought by fans this year will return to Eugene and inspire more records. The meet will take place at the beginning of the season, giving athletes a chance to experience some Hayward magic at the start of their 2024 outdoor journey.