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đ&#x;”Ś đ&#x;”Š NEWS AS OF FALL 2017, ALL UO FRESHMEN WILL BE LIVING IN A DORM. The university

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MENINGITIS VACCINATION CLINICS M eningitis B vaccinations continue this week, with vaccination clinics being offered on Monday and Tuesday from 12-8 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena. These clinics will be the final school-sponsored event centered around the vaccine for the ongoing outbreak.

In 2015, seven University of Oregon students were diagnosed with the deadly disease, and one student died. The virus attacks the tissue around the brain, causing swelling of the tissue and spinal cord.

UO has been hosting vaccination clinics since March 2015 in collaboration with the Center for Disease Control, Oregon Health Authority and the Lane County Public Health Department. This will be the fourth clinic at the UO. “I really encourage if you are in the middle of getting the vaccine series to finish it,� Dr. Richard Brunader said, medical director of the UO Health Center. “If you haven’t gotten it, I can’t strongly emphasize enough how important it is to do it.�

Besides administering the vaccine, the CDC is also studying the impact of the new vaccine.

Classified as “serogroup B,� this vaccine is one of the first of its kind to be used in an outbreak, according to the CDC. In many ways, the outbreak at the UO is being used as a test case for future epidemics. The vaccine had just recently been licensed when the outbreak occurred. “The reason we want to study this is that these new vaccines have become available, and we want to understand if use of the vaccine will impact carriers

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MATTHEW KNIGHT ARENA FOR FINAL TIME of this bacteria,� CDC Medical Epidemiologist Anna Acosta said. “One of the reasons we’re doing these evaluations is to understand how well the vaccines work.

They’re so new; there’s not a lot of information on how effective they are in the long run.�

The CDC will conduct the study during the clinics. It’s voluntary, but involves only a few cheek swabs. They’re offering $5 Amazon gift cards as compensation.

The Oregon Health Authority is also conducting a survey of UO students and their responses to the clinics, such as what kind of students attended, why they attended and why they came back for the second round. “The surveys are voluntary, but the information is very important,� said Emily Fisher, an epidemic intelligence officer at the Oregon Health Authority. “This information helps improve vaccination efforts, and basically we’re evaluating how effective the vaccination clinic is.�

The clinics this week are the final events encouraging students to vaccinate, although the university will still considered to be in an outbreak scenario until May. “Really, the only way to know that we effectively intervened is by vaccinating,� Brunader said. “So, we’ve been fortunate that there have not been any new cases since students returned [this school year].�

While the bacteria that cause meningitis are harder to spread than a flu or cold, college students are their prime targets.

Acosta said this is “just because of close interaction, social interaction, sharing cups, kissing.�

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đ&#x;”Ś NEWS

ASUO SENATOR STORMS OUT OF MEETING, EMU budget not approved ➥

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ASUO senators and finance committees convened at Mackenzie Hall on Feb. 13 to vote on proposed budgets for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

Although budget meetings often evoke images of spreadsheets and boring presentations, this six-hour budget meeting was less mundane.

ASUO Senator Jason Selby’s attendance via FaceTime allowed a budget vote to take place. (Miles Trinidad)

Here’s what you need to know:

“My life revolves around drama, and today is a ripe day for my memoir,� Senator Zach Lusby said about the meeting.

Senator storms out of meeting, panic ensues, FaceTime allows vote

Budget meeting may be invalid, emergency meeting needed

Senator Zach Rentschler stormed out of the room during voting after disagreeing with the Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee’s proposed budget.

Rentschler was the last senator to vote on the budget, all other senators voted in favor of it. Instead of voting against it, he picked up his backpack and left. “Have a nice day,� Rentschler said, as he walked out.

Rentschler criticized ACFC’s budget for “prioritizing student advocacy� like OSPIRG rather than student accessibility and safety through Lane Transit District.

The senate needs 16 senators in attendance, or twothirds, to hold a vote. Rentschler’s departure put it one senator short of this requirement and effectively stalled the meeting after five hours of discussion.

With no budgets passed and months of work on the line, panic enveloped the room. Senators scrambled to find another member to replace him and save the meeting from adjournment.

Following Rentschler’s departure, Senator Jason Selby attended the meeting through FaceTime, but abstained from the vote because he was not present during the discussion.

Rentschler returned later in the meeting, and Senate President Kevin Dobyns wanted him to apologize. Rentschler stood by his decision. “This was a huge failure for student safety. I did what I think was right,� Rentschler said.

However, his departure and subsequent return may have been for nothing.

After six hours of budget presentations and deliberations, a discrepancy in the budgets may have rendered it all invalid.

Senate approved the ACFC, Program Finance Committee and Department Finance Committee budgets. All three committees drafted their budgets to accommodate the projected 4.5 percent increase in the Incidental budget next year, a smaller increase than originally thought.

Near the end of the meeting, ASUO Accounting Coordinator Lindsey Cotney informed the body that the budget resulted in a five percent increase.

ASUO Finance Director Shawn Stevenson said it is unclear if the proposed budgets were inaccurate or the calculation systems were at fault.

Cotney planned to work throughout the weekend with finance committee members to find the problems.

Senate will hold an emergency meeting prior to its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Senate must approve the budgets by Friday, Feb. 19 for ASUO President Helena Schlegel to sign off and send them to the Board of Trustees.

The 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.

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ASUO executives scrutinize EMU Board budget which fails to be approved

The EMU Board budget came under intense scrutiny from ASUO Executives who feel that the board has been separated from the ASUO. The EMU board is an ASUO finance committee, which consists of ASUO Senate members and regular committee members, that is in charge of creating the EMU’s budget for the next fiscal year. The budget was the only one not approved by the senate.

Schlegel said she did not receive the complete EMU Board budget until the night before the budget meeting.

Executives and members of the board debated about what goes in the budget and who decides that amount. Senator Max Burns claimed the EMU professionals, rather than students, created the budget.

Schlegel pointed out that roughly $20,000 going to office supplies on the budget could be paid with other resources.

She suggested the board look into the Executive fund – money allocated for student groups’ office supplies – for supplies to reduce rising Incidental Fees.

The EMU board’s budget is at $6.5 million, which translates to a 2.5 percent increase from last year. Senator Robin Lilley, a board member, said it’s the smallest budget increase ever for the EMU board.

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ASUO Senate will vote on a resolution against the on-campus living requirement this week. “We want to make sure we do it right,� Senator Andrew Dunn said. “The resolution is about a serious policy at the university, so we want to make solid arguments that show we care.�

University Housing Director Michael Griffel said the requirement will take effect fall 2017, when the new 500bed residence hall opens. UO expects to house 4,300 incoming freshmen, Griffel said.

Dunn and Senator Max Burns both work as resident assistants and have insight into UO Housing’s operational plan. With the assistance of Senator Zach Rentschler and freshman Senator Keegan Williams-Thomas, the four drafted a resolution, asking Griffel to reconsider the requirement.

The drafted resolution accused UO Housing of operating on profits instead of students’ benefits. Burns said UO Housing is competing against luxury offcampus apartments like the Hub. “Students who are just trying to scrape by do not need all these amenities that the UO is trying to provide. There will be many Oregonians who cannot afford to come to school anymore and it will price out students from [out of state],� Burns said.

With the university potentially raising tuition by 4.7 percent for in-state students and 4.46 percent for out-of-state students, Dunn said the live-in requirement needs to be reconsidered. “The idea that ‘We care about our students’ is contradictory to [the requirement],� Dunn said. “We have such a large out-ofstate community on campus, if they can’t afford to live on

campus, then what are their options?�

Students living on campus are more likely to stay in school and graduate within four years, Griffel said. In the last 15 years, many other universities in Oregon have implemented a first year live-in requirement, including Oregon State University, Southern Oregon University and Lewis and Clark University. “The university is working very hard toward students’ success and affordability. [The requirement] is an initiative to improve students’ success,�

Griffel said.

In the meantime, Griffel said the university is working hard to lower on-campus living costs, but it’s uncertain how helpful it would be. “Affordability and accessibility are very high priorities,� Griffel said. “But [the details] have been not finalized yet.�

UO Housing is likely to cut food costs, but that’s not likely to provide enough affordable options, Dunn said. In addition, the Bean East hall renovation is set to start in fall 2017, which will take away 150 beds from one of the most housing affordable options, Dunn said.

Griffel met with three senators on Feb. 3, but Burns said the meeting was unproductive.

Dunn hopes the senate will pass the resolution, bringing more students’ attention to the requirement and getting the University Senate and Board of Trustees to rally behind it. “Once it [implemented], it would be very hard to reverse it,� Rentschler said at the senate meeting. “We need to act now and act fast.�

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đ&#x;“– COVER

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Freshman Jacob Armas was valedictorian of his Medford, Oregon, high school and received a Pathway Oregon scholarship to cover his tuition at the University of Oregon. The only catch: he was required to live on campus his first year — paying more than he would have for tuition. “[My parents and I] were thankful for the program,� Armas said. “I would have gone to school either way, but it would have been a lot more expensive.�

But by fall of 2017, even freshmen who aren’t receiving a state scholarship will be required to live on campus. The UO’s reason is the same as for Pathway students: Enrollment and graduation data for 2006-2012 show that students who lived on campus were 80 percent more likely to graduate within six years. They also had a higher mean grade point average than off-campus students. But opponents of the policy in the UO community say these benefits don’t justify the forced cost.

Though over 80 percent of UO freshmen choose on-campus living, many opt to live off campus because it’s cheaper.

First-year student Sidney White lives in the Prefontaine Apartments with three other roommates. The four-bedroom rates are individually leased at $650, meaning each roommate pays this amount rather than splitting an overall rent.

White says she spends an additional $100 on food per month and $50 for parking bringing the monthly total at her apartment complex to $800, or $9,600 a year.

In contrast, the cheapest room UO offers is a standard double. With the standard meal plan, this costs $11,430 per year — about $1,200 more expensive than the same room type was for students back in 2012.

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Students’ housing decisions come down to how much benefit they get for what they’re paying, according to UO economics professor Ralph Mastromonaco. His work focuses on housing markets and why people choose to live where they live. Some students may choose to live off campus to save money, and this decision may provide greater peace of mind and less financial stress. “Students being able to live off campus for less money increases their utility,� Mastromonaco said. “If the university is going to take that option away, they have to provide a benefit for doing so.�

On-campus residents benefit from resources offered in residence halls. Some residents have access to live-in faculty who provide students with one-on-one counseling and academic assistance. “Getting people through in four years is a financial benefit,� said Michael Griffel, director of University Housing at the UO. “The extra costs of not graduating on time or not doing well in school can add up tremendously.�

It’s also more convenient. On-campus students can get food with meal points and have quick access to study areas. There are also built-in opportunities for community events within the residence halls where students can make friends and relax.

Other Oregon universities have had success with this policy.

Oregon State University has seen increases in student GPA and retention rates since enacting their own live-on policy two years ago, OSU housing official Brian Stroup said.

There is some doubt, however, that the resources offered by the residence halls are the only thing responsible for a student’s success.

A 2010 cross-institutional study based on numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics suggested that academic

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performance research, like what the UO points to, often disregards the possibility that not all students will thrive in the dorm environment. It also found that the residence type had little effect on first-year students’ academic performance.

“If you’re a person who needs quiet and their own space, like me, then living off-campus is great,” White said.

Mastromonaco also suggests that this is an example of correlation not necessarily meaning causation. “If you were to tell me that students who live on campus are more likely to graduate, I would question whether housing was the reason, or if the students who choose to live on campus are simply the kind of people who graduate sooner,” Mastromonaco said.

Armas, on the other hand, said that the on-campus resources have helped him succeed in the residence halls. But he disagrees with UO’s plan to require freshmen to live in residence halls.

“I don’t think the dorms necessarily better prepare you for college,” Armas said. “Unless you already know who you are going to live with and where, it’s always a roll of the dice.”

Not all first-year students will be required to live on campus. For example, native Eugenians can just live at home. The main focus of the live-on requirement is for students coming straight to college from high school who will benefit most from help with the transition.

But UO Housing said there will be no exemption for students who cannot meet the cost. This could affect some students’ ability or desire to go to the UO. “We are working really hard to offer a wide range of options for students with that concern,” said Anna Schmidt-Mackenzie, director

of residential life and educational initiatives at the UO. She says that students often cite a total cost of about $10,000 per year for offcampus living costs.

To combat this, the university will be offering cheaper room rates starting the year of the live-on requirement. This is what other public universities have done, including OSU (which offers two reduced rates), to ease the financial strain.

“By 2017, we hope to offer a price point that matches that of luxury apartment living off campus,” Schmidt-Mackenzie said.

But comparing residence halls to luxury apartments off campus makes an assumption about what students living off-campus normally pay. Costs in an off-campus living situation are often split amongst roommates. In a dorm situation, both students in a twoperson room are paying the full cost for less space.

Even from the standpoint of a luxury apartment with individual leases, the costs aren’t entirely comparable — as White’s yearly living expenses show.

“We offer a lot with our housing, and it is extremely hard to put a price tag on that,” Schmidt-Mackenzie said.

ASUO Senator Max Burns is working on a resolution opposing the housing requirement (see Tran Nguyen’s story on page 4). Burns’ reasoning is that to force students to pay for all the housing costs, a few positive GPA statistics aren’t enough.

If passed, his resolution would not prevent the housing requirement but it may put pressure on the administration to consider the objections being raised.

“There’s no hidden agenda here,” Griffel said. “This really is about helping students graduate at higher rates.”

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When Oregon men’s tennis takes the court for doubles, the entire arena reflects the energy of one of its youngest members.

Simon Stevens celebrates each point of doubles play with an earshattering “C’MON” in his thick French accent and a high-five with his doubles partner Daan Maasland.

Last year, Stevens’s energy and strong singles showed in his tying for the Oregon record for most consecutive wins, a title shared with Robin Cambier, who graduated in 2014. He earned his place in the record book with 15 consecutive wins as a freshman.

“He plays his best tennis when he plays with energy,” ninth-year head coach Nils Schyllander said. “Once he loses that energy, he’s not nearly the same player.”

Stevens joined the Ducks last year, traveling to Oregon from his hometown of Charleroi, Belgium.

Stevens has always played with energy as a singles player, but since coming to Oregon, he has directed that enthusiasm into doubles and team play as well.

“Before coming to college, I always wanted to be energetic, but like in singles tournaments,” Stevens said.

But last year, head coach Schyllander noticed that Stevens’ excitement during matches reverberated throughout the whole team. So, Schyllander asked the freshman to test out this megapositive attitude’s success.

“I started doing a little bit more every match, and I play much better when I do it, and everyone told me that it helps the team, so I just love it,” Stevens said.

Last season, Stevens and Maasland went 7-3 in doubles matches. From Jan. 10 to April 22 of last year, Stevens didn’t lose a singles match, and he went 20-4 in singles matches overall last season.

Playing doubles with the levelheaded Maasland again this season, the two have found a balance on the court.

“We know our strength now and he has a lot of energy,” Maasland said. “He keeps me energetic and sometimes I calm him down a little bit. I think it works well.”

Paired with Stevens’ enthusiasm, the men’s team has made strong showings in both singles and doubles throughout this season, earning the Ducks a 9-1 record so far. Maasland and Stevens are currently 12-5 in doubles play.

“This fall we practiced every time together, and right now we know each other pretty well, “ Stevens said, “and I think you can see on the court the chemistry.”

Though Stevens is currently a sophomore, he plans to remain the men’s tennis hype guy for the rest of his time with the Ducks.

“It’s just so much fun playing and screaming for the guys,” said Stevens.

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đ&#x;’ť FILM & TV ‘Deadpool’ hit theaters on Feb. 12. The film received generally positive critical reviews.

Review:

‘Deadpool’ lacks the confidence of its hero ➥ CHRIS

BERG, @CHRISBERG25

For a film about a wisecracking superhero with a superiority complex, Deadpool suffers from a surprising lack of confidence.

Sure, the titular hero is a boastful bastard. The “merc with a mouth� is a nerd counterculture icon, the voice of an audience aware of every trope. He doesn’t care what you think. But you can feel Deadpool trying to win over its own fans; so desperate to satisfy that it gets in its own way.

Deadpool is the classic “fan favorite� character. A mercenary mutant with an odd sense of humor, he’s the one member of the Marvel Comics world that knows how absurd it all is. His personality is something between a parody of the classic antihero formula and a hyper-realized example of one. He’s always willing to break the fourth wall and draw on the audience’s awareness for comedic effect. It takes a certain breed of actor to bring such a character to life, mixing sharp comedic timing with genuinely thrilling superhero antics. Ryan Reynolds fits the role like a glove, the same way Robert Downey Jr. personifies the role of Iron Man. Superhero films are infamous for their “moments:� the memorable cameo from the character from another franchise, the stunning reveal of a hero in their full gear, kinetic action sequences that dance across the frame.

Deadpool burns just about all of this in its bombastic opening 10 minutes before stretching out the sequence as a framing device for our hero’s origin story. It’s a move so bold it could be seen as a subversion of genre tropes.

But instead, it feels more like a film trying to hold

an audience’s interest. Rather than absorb us with character development, Deadpool reassures us every 10 minutes that the next cool fight scene is just around the corner. It treats the backstory like a chore, frequently snapping back to what it assumes is “the good part.�

It’s a shame, because every part of Deadpool’s world is engaging. The script is loaded with fun gags, knowing references, and effective beats of romance, horror and action. The best parodies always prove to be solid examples of the formats they lampoon, and Deadpool is no exception.

Still, I found myself wanting more from Deadpool as a commentary on the film industry. While the script is quick to call out the obvious jokes about comic book movies (including potshots at Reynold’s previous failed superhero roles), it never colors too far outside the lines. Sure Deadpool will wisecrack about the convoluted nature of the X-Men film timeline, but don’t expect a word about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ideally, a Deadpool film should bring a selfconsciousness not just to the character, but to the plot itself. When the film sinks into stereotypical montage sequences, it’s difficult to determine what flaws are ironic and which are genuine.

There’s little point in me trying to recommend Deadpool. If you’ve been charmed by the concept and barrage of advertisements, the full feature will not disappoint. Ultimately, I was won over by the film’s charms, even if I wished it would go a little bit further.

But if you’re not already a fan, there’s little here to change your mind.

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đ&#x;“Ł OPINION Jake Willard in his room in Carson Hall.

Freshmen will be required to live in the dorms as of Fall 2017.

(Adam Eberhardt)

Students need a say

IN WHERE THEY LIVE ➥ M A LY S S A

ROBLES

It cannot be ignored that there are many benefits that come to students who live on campus. There is a sense of close community and a good support system in the residence halls for not only a student’s education, but their new personal life away from home as well.

It’s been proven that students who live on campus are more likely to stay in college and graduate within six years. However, not every student can afford to live in the residence halls at the University of Oregon.

Along with opening a new residence hall east of Global Scholars Hall, the UO is requiring freshman students arriving in fall 2017 to live on campus their first year. With this policy some students will be unable to attend the university because of the cost it will take to live here.

The university wants to ensure that all students have the utmost opportunity to succeed and graduate. But should the university be the one to decide what is best for all students? We, as students, should have the right to determine which environment we will thrive in academically.

The primary focus for requiring on-campus residence is students just coming out of high school who, for the first time in their lives, have to be self-reliant. “Living on campus provides an enormous amount of support during that transition,� said Michael Griffel, director of University Housing.

While living in the residence halls a student has extra resources such as study rooms, resident assistants, easily accessible dining halls and the close proximity of classrooms.

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On top of that, the entire housing department is dedicated to assisting all students in any way that they can. “We care about students very deeply and want to ensure that they know that they matter to us,� said Anna Schmidt-MacKenzie, director of Residence Life and Educational Initiatives.

However, I have yet to see solid evidence that students were ever consulted about the matter.

Wouldn’t we, the students, know firsthand what it means to live on and off campus? Freshman ASUO Senator Keegan Williams-Thomas lives off campus and believes that students should be more involved in the changes. “There’s been a real lack of student input and we need to ensure that students are given a choice and not just told that a certain policy will best serve them,� Williams-Thomas said. “There needs to be more correspondence between housing and students.�

After all, our opinions could be useful; we did decide one way or another where we would live when we were freshmen.

Of course, the university made the decision to change policies as a whole – not the housing department alone.

As a public university in Oregon, the UO is getting into this particular policy’s game fairly late. Southern Oregon University, Western Oregon University, Eastern Oregon University and Oregon State University all have requirements for freshman students to live on campus, but it also costs considerably less to live in residence halls at those universities.

The average cost for a standard double room and standard meal plan at the UO is around

$11,430. The closest in housing costs to the UO is Oregon State, which is estimated to cost around $7,878 for a standard double room and $2,772 for a standard meal plan, or $10,650 total. Southern Oregon’s prices are estimated to be the lowest of all public universities in Oregon, costing around $2,285 for a double room and $1,750 for a meal plan, or $4,035 total. “We’re working incredibly hard to come up with price points that vary enough for students to afford,� Schmidt-MacKenzie said about the university’s pricing.

Though their efforts should not go unnoticed, is it still justifiable to require residence when prices are still not where the university wants them to be? Williams-Thomas doesn’t believe so, and neither do I. “I’m sure the housing department doesn’t try to have high prices on purpose; I don’t think that’s their goal,� said Williams-Thomas. “I’m sure that they do their best to keep the prices low, but until there are results, I don’t think that students should be required to live on campus.�

Students should reserve the right to claim for themselves where they would best succeed academically. Students are still able to access many resources without having to live on campus, while also living in a community that further establishes the responsibility of being independent.

There are students living off campus who came to the UO relying on the option to live off campus. If students are denied that capability, the university will be shutting out the diverse group of students it wants.

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10

15

17

18

24

28

25

26

32

48

42

27

30

31

41

13

22

29

37

12

19 21

23

11

16

20

40

7

33

34

35

36

38

39

43

44

49

50

52

53 57

54

51

55

56

58

59

60

61

62

64

65

66

67

68

69

SUDOKUS

45

63

46

47

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ACROSS 1 Surrender 5 Farmland units 10 Working hard 14 Like most adages, for short 15 Lamp cover 16 Apple’s apple, e.g.

17 *English rock group?

19 River through Florence 20 One adding staff 21 About 90 mg. of vitamin C a day, e.g.

22 Boston Bruins legend, to his teammates 23 Simpson judge Lance 24 *Many party games 28 Cause of aberrant weather 30 ___ Joe’s (supermarket chain) 31 Good area for snorkeling 32 Reduce 36 C.I.A. predecessor 37 *Railroad engine, in old lingo 40 Letters before an alias 43 Encourage 44 Top draft status

48 Minnesota range known for its mining of metal 50 Historical records 52 *Seattle tourist attraction 56 Month, in Madrid 57 Very, in Versailles 58 Prefix with center or genetics 59 ___ Mundo (what Cristóbal Colón explored) 61 Mope 62 *Medal for bravery, maybe 64 60-Down mascot 65 YouTube offering 66 Dillon or Damon 67 British submachine gun 68 “Nothing runs like a ___” (ad slogan) 69 A very long time … or a hint to the starts of the answers to the five starred clues

DOWN 1 One checking you out 2 Dub

3 “Let’s Make a Deal” choice 4 Feminine suffix 5 Prickly ___ 6 Dear, as une amie 7 Genre of the old Stax record label 8 Poet ___ Lee Masters 9 Fifth word of “The Star-Spangled Banner” 10 Denali’s home 11 Ship sinker 12 Pays no attention to 13 “___ bad!”

18 The Auld Sod 22 Is worthy of 25 Fill with a Crayola, say 26 Like some truths and flames 27 Makers of some H.S. homecoming floats 29 “What ___ told you …?”

33 Part of E.S.L.: Abbr.

34 Car, affectionately 35 ___ Canals 38 Hayseeds 39 Very long time 40 Mornings, for short 41 Excluded 42 Generally speaking 45 Written introduction?

46 Take to a higher level 47 Categorizes 49 Sure winner in blackjack 51 Hawaiian goose 53 Like the musical intro to “The Twilight Zone” 54 Lyric poem 55 Establishment with booths 60 West Point inst.

61 Evenings, for short 62 Underwear initials 63 Orange “Sesame Street” Muppet

Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and 3x3 block. Use logic and process elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest).

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