Following their first few months of college, University of Oregon freshmen have gotten a glimpse of life on campus during their first term.
The Daily Emerald asked first-year students their opinions on the quality of life while some were living in the residence halls. What is your residence hall missing?
Brendyn Andrews, a freshman who lives in Hamilton Hall, spent his first term with a torn ACL, which he said proved to him how not disability-friendly Hamilton is.
“I would like elevators (in Hamilton). We don’t have elevators, we have stairs,” Andrews said. “I had an ACL injury so I had to walk up
Meet Eliza Kashinsky, Eugene’s only new City Councilor
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.
Kashinsky is the only new member on the Eugene City Council this year. She replaces City Councilor Emily Semple, who opted not to run for reelection after serving two terms. Kashinsky ran unopposed in the November general election after winning outright in the
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.
Knudson said that she is honored to be the mayor of Eugene.
“I am very proud and it’s an honor to be elected as the next mayor of Eugene,” Knudson said. “I’m grateful to the voters for the strength of their support and it was really a pleasure to
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Daily Emerald Wrapped: The top ten most-read stories of fall term
Here’s the ten most-read stories from the Daily Emerald during fall term, from investigations to sports to breaking news headlines
By Angelina Handris Campus News Reporter
#1
Breaking News: UO FSL leader Leonard Serrato tells Trump voters on Instagram, “jump off of a f—ing bridge” by Ysabella Sosa
Following the 2024 presidential election, University of Oregon Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Leonard Serrato posted a video to his public Instagram page telling Trump voters “Go f— yourself if you voted for Donald Trump.”
Among Serrato’s Instagram followers were UO students. Serrato was terminated from his position on Dec. 20, 2024.
A subsequent Emerald article was published the following day describing a response from Donald Trump Jr. to Serrato’s comments on social media, saying it was “disgusting but not surprising” that an employee of a state university would make these comments.
“The next day, we got the news that the president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., responded, because the story and the video was posted on ‘Libs of TikTok,’” Ysabella Sosa, Campus News associate editor, said.
“As a journalist, any article that you’re going to write is going to get attention from people, and there will be engagement. So the most interesting part was to see the comments and engagement on the social media post and on our website,” Sosa said.
#2 City News: Elk Horn Brewery permanently closes Eugene location by Stephanie Hensley
Elk Horn Brewery has closed its Eugene location after 10 years of business. The announcement was made through a Facebook post which has since been deleted.
“I spoke to the owner of Gratitude Brewing, and I was doing a lot of research on restaurants and other dining establishments. And in the end, I just kind of tumbled it into one article,” Stephanie Hensley, City News reporter and podcast producer, said.
#3 City News: Eugene’s early restaurant closing hours by Stephanie Hensley
Eugene is home to over 23,000 college students. Despite this, restaurants in Eugene have relatively early closing hours, with some restaurants closing before 10 p.m.
Brian Kaufman, one of the owners of Bo & Vine Burger in Eugene, said that competition and location were two reasons for Eugene’s early closing hours.
“(Kaufman) was saying that because it’s a one-way street, they don’t get a lot of traffic. There’s no point in keeping the business open past nine. So I feel like that’s something that could definitely be affecting other restaurants,” Hensley said.
#4 Investigations: The School of Music and Dance’s half million dollar question by Ruby Duncan
Toby Koenigsberg, a professor within the School of Music and Dance, allegedly made over a half million dollars in profits selling his self-published textbook, “Contemporary Songwriting” to students. Koenigsberg was able to profit from selling his own textbook due to a “gray area” in policy, according to the article.
“I feel like there were a lot of things that kind of unfolded as I was researching. I think that was the most interesting part. I definitely learned a lot about the investigative journalism process as a whole, since (this) was my first story,” Ruby Duncan, investigative reporter, said.
#5 Sports: No honeymoon here in Eugene by Jack Lazarus
In October, Oregon football scored a close victory against the Ohio State Buckeyes with a final score of 31-32.
“As well as being one of the biggest games in Autzen Stadium history, the game had a lot of significance for Oregon’s season, as it was the hardest game the Ducks would have all regular season,” Jack Lazarus, sports associate editor, said.
The article discussed the remaining games in the season, how the Ducks would need to carry the momentum through the rest of the season and the possibility of another Ducks-Buckeyes matchup during the Big Ten Championship. This possibility became a reality as the Ducks and Buckeyes faced off again in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
#6 2024 Election: 2024 Eugene, Lane County election updates by Lucas Hellberg and Mathias Lehman-Winters Ballot Measure 20-362, a “gerrymandering” measure, failed, with nearly 75% of voters in opposition to the measure.
Kaarin Knudson was elected Mayor of Eugene. Knudson, an ar-
chitect and UO Instructor, ran unopposed.
“I think this article was widely read because people are interested in their local government. They want to know who their civic leaders will be come January and what is going on in their community,” Lucas Hellberg, City News reporter, said.
#7 Investigations: Big Ten, Big Ticket Demand by Ana Narayan
After the University of Oregon’s entrance into the Big Ten, students have struggled to obtain tickets to high-demand games. This has led to frustration among students, some of whom were unable to acquire student section wristbands, seats or tickets.
Ducks Sports Passes are sold to students for $150 for “priority access” to claim tickets. According to the article, 10,000 passes were sold, despite there being only 8,000 available seats in the student section.
“The idea that the Athletic Department knowingly is scamming these students out of tickets, it was just mind-blowing to me and I really wanted (the article) to be a story that would serve students,” Ana Narayan, investigative reporter, said.
#8 Campus News: A quacking new addition by Annie Biondello
A new statue of the Oregon Duck arrived outside of the Lillis Business Complex as students returned to campus for fall term. The statue was sculpted by UO alumnus Alison Brown, who also created several bronze statues of The Duck.
“It was so new and it was something that some students were coming (to campus) not knowing there had been a difference because they’d never seen campus without the statue. And then there were students on the opposite side and had never seen the statue before,” Annie Biondello, Campus News reporter, said.
#9 Breaking News: UO student reports on “unknown substance” in drink at Alpha Tau Omega party by Jasmine Saboorian, Ysabella Sosa and Riley Fox
A UO student reported their drink may have been tampered with at an Alpha Tau Omega fraternity party on Oct. 18, 2024. The UO sent out a Clery statement on Oct. 21, 2024, regarding the incident.
“When the statement came out, we wrote [the article] and tried our best to get comments from ATO, FSL [Fraternity & Sorority Life] and IFC (Interfraternity Council), but they ultimately didn’t want to speak with us,” Jasmine Saboorian, Campus News editor, said.
The party was claimed to be under investigation by the statement. The report comes after several similar events occurred last spring.
#10 Campus News: SNAP benefits program sees increase in income limit and benefits by Angelina Handris
As of October 2024, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program saw a raise in income limit and maximum benefits. This was due to a cost of living adjustment, or COLA.
At the University of Oregon campus, Agate Street Market is the only store where SNAP is accepted. SNAP is also accepted at most other grocery stores.
A guide to the quality of life in the dorms
UO freshmen share their experiences, opinions and feelings about the quality of life in the residence halls
the stairs every single time, so it’s definitely not disability-friendly.”
Alexa Godoy, who lives in LLC South, said that she hopes for there to be more common rooms or open areas for people to relax in.
“I wish there were more lounges or more spaces for the community,” Godoy said.
Hadley Smith, a freshman who previously lived in LLC before moving into Unthank Hall, said she really enjoyed her experience at LLC because the rooms were “much bigger.”
“I think LLC is probably the nicest,” Smith said. “The rooms are much bigger, and there’s still good food options as well as a good location on campus.”
Paige McFeeters-Krone, a freshman, who lives in a triple in New Residence Hall, said the hall is very “uniform” and doesn’t feel as “homey” as the other halls on campus feel.
“The uniformity has got to be my least favorite part of the New Residence (Hall),” McFeeters-Krone said. “I found going to other dorm halls, it feels more like a home rather than a hotel which New Residence (Hall) often feels like with its bright-white lighting and very boring colors.” What has been your least favorite thing about freshman dorms?
Nika Wuppermann, a freshman who lives in Earl Hall, said that she has bumped into a couple of issues with her dorm that made dorm life more complicated, specifically citing the thin walls.
“My least favorite thing (about Earl Hall) is probably the thin walls,” Wuppermann said. “Sometimes it is ridiculously difficult to focus when I can hear everything happening next door, outside and upstairs.”
Kate James, a freshman who lives in Living Learning Center, said that her least favorite part about living in LLC is the loud nights.
“LLC has that stigma for being a pretty big party dorm,” James said. “I’d say it’s kind of true. I think it is kind of bad and does get really loud at night. Quiet hours don’t really exist there.”
What are some perks that your dorm has that others should consider having?
Living in Justice Bean Hall, Andy Herrara said that “it’s really nice” to have a private bathroom compared to having a communal bathroom like some residences.
“A private bathroom, it’s really nice. I would rather have that than a communal bathroom,” Herrera said.
Anisha Srinivasan, who lives in a single room in Global Scholars Hall, said that she found GSH isn’t much of a “party dorm” compared to other
residence halls.
“It’s (GSH) quiet and not much of a party dorm which is good because you can go to a party and come back home to a peaceful place for the most part,” Srinivasan said.
Srinivasan also described a distaste for some of the other halls, including Justice Bean, Barnhart and Riley Hall.
“I’ve been to (Justice) Bean (Hall) and it’s loud as f—,” Srinivasan said. “I’ve also been to Barnhart (Hall) and it’s spooky over there like some weird, dystopian energy. Riley (Hall) feels like a prison because the hallways are narrow and are brick.”
What has been your favorite thing about the dormitory that you’re living in this year?
Mallory Larsen, who lives in Earl Hall, described her experience in the hall as “fun” because she said it’s “cool” to be able to say that she lives in one of the oldest buildings on campus.
“Earl (Hall) is probably one of the oldest on-campus dorms, so it’s kind of fun to be able to say that,” Larsen said. “It is a lot of fun there in general … when you think of a freshman dorm in movies, Earl (Hall) is kind of the spitting image.”
Cate Thoden, who lives in Justice Bean Hall, said that living in the hall has been “very good” at helping people to be social.
“(The best part about Justice Bean Hall) is how social it is because even though it is a small room, it gets me out of my dorm and people are always in the hallway or the common room,” Thoden said. “It’s a very social place.”
Jolene Ku, who lives in Hamilton Hall, said that one of the main aspects she likes about the hall is the natural light.
“I really like the huge window and the amount of natural light we get in,” Ku said. “I like the room itself and I think we have a really great RA (Residence Assistant).”
Gigi Roddick, a freshman who lives in New Residence Hall, said her favorite parts about the hall are the communal kitchen and the “welcoming” environment.
“New Residence (Hall) has a kitchen, which I really think improves student community and quality of life,” Roddick said. “I’ve made lots of friends by hanging out there and sharing meals with people.”
SOJC winter term coding errors raises concerns
University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication experienced multiple coding errors on the first day of winter term registration, leaving some SOJC students with limited class options
By Bella Bishop Campus News Reporter
On the first day of the winter 2025 registration on Nov. 18, 2024, several coding errors and pre-requisite classes left some students of the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication frustrated and confused when registering for classes.
“I had a hard time picking (because of) the classes filling up so quick,” Shawn Oezcelik, a sophomore majoring in sports journalism, said.
Students were first alerted of these coding errors through email correspondence from the SOJC’s Advising department on Nov. 18, 2024, at 10:41 a.m.
A follow-up email was sent at 2:15 p.m. and then again at 3:44 p.m. updating students on which class codes had been fixed as well as those that still needed to be addressed.
The final update was sent out to students on Nov. 19, 2024, at 10:03 a.m. stating that all issues had supposedly been resolved.
These registration errors follow the second term of the SOJC’s new curriculum shift from “J” to “JCOM.”
“When you have a program change, where everything comes together and is finally approved after the schedule has already been created, you’re absolutely right that you’re going to have some things
that need to be updated very quickly,” Heather Gustafson, associate registrar for registration and records, said.
According to Deb Morrison, associate dean of undergraduate affairs, as the SOJC navigates reshaping the curriculum, it’s expected to have some difficulties on the technical side of things but did not expect the rapid filling of prerequisite courses.
“At the onset, we were not as concerned because we knew they (issues) were going to be there. We knew that winter was going to be our real shakedown cruise and we were ready to fix things,” Morrison said.
According to Oezcelik, he was not able to register for some of his classes because they were filled by the time his registration time opened.
“As someone who is a sophomore and sometimes late for paying their fees, I definitely got the short end of the stick when it came to picking classes so I didn’t get the exact classes I needed,” Oezcelik said.
According to Morrison, the SOJC opened several more courses following the registration error.
“We (SOJC) needed more of the platform courses, particularly story craft, audio and visual, so we added another section,” Morrison said. “We opened up a number of courses for students, adding to the totals we added 300 seats all over the place.”
Therapy groups in Eugene aim to be open for the community
Therapy can be life-changing for many, but factors, including cost and distance, can make it difficult for people to get help
By Hanna Kalan City News Reporter
Access to therapy can be difficult, especially due to the fact that there are many people who want therapy but not many therapists. As of 2022, there were 5,723 practicing therapists in Oregon, and in 2021, 172,00 Oregonians experienced mental illness in various ways. According to Oregon State University in 2022, “Oregon ranks as the sixth worst state in the nation for prevalence of mental illness.”
Oregon law holds telehealth therapy conversations to the same standards as in-person therapy. Some therapy groups around Eugene added virtual therapy to their practices during the pandemic and kept virtual therapy as an option for their patients.
Erin Frazier-Maskiell, owner of Alive Holistic Counseling, said about 60% of their clients opt for virtual therapy rather than in-person. Alive has locations in Eugene, Roseburg and an office in Vancouver, Washington. They also offer care to residents in Idaho. Other than in-person and virtual, Alive offers art and equine (horse) therapy along with other holistic treatments. Additionally, Alive has a counseling clinic for student therapists to receive education and practice hours.
“I think therapy is really important, it’s helping with a lot,” University of Oregon senior Josie Cunningham said. “It is expensive though and I really wish it was more accessible to
Meet Eliza Kashinsky, Eugene’s only new City Councilor
The newly sworn-in city councilor said the biggest challenge facing Ward 1 is homelessness
May primary. She previously unsuccessfully ran for the Ward 1 seat in 2020, losing to Semple.
Kashinsky has lived in Ward 1 for more than a decade. She currently works for Lane County in human resources as a compensation analyst. In the past, she has been a member of various committees and organizations, including the Eugene Budget Committee, Lane County Planning Commission and Eugene Active Transportation Committee. She is also a cofounder of the Walkable Eugene Citizens Advisory Network where she advocated for more affordable housing and more walkable neighborhoods.
Kashinsky said she was driven to run for city council by her passion for addressing issues in Eugene, like housing and homelessness and helping residents make their voices heard in local decision-making.
In her first three months in office, Kashinsky said that the city council’s agenda is largely set and includes addressing the city’s budget gap.
Beyond immediate priorities, Kashinsky said she wants to see more affordable housing in Eugene and Downtown Eugene to become more of a robust community center.
Kashinsky’s top priorities include addressing Eugene’s housing shortage, homelessness, climate change and the city’s budget gap.
Homelessness and housing
Kashinsky said that the biggest challenges facing Ward 1 and Eugene are homelessness and the city’s housing shortage.
Kashinsky, though, acknowledged that such change will take time to show results.
She also stressed the need to address homelessness in the short term.
“At the same time, we need to be looking at, ‘How do we handle immediate short-term impacts?’” Kashinsky said. “(This is) a crisis right now. This is going to take time and we can’t wait 10 years to have the full solutions in place in order to start addressing the immediate impacts.”
Eugene’s
budget gap
Kashinsky said she believes that structural problems with the city’s property taxes, caused by changes to Oregon’s property system in the 1990s that limit how much property taxes can increase every year, are the primary cause of the city’s current budget gap.
Kashinsky served on the revenue committee that helped develop the fire safety fee that the city council is poised to vote on later this month. The proposed fee aims to raise $10 million to close a $8 million general fund budget gap. Reflecting on the options the committee considered to address the city’s budget gap, she said the fire safety fee is the most practical solution to solving the gap.
everyone. It sucks that it is so difficult to get seen by a therapist.”
Alive’s virtual therapy program began after COVID-19. “That was a gift of the pandemic, we had to be creative and open up access,” Frazier-Maskiell said. The world partially shutting down was not the only reason for virtual therapy. Clients who utilize it may have children they cannot find temporary care for, have limited mobility, do not drive or just may not feel like going to in-person therapy.
The group also has a nonprofit called “Share the Chair.” This organization provides scholarships to people of color who are graduate students in the field of mental health. “When we increase these numbers as clinicians, we increase clients because they will feel represented in health and those experiences that are specific to them,” Frazier-Maskiell said.
Alive is taking donations from the community and other therapists to provide scholarships for school as well as help pay for licensing and testing fees.
In order for a therapist to become licensed in Oregon they must pay $175 for an application, $125 for the initial license and $165 annually to renew their status as an active therapist.
The state of Oregon helps its residents access therapy by including mental health services in the Oregon Health Plan. Additionally, Alive has a referral list for therapists in the community who provide service for free or a low cost.
“I think … that (homelessness and Eugene’s housing shortage) are interconnected issues … (and) very impactful for people in Ward 1 and people across Eugene,” Kashinsky said. “I know lots of (people) who want to live here who (are) graduating from the university (or) grew up here who can’t find housing that they can afford … (it is) an immediate crisis that we need to (solve) and … a major contributor to homelessness in our community.”
Before she started working at Lane County in 2022, Kashinsky worked in the nonprofit sector, mostly recently for South Lane Mental Health. She said that her experience in the nonprofit sector and public sector make her a good fit for helping the city with homelessness.
“I have an understanding of how a lot of these processes work, what’s realistic, what’s not realistic (and) what we actually need to do to get things done,” Kashinsky said.
Kashinsky offered broad solutions for homelessness in Eugene.
“We really need to be using all of the tools in the toolbox,” Kashinsky said. “That includes things like looking at, ‘What are the barriers to get any more houses into Eugene?’ Some of those are barriers that the city puts in place sur rounding things like zoning code and processes … we’ve made a lot of progress on (zoning) in the past few years … but continuing that work, I think it’s also looking at workforce … finding folks to physically build the houses.”
In the long term, Kashinsky said the city needs systemic change to address homeless ness effectively.
“(As) someone who is systems thinker, (when) I think about how do we create and maintain systems that are going to support us … in the long term. I think that in order to ensure that we’re not in the same place 10 years from now, we really do need to have some systemat ic change,” she said.
“I have a pretty good understanding of what the options were (and) the challenges of the different options,” she said. “This was the most solid. This is the one that I think would work the best, and so I would support it, especially given that if the fire safety fee doesn’t pass (we would need to) make some very deep substantial cuts to services that people care deeply about in our community.”
Climate change
As the city confronts budgetary challenges, Kashinsky said she will look at solutions to climate change that don’t have a big price tag.
“I think a lot of it (will be) doing analysis to (see) what gives the biggest impact with the lowest price tag and following through with those items as well looking at where specific things accomplish multiple goals at once,” she said.
Community engagement
Kashinsky said she plans to engage with her constituents in various ways.
“I think a lot of it is really spending time in the community having these conversations on a more ad hoc basis and trying to put yourself in other folks shoes … having conversations in the community both about specific issues that are coming up but also about, ‘What
(Photo courtesy of Kashinsky)
A new mayor’s Meet Kaarin
get to know so many people.”
“I’m looking forward to the ways in which we’re gonna work together to improve our community,” Knudson added.
Knudson is an Alaska native who ran cross country and track and field in the 1990s at UO. She was an All-American in the 800m and the indoor mile in track. She said that one of the most important lessons that sports taught her is being consistent.
“The most important thing (I learned) is consistency, holding that vision and working towards a shared goal,” Knudson said.
Housing and homelessness
One of Knudson’s top priorities is addressing Eugene’s housing shortage and homelessness. She said that Eugene’s current housing crisis is the “product of there being not nearly enough housing that people can afford.”
Knudson helped found local housing advocacy group Better Housing Together in 2017 to “increase housing affordability, diversity and supply in Lane County.” She said that the city has a unique role to play in increasing the supply of housing through different strategies and partnerships.
“Increasing the percentage of housing that we are delivering in our community, increasing the affordability and diversity and supply of housing in our community is something I’ve been working on for several years,” Knudson said. “The city has a unique role to play in supporting that outcome so we will be looking for partnerships and strategies that can be effective and productive.”
Knudson said connecting housing nonprofits and advocacy groups with the private sector could help increase the supply of housing in Eugene.
“A unique opportunity that we have now is related to connecting our nonprofit service community and advocacy community with the private sector and people who are working every day on the development of housing solutions,” Knudson said. “That’s a really important part of us meeting the housing crisis is actually building those partnerships and relationships and increasing the supply of housing that we have locally.”
Knudson said that Eugene’s state-enabled multi-unit property tax exemption program is an area that she wants to expand to increase the supply of housing.
“The multi-unit property tax exemption is one tool that we have and I would like us to look at how we can use that more effectively because while it gets a lot of attention, it has not been used that much,” Knudson said. “In comparison to maybe even the depression, it has not been a particularly frequently utilized tool. If you look in (Eugene’s) downtown, you can still count the projects that have received the (multiunit tax exemption) on your hand.”
Knudson said that she believes that Eugene can achieve functional zero homelessness in the future, where homelessness will be “rare, brief and non-recurring.”
“The potential for our community to reach functional zero in terms of our homelessness population … speaks to a whole host of partnerships between our city, county, nonprofit community, business community and neigh-
mayor’s in town: Kaarin Knudson
borhoods,” Knudson said. “I think it is a very achievable goal especially when approached in working with a shared regional objective.”
Eugene’s budget gap
Knudson said she anticipates that the beginning of her term will also include working on the city’s budget.
“I think also the beginning of 2025 is likely to include following up on any of the work that needs to be completed from 2024,” Knudson said. “That will include planning for our emergency services (and) planning for the budget that the city council will be adopting and making sure that we’re on stable footing.”
On the proposed fire safety fee ordinance that aims to close a $8 million budget gap, Knudson said she doesn’t see a way to maintain city services that Eugene residents expect without implementing it or something similar.
“I have listened to the analysis from the community advisory team that worked on that process and I’ve seen the presentations that describe all of the cuts that city departments have already made,” Knudson said. “I don’t see a path towards balancing our budget and maintaining the levels of service that the community has asked for without implementing a strategy like this.”
In the long term, Knudson said that she hopes the city council can resolve the city’s budget problems.
“We will resolve our budget as required,” Knudson said. “I would hope that in the medium or longer term, we can dig in and look at what sort of shifts we might need to make so that we don’t have to spend so much time dealing with the same problem every few years.”
Success will be the result of collaboration
Knudson said that everything the city will accomplish over her time as mayor will be the result of partnerships.
“Everything that we accomplish in these coming years will be the outcome of partnership and connecting various areas of expertise to be able to give ourselves clear goals that have measurable outcomes,” Knudson said.
Homeless in Eugene and Lane County
Eugene:
The City of Eugene estimates there are:
More than 3,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Eugene
More than 2,000 people are without adequate shelter every night in Eugene
Lane County:
(Includes Eugene)
An annual point-in-time on the night of January 31, 2024 found:
3,085 people were experiencing homelessness in Lane County that night. 2,096 people were with out shelter in Lane County that night. 920 people were staying in emergency shelters that night
From 2023 to 2024, the number of emergency shelter beds in Lane County increased by more than 30%
As of January 2024, Lane County has more than 1,088 shelter beds. From 2020 to 2024, the percentage of chronically homeless individuals with shelter increased from 25% to 36% in Lane County
The City of Eugene’s homelessness website, Lane County’s January 2024 point-in-time homelessness count
(LEFT) Kaarin Knudson speaks with community members who attended the mayoral candidate forum at Harvest Community Church on April 16, 2024 (Alex Hernandez/Emerald)
(Alex Hernandez/Emerald)
Kaarin Knudson speaks at the Hiroshima-Nagasaki commemoration event at Alton-Baker Park on August 6, 2024. People gathered to commemorate the 1945 bombings with speakers, performances and more, concluding the event with a lantern ceremony.
(Dana Sparks/Emerald) Code of conduct hangs outside of the camp off Highway 99 in Eugene. The camp is the result of a deal struck with the city of Eugene looking for a long term solution for homeless camping.
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.
Dorm Sicknesses: and How to Prevent it
Dorms are a hotspot for spreading disease, but there are plenty of ways to keep away the germs
By Daria Morris Opinion Columnist
not take actual vitamins, you can get Vitamin C many other ways, like increasing the number of fruits and veggies you eat.”
The Daily Emerald’s Opinion Desk winter term “Hot or
The “freshman flu” turns out to be real, especially if you live in the dorms. With close quarters, small rooms, sick roommates and sick neighbors, disease spreads faster than you think. Some of the illnesses that are best-known for affecting college students are the cold, flu, strep throat, sinus infections, ear infections, meningitis and mono.
You might be worried about catching germs floating around the dorm air, but they are preventable. You should be following these steps if you want to keep yourself and others from getting sick.
Nots”
From coffee to classes, the opinion desk has got you covered for what’s “hot” in winter term and what’s not
By Daily Emerald Opinion Desk
Hot: Winter Walking
Yes, it’s true: my whole life I’ve hated walking. But, as a self-proclaimed “blizzard junkie,” I could walk in the snow for hours. Maybe it’s because snow drowns my highest allergen, grass, but more than that, it’s pretty.
— Beatrice Byrd, Opinion Editor
Hot: 10 a.m. classes
As neither an early bird nor a night owl, 10 a.m. is my ideal winter class time. I can leisurely prepare myself for the stench of walking past the PeaceHealth bushes, and campus is yet to be swarming with “Uggernauts.”
— Gracie Cox, Associate Opinion Editor
Meh: Another Ice Storm?
Something about being holed up in my apartment and not having to go to classes due to the ice storm last year was quite relaxing. Not being able to go to work to pay my rent, however, was not so fun and anxiety-inducing.
— D Ortega , Opinion Columnist
Meh: Finding academic motivation
Winter term’s freezing temperatures and persistent rainfall make it tough to settle into the study grind. I recommend we all bundle up, grab some heated blankets and cross our fingers for a lenient academic workload.
— Abby Kohler, Opinion Columnist
Not: Hating on umbrellas
Using an umbrella does not make someone weak. Some people don’t like wearing a soggy jacket after having to walk in the rain. As long as they don’t hit you with an umbrella, there’s no need to belittle them.
— Milly Gamlen, Opinion Columnist
Not: Lack of Ice Salt
There’s just something about the lack of collective preparedness when it comes to infrastructure around ice and snow, and, in all honesty, falling on frozen slush isn’t just embarrassing but also a hazard on and off campus. It seems like time to invest in ice salt if you ask me.
— Aishiki Nag, Opinion Columnist
First and foremost, get your immunizations before going to school. UPMC HealthBeat, another medical forum focused on living and wellness, talks about simple solutions to preventing getting sick in college, and vaccinations were one of them. Without being vaccinated, “not only is it easier to catch a cold or the flu, but you have a greater chance of developing meningitis, a serious and potentially fatal infection of the membranes that cover the brain.”
Callie West, a University of Oregon graduate student and Resident Assistant, talked about her experience with the flu shot. “I try and get it every year, just makes me feel safer knowing there’s a lower chance of me catching anything, I recommend that all dorm residents get one.”
Easy things you can do are keeping your dorm room clean and encouraging your roommate to also keep their stuff clean, so you both stay healthier. Washing your hands with antibacterial soap helps as well. Another tip is to not share food or drinks with other people.
Hannah Goode, a writer for Medium, highlights the importance of taking vitamins, “one of the most important vitamins to boost your immune system is Vitamin C. If you’d rather
One approach I liked was keeping a medicine cabinet. Some popular things to keep in your dorm to help heal that wintertime flu would be a first aid kit, thermometer, your required medications, Tylenol, ibuprofen, antacids,cough drops and my favorite being DayQuil/NightQuil.
Colby Herman, a UO sophomore student said, “Ever since Freshman year of college I have had a cabinet that I have stocked up with different cold meds and vitamins, I take the vitamins daily, so far I haven’t been sick in forever and when I do I’m prepared.”
If you happen to get sick even after these precautions, I have plenty of other recommendations. UO has an amazing health center right across the street from Oregon Hall for easily-accessible medical attention.
In the comfort of your dorm, I recommend eating broths and soups. Chicken broth has many benefits besides being tasty; it keeps you hydrated and is easy to digest. You can also incorporate things like ginger and garlic which are good for the immune system.
Christine Stabler, a medical director for women’s health for Lancaster General Health, recommends the “BRAT” diet for students with upset stomachs and other gastrointestinal problems. “The acronym BRAT stands for: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. What do all of these things have in common? They’re all quite bland.”
Stabler says that you should avoid greasy foods, hearty vegetables and dairy, but drinking lots of water while sick.
These tips and tricks are the best way to keep yourself from catching something nasty from one of the residents living in your dorm. These have worked for me, worked for my fellow friends, and were recommended by doctors.
(Noa Schwartz/Emerald)
A T E S S T A R T I N G A T $ 9 0 9
ARTS & CULTURE
Survive the rainy season with these tricks and activities
By Claire Coit Arts & Culture Writer
Winter term at the University of Oregon is infamous for its difficulty. The sun barely comes out, classes drone on and many students have a more difficult time.
According to Oregon Medical Group, one in 20 people in the Pacific Northwest suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Especially at UO, this is a difficulty that plagues many students, resulting in fewer students attending class, lower grades and isolation throughout the winter.
There are ways to avoid this, however, or at least make the winter term feel a bit more bearable and exciting. Some tried and true methods can help with SAD symptoms, and there are some exciting things to do on campus and in downtown Eugene to wait out the winter in Eugene.
Combat Seasonal Depression
One way to stave off the seasonal depression is by getting a light box. The box mimics outdoor sunlight, which can improve moods and allow students to get through the almost sunless winter here in Eugene. Sitting in front of it for 30 minutes or so while doing homework or another activity can help trick your body into thinking that it’s getting sunlight, resulting in improved symptoms.
Getting more Vitamin D in your diet can also help with sun deficiencies. Without sun, your body doesn’t get as much Vitamin D, as sunlight stimulates its production. Eating foods high in Vitamin D like salmon, orange juice
Seasonal affective disorder is common among students living in the rainy Pacific Northwest, but there are ways and places to combat it
and mushrooms can help supplement your body with the right vitamins that can make you feel a bit better. You can also take Vitamin D gummies for the same effect.
Ceramics Studio
As for activities to endure the rainy days, visiting the ceramics studio on campus is a great indoor activity to pass the time. Located in the craft center in the EMU, it is a far underrated activity for students on campus. The studio is free for students to visit with a student ID, and offers throwing wheels, slab rollers, food-safe glazes and kilns onsite for firing ceramic pieces. Students just pay for the clay and have access to the entire studio.
Athena Rosen, a third-year student studying sociology, often attends the ceramics studio in between classes. She gets to channel her creativity through the studio.
“Getting through winter in Eugene can be rough, but the studio has really helped me the past two years,” Rosen said. “I get to be creative with my friends and make things I can use around the house.”
Thrifting
Another great activity is thrifting or secondhand shopping. Putting together new outfits for the winter is a great way to generate excitement for an otherwise dull season. Students can visit spots close to campus like Eugene Jeans or Ghost Town Outfitters to pick up cozy sweaters, scarves and other winter pieces.
For students that own cars, stop by Goodwill or St. Vin-
nie’s to thrift. This can be an affordable way for students to find new looks without contributing to fast fashion or harming the environment.
Winter in Eugene can seem hard to get through, but my best tip is leaning on the people around you for support. Spend time with your close friends and make sure to take breaks from studying. People are here to support you and watch your back, especially during these tough times.
Nine tracks for your rainy day playlist
A Daily Emerald playlist for the rainy season
By Josh Berk Arts & Culture Writer
When it rains, I find myself overlooking the inevitable wet socks and favoring the damp hair. Love it or hate it, rain is a part of the Eugene lifestyle, so you might as well make the most of it and throw on some good tunes. Here are some moody tracks to help round out that rainy day playlist of yours.
“Goodnight Jade” - Squarepusher
The progressive drum and bass and electronic musician Squarepusher steps out of his usual musical stylings on “Goodnight Jade.” The track is a brief, slow and pensive reprieve from the rhythmic pressure on his 1996 classic album “Feed Me Weird Things.” The echoing bass and bright synths make this song sound almost at odds with itself. Good luck imagining any type of day other than a rainy one when hearing this mellow song.
“Reaper” - Clairo
The multi-faceted Clairo delivered yet another mood destroyer on her 2021 album “Sling.” On her slowest album to date the song “Reaper,” backed with its somber acoustic guitars, could be the rainy day song on an album full of them. This is a great song to play at a fireplace post-stroll in the rain, or if you’re lucky enough, the snow.
“Scenic” - Ozean
“Scenic” perfectly describes itself. This song is more focused on imagery than direct meaning and it becomes all the more beautiful because of it. The three track EP has been recently remastered and re-released on streaming services for new audiences to hear. While all of these songs are marvelous, “Scenic” especially stands out. Depending on headspace, this track could be a great summer song as well, but the peaceful guitar melody and reverberating vocals draw only images of cold, wet rain for me. Make sure not to get too attached to Ozean, or you will surely become heartbroken upon discovering they only made three songs.
“It Never Entered My Mind” - The Miles Davis Quintet
“ It Never Entered My Mind” is in my opinion the crowning achievement of the first great Miles Davis Quintet. Each member of the legendary cast of musicians provides top tier performances, this song is raindrops lit by streetlight. But what stands out the most is a heartbreaking trumpet performance from Miles Davis himself paired with Red Garland’s piano. This recording — featured on the ‘Round About Midnight Legacy Edition — is the definitive version for rainy day listening.
“I Know It’s Over” - Jeff Buckley
A match made in heaven for the rain lovers: Jeff Buckley and The Smiths. While I usually find preferring covers blasphemous, Jeff Buckley’s performance of this classic song does justice to the original on this compilation album. On lyrical content alone, The Smith’s entire catalogue could make this playlist. But paired with the angelic vocals of Jeff Buckley, this track is quintessential listening for wet winter days.
“Peaceful Easy Feeling” - The Eagles
To me, the Eagles are first place contenders for the “Best summer band of all time” award. But even considering their monopoly on 1970s bright guitar rock, some songs end up sounding more fit for a rainy evening. “Peaceful Easy Feeling” might evoke some longing for warm weather, but it’s an excellent song to just sit inside and wait for the weather to subside.
“August 10” - Julie Doiron
Ignore the name “August 10,” and this is clearly a cold weather song. Rather than embracing the weather, this track feels like reminiscing on dryer summer days. Julie Doiron’s voice soothes over a distorted simple guitar on this song. Despite being released in 1996, the audio sounds as if it’s being piped in through a 1950s radio. All of these elements make for a great listening experience.
“Polly Armour” - bar italia
Bar italia is my pick for the most exciting band of the past five years. Their music is hard to place, but “Polly Armour” in particular fits the playlist well. The blanketing guitar sounds like a warm reprieve in the cold before the vocal fry between the three singers snaps you back to reality. While this song has been in my rainy day playlist for a while, I’ve had a hard time keeping it out of all the others too.
“Wash Me Clean” - k.d. lang
Rounding off the list is the amazing k.d. lang and her track “Wash Me Clean.” One of the greatest singers of all time, k.d. lang shows off immense vocal talent on this track. The frequent allusions to water make this an amazing rainsoaked-walk-home-anthem, and if looking out the window on a rainy drive is your vibe, this is also the song for you.
(Noa Schwartz/Emerald)
(Noa Schwartz/Emerald)
A young team has 2025 Oregon softball as excited as ever
New
faces and a few key returners have the Ducks ready for action
By Joe Krasnowski Sports Reporter
On the rare instances in which she’s beaten by a fastball, Stefini Ma’ake can use her unmatched strength to blast the ball to the opposite field. She did it several times in the fall.
When her team needs a big defensive play late in the game, Rylee McCoy can use her defensive acumen to make a big play. She, too, did it several times in the fall.
They are plays Ma’ake and McCoy are uniquely qualified to make. They’re also becoming more commonplace for Oregon softball with a recent uptick in playing time for the young players on the team.
“I mean, we had one returner playing in that first game,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said after her team’s first fall game. “We have players for so long, but then they pass the torch, and now here’s a new group that I’m excited for.”
Lombardi’s program underwent significant change over the offseason with the departure of seven stalwart seniors. With those departures came an influx of youth,
with Lombardi bringing in the nation’s No. 16 recruiting class.
It won’t be all youth, though. Ushering in the team’s Big Ten era, her team will also look to rely on returning seniors Paige Sinicki — who won a Gold Glove a year ago — Kai Luschar ( .410 batting average 27 steals) and key arms Elise Sokolsky (93, 2.59 ERA, 6) and Taylour Spencer (7-4 2.94 ERA).
Similar to last year’s squad — which stole the 27th-most bases nationally — the Ducks’ “Version 7” will look to rely on its speed for a competitive advantage. Lombardi loves to run and will return her leading base stealer from a year ago, Kai Luschar. Ayanna Shaw, who stole four bases in 15 games last season, is expected to fill an outfield spot.
Even with a roster that includes Sinicki, Sokolsky and other stalwarts, the roster flexibility and new faces galore give Lombardi a youth-leaning excitement as great as it has been during her tenure in Eugene.
“In college, you have guys for so long, and they go and pass the torch,” Lombardi said.
“And then a new group comes, so it’s kinda
Oregon Baseball 2025 Schedule Preview
Who’s on the Ducks’ slate in their inaugural Big Ten season?
By Brady Ruth Sports Editor
The times, they are a changin.
But the goal for Mark Wasikowski’s squad isn’t.
Oregon baseball is coming off back-toback Super Regional seasons that the Ducks made deep playoff runs in. They’ll look to do so again, but with a resume consisting of completely new opponents.
With baseball season right around the corner — Opening Day 2025 at PK Park falls on Valentine’s Day — let’s take a gander at which new opponents will be making the trip to Eugene.
To start this bizarre new season, Oregon will begin in an unusual way: at home. That’s right, there’s no early-season tournament or road series in the tropics. The Ducks start with 13-straight home games — four against Toledo University (Feb. 1416), four against University of Rhode Island (Feb. 21-23), four against Columbia University (Feb. 28- March 2) and one against Utah Tech University (March 4) — in chilly and rainy weather in Eugene.
Assuming the team gets through the early slate without contracting a cold, the Ducks will then take the road for a three-game series against USC (March 7-9) to kick off Big Ten play. Oregon went 2-2 against the
Trojans last season, one loss coming in the Pac-12 Tournament.
Then, the tedious travel schedule that the Big Ten move promised begins. Oregon will play conference games all over the country with road series against Ohio State (March 28-30), Maryland (10-14 Big Ten in 2024) (April 11-13), Michigan State (May 2-4) and Iowa (May 15-17) on the Ducks’ slate.
Scattered in between trips, the Ducks will look to prove that there’s no place like home while hosting conference series against Minnesota (March 14-16), Rutgers (March 21-23), Michigan (April 4-6), UCLA (April 18-20) and Washington (May 9-11).
Oregon will also host non-conference games against the University of Portland (April 22), Oregon State (April 25-27) and Saint Mary’s College of California (May 6-7). The Ducks will play Kent State University (March 25-26), Portland (April 2), Georgetown University (April 14) and Oregon State (April 29) on the road.
The Ducks avoid the top-three finishers in the Big Ten from a season ago (Illinois, Nebraska and Indiana), and their biggest competitor might be the travel. Oregon will look to take a trip to Omaha for the Big Ten Tournament — which starts on May 20 — to start their postseason run.
cool to see this new group.” Oregon softball begins its season on Feb. 7 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Desert Classic against the University of Buffalo.
(ABOVE) The Oregon Softball team prepares for their match. The Oregon Softball team secured the win 11-3 over Oregon State in game 1 of their Rivalry Series, hosted at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene, on April 19, 2024.
