1-5-25 - The Daily Emerald - Emerald Media Group

Emerald THE DAILY

INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM PRODUCED BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS

MONDAY, JAN. 5, 2026 OPINION

NEWS

Kahl: Why citizen diplomacy matters now more than ever

UO Board of Trustees approves three new degree programs

Read story on page 17

ARTS & CULTURE

Read story on page 4

NEWS

Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson reflects on first year in office

Caffè Pacori: Becoming more than a coffee shop Read story on page 8

SPORTS

Read story on page 12

NEWS

Growing popularity of Duck Rides prompts long wait times, hiring of more professional staff

By Sasha Love

Senior News Reporter

Duck Rides provides free nightly transportation for University of Oregon students, staff and faculty from 6 p.m. to midnight. This can be a great relief for those out late and unable to call an Uber or drive home themselves, but a lack of employees and staffing changes alike resulted in long wait times for riders and a rocky fall term for student workers.

“Every time we pick someone up from a ride we are so late (and) people have to wait two hours for a ride,” Riley Doty, a Duck Rides student worker, said. “The dynamic at work has changed a lot.”

Despite the team being “constantly

understaffed,” Doty and several other students working for Duck Rides condemned the addition of professional staff to the student-driven workforce.

“I think it (wait times) is at its core an understaffing issue and we don’t have enough students to be able to be operating at our normal level. I think that pro staff are helpful in certain situations but I think it also just feels like the university is not supporting us as workers,” Doty said.

According to David Reesor, director of transportation services, and Melissa Shannon, the shuttle program manager, the professional staff help cover weekend shifts and football game shifts that stuContinue story on page 13

transportation.uoregon.edu/bus

Murray: Oregon just got a taste of why home College Football Playoff games are special. More of them would be better.

By Owen Murray

Associate Sports Editor

I get it now.

Not that I didn’t before, but it’s so clear after watching a day full of tradition come good in my third year of covering college sports: the more home College Football Playoff games, the better. Oregon’s postgame locker room may have been quiet, and the Ducks were frustrated after giving up 28 second-half points in their 51-34 win over James Madison, but the stadium couldn’t have been more alive.

College football history was made in December, and even without a competitive game at halftime, the holidays were well-celebrated in Eugene with tradition that goes beyond the scoreline and a good amount of fun football (the two teams combined for 18 explosive plays).

What the day proved was that there needs to be more of those games.

I’ll be totally clear here: I didn’t grow up watching college football. I remember watching Continue story on page 21

HOME OF FOOTBALL & SOFTBALL

BROADCASTING 24 HRS A DAY/ 365 DAYS A YEAR REQUEST LINE 541.346.0645

music, news, sports

Get Involved!

NEWSROOM

EDITOR IN CHIEF Tarek Anthony

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Ryan Ehrhart DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Ysabella Sosa NEWS EDITOR Reilly Norgren INVESTIGATIONS EDITOR Ana Narayan A&C EDITOR Claire Coit SPORTS EDITOR Jack Lazarus OPINION EDITOR Gracie Cox PHOTO EDITOR Saj Sundaram COPY CHIEF Olivia Ellerbruch VIDEO EDITOR Jake Nolan PODCAST EDITOR Stephanie Hensley SOCIALS EDITOR Ysabella Sosa VISUALS EDITOR Noa Schwartz DESIGN EDITOR Adaleah Carman

BUSINESS

NEWS

DAILY EMERALD

Monday, Jan. 5 2026

page 3

PUBLISHER AND PRESIDENT Eric Henry (X317) ehenry@dailyemerald.com VP OPERATIONS Kathy Carbone (X302) kcarbone@dailyemerald.com DIRECTOR OF SALES & DIGITAL MARKETING Shelly Rondestvedt (X303) srondestvedt@dailyemerald. com CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Anna Smith (X327) creative@dailyemerald.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Torin Chevalier Camcole Pereira Ava Stephanian Elliot Byrne

THE DAILY EMERALD

The Daily Emerald is published

by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon.

Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900.

Emerald Media Group 1395 University St.,#302 Eugene, Or 97403 (541)-346-5511

DESIGNERS Asha Mohan Eva Andrews Nina Rose

Fallen tree lawsuit to go to trial A lawsuit against UO for injuries sustained by a student who was struck by a tree is set to go to trial later this year.

By Reilly Norgren

News Editor

A lawsuit against the University of Oregon for injuries sustained by a student after a falling tree struck her is set to go to trial with a twelve-person jury on September 16.

Olivia Rose Edwards was struck by a falling tree in February, which left her paraplegic and with accumulated medical expenses of $1.3 million and an estimated $5 million in future expenses.

The collapse occurred during a prolonged windstorm between Friendly and Fenton hall.

The suit alleges that UO should have used its alert system to warn students of the potential hazards created by the windstorm and that the university denied a forensic arborist to examine the fallen tree by disposing of it after the incident.

The lawsuit was originally filed in October.

The university responded in December, claiming no fault.

The university claimed in their defense that to their understanding it was a branch of a nearby tree that had struck the student, denying there was sufficient information “regarding the nature, extent and potential permanency of (Edwards’) injuries.” The university also denied any allegations that it took inappropriate action in regards to disposal of the tree, including that an arborist was able to examine the tree prior to disposal.

Edwards is suing the university for $16.5 million dollars.

(ABOVE) U University of Oregon Campus Planning and Facilities Management work to remove one of many fallen trees across campus on Feb. 24, 2025.

(Eduardo Garcia/Emerald)

Museum of Natural and Cultural History feels the strain of fall budget cuts MNCH will feel budget cuts mostly in “behind the scenes” work, larger-scale projects.

By Corey Hoffman

Senior News Reporter

The Museum of Natural and Cultural History, tucked behind the University of Oregon Law School, receives a little over half its operating budget from the university.

As budget cuts swept across campus in the fall, the museum’s capacity and behind the scenes operations were more impacted than the public facing parts of the museum.

The museum, which opened in its current iteration in 1935, gives students a wide variety of unique opportunities such as education and job training, Lexie Briggs, marketing director for the museum, said.

“We have thousands of students who come through and do all kinds of learning experiences,” Briggs said. “(For example,) you’re in a geology class, so you come to the museum and you look at the rocks and the history of the geological formations of Oregon and fill out some worksheets (for) intensive studies.”

The museum’s operational budget that comes from the university goes toward curation, exhibits and education.

“It funds everything that you think of the museum doing in any way; your experience probably comes from that funding,” Briggs said. “The things that don’t come from that funding are very specific grant-based projects that don’t get a ton of publicity or archaeology, that happen as a result of state projects.”

To the casual viewer, Briggs said, the impact of the cuts won’t be visible, but will be felt behind the scenes.

In 2025, the museum hosted several large exhibits, including one called “Hostile Terrain 94,” in which several hundred UO students filled out and placed over 4,000 toe tags and death markers for human remains found in the Soroan desert in Arizona on an interactive map. While the museum will continue to put on large interactive exhibits in 2026, Briggs said, aiming for “big pie in the sky” projects will be more difficult.

“What we are running into (with the budget cuts) is not necessarily any changes to our curation, or our ability to work on artifacts and put things on display, but really about capacity and how much we can get done as a museum,” Briggs said.

Despite the cuts, Briggs said the museum will continue to “push for new things” and continue to provide UO students, researchers and faculty with unique opportunities.

“Hopefully the budget cuts that we are experiencing aren’t as visible to the outside and we are still doing the core things that we do best and keep that going,” Briggs said.

(LEFT) The Museum of Natural and Cultural History, established in 1935, has its roots in the late 1800s and is home to the University’s paleontological collection.

(Corey Hoffman/Emerald)

NEWS

DAILY EMERALD

Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

page 4

UO Board of Trustees approves three new degree programs Brewing Innovation minor unites students across interdisciplinary fields The Brewing Innovation minor allows students to learn the brewing process, honing innovative skills through prototypes and peer feedback.

By Elle Kubiaczyk

News Reporter

Beer is composed of four simple components: water, malted barley, hops and yeast. The unique flavor profile boils down to the innovative capacity of the brewers. At Knight Campus, this challenge falls into the hands of a 10-student cohort.

The Knight Campus is home to the Bioengineering program, but anyone over the age of 18 is eligible to participate in the minor, first introduced in fall 2024.

“Teams get people from management, biology, history, journalism and they all bring something different to the table,” Lindsey Rubottom, brewing innovation instructor and lab manager, said.

In each of the four required classes, students design new recipes by manipulating ingredients, prototyping and receiving peer feedback.

During the five hour brewing days, there are five crucial steps: mashing, lautering, boiling, cooling and fermentation. In simple terms, sugar is extracted from malted grains, separated and sterilized during the boiling process, at which point hops are added.

Hops “create a bitterness to the beer,” Rubottom said. They greatly contribute to a beer’s overall flavor profile.

Daela Montgomery, a biology student and graduate of the minor, reflected on the importance of hops in her group’s final, grilled pineapple beer. “When we were brewing our beer, we picked one hops that was very neutral and it didn’t contribute much flavor wise.” In a preceding iteration, Montgomery’s group opted for a stronger hops with more “‘citrusy notes.’”

Once hops are added and the product is cooled, the beer is put into a fermenter for two to three weeks. Due to the short brewing time, groups have great flexibility to adapt, overcome challenges and market the finished product to the target audience.

Keila Barton, a sports business student on Montgomery’s team, has cherished the hands-on nature of the class,

unlike many lecture-based classes at UO. “The only thing I’ll ever physically create in sports business is a slide deck,” Barton said.

Similarly, Montgomery will miss the collaborative community found in her brewing cohort and the feeling of accomplishment in creating “this product that reflects all of us.”

Both Montgomery and Barton are eager to apply their problem-solving skills to their prospective careers. For Montgomery, it’s how to adapt to challenges in a lab setting. In marketing the pineapple beer to a Gen-Z audience, she’s discovered “how to make a product a story” — a skill transferable to a successful career in sports business.

Beyond the brewing cohort, students are welcomed into the greater Eugene brewing community. At the end of the fourth course for the minor, Capstone: Interdisciplinary Beer Design Lab, along with the design and refinement of each team’s beer, label design and final pitch to an audience, a public tasting event was held at Claim 52 Brewing on Dec. 9, 2025.

Rubottom is eager to have a public tasting event to mark the completion of the four-course sequence each year. For the cohort beginning in spring 2026, the last course will fall in spring 2027, and Rubottom hopes there to be future overlap with Eugene Beer Week in June.

From an instructor perspective, Rubottom’s favorite aspect of the class is “seeing the growth in the students from the first term, not knowing what to expect and later being able to take skills into other areas of their lives.”

(ABOVE) Students Daela Montgomery and Kieran Galvin from the first cohort of the Brewing Innovation program adjust their mash temperature during a brewing session in the Brewing Innovation Lab in the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact.

(Courtesy of the University of Oregon)

Despite a campus-wide budget deficit, the three new offerings are of minimal cost to the university, according to their proposals.

By Elle Kubiaczyk

News Reporter

On Dec. 9 and 10, 2025, the University of Oregon Board of Trustees approved three new programs: Master of Science in Cybersecurity, Master of Science in Data Science and Bachelor of Education in Child Behavioral Health. All three academic offerings will begin fall 2026.

On Nov. 17, 2025, during an Academic and Student Affairs Committee meeting, the programs were discussed in length, approved and fully endorsed.

The Board of Trustees is composed of 15 members, including President Karl Scholz, UO alumni, faculty, students and those interested in the advancement of higher education.

The board meets quarterly to discuss finance reports, changes in tuition, public comment from the UO community, action on academic programs and more.

Master’s Degree in Data Science

Peter Ralph, department head and associate professor of data science, presented the new master’s degree as an advancement of the undergraduate program launched in fall 2020. The undergraduate program is popular, with 280 declared majors, and ten areas of focus such as linguistics, physics and economics.

Both degrees are offered through the School of Computer and Data Science in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The popularity in the bachelor’s degree “gives us (faculty) a lot of confidence that there’s going to be a demand for a master’s program,” Ralph said during his presentation before the board.

The six new master’s classes will create skilled data scientists in a liberal arts context. As a result, graduates will be highly employable and responsive to changes in artificial intelligence workforce demands, according to the proposal.

Possible careers include software engineer, data analyst and biostatistician.

By year five, according to anticipated enrollment numbers, 45 students will participate in the master’s program, bringing in $500 thousand to $1 million yearly to the university in tuition. Additionally, the School of Computer and Data Science plans to hire a full-time faculty member to support the master’s pathway.

The master’s appeals to students with varied backgrounds — those with non-STEM education are encouraged to apply.

Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity

Similarly to degree options for data science, the School of Computer and Data Science offers a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity, instituted in fall 2023. Reza Rejaie, professor and department head of computer science, said “cybersecurity is a growing problem and has led to an increasing need for cybersecurity workforce everywhere.”

In 2023, there were 4,000 unfilled job openings in cybersecurity in Oregon and more than 200,000 across the nation, Rejaie said.

The master’s program will build on the success of the undergraduate option and demand for expertise in cybersecurity in the workforce.

By year five, around 50 students are anticipated to enroll in the new degree option. Students with experiences in computer science, engineering and information technology will, most likely, be attracted to the program.

UO’s master’s in cybersecurity will be a unique opportunity in Oregon. Despite Oregon State University and Portland State University’s certificate options in cybersecurity, UO’s program will offer a higher number of cybersecurity classes, extending beyond a concentration or an add-on within computer science.

Rejaie said they are excited for the practical real-world experiences offered through the master’s degree. Alongside students’ time at the Teaching Security Operations Center and a nine month co-op in the industry, graduates will be prepared for a plethora of scenarios.

“We directly put them in the attack scenario,” Rejaie said. “We make sure anyone who shows up has been scared enough of an attack in the real setting or in a simulated setting.”

Bachelor of Education Degree in Child Behavioral Health

Maureen Zalewski, director of clinical training, spoke to the difference between the proposed Bachelor of Education and the currently offered Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts pathways. In all three degrees, students will receive the same 90 CBH credits. However, the Bachelor of Education has fewer core education requirements, eliminating the two-year language requirement in the Bachelor of Arts.

Students have more flexibility in their schedule to explore other minor options.

Additionally, with the reduced number of core education classes, the Bachelor of Education is more accessible to community college students. All three degrees are designed as 2+2 programs; the first two years can be completed in Eugene or at a community college, and the final two must be completed at UO’s Portland campus.

As a pre-professional program designed for those interested in K-12 teaching, students gain over 700 hours of hands-on experience working with youth in schools, health care settings and community organizations.

Zalewski notes there to be no additional resources or costs needed. In year one, 15 students are projected to be enrolled in the Bachelor of Education option and grow to 35 participants in year five.

301 Oakway Road, Eugene, OR 541-653-9099 | eugene@barre3.com

New Client Special: 3 classes for $33

LEASING FALL 2026 2025

TAKE A PEEK AT YOUR NEW HOME

YOUR NEW LIVING ROOM

YOUR NEW ROOM

YOUR NEW KITCHEN

YOUR NEW BATHROOM

studios to 5 bedroom floor plans

At Chapter at Eugene, we don't just provide a place to stay; we offer a stage for your college odyssey, where you can excel academically, socialize freely, explore boldly, and elevate your ambitions Paired with tailormade amenities, our cuttingedge, dynamic community effortlessly for your University of Oregon adventure.

SCAN HERE TO APPLY NOW

LUXURY STUDENT APARTMENTS

WWW.CHAPTERATEUGENE.COM | 760 E. 13TH AVE, EUGENE, OR 97401 | (458) 221-7543

ARTS & CULTURE

DAILY EMERALD

Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

page 8

Caffè Pacori: Becoming more than a coffee shop The warehouse-turned-storefront offers a remote space prioritizing community and hospitality.

By Vinny White

Arts & Culture Writer

Tucked within the warehouse district on the west side of Eugene is the ever-unorthodox Caffè Pacori. Its walls decorated with local art, a tight-knit staff, an arcade room and, of course, its delicious coffee are just some of the reasons it stands out among Eugene’s cafes. Beans imported from Central America are roasted in house by both gas and wood roasters and are served in bags decorated with original art as well as by the cup.

Pacori was not always a storefront. Owner Erice Pierce originally started as a floor sweeper in 2004 before purchasing the roaster in 2015. Back when he was an employee, the company mainly specialized in selling coffee to businesses.

When COVID-19 shut down their main source of income, opportunity came knocking.

“People started showing up here randomly; they’d knock on the door,” Pierce said. “It’s not a great neighborhood so (if) someone’s knocking on the door, I got a bat behind the counter. I’d answer the door and there would be people like ‘hey, can I buy beans from you?’ and I’d be like ‘you guys came all the way out here to buy beans?’”

Once lockdown desperation proved that a customer base was willing to make the trek, Pierce and his crew transformed their warehouse into a legitimate storefront. Now fully decked out with a bar, lounging area and arcade, the cafe has made a name for itself — notably winning “Best Bathroom” and “Best Publicly Accessible Coffee Shop Couch” in Eugene Weekly’s “Best of Eugene.” Suffice to say, they are not averse to the unusual.

The space is well utilized, hosting concerts, stand-up comedy performances and a weekly screening of ‘80s cartoons on Saturday mornings. These Saturday morning cartoons help cultivate a community of not just die-hard coffee lovers, but of children, too. “(Kids) are not here to drink coffee, but that’s what they’re going to think of when they start drinking coffee,” Pierce said. “We’re speaking to that next generation of coffee drinkers and I… love that.”

Events like Saturday morning cartoons and word of mouth has led to foot traffic increasing every year. For Adam Howard, an employee who Pierce was unsure of hiring in fear of not having enough work for him to do, this is far from a problem.

“Literally since I started, each month has been busier and busier, so now he’s stuck with me,” Howard said.

Adam Howard is the brother of Brit Howard, Pacori’s inhouse designer and roaster. Brit has a history with art and print making and has found joy in the job.

“Eric’s my best friend and he pays me to do it,” Brit said.

“Any job that you get to go in and have coffee with your best friend every day, that’s a good job.”

Having recently acquired a greater portion of the warehouse they occupy, Pierce is hoping to host more concerts and events in the expanded space. In the meantime, a small corner is dedicated to Bear Calvary Paints, an independent business that creates paint meant for painting minifigures for board games. While seemingly unrelated to Pacori, they actually utilize recycled coffee beans to create better mud texture paint.

Pacori is self-admittedly out of the way of most commuters, but its dedication to character and being generally hospitable makes it feel like a diamond in the rough.

(ABOVE, LEFT, BELOW) Caffè Pacori, a local coffee roaster located at 255 Wallis St. in Eugene, Ore. offers a variety of roasted coffee beans and ground coffee in large bags. At their retail location, they serve a range of freshly made coffee and snacks, and have a free-to-play arcade.

(Saj Sundaram/Emerald)

dailyemerald.com or scan the QR code!

Emer EmeEmerald rald Emerald ald THE

Y THE DAIL

DAI LY

NT INDEPENDE

MON SPOR TS

DAY , SEPT . 29,

2025

MONDAY,

Duck bolste s men’s b addit rs roster asketball ions fr with om tr strong ansfer porta l

ST U

THE

Read story on

5 NOV. 3, 202

er: Women’s socc at Tracy INDE k PEN DEN Looking bac T JO URN first season ALI Joyner’s

Read story

on page 5

SM

PRODon page 14 Read story

UCED Eve

BY ST RE to k rything yo NTSULTU , FO &UDEC R ST 2025now abou u nA ee RTOPS UDE INIO NTS N MTV t the d VMA s

page 27

PRO

URE

ARTS & CULT ertos Día de los Mu in the Jordan seum Schnitzer Mu

SPORTS

ARTS &

JOURNALISM

STUDEN DUCED BY

CULT

URE

ASUO ERNMENT A Deadheuagdene figure ’s six- history of E d DEN T

GOV

Read story on

surpl eficit in us bu dget

page 8

Kurih a : Yad-themed pick utefura l De ou c n Gra n staDeb yodio As Ducks donPost Air pRa ur” Ho trash ad-g excu ame lazi uniforms, “De

nes litter se.is no gen g in O her. “It d and Euin on ssion re go impre ntinue an Co the classic Nban it was EWS s; n stonight ry se for

was three

on pag

Trist said.

Oreg amaz ing,” stint in New and o After their left town , the band to pa n Hou- seJersey . Not too California ’s ned ssarea tog raiseg- retur up in the ilutore Trist ended accident. the Eugene reSprin ulatiolongfaafter, lete ic shows inon in save the order to ve area by comp from New n bwant same money in stotheirr-close ed to move il she utilibroth l Trist isco, so owr-ned er of San Franc the ties York to ed when she owned by and Unive tric artistraises for ra west and stopp Ken Kesey friend, eccen co. ndrove on alumnus but Francisco sity of Oreg tepaye ceAimi rnngs for San victim connection rsbetwe zo, en r to San Loren by , close w a up g that s il ioned area dendin established fi ended up getting quest the Eugene h lat- shere Dead and the Ne day. One mont

By Vinny White

re Writer

e 13

Arts & Cultu

-

Conti

nue

story

on pag

e5

ws ts to this ey persisRe with Owsl porte er encounter engineer er, a chanc ey, the sound in possession “Bear” Stanl led to a young Deb have been the to see the Trist may naliz ed in for the band, have Trist getting an invite City, New of marijuana, crimi Publi impleme rd, Dead in Jersey able to c Gratefulnted that moment forwa that he be tor-o Utilit.iesFrom strict d Air began dema ndinga bysta nder began “Dea wnJersey er of Co ed uti host regula mm the iss FM h the car, now 89.7 lit Trist, on tio ion ies an n by r searc Deb” (PUC town d foreve Down pro with becam)eon inv the ne,hib port, ” ited C in Euge procedure. addit esthe band.

Smith beingKLC ional “interested in police introd wined with meet intert uced show s, she got to (D-G (R-Port by left 8 Orfor the from resham), After story on page exper ience n. Da d) ,anandSethe Continue an recov the vid Br inten d Sen. ering dband costs ded to Chris Go ock pre rse and expe vent IO k nses U’ incur s IOU’ red s to pay for settle ments ments requir with ed by victim the co s, litSB 92 urt aft 6 wo er be uld ing fou have nd at also impo sed conseCo ntinue

transp

ortati

on.uo

regon

.edu/b

us

story

on pag

e7

TS, FOR STU

DENTS

s Food resource in Oregon

THE DAILY

DAY, SE

PT. 30 ,

2025

ART

resources set With SNAP l food , loca frozenY, OCT. 20, 2025 to be MONDA lude: resources inc

INDEPENDENT JOURNA

ARTS & CULTURE

ces food resour : Community nty include in Lane Cou

LISM PRODUCED

BY STUDENTS, FOR

UO CLUBS

s Event Produce Plu Ct, 305 Coop

sdays of the 0 First Wedne rting at 11:3 month sta Tuesdays of the a.m. Third rting at 1 p.m. month sta ter Cen zie McKen s Event Produce Plu d Dr, Chabegan Walkto 2885 ber this month, 97408 Eugene OR y of the Wednesda at 9 a.m.

Firstthat events ting exhibit star Lane month County ’s history eneand culture.

West Eug s Event Plu Continue story on page 23 Produce Ave, 2101 W 11th SPORTS ene, OR 97402 Eug 1 p.m. starting at Thursdays

Take a step foward this Walktober

DAIL Y

TUES

S&C ULT

STUDENTS

INDE

Free Multnomah t Food Marke St, When Oregon lost back-to-ba SE Malden ck matches in straight sets to8129 06 USC on the 972WashingORand d,road tlan ton at home in Por - 3:30 the third week of Big Ten 2:30 play, from head coach Trent KerstenFriday Every echoed his comments from the week before, own bags.OPINION yourbeat when his g team Iowa and Ohio State atp.m. Brin

By Henry Light

Sports Writer

home.

3 “At the end of the day, story on page we’re in the arena that Continue we want to be in. We’re in Ten, playing really quality the arena of the Big so much to grow,” Kersten teams and we have said after the loss to Washington. “We’ve got to be careful not to want it before we give them enough time to get there.”

Kersten was able to do so because he has preached patience and growth at every turn for his team that features eight true freshmen and 14 new players total.

Several of the freshmen have shouldered heavier workloads six matches into Big Ten play, with opposite hitter Alanah Clemente leading the team

's ind

In early September, Trond Jacobsen, the head of forensics since 2013, attended a meeting with Clark

ie blu

Honors College leadership With to discuss completed travel planning and the co season. and ta lorful melInstead, he was informed that upcoming the forensics program had been cut. odie s the program music lented stud Cutting the locleaves ia enmock al mufunding uncertain for t trial and singer speech brings ns, Bellto faculty -songandsicdebate. leadershipBeatllto write scene.Without w bl Blend the er head r, program, of the we uegr jazz theing clubs life ri turn withr’s origin limbo heads their funds. al mu and blueg folk, of ght on ass fusionremain in ne an o-trad 2022 d sic is rass, campu “I was told

By Cla to that they itiona get peop er, ba with M Unlikwere le exc sure to ire l blu icah Pr njo pla toegr Arts & Coit e mogoing end s. ited abo coltower. yer imack st cam asshonors .

Cu

egrass

r:

band

an ut pus ban re Ed show an aco Primack d songw , lead sin itor Love rite ds, Be ini gscene ustic a good promember pla . For lltowe then as a faculty folk, tia lly lea r for Bellbab later maJacobsen ne sin r the ying his house on,” ny band ly use said. music ger-song d toward a stu show, bas s suc d to the students, de but loo h as Continueind Hami ements of with a writer vib s on the nt indie ie on pagethe king 7 y’re few pe Bowl story lto e, Unive bluegrass bluegr fel low n Ha ll. Justice Be Peace alternative ers in It wa rsity an ba , Gr on-ca ass to of Or band. Form ow ing tower sou nd memb sn’t until Ha ll an egon d ed div mpus muthe table, ers tha he me campu Prim nd began erse gen t the exp t his sic sce ack s, ne to anding res. sta rte to come tog true Bellthe includ d col band Farla e mo labora ether. , thoug ne (gu re ting who h. It all itar, with lay do began his son ered im bro and in the pro fal l ter when gs to create vised meproduction m briel Noah Potee something lodies ove ), Mart r t (m new. inez Later (doub andolin) , an le bas s) joi d Ganed the ltu

Opinion: Stigma thrive s in University of Oregon studensilence, but ts can change that – one conversation at a time.

Continu

e sto

14

transp

ENTS , FOR

eph Ch

ry on

page

12

Edito Stude r opened nt dorm fol low itory Ka 2023 ing a lap . two-y uya Ilihi dents Ka lapuya ear Ili dentia and will con hi will be closure has remon l communit sist of ma open for in July studie all s and ies to ser ve ny academ stubackg ic after round students of residiscov s. com ering crack s in the wa lls involv and str ed ucwas set with the projec Augu tled for $7 mi t and the st 2025 llio .

With com n and stude nifer dismi plaint nts O’ ssed of un Neal, ass moving an in der and Et graduate istant pro d settling fes in, Jen the mo hnic Studiestudies for sor and dir dents ve-in proces s, said sheIndigenous, ector will ha s ve in and the op is excited Race their abo po closed commu rtunities ut stu nit y thi a rea lly for two yea s yea rs,” great r. commu O’Neal nit y he said. “W re, an e d inc have redibl Continu NEW e e sto S ry on pag

e 19

UO size welcomes reco esh onto fr campman classrdus Read story on

Continue story on page

STUD

ate Ne iu ws

Kurihara: Stop hiding it: domestic violence dese rves a voice this October

8

ED BY

By Jos

lltowe

By Elle Kubiaczyk

ODUC

Associ

Meet Be News Reporter

LISM PR

Kalap reope uya Ilihi ns to st udents

UO’s forensics progra m loses CHC support amid university-wide budge t cuts, leaving future of Mock Trial and Speech and Debate uncertain.

Eugen e

JOUR NA

NEW S

Mock Trial, Speech and De face funding uncertainty bate

Oregon volleyball nity food mufresh goes Com as its ltnomah men Mu ources in : go in res Big include Ten play County

Continue story on page

PEND ENT

URE

ortatio

n.uore

gon.ed

u/bus

page 7

STUD

ENTS

! e m o H e

m o c l We THRIFTED FITS

DUCK DEALS Enjoy a 10% off ‘Duck Discount’ Oct. 1-31!

10% UO student discount valid on regularly priced items at any St. Vinnie’s store; scan QR code for a list of locations. Current UO ID required. Can’t be combined with other offers. Discount valid through Oct. 31, 2025.

St.Vinnie’s St. VINCENT de PAUL SOCIETY of LANE COUNTY, Inc. 541-687-5820 • www.svdp.us • Follow us on Social Media: @ShopStVinnies, @SVdPLaneCounty

ARTS & CULTURE

Love in the age of celebrity fauxmance Celebrity couples prove that romance itself has become more of a powerful marketing tool than a model for true love.

By Amelia Fiore

(Noa Schwartz/Emerald)

Arts & Culture Writer

When Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were first spotted together in 2023, the internet went crazy. Not only were gossip channels cranking out content, but if you asked the average person, they, too, would have something to say.

Thanks to the innovative romances of Hollywood, love isn’t just restricted to a personal feeling, but can be a form of entertainment. Celebrities who ever-so-kindly give the public a glimpse into their dating lives trend on social media instantly. But why are they so appealing?

It may be that celebrities parading their love in front of cameras isn’t a romantic gesture, but a marketing plan — specifically, a stealth marketing strategy.

Think Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell shortly before the release of their 2023 film, “Anyone But You.” Over-the-top flirting between the two, despite both being in relationships of their own, stirred up quite a debate online. It got people talking, people who probably wouldn’t have known about the movie otherwise.

And when it came time for the film’s release, it grossed over $220 million globally against a $25 million budget.

Sweeney and Powell have since denounced the dating rumors and even admitted to playing into the gossip to garner more public attention for the production.

This got people thinking: since the “Anyone But You” tactic was so successful, what other Hollywood pairings could be PR stunts in disguise?

A similar promotional tactic can be seen in the early stages of Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde’s relationship. Unfortunately for them, the situation was met with mass criticism from a place of unease, due to their 10-year age gap. Mia Simons, a senior majoring in global studies and Italian, noticed the randomness of the co-stars-turned-lovers amid a flurry of press tours for their 2022 film.

“They were dating, and it was during the whole ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ thing,” Simons said. “That just doesn’t feel real to me. First of all, it doesn’t seem like they liked each other in any capacity in any of the interviews.”

While the production certainly got attention, “Don’t Worry Darling” wasn’t a box office smash like “Anyone But You.” Styles and Wilde are a bit of an anomaly as “PR relationships” go. Couples aren’t always uncomfortable to watch, and are often more of an idealistic pairing, i.e., Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

Shortly after getting together, Swift was spotted in the audience during a Sept.

24, 2023, Kansas City Chiefs game. Funnily enough, Nielsen ratings revealed that the game drew about 27 million viewers, making it the most-watched Sunday football game of 2023 since that year’s Super Bowl, alongside a significant spike in female viewership. Their relationship served as a merging of two worlds — the

DAILY EMERALD

page 11

Reel resolutions: what to add to your watchlist in 2026 From highly anticipated adaptations to additions to established franchises, there are a slew of movies coming out this winter.

By Bella Graham

Associate Arts & Culture Editor

If you’re looking for a movie to watch that’ll make your winter term a little less dreary, consider adding a few of these to your watchlist — and your calendar.

“15 Years Later: The Bone Temple”

pop star and the football player — and fans of both are eagerly awaiting the wedding. In the case of Swift and Kelce, celebrity dedication proves to be a positive influence, bringing fans into worlds they may not have been exposed to otherwise.

But the same dedication can cost us, too. Caroline Engel, a senior studying psychology and classics, said that playing up celebrity couples can be a form of advertising that is unfair to the consumer.

“It definitely does feel like a marketing thing, because then you’re thinking of this person, and then you’re thinking of the things they do, and you’re like, ‘Oh, and they just released X, Y and Z,” Engel said.

“Because every so often, I will catch myself and I’m like, ‘Wow, I am capitalism’s b*tch.’

Like, this commercial really did convince me that I need to buy their product.”

Engel said one reason we may obsess over these pairings is because of how celebrities are put on a pedestal by the average person. They are a symbol of unattainability and our parasocial relationships with them can be more of a coping mechanism than simple admiration.

“I feel like celebrity culture is really weird. You’re viewed as, like, a higher being versus just a normal human,” she said.

“It feels a lot easier, at least, to speculate on other people’s relationships or get invested in them when they’re so well known.”

Love has become more of an unrealistic ideal than a personal lived experience, and young Americans have found themselves in the midst of a romance recession. Celebrities who present their relationships to the world choose what they want to show, so the expectation of relationship “perfection” is unknowingly placed upon fans.

Whether celebrity couples are genuine or not, they certainly seem to pop up with suspiciously convenient timing.

They come from questionable motives at best, yet we viewers can’t keep our eyes off them. Maybe it’s an unhealthy parasocial relationship, a coping mechanism for Gen Z’s own struggling dating culture or just a silly way to keep up with what’s happening. Joke’s on us for caring so much.

Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

There are just under 28 days until the fourth installment of the “28 Days Later” series comes out on Jan. 16. The series follows the outbreak of the Rage Virus in Great Britain, an extremely contagious disease that turns people into murderous, zombie-like creatures.

“I think these movies are a pretty cool interpretation of the zombie genre because they really are infected, not undead, and just full of rage,” Keith Harbor, a Eugene resident, said. (‘28 Years Later’) was so clever, and this next one seems like it’s going to keep expanding the world Alex Garland created.”

After 28 years, the virus has been contained to Great Britain, and survivors are left to fend for themselves. Following the aptly named “28 Years Later,” “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” seeks to build on where the movie left off. The young protagonist, Spike (Alfie Williams), was born during the epidemic and grew up on an island off the coast of the UK. In the previous movie, he decides to leave the island, having become disillusioned with the community there.

This movie is supposed to follow Spike as he joins a murderous yet eccentric gang — the Jimmys — led by Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Rounding out the cast is Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson (back from the third film), Erin Kellyman as a member of the Jimmys, and Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Jim from the first movie.

Official reviews are embargoed until mid-January, but reactions from early screenings on social media are overwhelmingly positive.

“Wuthering Heights”

Everything is romantic, at least according to the teaser that dropped in September, in this adaptation led by Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, which comes out Feb. 13. The teaser was suspiciously sensual, and with a soundtrack from Charli XCX plus Emerald Fennell directing, it's sure to be a more modern take on the story.

“This is the kind of book that needs a faithful adaptation. It’s a classic and it’s a classic for a reason. I’m nervous for the movie, I’ll tell you that,” Pat Mower, a Eugene resident, said. “I don’t know what to think of that trailer, but maybe they’ll do it justice.”

The book follows the intense, sometimes destructive love between Heathcliff (Elordi) and Catherine Earnshaw (Robbie) on

the moors of England, with two families — the Earnshaws and the Lintons — caught in the crossfire. After Catherine marries another man, Heathcliff’s love results in revenge against those who wronged him across generations.

The film has come under fire for casting Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, a character who is described as “dark-skinned” in the book.

A white Heathcliff limits the complexity of Bronte’s story, principally because the events of such happen because Heathcliff is not white (not in spite of it).

“Scream 7”

Get ready to scream, because the aptly named series is back again on Feb. 27.

The newest installment follows yet another Ghostface (the murderous antagonist of the franchise) targeting the original final girl, Sidney Prescott, and her daughter.

Neve Campbell returns as Prescott, having missed the last film. Courtney Cox, Jasmin Savoy-Brown, Mason Gooding, David Arquette and Matthew Lillard also reprise their roles, while Anna Camp and McKenna Grace join the cast in unknown roles.

Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, both of whom led “Scream” (2022) and “Scream IV” will not be returning over conflicts with the production company and major story changes.

With Kevin Williamson, the writer of the original screenplay along with “Scream 2” and “Scream 4” directing for the first time, it’ll be interesting to see where he takes a franchise that has seen its ups and downs, both on and off-screen.

Honorable Mention: “People We Meet on Vacation”

Lastly, an honorable mention has to be “People We Meet on Vacation,” based on the book of the same name by Emily Henry.

This one isn’t getting a theatrical release, but will instead be available to stream on Netflix beginning Jan. 9.

“People We Meet on Vacation” is a romcom starring Tom Blyth as Alex and Emily Bader as Poppy. In the book, the pair were longtime friends who took a vacation together every summer, until a trip to Croatia went awry (although we don’t find out why until the end). Alex’s brother’s wedding brings the two back together and they rekindle their friendship and travel traditions as the relationship blossoms.

Sarah Catherine Hook (“The White Lotus”), Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place”), Lukas Gage (“Companion”) and Allen Ruck (“Succession”) round out the rest of the main cast.

NEWS

Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson reflects on first year in office Knudson looks back on a year filled with excitement, difficulties and accomplishments as she completes her first of four years as Eugene’s mayor.

By Joseph Chiu

Associate News Editor

One year has elapsed since Kaarin Knudson became Eugene’s 40th mayor. Since she was officially sworn in on Jan. 6, 2025, Knudson has already achieved many accomplishments and laid the groundwork for many projects that will continue as she enters year two of her mayoralty.

Her inaugural state of the city address nearly one year ago, on Jan. 13, 2025, introduced many goals and issues that she looked to address during her first year in office.

Now, after her first official year as the mayor, Knudson reflected on a year that delivered promising results while she looks ahead to her next chapter in 2026.

Closing the budget gap Knudson was already faced with closing Eugene’s budget gap during the first few months of her term. The city saw large cuts and reductions in services and investments, with more proposals still to come.

The city faced a budget shortfall of $11.5 million in its general fund for the 2025-27 budget cycle, despite having already cut over $30 million in programs, services and staffing costs since 2023.

As a result, the 2025-2027 Biennial Budget was unanimously voted on and adopted for Eugene, which took effect on July 1, 2025, and aimed to address the shortfall. This budget included $4.7 million in new revenue, $3.8 million in service reductions and $2.2 million in reduced investments.

“This year, closing the budget gap that we faced was something that occupied a lot of my time in the first several months of my first term that I was not expecting,” Knudson said.

The city saw cuts across many city departments, including cuts in the Eugene Public Library’s staff position and hours, staffing and personnel positions for the Eugene Police Department.

It also led to reduced funding in facilities such as the Amazon Pool and the Sheldon Community Center, which caused reduced hours of operation, limited programs, increased costs for users, reduced staff and more.

However, an increased stormwater fee of 18% helped avoid larger cuts to services and fund the city’s new revenue. The increased fee helped preserve library and animal services, fund response services and keep Amazon Pool and the Sheldon Community Center open.

“I was proud to see how our community navigated, in that our city addressed some of our reduced costs and reduced some of our expenses, and also found a way to maintain ac-

Housing cost growth in Eugene Housing type

Median Median Average Annual Rent 2018 Rent 2024 Growth Rate

Studio 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom

$985 $1,079 $1,244 $1,707 $2,560

$1,327 $1,449 $1,630 $2,029 $3,013

5.6% 5.6% 6.0% 4.6% 3.9%

*Data courtey of City of Eugene Community Development Division Department of Planning and Development “2024 Eugene Market Rate Rent Assesment”

DAILY EMERALD

Understaffing at Duck Rides has resulted in longer wait times and the hiring of more non-student professional staff.

Housing affordability and availability

Improving public spaces Part of Knudson’s campaign and eventual goal as mayor was to create safer, accessible and more vibrant public spaces throughout the city. She wanted the parks and public spaces to be well-maintained and create a vibrant, inviting environment for the community to enjoy.

She reiterated the importance of working on the safety, sociability and welcoming nature of the spaces at the same time.

“I’m very proud of the efforts that our parks and public safety teams have made to maintain and make sure that our public spaces are accessible and welcoming to the whole community,” Knudson said.

In her state of the city address, Knudson said that “streets are the most dangerous public spaces” and her priority moving forward was to make it safer for people to walk and bike.

The logistics of maintaining safety go back to the design of the city’s streets and the overall management of public spaces.

This focuses on ensuring pedestrians and bicyclists can move around safely and that the streets are designed to support their safety.

Examples of this include protected intersections and bike lanes, including the

page 13

Growing popularity of Duck Rides prompts long wait times, hiring of more professional staff

cess to the core community services that we were in danger of losing,” Knudson said.

The city of Eugene will spend the coming year building the next biennial budget, while utilizing its technical advisory group to communicate and plan together with the city manager, city leadership and business leaders to establish a sustainable budget.

“The next economic projections look more difficult than the last budget that we faced, so we know that we are facing a real challenge, and I’m grateful that so many people in our community have been willing to partner in engaging that challenge and are helping us to put together as thoughtful a path as possible,” Knudson said.

One of the most emphasized points in Knudson’s state of the city address last year was her focus on Eugene’s housing problems, and intentions to identify and solve the issues of a lack of affordable housing in Eugene.

A large root problem that was identified from the outset was the general lack of housing. Thus, Knudson introduced a goal of building 1,000 new housing units over five years, with at least 200 of them in the downtown core.

Most recently, Portal Eugene opened downtown with 130 units. The city has also initiated a new affordable housing project that includes hundreds of units at Whiteaker Commons and Ollie Court.

However, issues with costs and policies have caused projects to stall. High interest rates, inflation and high cost of materials have also hindered construction, and Knudson said they’re seeing federal support for housing recede.

“This community’s work at the city level, at the county level, is going to need to be even more focused and collaborative if we are going to see the progress that our community needs in terms of new homes,” Knudson said.

Knudson believes the root cause of Eugene’s homelessness crisis is the lack of available and affordable housing, so placing these housing goals will remain one of her top priorities and something she’ll continue to progress in 2026.

Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

Continued from page 1

High Street Protected Bikeway that now connects to the new Downtown Riverfront Park.

“I think that the protected bicycle facility improvements that we’ve made in this past year are a really great example of how we build infrastructure that feels safe,” Knudson said. “You see people use it and that’s a really positive outcome.”

Knudson said she was very proud of the opening of Eugene’s Downtown Riverfront Park Plaza, which officially reopened on Aug. 7, 2025 and was one of three new parks that opened this year. Martin Luther King Jr. Park reopened in September 2025 and Willow Bend Park celebrated its official opening in December 2025.

As an architect and urban designer, Knudson recognizes the fundamental principles of urban design that the city has the capacity to include. She looks forward to fully activating Eugene’s public spaces by creating active street edges, safe and welcoming multimodal transportation and expanding the urban forest canopy.

Knundson hopes to continue and to create new developments that will bring more jobs and people into downtown, pushing forward the basic components of a thriving city environment.

“I’m always thinking about how our city is growing more beautiful and vibrant with every decision,” Knudson said. “In downtown, we have an opportunity to have this generation of investment in our city center be the one that finally helps our downtown reach a kind of everyday level of vitality that’s healthy, and that means people working there and living there.”

(ON THE COVER) Mayor Kaarin Kundson introduces the Bold Steps Reflection Video at the Eugene City Council meeting at the Hult Center, Eugene Ore., Jan. 13, 2025.

(LEFT) Mayor Kaarin Kundson takes the Oath of Office given by Katie LaSala, a City Recorder.

(ABOVE) Mayor Kaarin Kundson poses after the Oath of Office.

(Eddie Bruning/Emerald)

dents are less likely to cover.

“They (professional staff) can help fill in the gaps and that is what it is all about, getting more vans on the road,” Reesor said.

Shannon said Halloween night best exemplified the staffing issues at Duck Rides. According to Shannon, only two vans were able to operate and her and Reesor hopped in vans themselves.

“We had about 400 rides that night but I can’t tell you how many people we weren’t able to serve,” Shannon said.

Accessibility is another reason Duck Rides is bringing in professional staff.

According to Reesor and Shannon, professional staff have more of the training and resources to serve students with ADA accommodations.

Student workers had mixed opinions on the necessity of non-student staff.

“I think (it) is really valuable to have the same person that knows how to operate the ADA equipment and who is doing it every night and… I do think they (professional staff) could fill the gap on the weekends but I think just hiring more workers in general will fix that,” Chandler Higginbotham, a Duck Rides student worker, said.

Duck Rides student employee Ainsley McCarthy had a more positive outlook.

“I like pro staff (and) I don’t think they are really taking anything away from us, especially because they’re expected to work on weekends, which is the time

where students slack,” McCarthy said.

The issue came to a head in fall term when Duck Rides, while hiring more professional staff, asked for an approximate $200,000 increase in its budget from ASUO’s Department of Finance Committee, the body that almost exclusively funds the program.

Bella Hoffert-Hay, an ASUO senator and DFC member, took issue with the request.

“Pro staff should be a supplement to student workers and you are trying to use student dollars, I-fee dollars, to fund the pro staff instead of allowing that money to go back to students who need those jobs,” Hoffert-Hay said.

Some employees agreed, but McCarthy thought ASUO should be more supportive of the program’s goals.

“I think ASUO needs to evaluate what their mission through Duck Rides is because if your mission is to provide a reliable service to students in Eugene who need transportation, hire pro staff.

If you want a reliable business for students to have a job and grow their job skills, then prioritize the student workers,” McCarthy said.

Duck Rides ultimately hired two new professional staff and 11 new student employees in late November through December using their regular budget.

OPINION

The Daily Emerald’s Opinion Desk’s winter term ‘Hot or Not’s’ Oregon blues, social taboos and everything in between — the opinion desk has you covered for what’s “hot” in winter term and what’s not.

Hot: The sun

I’ve just returned home to Portland, a city also engulfed in gloom and sheets of rain. Every other week, there seems to be an atmospheric river. Soggy clothes are a constant. Rivers and creeks flooded neighborhoods. Not only is the sun literally scorching hot, but it seems like a figment of my imagination at this point — a cure to all of my seasonal problems! Oh, how I miss it.

– Leo Heffron, Associate Opinion Editor

Hot: A bowl of soup

Often overlooked, but a hearty bowl of soup tends to fix a lot of issues; it sure does for me! Soup conceals a lot of vegetables blended into a mix, making it healthy and delicious. Winter term means my roommate will start making more soups, and I can’t wait to try a bowl with some freshly baked bread!

— Aishiki Nag, Opinion Columnist

Hot: Baking sweet treats

With winter finally here, it’s time to face it; there’s nothing better than a homemade sweet treat paired with a warm drink in the crisp winter air. Find a recipe, grab a whisk and settle in for some baking this term.

— Catalina Kurihara, Opinion Columnist

Meh: The lease renewal conversation

If you haven’t already, consider this your reminder to talk with your roommates about housing plans for next school year.

Renewal deadlines are right around the corner, which means it’s time for the most uncomfortable “back from break” treat: a performance review and deep dive into everyone’s financial woes — shared with roomies you love, hate or feel “meh” about. Grab some popcorn, your notes app and that renewal offer. It’s bound to be a wild ride.

— Gracie Cox, Opinion Editor

Meh: Winter term

Winter term is like the middle child of the school year; it’s hands down the most boring term that people don’t really care about. The weather is meh, the holidays are meh and the events are meh. As much as I love winter, there’s not much to do besides bundle up inside and try not to freeze.

— Zaida Ferguson, Opinion Columnist

Not: Shorter days

Days feel immensely shorter when the sun sets earlier during the winter season, affecting sleep and instilling seasonal depression. I often feel lazier than I already am, which makes it harder for me to want to go out. However, since it’s one of my last terms here, I’ll find a way to rally to make it to a Rennie’s Bingo Night or Drink Wheel!

— D Ortega, Opinion Columnist

Not: FOMO

Why dwell in the awful feeling of not being invited when the opportunity to create memories with the people you love surrounds you at all times? FOMO will only hold you back from doing the things you love because you’re worried about other people. You control your own destiny, make those plans!

— Rachel Ehly, Opinion Columnist

Not: Imposter Syndrome

When you convince yourself that you’re a fraud, you discredit the hard work and effort you put in. It’s about time people stop judging themselves and their work based on standards set by a society that asks you to constantly prove yourself. Confidence doesn’t grow from perfection. Make mistakes and ask stupid questions.

Learning can be slow and steady, so go at your own pace!

— Emma Kahl, Opinion Columnist

DAILY EMERALD

Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

Kahl: Why citizen diplomacy matters now more than ever Opinion: Student-led diplomacy efforts are a powerful tool in shaping global understanding.

By Emma Kahl

Opinion Columnist

While global narratives and diplomacy are often influenced by lawmakers, nonprofits and diplomats, it’s important that more young people and students get involved to ensure their voices are heard internationally. Citizen diplomacy allows everyday people to engage in reducing global tensions and fostering greater cultural understanding.

After starting my minor in global studies, I found a sense of passion in analyzing issues confronting human wellbeing. I was challenged to think about how students can initiate change on a global scale.

It’s a daunting task that, while somewhat complex, can begin with simple steps.

For students, this can mean participating in exchange programs, getting involved with the on-campus multicultural center, volunteering for specific nonprofits or engaging with international students, such as the UO International Student Association.

Over two years ago, I began an internship at Friendship Force International, a nonprofit with over 300 clubs worldwide. They work to connect people through cultural exchanges with the mission of promoting global understanding and peace.

This internship was an invaluable experience as I furthered my knowledge of cross-cultural exchange and its power. I just recently accepted a part-time position at the nonprofit, and I am deeply interested in how more students can get involved in citizen diplomacy efforts.

FFI President and CEO Jeremi Snook discussed his belief in citizen diplomacy as an essential tool in today’s fractured world. He believes that students and young people play an important role in reducing global tensions. He emphasized meaningful person-to-person exchanges, which work to challenge our assumptions about culture and belief.

“It is far too easy to hide behind our keyboards, reinforcing whatever we already believe inside algorithm-driven social media echo chambers. What is far harder is challenging our own perceptions by choosing to engage with people who are different from us,” Snook said.

Organizations like FFI show how cultural exchange actively works to break down cultural

page 14

Emma Kahl is an opinion columnist for The Daily Emerald. She is currently a senior, majoring in written journalism and minoring in global studies.

barriers. Increasing student involvement in citizen diplomacy can aid in building important connections.

“Too often, global leadership remains dominated by aging career politicians whose formative moments, while rich in hard-earned wisdom, can also limit their ability to see beyond them,” Snook said. “As a result, today’s leaders frequently struggle to fully understand or represent the perspectives of the generations that follow.”

The impacts of citizen diplomacy are also felt on a local level through community leaders like Marilyn Peterson, who is the president of the Friendship Force of Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley. She has been involved with the organization for over 20 years.

Peterson said she was motivated to get involved with citizen diplomacy at the community level because of the joy she gets from “meeting people from other cultures, backgrounds and beliefs.”

She noted the importance of young people being involved with citizen diplomacy because they “are the future” and by directly engaging with others, they can build friendships and greater shared understandings.

“Watching a video or reading about others and their ways of life isn’t the same as actually being part of their lives. Dispelling the ‘my view is best’ opens up an opportunity to have honest conversations which do not involve anyone trying to persuade someone else to adopt a particular belief or custom,” Peterson said.

Peterson shared that some of her most rewarding experiences were hosting a group of young people from Armenia, having international scholars from OSU speak at monthly club meetings and helping out monthly at the OSU cultural center’s coffee gatherings.

Meaningful engagement begins at a local level, and students can help or join in many different ways.

Simple conversations and actions done by students can be important opportunities to broaden global perspectives and foster a more peaceful world.

(BELOW) Board members traveling from eight countries representing the global network of Friendship Force clubs and members came together in 2024.

(Courtesy of Friendship Force International)

© POS IP, LLC

OUR OUR DOORS DOORS ARE ARE OPEN. OPEN.

Make an appointment online, or walk in to our Health Center on Franklin today!

Make an appointment online, or walk in to our Health Center on Franklin today!

OPINION & SPORTS OPINION

Rachel Ehly is an opinion columnist for The Daily Emerald and is studying journalism and political science.

She could talk for hours about all things politics, pop culture and music.

DAILY EMERALD

Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

page 17

SPORTS

Ehly: Academic fraternities reshape toxicity in UO Greek life

The networking and community-building opportunities offered by academic fraternities are unlike anything else at UO. Academic fraternities deserve more attention than they currently get.

By Rachel Ehly

Opinion Columnist

I didn’t know that academic fraternities existed until I was asked if I got my bid from UO’s new pre-law fraternity, Kappa Alpha Pi. In one of the most confusing moments of my life, I was profiled as a pre-law student who cared enough about my career prospects to become part of a community focused on preparing for the future.

While I was flattered — once I learned what Kappa Alpha Pi or “KAPi” actually was — I wondered how long academic fraternities like this had been operating at UO, and how long I had ignored them.

I’d never entertained being part of Greek life, but I was intrigued.

While there are major drawbacks to the culture of Greek life at UO — with multiple accusations of assault — the idea of fraternities and sororities on college campuses is the backbone of many universities around the country.

Academic fraternities provide support to students in specific academic fields and are similar to traditional fraternities and sororities, with a focus on community building and professional networking.

Sophomore Eliza Hardy notes that the specialized academic opportunities are what drew her to join UO’s business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi and accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi. According to Hardy, both of the fraternities help her hone professional skills, along with giving her a chance to connect with the community and build her confidence.

“I really love the VITA program (offered through Beta Alpha Psi),” Hardy said, “(where students) help low-income individuals in the community with their taxes. It’s a really rewarding experience.”

However, academic fraternities offer a model focused on academic and professional development that is not found in a traditional fraternity or sorority.

Hardy said her experience joining academic fraternities led her to make

connections with alumni who gave her tips on applying to work or intern for their companies.

Sydney Luchs, president of pre-law academic fraternity Kappa Alpha Pi, said she never considered joining Greek life at UO. However, when the opportunity to join an academic fraternity came, she couldn’t deny it.

“It’s a co-ed group of people that are coming together — that have similar goals and interests, so they’re able to support each other in a way that they might not get from a traditional fraternity,” Luchs said.

Many students who never considered joining Greek life on campus find their place in an academic fraternity, and come out with a community that works to push each other to their fullest potential.

For students pursuing competitive paths like law or business, that support matters.

The support that academic fraternities tend to give their members is unmatched, but often goes unnoticed by students who aren’t in the academic circles that they serve. To many students, these organizations are invisible.

As academic fraternities are housed within their respective colleges and not backed by UO fraternity and sorority life, they often struggle with promotion. This, coupled with the lack of representation for most UO majors, has led academic fraternity life to go unnoticed by a large portion of the student body.

But the invisibility does not reflect a lack of relevance.

Academic fraternities offer a version of Greek life that’s focused and practical, while still offering a semblance of community in competitive fields.

These fraternities are inherently shaping the way students fields like law and business interact with their peers.

There are national academic fraternities for almost every academic area you can imagine, even if they aren’t currently represented at UO. All it takes is one person’s interest to access an unlimited world of networking and professional opportunities.

New, experienced faces propel Oregon women’s basketball to early success A look at how some of Oregon’s newest transfers are contributing to the team’s early dominance.

By Harry Leader

Sports Writer

The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team (13-3, 1-2 Big Ten) is off to a solid start this season, and some of the key contributors to their success have been transfer portal additions. During the offseason, the Ducks added three transfers. Here is how they are doing so far.

Mia Jacobs – Forward – Senior – Fresno State University

Jacobs has been one of the team’s best players this season, averaging 14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. The Australian forward started her collegiate career at La Salle University before transferring to Fresno State, where she played for two seasons, averaging 18.3 points, 10 rebounds and two steals per game in her last season.

“Mia is a proven winner that continues to get better each and every season,” head coach Kelly Graves said at a press conference earlier this year. “She had a breakout season as a junior at Fresno State, and she’s only scratching the surface of what she can become. We love her competitive nature and expect her to contribute in a meaningful way immediately.”

There has been a slight dip in her production from last season, which can be attributed to lower minutes since she’s currently averaging 27.4 minutes per game compared to her 33 minutes last season. Regardless of the lower numbers, she’s still one of the team’s top producers, and her rebounding and scoring are integral to Oregon’s success on the court

formance against Old Dominion University and her five steals against University of Montana.

“Astera has tremendous instincts and basketball IQ ,” Graves said. “Her creativity, toughness and grittiness will fit in perfectly with our team, and her relentlessness and passion are second to none.”

The Kosovan guard came to Oregon following a threeyear stint at Washington State, where she was a starter for her last two years, averaging 7.8 points, 3.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in her final year.

Avary Cain – Guard – Sophomore – UCLA

Similar to Tuhina, Cain has been a go-to role player for the Ducks off the bench, but has had limited impact in tough games. She is currently averaging 3.7 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. She’s been inefficient with her shots, shooting 34.5% from the field and 28.2% from the three-point line.

Cain played one season at UCLA, where she averaged 1.5 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game on very limited minutes.

“Avary is an impact player on both ends of the floor,” Graves said. “Not only is she a gifted scorer who can create her own shot, but she is tenacious on the defensive end.

Her length and athleticism are going to be impactful for us.”

She’s had a few solid games this season, with three games with 10 or more points, including a solid outing against University of Portland with 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Overall however, she’s been a low-impact player in most of her games off the bench.

Astera Tuhina – Guard – Senior – Washington State University

Tuhina has been one of the Ducks’ go-to options off the bench this season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game. She had limited play time in some tougher games, but has had multiple memorable games, including her 18-point per-

Oregon forward Mia Jacobs (1) drives past Oregon State guard Jenna Villa (3) during a game at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. The Oregon Ducks played the Oregon State Beavers at the University of Oregon on Dec. 3, 2025.

(Fred Hall/Emerald)

YUGO EUGENE SKYBOX & COURTSIDE

NOW LEASING FOR FALL 2026 Steps to UO campus, MKA, Market of Choice, USPS, Hirons Pharmacy, and LTD.

Don’t sacrifice quality for affordability -Private rooms in 2, 3, 4-bedroom apartments; roommate matching.

-Competitive, allin pricing. Starting @ $799/bed.

-Renovated & fully furnished unit options, including full-size appliances & inunit washer/dryer.

Go Ducks!!

24/7 state-ofthe-art on-site fitness center.

Top floor game room, lounge, & deck, equipped with firepit & grill.

See what Yugo has to offer Yu. Send us a message today!

You're so close to beginning something extraordinary!

(541)393-8080 |EugeneSkybox@yugo.com

541-485-7776 • vonkleinrentals.com • 1301 Ferry St. #2 /vonKleinPropertyManagement

SPORTS

DAILY EMERALD

Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

page 21

Murray: Oregon just got a taste of why home College Football Playoff games are special. More of them would be better.

The Ducks (and the Dukes) came alive for the first-ever CFP game at Autzen Stadium. The case for adding another one is strong.

Continued from page 1

Marcus Mariota against Florida State on TV with family, but that’s about it. I grew up in Seattle (saw Jake Browning a couple of times), and leaned more toward soccer and the Seahawks than I did college sports. The last three years at Oregon have been a crash course in what makes them special. I’d like to think that it’s been close to comprehensive (and pretty lucky).

The resume is this: Between covering the team and playing in the marching band, I’ve watched Oregon play 19 times at Autzen Stadium, and traveled to Husky Stadium, Beaver Stadium, the Pac-12 and Big Ten Championship games, the Fiesta Bowl, the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl. The first-round matchup in December was my last home game — I’m graduating in the spring. I decided to walk to Autzen with Sports Editor Jack Lazarus.

It’s something I’ve done plenty of times. I walked over the Willamette River three times a week during my first two years in Eugene, when I was in the marching band (it’s a lot longer when you’re lugging a large instrument). I walked to most of the home games this season, too.

Forgetting why college football is special is easy to do when covering it becomes routine, and I found that walking and watching was a good reminder of why this game mattered.

On-campus postseason games were a major selling point of the new 12-team College Football Playoff. An expanded postseason built on the pageantry of school tradition supplemented one that had previously been rooted in the grandeur of the New Year’s Six bowl games and the promise of matchups between the best four teams in the nation.

The first-ever home playoff game in Eugene had less of the competitive draw, but plenty of tradition; Oregon (the fifth seed in the CFP rankings) and James Madison (the 12th) were separated by a three-touchdown spread at kickoff and 28 points at the half. The Ducks’ first postseason run since 2015 started a year ago at the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California, where there’s arguably more college football history than anywhere else. With a chance to head to the quarterfinal round for the second-straight season, they got a chance to show off Autzen Stadium — and make some history of their own. It’s not that it was new. It was intimately familiar, with a tinge of win-or-go-home anxiety (even if it wasn’t going to be close). It was an opportunity to spend one more Saturday with friends.

I’m writing this story en route to the Orange Bowl in Florida, where the Ducks will play No. 4 Texas Tech University on New Year’s Day. There’s tradition there, too. It’s a great

matchup, and a beautiful place for fans to spend the holiday.

But Oregon head coach Dan Lanning argued earlier this week that I should be headed to Lubbock, Texas, instead, to watch the Ducks and Red Raiders play on campus. He talked about the advantage that should, in his opinion, be afforded to the higher-seeded team in a Playoff matchup.

That’s part of the discussion, too, but the part I can’t get away from is the feeling.

There’s no perfect solution to how that happens. Maybe it’s a 16-team playoff — but then there are questions over who should qualify. It’s difficult to exclude the historic bowl games in an era where the ones not in the CFP are increasingly fading from relevance.

After watching CFP logos flash on the giant screen at Autzen Stadium for the first time, though, I can’t argue against more of those games. It’s been a great ride. Like I said, I get it now.

(ABOVE) Fireworks explode above Autzen Stadium as the Oregon team runs out from their tunnel. The No. 5 University of Oregon Ducks demolished the No. 12 James Madison University Dukes 51-34 in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Dec 20, 2025. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)

Around the Big Ten: non-conference wrap up Oregon’s Big Ten schedule will provide plenty of ranked matchups to boost its tournament resume.

By Henry Light

Sports Writer

The Big Ten holds six spots in the Coaches Poll at the end of nonconference play, including number one. The three other teams that received votes in Week 9, and those on the outside looking in, will need to take down some of the best teams in the country to shake up the conference standings.

No. 1 Michigan dominates difficult schedule

Michigan (12-0) ranked No. 7 in the preseason Coaches Poll, with a lower-end national title case bolstered by second-year head coach Dusty May’s seamless transition to a Sweet 16 appearance in year one and the addition of Naismith Player of the Year candidate Yaxel Lendeborg, who transferred from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Knocks against the Wolverines, like the loss of their top three scorers from last season and questions about the supporting cast around Lendeborg haven’t left a mark as Michigan steamrolled the sixth-toughest strength of schedule in the nation.

The Wolverines are headlined by an offense that ranks third in points per game with 96.8 and has scored in the triple digits seven times so far. Lendeborg has led the charge, averaging 15.7 points per game while he and four other rotational players have shot over 40% from three. Michigan’s team defense has cemented the Wolverines as a national title favorite, holding opponents to the second-lowest field goal percentage in the country at 34.6%.

Preseason No. 1 Purdue remains a contender despite stumble

Purdue (12-1) dropped to No. 6 in the Week 9 Coaches Poll due to an 81-58 home loss to No. 10 Iowa State University. Still, the Boilermakers have proven themselves as one of the deepest starting lineups in the nation, with four players averaging double-digit points per game and six having led the team in scoring. National Player of the Year candidate Braden Smith has performed as expected, posting a nation-leading 9.5 assists per game along with 12.5 points. Despite the loss, Purdue has proven itself

against ranked opponents, taking down No. 8 University of Alabama, No. 15 Texas Tech University and No. 21 Auburn University.

No. 9 Michigan State retains momentum from Elite 8 run

The 2024-25 season represented a resurgence for head coach Tom Izzo, as Michigan State advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019. The Spartans are off to an even better start this season, cruising through nonconference play 12-1 with ranked wins over No. 14 University of Arkansas, No. 12 University of Kentucky and No. 16 University of North Carolina. Forward Jaxon Kohler leads the Spartans on both ends of the floor, averaging 13.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. A 66-60 home loss to No. 4 Duke has slowed Michigan State’s rise from its preseason No. 21 ranking, but the Spartans look like a contender for the first time in the 2020s.

No. 13 Nebraska blows past preseason expectations

The Cornhuskers have proven both the AP voters and coaches wrong, starting 12-0 after not receiving a vote in either preseason poll. Nebraska legitimized its early run with a ranked win over No. 13 Illinois in its first opportunity on Dec. 13. Graduate student Rienk Mast is having a breakout this season, leading the Cornhuskers with 17 points per game, followed by Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort averaging 16.3. Head coach Fred Hoiberg has a strong opportunity to lead Nebraska past the first round for the first time in his seven-year tenure.

Stojakovic and senior Kylan Boswell have added 14.8 and 14.7, respectively. Illinois has the talent to compete with the best teams in the conference, and head coach Brad Underwood will be able to lean on his team’s experience as the season goes on.

First-year head coach leads No. 23 Iowa into top 25

First-year head coach Ben McCollum has Iowa off to an 11-2 start and a top-25 placement in the Coaches Poll after receiving only three votes pre-season. McCollum is coming off an excellent season at Drake University, in which he led the Bulldogs to a 31-4 record and an upset win over the sixth-seeded University of Missouri in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Drake star Bennett Stirtz followed McCollum to Iowa and has carried the Hawkeyes’ offense in non-conference play, averaging 17.1 points per game. Iowa’s defense ranks fourth in the nation in points per game, allowing just 60.1, but a light schedule and losses to No. 7 Michigan State and No. 4 Iowa State University leave it in a vulnerable position going into Big Ten play.

No. 19 Illinois struggles in ranked matchups despite deep lineup Illinois (10-3) enters Big Ten play with a lot to prove after going 2-3 against ranked opponents through the 20th-hardest strength of schedule in the nation. The Illini have lived up to their No. 17 preseason ranking, with five players averaging double-digit points. Freshman Keaton Wagler leads the team, averaging 15.3 points while Cal transfer Andrej

Dec 21, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Braden Frager (5) shoots the ball against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

(Dylan Widger-Imagn Images)

Weekly Crossword 2

1

Puzzles Master, Nate Wong

3

4

5 6

ACROSS

DOWN

1 Blacken, as a patty 5 ___scope: chart where you would find 8-Across, 10-Across, and 3-Down 6 ___ Twain, Queen of Country Pop 8 Astrology’s crab 9 Euphoric moments 10 Astrology’s lion

1 Metamorphosize 2 Head ___ (the boss) 3 Astrology’s ram 4 Sound from a tiger 6 UO or MIT, ex.

7 Rain stones

7

8 9 10

Sudoku 5

4

6

Unscramble

7

2

9

8

9 9

5

2 3

6

9 4

5

3

9

7

8 1

7 6

1

4

2

5

7

4

6

Answers

SudokuMondayWinter

By Nate W

R A T N I O

C W T H A

A R O D

O S N

I visited the psychic in my local boba shop; to tell my fortune, they used

!

By Nate W

SudokuMondayWinter

TARO CARDS RATION, WATCH, ROAD, SON

3

8

2

6

7

9

5

4

6

3

8

1

9

7

1

2

4

5

4 1 5 7 2 9 8 6 3

9 7 3 2 1 4 5 8 6

1 4 2 6 8 5 3 9 7

6 5 8 3 9 7 2 4 1

7 8 6 9 4 3 1 5 2

2 3 1 8 5 6 4 7 9

5 9 4 1 7 2 6 3 8

C H A R HORO S H A N I A C A NC E R H I GH S L EO

Go Ducks!

The University Florist

www.eugenesflowerhome.com 1193 Harlow, Springfield 541-485-3655

Un

ive Owne rsit d b yo f O y pro reg ud on Alu m

We Got You We Got Every step You of your journey Every step of your journey

s!

We now offer a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy!

We now offer a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy!

dailyemerald.com or scan the QR code!

Emer EmeEmerald rald Emerald ald THE

THE DAILY

DAIL Y

SPOR TS

T. 29,

2025

NOV. 3, MONDAY,

Ducks bolst men’s ba addit ers roster sketball ions fro with m tra strong nsfer porta l

ST U

THE

ED BY STUDEN

JOURNA INDEPENDENT

MOND AY, SEP

Read

story

on page

2025

ARTS & CULTURE

os Día de los Muert in the Jordan m Schnitzer Museu

SPORTS

IND EPE

NDE

ART

27

NT JOU

RNA

S & CULT

LISM PRODUC

Women’s soccer: at Tracy Looking back ’s first season

Joyner 14 LISM PRO on page Read story DUC ED BY

Every URE to kn thing yo 2025 ow abou u need MTV t the VMAs

Read story

LT ARTS & CU STU

URE

on page 5

ead MEN A Deadh AS figu UO’s six hiT story of Eugene DEN T

GOV

ERN

Read

surprl e deficit in us bu dget

story

on page

OPINIO N

DEN

TS, FOR

STU

DEN

TS

8

Kurih

ara: Yo themed pic u caDeb k upfulyoDeadGrate n As Ducks donn ur” Host Post-ga Air Radio trash excuse me lazine uniforms, “Dead ss for litt ering e.is no and Eugen in Oreon her. “It an impression gon was the classic band Contin

NEW S

ue

story nights; on page was three

it

Trist said.

Or amazing,” Writer stint in New ego Arts & Culture After their town and - Jersey, the band left . Not too to pa n Hous to California up in the ssarea to raise e’s failur Trist ended the Eugene reg ula returned Springlong after, e complete accident. ic shows inon inv New order to save area by esttheor closetiosame n bil money in utiliti l to move fromso she of their-ow Trist ned wanted the brother to San Francisco,when she es owned by and Univer- York stopped artistrai for ratalumnus ses Kesey. drove west and Ken friend, eccentric concern San Francisco but sity of Oregon epaye for victim connection rs, Aiming between s to San Lorenzo, closer wi as area that ldfi ending up getting questioned by established re and the Eugene latended up

By Vinny White

Contin

ue story

on page

5

Dead she the News to this day. One month Owsley Repo persists rter encounter with engineer er, a chance the sound in possession “Bear” Stanley, led to a young Deb have been ed in the to see the Trist may for the band, have Trist getting an invite City, New of marijuana, criminaliz Publ implemenDead in Jersey forward, able to ic Grateful ted that he be that moment tor-o UtilitiesFrom strict demanding began wned Jersey. Com host er of “Dead Air began car, a bystander the miss regu utilit now 89.7 FM search the Trist, onlation ies and ion Deb” (PUC by the forever with Downtownproh became ) on port, inves ” in Eugene, ibited band. addit Smit beingKLCC in police procedure. d with the ional intro h intertwine got to meet “interested duce (D-G (R-Port shows, she d by left 8 Orfo the resha After page Sen. from story on experience m), and rd) and the Davi Continue andSen. recov the d Broc inten ering band, costs ded to Chris Gors k preve and nt IOUek expe nses incur ’s IOU red ’s to pay for settle ment ment s requ s with ired by victims, the cour SB 926 litt after woul being d have foun d at also impo sed conseContin ue story

trans

on page

7

TS

s Food resource in Oregon

THE DAILY

SDAY, SEP

T. 30,

INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM

ARTS & CULTURE

ces food resour Community include: in Lane County

S&C ULT

FOR STUDENTS

INDEPE NDE

sdays of the First Wedne g at 11:30 of the month startin Tuesdays a.m. Third g at 1 p.m. month startin Center McKenzie Event Produce Plus

Take a step foward this Walktober 97408 month, Eugene OR sday of the

Wedne Firstthat 9 a.m. events g at exhibit Lane month startin County’s history and culture.

Eugene

West Event Continue story on page 23 Produce Plus Ave, 2101 W 11th 97402 SPORTS Eugene, OR 1 p.m. starting at Thursdays

Oregon volleyball food goes Comm as itsunity freshmenmah ces in Multno : go in resour Big include Ten play County

By Henry Light

St, When Oregon lost back-to-back SE Maldenmatches in straight sets to8129 USC on the 97206 ORand d,road Washington at home in Portlan - 3:30 the third week of Big Ten 2:30 play, from head coach Trent KerstenFriday Every echoed his comments from the week before, own bags.OPINION yourbeat when his team Bring Iowa and Ohio State atp.m. home.

3 “At the end of the day, story on page we’re in the arena that Continue we want to be in. We’re in Ten, playing really quality the arena of the Big so much to grow,” Kersten teams and we have said after the loss to Washington. “We’ve got to be careful not to want it before we give them enough time to get there.”

Kersten was able to do so because he has preached patience and growth at every turn for his team that features eight true freshmen and 14 new players total.

Several of the freshmen have shouldered heavier workloads six matches into Big Ten play, with opposite hitter Alanah Clemente leading the team 8

RNA

LISM

PRO

DUC

ED BY

ne's in

h Chiu

iate News

In early September, Trond Jacobsen, the head of forensics since 2013, attended a meeting with Clark

Honors College leadership With to discuss completed travel planning and the colo season. and tale rful melInstead, he was informed that upcoming the forensics program odihad cut. es been musici nted stu Cutting the local the program leaves funding uncertain den for mock t trial and music singe speech brings ans, Belltowfaculty r-son and debate. gwrit scene.Without leadershipBellt at the Blend er remain head of the ower er, program, jazz theing folk, life righbluegrass clubs turn with’s origin in limbo and heads their funds. blueg of 2022 and get al music t on cam fusion to neo-traditi is sure rass, er,

By Claire with people Unlikwereonal Mica banjo pus.“I was told that they excite goingblueg to end Arts & Coit e most h honors playe rass. col-d aboutto tower r and Primack, Cultu camp .

luegra

r: d

ss ban

lead singre Edito songw us band show an acousPrimack Love riter initia r scene s, Bellto a good proba playing tic folk, lly leane for Bell. For then as a faculty wer member bly used later many house on,” Jacobsen band the basemhis musicsinger-son d towa a stude show to the studesaid. s such rds gwrit nts, , but with ents Ham er Continueindie on the nt indie looki as Bowl story on pagethey’r 7 e fellowilton Hall. of Justic a few peersvibe, ng blueg Univ bluegrass Peace alternative ersity rass It wasn e Bean Hall in band band , Grow to the on-ca of Oreg . Form and ing tower sound members ’t until he on camp ed diver mpus music table, that the met his began Prim se genre us, scene expanding ack true Bellstarte to come toget s. to inclu the d collab de more Farla band her. , thoug ne (guit oratin who g with h. It all layere ar, dobro began his songs d impro and produ in the vised to creat fall term when melo ction e briel Noah Potee something dies over), Mart t (man new. inez Later dolin (doub le bass) ) and Ga-, joined the

Opinion: Stigma thrives in silence, but University of Oregon students can change that – one conversation at a time.

Contin

ue story

STU

DEN

TS

on page

12

Edito Stude r opened nt dorm follow itory Kalap 2023 ing a . two-yearuya Ilihi dents Kalapuya Ilihi denti and will consi will be closure has real mon communitie st of manyopen for in July studi s to acade all stues and backg serve stude mic resiafter round nts of disco s. comverin g crack s in the walls invol and struc ved was settlewith the proje d Augu st 2025 for $7 milli ct and the .

With on and comp stude laint nifer dism issed O’Ne nts movi of unde al, in ng rgrad assistant and settli and Ethn uate studi profe ng in, the move ic Stud es for ssor and direcJenIndig -in proceies, said dents enous, tor will have ss and she is Race in their the oppo excited about close rtuni comm d unity ties stua really for two years this year. great comm ,” O’Neal said. unity “We here, and incre have Contin NEW dible ue

S

story

on page

graduateprograms@wou.edu Contact us at 503-838-8597 or graduateprograms@wou.edu

graduate.wou.edu graduate.wou.edu

19

UO size welcomes shm rec onto fre campuan classords Read

Continue story on page

TS, FOR

dents

By Josep

Assoc

l die b ltowe

By Elle Kubiaczyk

DEN

Kalap reope uya Ilihi ns to stu

UO’s forensics program loses CHC support amid university-wide budget cuts, leaving future of Mock Trial and Speech and Debate uncertain.

Me Euge et Be News Reporter

STU

NEW S

Kurihara: Stop hiding it: domestic violence deserve s a voice this October

Continue story on page

NT JOU

URE

Mock Trial, Speech and Debate face funding uncertainty

Dr, Walktober 2885 Chad began this

Free Multnomah t Food Marke

PRODUCED BY STUDENTS,

UO CLUBS

Event Produce Plus Ct, 305 Coop

Sports Writer

2025

ART

resources set With SNAP food frozen, local OCT. 20, 2025 to be MONDAY, e: resources includ

DAIL Y

TUE

story

on page

7

14

transp

ortatio

n.uor

egon.

edu/b

us

porta

tion.u

13

TS, FOR STUDEN

Center for Graduate Studies Center for Graduate Studies Questions?

Contact us at 503-838-8597 Questions? or

oreg

on.ed

u/bus

THE PERFECT JUMPSTART

FREE drip coffee every Friday at the Flagship Campus Duck Store only when you wear your Duck gear!*

YOUR NON-PROFIT COLLEGE STORE. The original University of Oregon college store.

Dedicated to student success since 1920.

From textbooks and supplies to your favorite college tee, The Duck Store is your starting point for University of Oregon essentials. With more than a 100-year history on campus, we’re the original college store and the only one with a non-profit mission to support you and every UO student.

EASY ONLINE ORDERING Textbooks from The Duck Store are available exclusively online. After generating your book list (available in late August), purchase everything online and then choose In-Store Pickup or have them shipped to your home.

WHAT YOU NEED, PRICED FAIRLY The Duck Store is the only store that works directly with UO professors to know exactly what you need for class. We seek out used and digital options to help keep prices as low as possible.

QUICK AND CONVENIENT In-Store Pickup is free, fast and convenient meaning shopping for books and supplies online doesn’t come with added shipping fees or delays. Most orders are ready for pickup the next weekday.

* Limit one free coffee per customer per Friday.

APPLY TODAY

“At the Y, we embrace an environment where we help people grow and become better.”

—Y Staff

THIS JOB CHANGES LIVES. INCLUDING YOURS. Be a part of our all-star team helping our community thrive!

Eugene Family YMCA | 541.686.9622 | eugeneymca.org