MONDAY, DEC. 9, 2024
The Nutcracker brings family tradition to Eugene
It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year, and the Eugene Ballet Company and Orchestra
Next is celebrating with showings of the Nutcracker at the Hult Center starting Dec. 19
By Seira Kitagawa Arts & Culture Writer
Many may have seen or at least heard of the Nutcracker, and this holiday season the classical ballet returns to Eugene at the Hult Center with performances from the Eugene Ballet Company between Dec. 19 and Dec. 24.
Toni Pimble, artistic director of Eugene Ballet, leads a team of dancers from youth to professionals as they recreate this Christmas classic to live music played by Orchestra Next.
Early on in his career, Pimble performed in Germany, where the Nutcracker is originally from. “You would think the Nutcracker was popular there, but actually it was not very much,” Pimble said. She said that something about Nutcracker in the US is special; it is rooted in family traditions.
After one performance, a mother told Pimble that her family decided not to spend money on Christmas shopping but instead to come see Nutcracker for the first time to “treat” themselves.
“There are so many personal stories around this production,” Pimble said.
Pimble and Riley Grannan founded the Eugene Ballet Company in 1978, and “it was seed and a plant at first,” Pimble said. When it first opened, the company couldn’t afford to pay for dancers, now it has 24 paid professional dancers and five seasonal shows at the Hult Center as well as one in Alaska.
“It is like a big family,” Pimble said.
Eugene Ballet Company is not the only entity bringing future artists to the stage. Of
the 60 musicians performing at the Nutcracker with Orchestra Next, 40 are students. Brian McWhorter, the director of the Orchestra Next, founded Orchestra Next in 2012 to serve two main purposes: to make live music possible and provide opportunities for aspiring dancers to gain professional experience.
“We are a training orchestra,” McWhorter said.
Orchestra Next specializes in collaborating with other organizations and artists, and the Nutcracker cast features musicians from all over the country.
McWhorter has conducted over 100 Nutcracker productions in his career, and he said that Nutcracker is “incredible” because the music is so “emotive.” It consists of parts of fairytale dreams, intense fight scenes and beautiful romance, he said.
Ballet productions may often capture audiences’ attention to the dancers, however, McWhorter calls attention to the impact live music can add onto the production.
“It’s like going to your in-person classes after taking online courses during the pandemic,” McWhorter said. “Live music is like having a real conversation, and being personal.”
The connection between the live music and the dancers makes for a more authentic, emotional experience.
“Dancers said they feel better and dance better to live music,” McWhorter said.
The tickets are available at Hult Center online with prices starting from $25 to $50.
CAMPUS NEWS
It’s going ‘swimmingly’: Game Studies minor concludes first term
By Corey Hoffman Campus News Reporter
The School of Journalism and Communication’s newest game studies minor is off to a “swimmingly” good start, according to Andy Wilson, Ph.D candidate and a graduate teaching fellow at the SOJC.
The game studies minor, launched at the start of the academic year, gives students the opportunity to explore the design, impact and potential of games. It also examines the cultural, social, economic and psychological aspects of games, according to its website.
Maxwell Foxman, the director of the game studies minor, has been involved with its creation and launch since he was hired.
“The minor has been a project of mine for about
four to six years. It’s been something in the back of my head and in the SOJC’s plans since I was hired in 2018. So to see it come to fruition after a lot of hard work has been really exciting,” Foxman said.
Wilson teaches JCOM 280: Introduction to Studying Games, which is a gateway to the minor and exposes students to various big ideas within game studies. According to Wilson, the minor allows students to apply their personal experience to content within specific classes in the minor.
“I think it’s exciting for students in the SOJC, and beyond, to have an opportunity to critically engage with games and play from a communication and media studies perspective,” Wilson said. “Whether students want a deep dive into gamification and the
(ABOVE) Ballerinas perform The Nutcracker in a 2023 Eugene Ballet Company performance." (Courtesy of Antonio Anacan)
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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 1900.
Chick-fil-A
holds grand opening of Springfield location
On Dec. 5, Chick-fil-A opened its 13th Oregon location in Spring field. Some customers began lining up at 1 a.m.
By Ashley Davidson City News Reporter
At 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 5, Chick-fil-A opened its doors to Springfield. The newly built location brought excitement to locals and fast food fans.
Employees showed up to work the grand opening at 5:30 a.m. and found people already lined up outside the door and cars lined down the street ready to enter the drive through.
“I immediately wanted to get my spot in line when I found out about the opening, and we got here around 5:00 a.m. this morning,” Caroline Greene, a Eugene local, said. “I
Construction delays prolong Title IX lawsuit from courts to court
As Kalapuya Illihi Hall’s repairs stretch into 2025, some University of Oregon female athletes still face alleged inequality, intensifying Title IX legal battles
By Tarek Anthony Investigations Editor
Emerald Media Group 1395 University St.,#302 Eugene, Or 97403 (541)-346-5511
When the University of Oregon shared in March that its Kalapuya Ilihi residence hall would be closed for a second consecutive school year, the announcement brought yet another blow to the UO women’s beach volleyball team, who had sued the university for Title IX sex discrimination in late 2023.
The closure of Kalapuya forced the university to keep the 64-year-old Hamilton residence hall open for another school year, pushing back the prospect of a new on-campus women’s beach volleyball facility.
Welcome to Overhead Oregon! In our new segment, the Daily Emerald will feature anonymously submitted quotes to be the subject of a cartoon!
These could be anything from the silly to the strange, as long as it is heard in passing and taken completely out of context. Heard your classmate talking about penguin philosophy? Submit it! Hear any juicy gossip? Submit it!
This comic series aims to shed a whole new light on the University of Oregon’s day-to-day. Send in your best quotes to nschwartz@dailyemerald. com for a chance to have your quote chosen for Overheard Oregon. Remember, everything is completely anonymous and only the best quotes will be selected.
Overheard Oregon is produced and illustrated by Noa Schwartz, a third year illustrator and editor on the Visuals section.
In her free time she loves to ride her bike, listen to music and crochet.
Eugene Police Department warns of a burglary ring in the area
By Ashley Davidson City News Reporter
A group of unidentified burglars have been breaking into homes in the Eugene area, often seeking out the residences of business owners and other professionals who they suspect might have valuables such as jewelry and cash in the house.
According to the Eugene Police Department, the burglars seemingly screen and monitor their possible victims. They entered the homes while those victims were at work.
“There was an uptick of burglaries of affluent homes by a multi-state burglary ring that targets homes where the suspects believe the homeowners store large amounts of cash and have valuables,” Melinda McLaughlin, EPD public information director, said. “So far, investigators believe around seven Eugene burglaries are the work of this organized group.”
Breanna Baker, a Eugene resident, had valuables stolen from their home.
“The burglary left me feeling violated and powerless, knowing that someone invaded my home and took things I worked hard to earn,” Baker said. “It’s incredibly disheartening to realize that, even after reporting the crime, the police were unable to do anything to bring the culprit to justice or restore a sense of security in my own home.”
Some tips that the EPD gave to avoid possible break-ins include making sure windows, doors and blinds are closed and locked, making sure one’s home looks occupied while
Home invasions have increased in Eugene where residents are more likely to possess cash and other high-value items
away and talking with neighbors or friends to keep an eye on one’s house.
The EPD offers scheduled house checks if individuals are gone on vacation and they advise to schedule a Home Safety Assessment with the EPD’s Community Engagement Team to make sure homes are as secure as possible.
McLaughlin and EPD advise to “please take care to not
keep large amounts of cash and valuables at home. Consider placing any large cash stores at a financial institution, which can also offer safety deposit boxes for heirlooms and jewelry. Also consider insuring expensive items.”
Oregon Bureau of Labor cautions UO over delayed student worker pay
The University of Oregon faces scrutiny for violating state pay laws during ongoing negotiations with student workers for a bi-weekly pay
By Stephanie Jersey Campus News Reporter
The University of Oregon received a warning letter from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries about the university’s state law violations of ORS 652.120 by delaying payments to employees beyond 35 days. The Daily Emerald was not granted access to the letter and relied on the accounts of participants in the negotiations.
In a meeting between UO and UO Student Workers on Nov. 11, representatives from UOSW presented the letter from BOLI.
This was the eleventh session in a series of negotiations between both parties regarding the issue of delayed paychecks.
Izzie Marshall, a University of Oregon Student Workers Union bargaining team member, said that “most student workers put this as their number one issue. That is a fact.”
In the first meeting on May 29, UOSW presented a proposal to change the payroll cycle to bi-monthly rather than the current 30-day schedule.
As a Resident Assistant and UOSW bargaining team member, Ryan Campbell said their group hopes are to address the “terrifying” financial insecurity student workers face due to the current system.
“We’d actually be able to have stable financials and only have to plan for 14 days instead of 30,” Campbell said.
Izzie Marshall, a negotiator for UOSW said she’s witnessed first-hand the challenges of a monthly pay cycle. “When you receive your paycheck, and the day after, you have to pay rent, internet, and other bills, you’re left with nothing to budget for the rest of the month,” Marshall said.
Campbell said he feels “very disappointed with the lack of progress” in the last six months with bargaining between UOSW and UO
“Out of almost 50 proposals and 50 articles we have proposed, we’ve only reached two tentative agreements with the university’s bargaining teams this whole time,” Campbell said.
UOSW and the UO administration currently hold different priorities.
“Economically, we are miles apart on everything,” Campbell said.
The University called for external mediation, which is set to occur in January, after the tenth negotiation session. This came as a “shock” to UOSW, according to Campbell.
The cost of the mediation process makes it a last resort for UOSW, Campbell said.
“Arbitration doesn’t just cost the university; it costs us too, and independent arbiters aren’t cheap. It’s not going to be something we use ‘willy-nilly’ for every single case... It’s going to be for very serious, high-profile cases,” Campbell said. Campbell emphasized the “massive power imbalance”
that makes the mediator, Phill Johnson, an important figure to UOSW in these negotiations.
“Chris [Long, UO provost and senior vice president] essentially wants us to trust him and trust the university, which is a major issue,” Campbell said. “We don’t have any say in their jobs or their paychecks, but they get a say in our jobs and ours.”
Despite the slow-moving negotiation process, Marshall is optimistic.
“We are hoping the university works with us to make the bi-weekly pay cycle a reality for student workers,” Marshall said.
UO spokesperson Eric Howald addressed UOSW concerns regarding the issue of delayed paychecks.
“The university is focused on complying with ORS 652.120 and paying all employees within 35 days from either their first day worked or last regular pay day,” Howald said.
Howald explained that concerns will be addressed through the implementation of new payroll systems.
“The university’s central payroll office will be better able to track when the 35-day window is closing, produce a report and automate notifications to the appropriate parties. We are also asking campus pay administrators to monitor the 35-day mark with new employees as we engage the new system,” Howald said.
UOSW has a desire to see systemic change in the treatment and process of payment toward student workers.
“The university needs to be held accountable ... this [BOLI] letter is just one piece of the puzzle,” Marshall said.
The Eugene Police Department warns residences of burglary ring.The main Eugene Police station sits on Country Club road in Eugene. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)
It’s going ‘swimmingly’: minor concludes first
After its launch at the beginning of the academic year, the leaders of SOJC’s newest minor, Game Studies, reflect on its first term in operation
Media or Game Journalism and News Games, there’s a little something for everyone as far as course offerings are concerned.”
According to Foxman, the minor has seen growth in the number of declared students since it was launched.
“We had two students who signed up for the minor basically the minute it was available, but we’ve been growing into the double digits, which is exciting, and we expect to grow even more,” Foxman said.
According to Wilson, having a minor focused on gaming and game studies is “simply cool,” and is an opportunity he would have loved having as an undergraduate student.
“ The minor will show students there are many ways to think critically about games.
— Andy Wilson SOJC Graduate Teaching Fellow
“
Wilson said the minor gives students different ways to think about games.
“The minor will show students there are many ways to think critically about games, what they mean in the context of contemporary society and culture and how games can be an excellent springboard for exploring prominent communication and media studies research areas,” Wilson said.
According to Foxman, the minor has been promoted in
other JCOM and SOJC classes with the hope of stirring up interest.
The natural next step for the minor, Foxman said, is establishing a community and doing more “public-facing activities.”
“I’m excited that now we have the course work sort of completed, we’re moving to build a bigger and [more] robust games community around the minor,” Foxman said.
There have been several community events already, including film screenings, with “game jams” and other activities planned for later in the year, according to Foxman.
Foxman said he has a three-step plan for the future of the minor.
Step one, according to Foxman, is building an academic community and establishing scholarship and research opportunities for students.
The second step is looking beyond the university to the community.
“In the next couple years, I really want to try and build some relationships with our local game stores, whether it’s Funagain Games, which holds regular conventions about gaming, or some of our local studios like Pipeworks. I want to make sure that they feel like they are connected with our students and vice versa,” Foxman said.
The third step, according to Foxman, is strengthening connections with companies and working with alumni to ensure students have success working within games and in the game industry.
“If you’re a student in art and design or in English or at the SOJC, there is a job related to your specialty within gaming. So part of it is opening up those opportunities and having students see [what] others have achieved,” Foxman said.
According to Foxman, there are opportunities to be involved in games both at the SOJC and around campus, and according to Wilson, the minor hopes to see an increase in interdisciplinary interest from non-SOJC majors.
“There’s something for everyone in the world of games,” Wilson said.
(Photo
(ON COVER) University of Oregon Assistant Professor Maxwell Foxman directs the game studies minor and assisted in its creation.
(Courtesy of Maxwell Foxman) (RIGHT) Individuals work in a Snap AR workshop.
courtesy of UO Communications)
‘swimmingly’: Game Studies first term
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Crossword
Utmost degree
“Isn’t this all just __ much?”
Like books on Goodreads
Guiding principle
Redeem for money
9 Piece in a model helicopter kit
10 Go away gradually
11 Full of energy
13 Up to one’s eyeballs
15 “Shaken, not stirred” cocktail
Beginning stages, and what the starts of 16-, 24-, 38-, and 47-Across literally are?
Small, medium, or large
The “E” of QED
17 Fan noise
23 Spanish city with Moorish architecture
25 Make happy
27 Mani counterpart
29 One of a journalist’s five W’s
30 Above, in verse
31 Pumpernickel flour
33 100%
34 Many a techie or Trekkie
35 Do some sums
36 __-mo replay
37 For each
39 Use a rod and reel on a frozen lake
Sudoku
40 Thingamajigs
44 Pick up on
46 Like a busybody
47 Clark of classic Hollywood
48 Love, in French
49 Heaven-sent food
50 “The Queen’s Gambit” activity
51 Paperless message
53 Make really happy
54 So far
55 Speaks hoarsely
58 Pasta that can be used to make risotto
62 __ of lamb
CAMPUS CULTURE
Building a winning program
New coaching
hire Tracy Joyner is ready to tap into the potential of Oregon women’s soccer
By Lily Crane Sports Reporter
When the new head coach of Oregon women’s soccer, Tracy Joyner, was asked in her introductory press conference what brand of soccer she plans on bringing to the program, her answer was simple.
“[My] style of play is winning,” Joyner said.
The Ducks have a storied history when it comes to football, track and field and their basketball teams. Their women’s soccer team, however, has failed to make the NCAA Tournament since its inception in 1980.
Two seasons ago, Oregon didn’t win a single match. In 2024, it finished with an improved record of 5-11-2 but still failed to reach even the Big Ten Tournament. Former head coach Graeme Abel resigned after his fifth season.
The program didn’t waste much time hiring Joyner, who was announced as the new head coach on Dec. 2.
“Oregon is somewhere that I’ve always had my eye on as just being a major contender,” Joyner said. “There’s just a really big opportunity to be a powerhouse here.”
She cited “trust, respect, love for each other, belief, positivity and optimism” as the foundational val-
ues for the environment that she wants to build.
“We get the opportunity to start fresh,” Joyner said. “We get the opportunity to build what we want to build and make it ours.”
Joyner played at Cal and in the Women’s Professional Soccer League before transitioning to coaching. She recently spent six years with UC Davis where she coached the team to a 49-37-8 record overall. Joyner and the Aggies set the program record for wins in a season as a Division I team in 2024. She was named the Big West Coach of the Year as a result.
The Ducks’ new coach is ready to help them turn the page to a new chapter, while also honoring the players that have been with the team prior to her arrival.
“I truly want to give everybody the same clean slate, whether they were a 90-minute player or player that was on the bench,” she said.
Joyner pointed to the combination of the iconic Oregon brand and the love for women’s soccer in the state as reasons why she believes the program’s potential is limitless.
“Oregon is actually like a huge hotbed for soccer and the Portland Thorns are one of the most incredible NWSL teams,” Joyner said.
“This is just a powerhouse goldmine waiting to happen.”
Parking permits at the University of Oregon are a “LOT”
The
parking permit system at UO needs to change
By Abby Kohler Opinion Columnist
During my first term at the University of Oregon, I didn’t know how its parking permits worked. I didn’t know that the purchase of permits opens five weeks before each new permit starts. I contacted the university transportation office, but I was unable to acquire a permit for all of fall term.
I was shocked that the car I’d driven all the way from the suburbs of Portland wouldn’t be able to stay in Eugene.
This year, my apartment is a 20-minute walk from the heart of campus. UO Director of Transportation Services David Reesor, said that due to parking constraints students should consider other means of transportation.
“Right now there is a very strong, healthy demand for parking. I would say that the demand is higher than what we have supply for, but the tradeoff to that is it does nudge all of us to look at other travel options to and from or through campus,” Reesor said. “We certainly try to encourage folks and make those options easier for people, and try to balance that demand for parking.”
Reesor said there are about 4,000 parking spots available for permit holders. However, the UO has 24,462 students enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year in addition to almost 2,000 faculty members.
UO offers term-based permits at a rate of $360 per term; 30-day permits that range from $27 to $130, depending on the zone; and hourly parking that is approximately $2.00/hour.
According to Reesor, there are only 400-500 term-based permits available, despite there being over 5,000 residential students.
Oregon is cold and wet during the winter, and for students in off-campus apartments, the walk is rarely a short one. Especially for students coming from out of state, adapting to a new environment is already stressful without having to contend
with where to park.
Katherine Hernandez, a UO fourth-year student, lived in the dorms last year and lives in an off-campus apartment now.
“There was no sense of, like, wanting to even help me,” Hernandez said about transportation services when she sought parking. She also suggested that the UO should “expand” on the current permit system.
“Even from the jump, getting a parking pass [was] simply inaccessible, they’re very limited and they’re not going to hand them to you even though you literally already have your car here,” Hernandez said. “When I was at the dorm, I noticed that nearly every neighborhood around UO had a specific time limit to how you can park or where or how many hours. Considering how many families and homes and children live in the area, I just don’t think that’s fair.”
A solution, as suggested by Hernandez, could be the use of “student discount codes” around Eugene. Instead of creating new parking infrastructure, it could be beneficial to build upon existing resources and offer students more affordable access to campus.
Granted, students can navigate around Eugene and UO without a car. UO Transportation Services provides resources including PeaceHealth bikes, Duck Rides, and bus passes that encourage students to bike, walk, rideshare or use public transportation.
But for people who commute and for newcomers to UO overwhelmed with the influx of information, the price and distribution of the permits leave something to be desired.
“I am a strong believer in continuous process improvement,” Reesor said. “I continue to communicate this to my team and where, you know, no matter how much we try, we’re never gonna get it perfect.”
Abby Kohler is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a senior at the University of Oregon majoring in journalism with a minor in creative writing. She enjoys covering both serious and lighthearted topics.
(Molly Mcpherson/Emerald)
