When I decided to travel to French Polynesia for a six-week program, I pictured tropical palm trees, black sand beaches, picturesque waterfalls and thriving wildlife. Seven months later, I found myself sick to my stomach on a plane, returning from a trip I thought would be the highlight of my year. What started as a tropical adventure turned into a physical and emotional rollercoaster. I felt crushed and ashamed for not taking advantage of my opportunity. But the two questions remain: Would I do it again and should you?
To get to the answer I’ll give some context. I was ecstatic when I found the Wildlands Studies
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Students with disabilities struggle with accessibility options
Several students with disabilities shared their experiences at UO, sparking ADA concerns
By Ruby Duncan Investigative Reporter
The University of Oregon emphasizes its commitment to having a “diverse learning and working environment that is inclusive and accessible for everyone,” however some students with disabilities say the reality does not align.
Four students with varying disabilities told the Daily Emerald that campus accessibility is not what it advertises. They pointed to several alleged American with Disabilities Act issues throughout campus, from student housing evacuation plans to ramps.
The ADA was enacted in 1990 and it includes laws, regulations and standards specific to the civil rights of people with disabilities. Since UO is a publicly-funded school, areas that have been updated since 1990 are legally mandated to comply with the ADA.
Luna Fera, a third-year student and the director of the AccessAbility Student Union who uses a wheelchair for mobility, said, “In my opinion, UO is a lot of talk and little action… In my experience here … most things are accessible on paper, but to actually access (them) becomes a lot more complicated.”
Another student, Lucy Feuerborn had a similar opinion. “It’s a lot of talking the talk, and, no pun intended, not a lot of walking the walk,” Feuerborn said. According to an email statement from the Accessible Education Center Senior Director, Norma Kehdi, the AEC is designated to “determine
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(Molly McPherson/Emerald)
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A new mayor’s in town: Meet Kaarin Knudson
The Daily Emerald sat down with Knudson before she took office on Jan. 6. During her campaign for mayor, one of her top priorities was addressing Eugene’s housing shortage.
By Lucas Hellberg City News Reporter
On Jan. 6, longtime University of Oregon instructor and architect Kaarin Knudson became Mayor of Eugene. Knudson replaces Lucy Vinis, who opted not to run for reelection after serving two terms. Knudson, who Vinis endorsed, ran unopposed in the November election after winning outright in the May primary.
Meet Eliza Kashinsky: Eugene’s only new city councilor
The newly sworn-in city councilor said the biggest challenge facing Ward 1 is homelessness
By Lucas Hellberg City News Reporter
On Jan. 6, Eliza Kashinsky became the City Councilor for Ward 1, which includes parts of Downtown Eugene and the West Eugene, Southwest Hills, West University, Friendly, Chambers Westside, Churchill and Jefferson Westside neighborhoods.
Letter from the Editor:
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The Daily Emerald’s hearts go out to those affected by the Los Angeles Palisades fire. The University of Oregon sent out an email with resources to those affected, one resource being to talk with mental health professionals at the University Health Center for any support they need.
The Emerald intends to publish stories in the upcoming weeks with additional resources and stories from students affected.
Students can call the Health Center at: 541-346-2770.
- Tristin Hoffman, Daily Emerald Editor-in-Chief
By Tarek Anthony Investigations Editor
On Dec. 6, 2024, the faculty of the University of Oregon’s School of Music and Dance passed an updated policy providing for stricter rules and administrative oversight for professors who choose to assign self-written textbooks and other class materials to their students.
The policy update follows an investigation by the Daily Emerald in October 2024, which revealed that Toby Koenigsberg, an associate professor in the SOMD, profited over $500,000 from thousands of students by requiring them to purchase his $89.99 self-published textbook, “Contemporary Songwriting,” in his asynchronous “Popular Songwriting” class.
The book was published under Koenigsberg’s own publishing company, “King and Hill Publishing,” meaning he collected all the profit from textbook sales.
Although already prohibited under UO ethics guidelines and Oregon state law before the updated ruling, a series of miscommunications and oversights by the SOMD and other UO administrators allowed Koenigsberg to profit for over four years.
The updated ruling reiterates that Oregon State Ethics Laws prohibit a public employee from “using their office for personal (or) financial gain.” Professors under the new rule will still be allowed to mandate their own works but cannot financially gain from the material in any way.
Professors can petition the Dean of the SOMD, Sabrina Madison-Cannon, to review the material, who can then
permit profits. According to the ruling, this review process will prevent faculty from using their “official position for personal financial gain.”
The ruling also encourages faculty to refer to the American Association of University Professors guidelines on self-publication to avoid perceived or real conflicts of interest.
Some of the AAUP guidelines include offering the materials to students free of cost, placing texts in the UO course reserves for free access, making the material optional or submitting the material to the SOMD Faculty Advisory Committee for review of the cost.
The FAC review process considers things such as the publisher of the text, royalty rate on sales, author’s profits and competitors’ products, among others.
It remains unclear whether Koenigsberg ever has or will face disciplinary action for his profits.
According to class records, Koenigsberg is still employed at the university and is teaching the “Popular Songwriting” course to 50 students this term. He is no longer mandating the “Contemporary Songwriting” text, but instead requires a low-cost alternative textbook, “The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory,” published by a third party, costing under $20.
The Emerald reached out to Koenigsberg for comment, but has yet to receive a response.
How students felt about this year’s football season
By Corey Hoffman Campus News Reporter
Following the University of Oregon Duck’s 21 to 41 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, students on campus reflect on the historic football season that started in August and ended in the new year.
Freshman Ellie Pappas enjoyed her first football season as a duck.
“I thought it was fun. It was really nice to have a winning season for the first time I’m in college. I thought the Rose
University of Oregon students reflect on an undefeated season and a postseason loss
Bowl sucked though,” Pappas said.
Pappas said she attended all but one home game and bought the Ducks Sports Pass for tickets to all sporting events. Although the student section was fun, she said it was frustrating when people snuck in without a ticket.
“I wish people would stop sneaking in (when) you spend hours trying to claim seats. For the Ohio State game, I had to go to the bathroom and I ended up waiting for 30 minutes to get back to the seats that I had, which was preposterous,” Pappas said.
Senior Brandon Fisher said he was happy with how the
regular season went.
“Obviously it was a really, really good season. It’s unfortunate the way it ended. I was at the Rose Bowl, so it’s unfortunate with the new format, we got unlucky, but otherwise I think it was a good season,” Fisher said.
Fisher, who said he drove five hours to the Rose Bowl, described the atmosphere of the stadium.
“It was (a) cool pre-game, but obviously with the game, people were kind of shell-shocked. It was a cool place,” Fisher said.
Freshman Morgan Steel said that despite the loss to Ohio State, she’s trying to look on the bright side with the Big Ten Championship win.
Steel, who attended all but one home football game, said she enjoyed the student section but felt bad for people who were unable to get tickets to games.
“I really liked the (Ducks Sports Pass) but I did feel bad for students who didn’t get it and they have to pay a lot of money because people with the pass would sell them for a lot of money,” Steel said.
Responses to a Daily Emerald poll on Instagram showed frustration with the student section and the layout of the Ducks Sports Pass.
“Overcrowding was sad as I felt unsafe at times as people threatened to rush the field,” one user responded.
One poll with 120 responses showed that 75% of respondents attended a football game this year and of those respondents, 22% attended an away game.
Junior Natalia Baezea said she didn’t travel to any away games but might consider traveling in the future for a rivalry game.
“I would want to go to the (University of) Washington (game) or like (Oregon State University),” Baeza said.
(Molly McPherson/Emerald)
Early Action admissions sees increase for fall 2025
By Angelina Handris Campus News Reporter
The University of Oregon admitted 18,820 Class of 2029 students through the early action deadline over winter break, according to UO spokesperson Eric Howald. This number will increase after regular decision admittances. UO’s early action deadline was on Nov. 1, 2024.
The deadline comes nearly three months sooner than the regular decision deadline of Jan. 15, 2025.
Most students who apply for early action received decision status by mid-December of 2024.
According to Howald, the university saw an increase from the 17,460 students who were admitted for fall 2024. Howald also said that in 2021, there was a 40% rate of early action applications. In 2022, UO saw a 42% rate, and by 2023, the number of early action applications jumped to 50%.
According to Erin Hays, associate vice president for student services and enrollment management and director of admissions, there has been a 4% increase in early action applications since the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
“A lot of students apply earlier to schools because they just want more time to compare schools and get out to do campus visits,” Hays said.
Hays said due to Oregon’s smaller population, UO re-
UO admitted over 18,800 students in early action deadline, with more admissions to come in regular decision
ceives more applicants from out-of-state students as opposed to Oregon residents.
“We treat both groups equally in our admissions process, so we don’t distinguish between resident and non-resident in our offers of admission,” Hays said.
Hays also said the acceptance rate for both early action and regular decision were “very similar,” both being in the “high 80s” in terms of percentage.
Amber Clemons, a freshman who applied through the regular decision deadline for the fall of 2024, said she wished she had chosen early action for its benefits, including access to scholarships.
“Honestly I had a friend who did early action, and I felt like that reaped better benefits when it came to scholarships and everything. So that’s something that if I was able to go into the past that I would do,” Clemons said.
Grayson Mentzer, another freshman who chose the regular decision deadline, said he waited to commit to UO because he wanted to consider his other options.
“I wasn’t really sure if this was going to be my final choice for a college because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to afford it, and there was just other colleges that looked promising, so when I chose (regular) decision, I just wanted to keep my options open,” Mentzer said.
Kennedy Thomas, a freshman who chose to apply for early action, said she felt early action gave her an advantage
over other applicants.
“I thought it would put me a step ahead of a lot of other applicants and I thought it would make it easier for me to get into the school or get into the (Clark) Honors College, and just like have a better experience with applying to UO,” Thomas said.
(LEFT) Students fill up the student section with an hour left before the game begins. The previously No. 3 ranked Oregon Ducks football team took on the previously No. 2 ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes on Oct. 12, 2024, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
Students with disabilities struggle with accessibility options
disability eligibility, work with students to identify accommodations, and advocate for equity, access, and inclusion in the experiences of disabled students on campus.”
There is a wide range of offered accommodations from accessible housing options to support in the classroom. This may look like extra time for testing, access to certain seating in a classroom or wheelchair accessible dorm rooms.
Lisa Kain-Kasday, a student with multiple disabilities, said she has had problems with the AEC and its transparency.
“I knew of an accommodation that my friend was unaware of and qualified for, and her advisors never brought it up to her,” Kain-Kasady said. She said the AEC’s transparency is a big issue, and because of this she has taken on a role in the Women’s Center at the EMU to inform people of what they qualify for.
“We have this double standard at the UO. It’s like ‘we want you to be the best you can be, you’re now adults, spread your wings.’ But, at AEC it’s like, ‘let’s wait, we’re only going to give you that accommodation unless you’re failing the class,”’ Kain-Kasady said.
Kehdi told the Emerald that it is the student’s responsibility to get connected to the AEC and seek their accommodations. “Once they are connected to the AEC, we work closely with students to make sure they understand how to utilize their approved accommodations,” Kedhi wrote.
Physical Barriers to Students’ Success
Aside from the AEC, students also expressed concerns of physical barriers for physically dis-
abled students on campus. These barriers exist in different aspects of campus; construction, outdated inaccessible building design, ramps and more.
Fera spoke about how wood-chips are an issue for wheelchair users when discussing the constant construction on campus. When areas of campus are under construction, the paths often get demolished. Currently, construction near University and Villard Hall on the northwest side of campus has forced the sidewalks to be replaced with wood chip paths.
- Luna Fera, Director of the AccessAbility Student Union “ “
Our tires are like bike tires, but unlike bikes, these are our life.
“Our tires are like bike tires, but unlike bikes, these are our life,” Fera said. “We can’t run the risk of them getting punctured, or getting flat, because that is just going to be a huge hassle.”
Mike Harwood, the associate vice president and university architect of UO Campus Planning and Facility Management said “we don’t have the ability to reach out to students… unless you come to work for us as an intern, we don’t know who you are. So we try to communicate with the campus in general.”
Harwood said there are announcements made in a weekly employee newsletter, called “Around the O Workplace.” Harwood said the newsletter is only sent to employees, not including undergraduate student employees.
One instance of the lack of communication for Fera occurred during construction near Knight Library in 2024.
“I come to find out on the first day that there’s construction going on in the shortcut that’s by the cemetery. Able-bodied people can go through the cemetery, but it’s impossible to do in a wheelchair, so I had to go all the way around in order to access my class,” Fera said.
According to Fera the detour around the building caused a stressful mixup in which she did not set aside time for. Fera said she wishes they would “notify me so that I know ahead of time that I need to leave early, not only for the broken elevator… but even earlier so I can navigate around campus.”
UO spokesperson Eric Howald expressed interest in including construction updates and possible accessibility-interfering announcements into Quick Quacks, a weekly newsletter sent to all students.
“I can help do some coordination with getting information into Quick Quacks,” Howald said. He said he believes this would be an easier option for students to find updates.
Feuerborn spoke on several unsafe areas of campus that could be dangerous to disabled students and able bodied students alike. One being a ramp outside of Global Scholars Hall with concrete on both sides and no handrails.
According to the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department Chapter 813, handrails are required on a ramp that has a rise of over 12 inches, or a horizontal projection longer than 144 inches. A horizontal projection is an extension of a building. The ramp outside of Global Scholars Hall has a horizontal projection approximately 505
inches and 19 inches high.
Another issue students expressed is inaccessible water fountains. Several water fountains make it impossible for wheelchair users to fit their chair underneath them, due to their boxy shape and outdated design.
According to Chapter 6 of ADA, drinking fountains must have clear floor space beneath them for multiple accessibility reasons. Many of the older buildings on campus have water fountains that do not have this room underneath, making it hard for many students to access them.
Harwood said CPFM often waits to address potential accessibility issues until it does an entire building renovation, for budget purposes. He said it is a lot less expensive to fix everything at once, rather than going in and doing one thing at a time.
In 2024, the UO had a capital expenditure budget of $229 million to make improvements on physical aspects of campus.
“It does mean that it’s taking us a longer time to get those things done the way we’d like them to be,” Harwood said.
However, this is a financial choice not all students are aware of.
“It really shows that the university does not really care about letting their disabled students, like physically disabled students, into public spaces,” Feuerborn said. “It’s really disheartening for a school that prides itself on its very progressive image.”
Fera said when she moved into New Residence Hall, an on-campus residence hall, she asked her Resident Assistant about the plan for evacuating due to a fire, and was given “silence.”
In an email statement to the Emerald, Jasmyne Channel, associate director of residence life for residential experiences, stated that in the event of a fire where the elevators become disabled, students with disabilities should evacuate to the nearest stairwell where they can safely remain for up to four hours.
Once in the stairwell, Channel stated that students can call 911 for assistance or send someone
down to notify first responders of a person in need of “mobility assistance.”
“In any case, I don’t have anything written to me about what those safe zone locations are,” Fera said.
“ “
It really shows that the university does not really care about letting their disabled students, like physically disabled students, into public spaces.
- Lucy Feuerborn, UO Student
Howald stated in an email to the Emerald that RAs receive training related to emergency and evacuation procedures, and they are informed of alternative evacuation or emergency procedures for students with disabilities.
Inaccessible School-Run Events
According to numerous students, several schoolrun events have also failed to include disabled students. For example, the university’s annual Flock Party, an event to welcome students for the new year, was held on the Erb Memorial Union grass. However, students with mobility aids were unable to attend since it took place on grass.
“The Flock Party has a history of being inaccessible,” Fera said. AASU planned to have a table for outreach at the event, with two wheelchair users running the table.
“Their accessible option was to have us [set up] on Onyx Street,” which would separate them from the rest of the group. “It’s the lack of foresight,” Fera said that UO does not create a welcoming space for events like these.
In an Email statement, Howald told the Emerald, “The scheduling and event services team relies on event organizers to know their audience but does everything possible to help identify and anticipate accessibility needs. Based on previous successes with Flock Party in the EMU area, the university did not foresee a reason to alter past practices.”
Ways to Move Forward
Regarding reporting concerns, Howald stated “The important thing is that people feel comfortable reporting their accessibility concerns to university.” They can do so under the “File a Complaint” section of the Accessibility at the University of Oregon page.
In the fall of 2023, the AEC began recruiting for the Disability Advocacy Committee, with a mission to “advance and uphold the core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Oregon by continuously striving to improve the campus community so that education may be more universally accessible for all.”
The DAC is in its first cohort of students, and according to Kehdi, who is also involved in DAC, a number of their priorities were identified as longterm projects.
If students feel there are ADA issues at the university, Lesson 9 of the Enforcement of the ADA states people can file complaints with the Department of Justice.
One
(LEFT) Luna Fera, a third-year student and the director of the AccessAbility Student Union, spoke with the Emerald about her accessibility concerns with UO. One of her top concerns related to how the university communicates on construction and its potential impact on students with disabilities.
(Molly McPherson/Emerald)
Fall, Winter, Spring or Summer; which term Leaves Ducks in a Slump?
All terms have their highs and lows, but which one is the worst for Ducks? A majority of students say winter, and I agree.
Daria Morris is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a second-year student at the University of Oregon majoring in journalism and communications with a minor in creative writing. Daria likes to write about feminist topics as well as deep topics that are related to students’ well-being on campus.
By Daria Morris Opinion Columnist
Recently, I caught myself looking back on my time here at the University of Oregon and I wondered which term was the most difficult for me.
Fall was a rough start, especially starting out in a new city from scratch. Then winter term came and my class load was insane, along with my seasonal depression. Finally, in spring, the sun came back, but my motivation was at an all-time low; or in summer when no one was on campus.
I asked a couple of friends the same question, and the responses varied. Some said that fall was the worst, especially freshman year since they were adjusting to college for the first time, and one of my coworkers said spring because of “Spring Slump.”
Personally, I automatically knew which term was the worst for me, it was an easy choice: winter term.
My winter term was filled with hardship, seasonal depression and an overload of homework and obligation. Not only was that the lowest point for me that year due to the lack of Vitamin D, but I also took two science classes and a language course which left me drowning in an ocean of my own procrastination and daily dose of six hours worth of homework.
To my surprise, it was just me who felt the same way. I created a survey with 51 responses from UO students and asked them the same
question I asked myself: Which term is the hardest on Ducks?
Fall term came out to about 27.5%, spring term came out to about 15.7%, and no one chose summer. Affirming my own opinion, the percentage of students who picked the winter term was 51%.
The vast majority of students who selected winter cited their main reason as seasonal depression.
“The lack of sunlight can contribute to depression in the winter,” UO sophomore Maddie Center said. “Additionally, winter term usually involves taking the next part of a sequence of classes, which is typically more difficult than the previous one taken in fall term. For freshmen, the winter term is when you realize that college isn’t all just fun and games. The culmination of all these things makes it increasingly difficult to attend class.”
“I think the seasonal depression adds to it, but like fall is like easy going to help the freshmen ease into college, but then winter term always feels like it goes on forever and feels like the classes go on forever,” Leah Esker, a UO junior said.
“It is cold and miserable and rainy and we just had a month off, my brain is not up to speed with what the professors are teaching. Wake up and go to class when it’s still dark, leave class to go home and it’s still dark. It is usually the term that I have the hardest classes too,” UO junior Ellia Evans said. I also asked students for tips and tricks to handle their winter tern blues.
Studying Abroad: What I learned and why it’s still worth it
program in French Polynesia — an outdoor education experience. Sleeping in tents under the stars and having class wherever a hike might take us sounded like a dream. We were promised long hikes through lush rainforests and snorkeling on tropical reefs, all taken with rigorous classes. It sounded transformative.
Patrick McMurdo, a study abroad coordinator at the University of Oregon, knows
better than anyone how life-changing study abroad can be. After a year abroad in Costa Rica in high school and Peace Corps service in Ukraine, his life-changing experiences would shape him forever.
“It’s getting to what this whole human experience means, and how we define that,” McMurdo said. “It’s really neat when you get to see that defined in a different way than what we’re typically going through here.”
McMurdo said it ends up being the highlight of many college students’ experiences.
“It can sort of be a crown jewel experience that they have, but it’s hard to explain what that is ahead of time before you get the chance to go and experience it,” McMurdo said.
This was my first mistake: not preparing for panic. That first night with my small class of 17 was terrifying. I was in a strange place camping with strangers, carrying everything I owned on my back.
My classmate, Maria Miller, would soon become one of my close friends. Maria had a refreshingly honest and bubbly personality seemingly immune to low morale. She helped me through some of the most stressful situations on the trip, but even she was secretly anxious.
“I thought it was going to be vacation going in,” Miller said. “I also thought that
Some students, such as UO sophomore Olivia Akers, recommended spending time on self-care. UO senior Savannah Preston mentioned going to the counseling center, also reminding students to spend time with friends. Around five to six different students warned others, specifically freshmen, not to skip, because it’s a difficult habit to quit.
Every term has its roses and thorns, but students seem to agree that winter is especially thorny. Nobody’s experience is the same, however, I think everyone can agree that winter term makes you want to rip your hair out.
Stay warm, stay positive and stay connected this winter; you’re going to need it. But remember: it all gets better.
I was sent home early from my study abroad trip in French Polynesia for health reasons. Everything went wrong, and it could for you too, but that should never stop you from trying.
it would be a bit easier. It was completely overwhelming. I didn’t think we were gonna have so much trouble with where we slept at night, (and) that was an ongoing issue. I didn’t expect to see such shocking differences.”
Our time was packed with gorgeous hikes, waterfalls, snorkeling and exploring one of the most beautiful cultures on the planet. I never wanted to leave — until I got a stomach virus.
I was feverish, in pain and unable to eat or drink, all while camping alone with limited access to necessities like food and water. After multiple Google-translated doctor visits, a stomach flu and COVID-19 diagnosis, one hospitalization and countless sleepless nights, I was an alarming 98 pounds. With little chance of recovery abroad, I had no choice but to return home.
I desperately wanted to stay. I had dreamed about this trip since I was a toddler and endlessly rewatched Polynesian nature documentaries. Now that I had the chance, I felt I had blown it. On the plane ride home, I couldn’t understand why I was so weak and why my body couldn’t handle what others could. I felt like I had failed.
I’m not the only one. McMurdo wishes students understood the challenges of living in a different country. There may be
adversity, but much of the reward comes from learning on the fly.
“I wish that there was a different expectation about what it means to go on a study abroad program versus an itinerary provided by a travel company,” McMurdo said. “Being away from family for a significant amount of time, and what we might call ‘culture shock’ is actually just being lonely at times. I think that you learn a lot from those (experiences). And I definitely think they formed a lot of my personality.”
He’s right. Growth hurts, but that’s why it’s important. Despite my series of unfortunate events, I still went to French Polynesia. I saw a 200-meter waterfall. I swam with stingrays. That alone is evidence that just because an experience doesn’t give you what you thought it would, doesn’t mean it didn’t teach you something.
If you decide to study abroad, know that you are going on an adventure in every sense of the word. There will be challenges, but there will also be triumphs. There will be extreme highs and extreme lows. You will sometimes feel alone and sometimes on top of the world. But most importantly, you will learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible. What could be better than that?
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.
(Photo Courtesy of Noa Schwartz)
(Noa Schwartz/Emerald)
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Shake Up Dry January with a Few Fun Mocktails
Whether you’re participating in dry January or not, these mocktails are sure to take your mind off drinking in the New Year
By Andres Baisch Arts & Culture Writer
With the New Year up and running, many of us are looking forward to trying to improve some aspects of our lives. Whether you’re working out more, eating healthier or procrastinating less, January is a fresh start.
Dry January is a common practice that some partake in, whether as a challenge or to commit to a healthier lifestyle. Even if you aren’t going all of January sober, mocktails are a fun alternative if you’re trying to drink less this winter.
Hibiscus refreshers
While the name sounds like the summer drink from Starbucks, this refreshing blend of lime juice, various berries and hibiscus syrups is commonly paired with vodka or tequila. To avoid a hangover, substitute sparkling water or any fruit juice to bring out the hibiscus flavor. Personally, I’d use cherry or cranberry juice if you’re used to light-liquor cocktails.
If we’re lucky enough to see some sunny days in Eugene this winter, make this drink to get in the mood for the longer days coming in spring.
Margarita Zero Proof
For Tequila lovers, a margarita is a common drink to make at home. Relatively simple, all Margaritas require a
mix of Tequila, lime juice and triple sec.
So, without tequila, the question is what to mix as a base. A citrus combo creates a refreshing flavor to recreate the feel of a refreshing cocktail. Orange, grapefruit and lime juice will surely echo the warm feeling tequila leaves you with. Mix all three or substitute sparkling water in if you prefer the classic lime margarita taste.
Virgin Mojitos
Mojitos are one of the easiest cocktails to make an alcohol-free version. If your friends are crafting up drinks before going out, this virgin mojito won’t even make you miss the alcohol.
Just muddle some spearmint leaves, lime and your sweetener of choice to a base of soda water to mimic the taste of a refreshing mojito. Add more lime juice to mimic the taste of your favorite classic drink for all of these mocktails.
Chocolate Espresso Martini
While I’ve listed a few refreshing summertime favorites, one of my favorite winter drinks is an Espresso martini. The perfect combination of caffeine and alcohol might even taste better without alcohol.
Start off by adding chocolate sauce to a martini glass, and if you want, sprinkle on some crushed-up chocolate. For a boost of caffeine, add your favorite ounce and a half of espresso. Sub in cold brew if you want less of a concentrated
content.
In substitution for alcohol, add an ounce of your favorite chocolate milk. This drink is perfect for sweet tooths and caffeine lovers alike.
Whether you’re committed to sobriety this month or just want to take a night off from drinking, try a drink that is sophisticated and flavorful. Mocktails are perfect for feeling social without the effects of alcohol.
Dance Through the New Year
From jazz to ballroom to street dance, the University of Oregon provides diverse ways to express your body
By Seira Kitagawa Arts & Culture Writer
New year, new start. Some students have made new year’s resolutions to kick off 2025. Whether you will be going to the gym more, waking up early or getting on top of schoolwork, this new year may signify a significant shift in your day-to-day life.
This year, put dancing on your docket.
The University of Oregon has several dance organizations that can help add new moves, fun and community to your college life. Check out these three featured organizations to dip your toe into the world of dance.
Rhythm Nation: UO Jazz Dance Club: New club creates a space for the love of jazz
Mandi Mayling started her dance journey in the first grade and danced competitively for years. As a dance major at UO, she noticed a gap in her curriculum — there were hardly any classes for jazz style dance. Mayling decided that she would create a club for jazz, and she proposed the idea and gathered interest from other students.
To found the club, Mayling received a $2000 scholarship from the School of Dance and Music and applied at the Center for Student Involvement as a student organization. The club now runs biweekly pop-up classes during the odd weeks every Sunday night at 5:00-6:30 p.m. The class is de-
signed for students of all levels and is run by students.
“It is a great space for students who didn’t make it into the dance team but still want to engage with dance,” Mayling said. Oregon Ballroom Dance: A place to learn, engage and help one another
Dancing with a pair might be foreign to some, but Oregon Ballroom Dance is a beginner-friendly space where you can try it out. Shania Savana Navarro, a junior at UO and the president of Oregon Ballroom Dance, joined the club during her freshman year.
“I always loved dancing but had never tried ballroom dancing,” Navarro said.
Oregon Ballroom Dance provides workshops from a variety of dance forms as well as time for social dance. It also holds an annual formal where attendants can dress up for a theme. “Disney” was the theme last year.
Duck Street Dance Club: The community behind the breath-taking cool dances
You may have seen Duck Street perform at events on and around campus. The team not only performs a high-quality dance but also provides opportunities for students to learn and practice dance at weekly workshops, held on Thursdays and run by team members.
Ava Chand, a co-president of Duck Street, joined the club during her freshman year after her mom recommended she do so. Chand was “having a hard time adjusting” to college at that time and joining the club provided something consistent in her college life. Chand found her community at the club, meeting most of her friends there.
Chand advises dancers who are interested in auditioning to first come to workshops so that team members can recognize them as dancers. “It’s just one hour of your life,” she said.
These three clubs are only a few of the student organizations where you can engage with dance. Explore more clubs on the Engage page and start checking out new spaces!
