Receiving a Snapchat from my roommate with a selfie of her in the hospital, covered in blood, certainly wasn’t on my college bucket list. “I just got in a car crash, but don’t worry, guys, I’m fine,” she texted.
Luckily, my roommate wasn’t injured too badly, but her totaled car faced the brunt of the damage. It seems that this isn’t an isolated incident within the city, with similar crashes occurring regularly.
The need for defensive driving feels like an understatement on the roads of Eugene. I’ve almost been hit countless times as a pedestrian on crosswalks, have witnessed numerous crashes and see multiple traffic violations each time I get behind the wheel.
I grew up in a smaller city and always felt relatively safe on the road, so coming to Eugene was a full 180. Certain areas and roads in the city seem worse than others, and UO
Unprecedented international recruiting class helps Oregon volleyball to strong nonconference start
By Henry Light Sports Reporter
In his first season in charge of the Oregon volleyball program, newly-appointed head coach Trent Kersten has overcome the obstacle of replacing 14 of 15 players from last year’s team to achieve a 9-1 record in nonconference play. A key piece of the team’s performance and the most encouraging sign of its room to grow is an unprecedented international recruiting class for the program.
Among the 14 new players are outside hitter Ksenija Tomic, from Belgrade, Serbia; outside
Feeling existential climate dread? This film festival wants to fix that
Community reacts to Emeralds officially announcing Eugene departure
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Q&A with ASUO President Prissila Moreno
Moreno’s top priorities include increasing “shared governance” and DEI programs at UO.
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Song recommendations to get into the autumn spirit
By Everette Cogswell Arts & Culture Writer
As the leaves begin to change, the atmosphere of fall begins to set in. It’s important to have a playlist that helps shift your mindset into all things fall, from pumpkins to the first week of school. These song recommendations truly embrace that autumn energy and are your ticket to a perfect fall season.
Blue Light
Mazzy Star
Back to the Old House
The Smiths
Mayonaise
The Smashing Pumpkins
Second Chances
Gregory Alan Isakov
Paper Bag
Fiona Apple
Time of the Season
The Zombies
Open Season
High Highs
Pizza, New York
Catcher
Belle and Sebastian
All Your’n
Tyler Childers
Star Witness
Neko Case
The Only Living Boy in New York
Simon and Garfunke l
Maine
Noah Kahan
Exile
Taylor Swift (ft. Bon Iver)
Video Child
Many Voices Sapeak
Elliott Smith
Between the Bars
Thirteen
Big Star
We’re Going To Be Friends
The White Stripes Coming Home
Leon Bridges
Add Up My Love
Clairo
Something
The Beatles
(Stephanie Yang/Daily Emerald)
Heffron: Remodeling our football color schedule will increase school spirit
Opinion: I find school spirit dwindling in our student section, at least on the fashion side of things. The color schedule should increase creativity, not limit it!
Leo Heffron
Associate Opinion Editor
Looking back on high school, I remember being stoked to dress up for football games. You could catch me in a toga or wearing full neon to support my team.
Fast forward four years, and I’m just throwing on a hoodie or a T-shirt and some jeans to support one of the best college football teams in the nation. Is that because I’ve lost my spark for school spirit? No, it’s because our color guide needs a revamp.
At Autzen, you’ll see tons of the same outfits. Vintage 1995 Rose Bowl T-shirts, “I love my Ducks” tees and of course, jerseys. The cause of this? We all get our inspiration from the same place — social media.
If you look up “game day UO outfits,” choose one and then look around Autzen, you’ll see why our school spirit isn’t as out there as it could be. Our color schedule doesn’t help either. “Wear yellow! Wear green! Wear white!”
This dress code ends up being recycled year after year, with the occasional blackout or the important pink-out in support of breast cancer awareness. While these are our colors, it’s become a binding uniform that strips away one of the easiest ways to express ourselves: fashion.
Some students, like Gabriel Miller, a junior political science major, see the flip side.
“The color guides definitely unite fans,” said Miller. “Most people don’t wear anything crazy. Having everyone in the same color makes our student section look much better than it would otherwise.”
Miller, who usually paints his face and wears a Ducks helmet his sister customized, admits that going all out enhances his experience.
“Having a wacky, spirited outfit makes the fan experience so much more enjoyable,” Miller said. “It feels like you’re part of the game.”
He also got a sunburn in the shape of the Oregon logo after the OSU game, illustrating the lasting commitment dedicated fans can have with their school spirit.
Others, like Morgan Yates, a senior planning, public policy and management major, see both the potential and the limits of themed dress codes.
“It feels good to be unified wearing similar colors to the players and the people around the stadium,” Yates said. “But I think Oregon football culture needs one theme to do really well, sort of like Penn State’s white-out. Oregon comes close with the stripe out, but having pride in one signature theme allows for more creativity than a niche theme.”
Yates also points out the practical side of
dressing up. “It would be easier for students to have fun with any of the themes if The Duck Store weren’t so expensive,” they said. “If Oregon gave out more swag or helped students follow the colors, it would generate a lot of excitement.”
Why not have a “feather-out” or hand out duck masks at the gate? Our team wears some of the most creative uniforms in college football; the fans should match that energy. As Yates put it, “Anything that gets the fan base united and excited for the game is important, as well as expressing creativity and having fun with the outfits.”
Some students are already pushing back on tradition. Chances are, you’ll see someone in a full duck onesie or cowboy boots and sequins. That’s what it’s all about: showing up for your team and expressing yourself through school spirit.
On a positive note, this year we have a tie-dye out on Oct. 25 versus Wisconsin to commemorate the Grateful Dead, which played in Autzen many times. Hopefully, this year’s “Grateful Ducks” themed game will be the first of many new creative themes on our color schedule.
Leo is the associate opinion editor for The Daily Emerald. He is a fourth-year student studying journalism and Spanish. Leo writes about a range of topics, but his favorites are fashion and social media.
(Kai Kanzer/Emerald)
( BELOW ) For the first time ever, fans stripe out Autzen Stadium. The University of Oregon Ducks defeated the University of Colorado Buffaloes 42-6 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023.
A&C
Kahl: Why is driving in Eugene so dangerous?
Opinion: Whether it's as a driver or a pedestrian, reckless driving feels like just another part of daily life in Eugene.
students I talked to agreed with me.
Alexia Crawford, a UO senior and computer science major, said, “I think as a pedestrian, downtown Eugene is less safe because no one pays attention to the lights down there.”
Crawford is originally from San Francisco, and said that driving in Eugene is better than in her hometown because the drivers feel less “aggressive.”
“Sometimes I’ll be like, wow, there are so many bad drivers out today, and then other days it’s like no big deal. It just depends on the day,” Crawford said.
This kind of unpredictability is what makes driving here feel so dangerous to me. While some days it’s not so bad, other days it feels like you’re avoiding disaster at every turn.
These drivers are further enabled by Eugene’s hectic roadway design. With highway lanes that abruptly merge and downtown roads that suddenly end and become one-way streets, Eugene seems to be built on chaos.
The chaotic roadways seemingly attract chaotic drivers as well. According to the Eugene Fatal Crash Report, “within the Eugene Urban Growth Boundary” – better known as UGB –“This is the highest total on record.”
The City of Eugene reported that in 2024, traffic deaths had increased by 132% from the previous three years. This reveals a larger crisis happening within Eugene, rather than just a few individuals with bad driving habits.
With what seems to be a mix of factors like distracted driving, driving under the influence
and poor street design, it’s likely hard to pinpoint one clear solution to this problem.
A student government club called LiveMove has worked to promote quality and sustainable transportation systems in the local area. Their past projects have worked to actively make Eugene’s streets safer and raise awareness on these issues. Their Safe Streets Fest last June showcased poster proposals for increasing street safety at South Eugene High School. Another project
called Tactical Urbanism in Eugene ended with the club creating and handing out DIY kits that allowed community members to increase visibility in Eugene intersections that needed improvement. Hopefully, by increasing awareness, advocating for improvements in the city’s infrastructure and encouraging safer driving practices, Eugene residents can help turn its chaotic streets into a safer place for all.
Emma Kahl is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is currently a senior, majoring in journalism and minoring in global studies. Her writing focuses on social commentary, culture and politics.
Take tomorrow off to read
Gabrielle Zevin’s resurgent book
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin released in 2022 and is the perfect book to cozy up with when you want to be thoroughly entertained while contemplating life. ARTS & CULTURE
By Bella Graham Arts & Culture Associate Editor
This book spans multiple decades, but I finished it in about a day. “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by
Gabrielle
Zevin sucks you in like the video games she writes about. It’s aptly titled after a Shakespearean soliloquy, as I have no doubt it’ll stand the test of time. Sadie Green and Sam Masur take the leading roles. The pair meet in a hospital in differing circumstances — Sadie’s sister has leukemia, while Sam is recovering from multiple surgeries on his broken foot.
We follow them through childhood, college and adulthood as they navigate relationships, develop videogames and go through intense highs and lows. Although the storyline bounces around between decades, it isn’t confus-
ing, and in fact, it builds tension while doing so. The time flip-flopping fills in holes that give the story depth.
Although published in 2022, you wouldn’t know it if you looked under the hashtags on TikTok or the Goodreads reviews, with a burgeoning number of videos and reviews this year. I don’t normally opt for contemporary books. However, the rave reviews on BookTok drew me in, and the writing style, plus the quirks of each character, made me stay.
My favorite part was the premise — reading how Sadie and Sam develop videogames in their college dorms to then go on to build an entire gaming company was such a journey, and one that I wish I was on with them instead of just reading about it.
It was clear that Zevin did her research on video games, and it’s a testament to her writing that she made concepts that would have otherwise been complicated into very palatable topics, feeling sophisticated but still accessible.
The games that Sadie and Sam create are also so clever; It’s a fun journey to feel like you’ve stepped into Sam and Sadie’s minds as they develop the games. My personal favorite — one that I wish was real — is “Mapleworld” (“The Sims” meets “Animal Crossing”). I found “Ichigo” and “Solution” to be particularly clever as well, although you’ll have to read to find out why.
The strongest part of the book was the interpersonal relationships and Zevin’s ability to casually and matter-of-factly drop sentences that made me reconsider the way I thought
about something — I didn’t realize it was possible to do a double-take while reading a book until I picked up this one.
As much as I love Sam and Sadie and the rest of the characters who fill out the ensemble, they are messy. They don’t always communicate how they feel, and they often let those feelings get in the way of longstanding relationships. It’s frustrating, but timeless, and you can’t help connecting with them in spite of yourself.
The most heartbreaking part of the book is how it builds this world up only to shatter the expectation and comfort that fiction can provide you — that nothing bad will happen. There are real-world issues in this book that have affected generations, and Zevin tackles them deftly.
I honestly liked the inclusion of these issues, despite them being devastating as I tore through the pages. It was a good reminder that life can hit you like a gut punch, but there are also beautiful moments, and that you have tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow to experience them.
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” masterfully depicts interpersonal relationships, akin to other popular authors like Sally Rooney or Coco Mellors. It may not have Shakespeare’s track record of holding up centuries later, but I have faith it’ll last the next few years, as Zevin weaves a gripping plot between the relationships to make this book the whole package.
(Noa Schwartz/Emerald)
Feeling existential climate dread? This film festival wants to fix that
Taking place from Oct. 13-19, the Eugene Environmental Film Festival will showcase a range of independent works that raise awareness of issues facing our planet today.
By Amelia Fiore Arts & Culture Writer
The Eugene Environmental Film Festival was born in 2017 out of a desire to shed light on environmental issues through a lens of social welfare. “I was a social work student, and I started it with a professor named Michele Eggers. It was a way of merging social work and environmentalism,” Ana McAbee, co-founder and festival director of the EEFF, said.
The festival prides itself on its holistic perspective of environmentalism. The team behind it hopes to provide a well-rounded take on Earth’s issues, without brewing any nihilistic dread that environmentalist campaigns can brew up. “I’m hoping it provides tools and resources versus depression and anxiety,” McAbee said.
Forty-five films will be screened at this year’s festival. A handful of organizations dedicated to environmental protection and advocacy will also be hosting each day, each with its own focus. Some hosts include the nonprofits Elakha Alliance, Friends of Trees and Oregon Wild.
The films range in length, style, location and medium, each with its own message and call to action. Filmmakers and their stories come from all around the world and are meant to spark intersectional conversation regarding environmentalism and its social impact in different communities.
One of the films, “Women of the Stony Shore: Shinnecock Kelp Farmers,” directed by Nathaniel Cummings-Lambert, utilizes the perspective of Indigenous women and how their cultural knowledge mixes with the ecological process of kelp farming.
“We like to pick films that kind of have information that we don’t know. We already know plastic is bad. I didn’t know how important kelp was to our CO2,” McAbee said.
If you want a bit of an interactive aspect or hands-on learning, EEFF has that too. According to McAbee, the festival will also be hosting a handful of events for attendees. Some of these events include a wetlands walk, a song workshop and Q&As with filmmakers.
One of the films screened, “Beer Saves The World!,” created by Emmy-winner Kelly G Sallaway, will be followed by a panel on regenerative farming and beer-making. On the second day of the festival, Elakha Alliance will speak on their efforts on bringing sea otters back to the Oregon Coast. On Thursday, there will be a trip to a waste-sorting facility and a
discussion on some Lane County-specific initiatives to combat waste.
Each day has its own theme; Indigenous Day, which will take place on the Indigenous Peoples’ holiday; Ocean Conservation Day; Connection between Nature, Healing and Spirituality; Rethinking Zero Waste; Forest Day; Wildland & Public Lands Conservation Day; and, finally, Youth and Wildlife Day.
The festival was brought to life with a clear purpose, and the art it highlights is guaranteed to speak to each viewer in a different way. McAbee hopes that attendees will use the festival as a way to step back from technology and learn to connect with nature. She understands the common anxieties surrounding global warming and wildlife endangerment, but hopes the EEFF will motivate instead of discourage environmental activism.
It’s easy to get discouraged when it comes to environmental issues, but McAbee looks at it from a different angle. “This is something that is an issue, but guess what? Here’s an organization that’s doing something about it, and you can be involved,” McAbee said. “What I hope to provide is a pipeline to action that incorporates addressing these issues as they come up, which leads to more empowerment and less anxiety.”
The EEFF will screen dozens of international and locally-made films raising awareness for environmental issues, as well as host a handful of interactive workshops and discussions. The festival will take place from Oct. 13 to 19, with the first screening occurring on Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Eugene Art House. Films will be presented online from Oct. 20 to Nov. 2 on the organization’s website.
Admission per day of the event is $12 for an adult and $9 for students, seniors and children.
( ABOVE) This year’s Eugene Environmental Film Festival will take place across Oct. 1319 at the Art House.
(Alyssa Garcia/Emerald)
( LEFT ) People converse at the opening reception of the Eugene Environmental Film Festival on April 22, 2022.
(Will Geschke/Emerald)
Q&A with ASUO President Prissila Moreno
By Sasha Love News Reporter
Running on the Student Power slate, Prissila Moreno was elected as ASUO’s president last April. The Emerald sat down with Moreno to ask about her background, goals and challenges she might face during the upcoming academic year.
Editor’s note: The following responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Emerald: What sparked your interest in student government?
I have my background in organizing with (Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group) students on campus; we're a group that works on social and environmental justice issues, and I did that my freshman year and my sophomore year. It was through OSPIRG students that I learned about ASUO, and I was very interested in the dynamic between OSPIRG students and ASUO.
“
I ran on the Student Power slate because I believe that was a group that really understood the power in organizing and grassroots tactics and winning campaigns.
“
During my time as a freshman and a sophomore, there was an interesting dynamic of feeling like the student government at this university didn't really see the value and the type of work that a group like OSPIRG did, and that really confused me because we did a lot of really cool stuff, like registering hundreds of students to vote and passing a bill in Salem to ban one of the worst kinds of single use plastics. So I just couldn't really understand why there were some actions being taken to kind of diminish our ability to do our work well. And that's why I ran to be a senator my sophomore year, and I won. I ran on the Student Power slate because I believe that was a group that really understood the power in organizing and grassroots tactics and winning campaigns. Then, to run for president, it was a little bit unexpected. Student Power was forming its platform and its slate again this year, and we had all of our senate seats filled,
Prissila Moreno ASUO President
but we didn't have a front runner. So we were sitting there for a couple of weeks thinking: ‘Well, what do we do? Do we run an all-senator slate?’ But ultimately, we figured that it would be most impactful to have front-runners. So, Jordan (Ackemann, Moreno’s running mate) and I were sitting in a room with our campaign manager and just said, ‘We'll do it. We'll be the front-runners.’
Emerald: What are your biggest goals for the upcoming year?
Moreno: As things come up, it feels like our goals change a little bit. For example, this past summer, with all of the budget cuts, it was really a hard reminder that shared governance at the University of Oregon might not exist the way that I went into this role thinking (it did).
So I really thought, ‘Wow, ASUO is really credible when it comes to the university and is taken seriously. So we're going to be in rooms where hard decisions are being made.’ And once that was not the case with the budget cuts, I realized, ‘Okay, maybe shared governance is not as strong as I thought it was.’ So I think that's a way in which my focus has been skewed a little bit, and that's something that I really want to invest a lot of time into.
But I think first and foremost, trying to deliver on our campaign promises is a big goal. So (that means) expanding academic services is still on our minds.
We're also interested in expanding our cultural centers. I'm really interested in hopefully creating a coalition of Latinx students who push for a Latinx center. I've read a couple archives of that being an effort that students have made for decades now. So I'm really interested in talking to some students over at Mujeres/Muxeres and MEChA who might have been part of those conversations historically and see where I can support them.
Emerald: Across the US, there is a push to dismantle DEI, including in higher ed. How do you plan on increasing cultural centers and DEI at UO in the face of these federal pressures?
Moreno: I think there's a balance of being really loud about ‘Hey, we're not going to be afraid of the pressures coming down from the top!’ but also considering how that might make the University of Oregon a target for a lot of these attacks. We've seen the Trump administration have lists of universities that should be watched for for things like unlawful sanctuary laws, and that's really worrisome because we value our sanctuary laws, and we would love UO to come out and say that they're a sanctuary campus, but there has to be a strategic way to do that which also protects the communities that are most at risk, like our (UO’s) international students.
So I think that our (ASUO’s) advocacy department really wants to focus on DEI this year and ways to make our communities feel safe by providing things like legal services, making those resources known to them.
We have an amazing DEI secretary. His name is Daniel Getty, and he has a lot of institutional knowledge being in student government for a couple of years at his past college. And that's something that I'm going to rely on a lot (for advice on) how to do this strategically while also keeping those communities in mind, because I can go into rooms or I can make statements that might ultimately harm the communities that I'm trying to help. So it's something that I'm trying to be very careful about, and also surround myself with the people who are being most impacted, so that I know how to best support them.
Emerald: What does “shared governance” mean to you, and what would be your vision for an ideal shared governance situation with UO administration?
Moreno: When we talk about stakeholders at the university, we're talking about students, because there's no university without students. So we have to be consulted, but it has to be meaningful and it has to be real. Because right now, shared governance is not real because it's not written anywhere with specific language.
Shared governance, to me, is who is at the table. And it's interesting to me that when we're talking about the key stakeholders at the university, we're talking about faculty, staff and administration, but it seems time and time again, we're leaving out students as key stakeholders, students who are paying thousands of dollars to be at the university. So to me, shared governance that is real includes all of the parties that I mentioned and students who are paying to be at this university.
(ON THE COVER) Prissila Moreno, running for ASUO President for the UO Stuent Power Slate sits for photo.
(Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
(LEFT) Prissila Moreno, running for President with the UO Student Power slate, speaking as she answers questions asked by the moderators. The ASUO Spring Elections President and VP Debate was held on April 8th, 2025 in the Erb Memorial Union at the University of Oregon.
(ABOVE) From left to right, Prissila Moreno, Jordan Ackemann, and Taliek Lopez-DuBoff participating in the ASUO Spring Elections President and VP Debate, held on April 8th 2025 in the Erb Memorial Union at the University of Oregon.
OREGON VS. PENN STATE
Photos by Saj Sundaram
Fireworks
Oregon Ducks linebacker Will Straton (38) smiles
Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) and offensive lineman Alex Harkey (71) celebrate after scoring a touchdown.
Oregon Ducks linebacker Blake Purchase (9) and defensive backs Dillon Thieneman (31) and Aaron Flowers (21) help to block the Nittany Lions push.
Community reacts to Emeralds officially announcing Eugene departure
By Joseph Chiu News Reporter
Seventy years, 16 division titles, eight Northwest League championships, and two back-to-back championships in 1974 and 1975 and 2021 and 2022. Three parks, one team and one city.
As the Eugene Emeralds celebrated their 70-year anniversary in the city of Eugene this season, the team announced earlier this year that it would ultimately be leaving Eugene after failing to secure the necessary funding for a new stadium, amid new Major League Baseball requirements. However, the team is guaranteed to stay in Eugene for at least two more seasons, with relocation plans after the 2027 season.
In addition, the Emeralds announced on April 30 that longtime General Manager Allan Benavides would be stepping down from his role, but will continue supporting the team’s search for a new home. Matt Dompe, the radio broadcaster and assistant general manager for the Emeralds, was named the new general manager.
“It’s a big loss for the community, and I hope that the community continues to grow and figure out the issues it’s having because it is a wonderful place to live,” Benavides said. “It’s wonderful people with big hearts, and we’re going to miss it.”
The Emeralds are a High-A Minor League Baseball team in the Northwest League and are currently affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. They have shared PK Park with the Oregon Ducks baseball team since 2009, after spending 40 years at the former Civic Stadium.
Dennis Hebert is the treasurer at Southeast Neighborhood Association and was the former president of the “Save Civic Stadium” grassroots organization created by local fans and said the reasons for the Emeralds leaving Civic Stadium in 2009 were similar to the current situation, as the stadium did not meet certain regulations.
A fire destroyed Civic Stadium on June 29, 2015, as four juveniles were charged with first-degree and second-degree arson and sentenced to probation in connection with the destruction. Today, the new Civic Park stadium serves as a sports and recreation destination for the community.
“Civic Park is a wonderful thing, kids’ sports and all of that, so it did turn out OK, but we love the old stadium; there was nothing like it,” Hebert said.
The search for a new city comes following the MLB’s new requirements and guidelines that were implemented for minor league facilities in 2020, which PK Park failed to comply with.
Notable failures to meet requirements and standards include only having one locker room, lacking a female locker room for coaches or umpires, a kitchen, a gym and, according to Benavides, many more complex facility issues that were unlikely to be resolved in time.
“I feel awful that we couldn’t get this done, but I know that I did everything I could to make it happen,” Benavides said. “We’ll take the L and move forward.”
After realizing it would not be possible to meet the requirements in PK Park, the Emeralds pitched a multi-use stadium at the Lane Events Center that was estimated to cost over $100 million. However, voters rejected a $15 million bond measure that would have helped provide funding for the stadium, ultimately ending any hopes of building a new stadium in Eugene.
Nick Squires, a longtime Emeralds fan, was in attendance during the game at which the election results were announced.
“Everyone in that stadium was just on the edge of their seats waiting,” Squires said. “I was on my phone trying to see what percentage of the ballots were in, and the collective despair when they announced that the measure didn’t pass
The Eugene Emeralds will be departing from the city, drawing different reactions from local fans and supporters in the community.
sucked the whole wind out of that whole stadium, and it was rough.”
Left with no options or chance of staying in Eugene, Benavides mentioned Medford as a possibility for a potential destination for the Emeralds, as it is a growing and underserved market from a professional baseball standpoint.
“It’s going to be a home run, and the people in Medford are excited at this possibility; they just can’t believe this is a possibility,” Benavides said. “We’re excited about the enthusiasm they’ve shown us.”
Now that the exit is becoming a reality, fans are reminiscing on over 70 years of the city’s history and are grateful for the memories the team has brought to Eugene.
“This is a big loss for the community, to fans and to families, and I don’t want the Emeralds to think that they’re leaving unappreciated,” Squires said.
While the Emeralds have a guarantee of at least two more seasons in Eugene, Benavides and Squires said they hope fans continue to go out to PK Park, support the team, have a good experience at games and enjoy the limited time they have remaining for “affordable family fun.”
“Keep talking about the Emeralds because the Emeralds are still here until they’re not, and it would be an absolute
tragedy if in the last year or two that they are here, no one shows up because they’re so depressed and upset or angry,” Squires said.
For Benavides, his message to fans is nothing but gratitude for the support the Emeralds have had over the last 70 years and the deep-rooted relationship that the community has created. He appreciates the communication, emails and letters he’s received and extends his “most sincere, heartfelt thank you” to all the fans.
“Just having to start over is difficult, you create a base and you create relationships, you have partnerships with your corporate sponsors, your nonprofit partners, your fans and families that come out game after game, and that’s tough,” Benavides said. “That’s the reason why I’ve never considered another market. In my wildest dreams, I just never thought that the Ems would leave Eugene.”
(Eric Becker/Emerald)
( BELOW ) Sluggo the Bear interacts with fans. The Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians by a final score of 11-4 at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon, on June 20, 2023.
ACROSS
1 Actor Issa ___ or band Sammy ___ & the Friends 4 Topping with brown sugar milk tea
8 Cycling sport with many turns and jumps, abbv. 9 Made like a star
Week of Welcome month 13 Abbey or Yellow Brick, ex.
Band for Gerard Way
Will ‘o the ___
Parents famous for
___puncture (prefix meaning needle)
Protagonist, often
Biased towards
Pirates center fielder
DOWN
1 Ducks players Noah Whittington and Makhi Hughes, for short
2 Coffee brew with only hot water
3 Revelations, as in scandals
4 Called out “two Jacks” when putting down an Ace and 9, maybe
5 Conductivity resistance unit
6 “Could You Be Loved” reggae singer
7 Short stories
10 Messes up
12 Credit card payment action
15 News publication based in DC, for short
16 Narc’s org
18 City near Waimea and Papaikou
20 “Shop ___ you drop”
21 Bird with snowy and horned varieties
ASUO Senator among Governor Kotek’s nominees for school’s Board of Trustees
The junior planning, public policy and management student was nominated as a student trustee for the Board of Trustees.
By Billie Corsetti News Reporter
Taliek Lopez-DuBoff, a junior at the University of Oregon, was nominated by Governor Tina Kotek to become a student representative on the University’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is made up of 14 elected volunteers, two of which are undergraduate student representatives. Trustees have general responsibility over both big and small matters involving the school, focusing heavily on financial management and decision making.
It was only recently required by state law for there to be two student representatives on the Board, which Lopez-DuBoff believes is highly beneficial. Student representative trustees hold the same vote as other trustees, but bring a student perspective to decision making that faculty and non-faculty might not have.
Student representative trustees are confirmed by the Oregon Senate just like other trustees, and nominees like Lopez-DuBoff aren’t officially trustees until their confirmation hearing. Lopez-DuBoff faces the Oregon Senate for his
hitter Maria Tabacuks, from Cannes, France; and middle blocker Iva Šucurovic, from Zrenjanin, Serbia. They make up Oregon’s largest international recruiting class of the 21st century.
When Kersten’s predecessor, Matt Ulmer, signed Estonian outside hitter Jade Sadeiko in 2019, she became the program’s first international recruit in seven years. In his final season before departing for the University of Kansas this past offseason, he made Greek setter Evelina Gerogianni his second international signing.
While Ulmer’s seven-season tenure marked the program’s most consistent run of postseason success, including three of its four Elite Eight appearances, international recruiting was an untapped market.
Jim Moore, who coached the team from 2005 to 2016 and holds the program wins record at 246, was more active outside the United States, but he never brought in three players in the same recruiting class.
Kersten has a track record with international recruiting across his previous stops as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Texas Christian University (2015-2019), head coach at San Jose State University (2020-2022) and Loyola Marymount University (2023-2024). As part of his 2019 TCU class that Prep Volleyball ranked sixth in the nation, he brought in a player from Turkey; at San Jose State, he signed two players from Italy; and at LMU, he signed
hearing on September 29.
“A lot of the time these other trustees have full-time jobs. This is more of a volunteer thing for them, so they’re not here on campus everyday. All the decisions they’re making are going to impact students, so to have two student trustees is incredibly important. Otherwise, there isn’t anyone there that’s getting impacted,” Lopez-DuBoff said.
As a junior in college, Lopez DuBoff has already built a lengthy resume of civic service, serving as an Oregon delegate at the Democratic National Convention during the 2024 election, and as an ASUO senator for two years. Over the summer, he interned at the House of Representatives.
“I think my dad’s been a big inspiration. Funny enough, he’s never been interested in politics or anything like that, but it was in the things he would do for other people,” Lopez-DuBoff said. “He’s a contractor, and he said, ‘When you get more materials, you don’t build a higher fence, but a longer table.’”
Although Lopez-DuBoff is still waiting for his confirmation hearing, he’s already begun brainstorming ways to personally connect with students on all University of Oregon campuses.
“A lot of the time I think our Portland campus and Charleston campus on the coast are forgotten about, so I’m going to go to some of the research labs and see where the university is at, because I think being in these spaces is how you earn trust and get things done.”
Trust between student representatives and the students
they represent is Lopez-DuBoff’s biggest hope.
“I have students that are like, ‘I have this issue and I don’t know who to talk to,’ and every month you get an email from a student trustee saying ‘Come chat, what can we help with?’ But there’s no trust there to begin with to talk, so I think that’s where we need to start.”
With his confirmation session fast approaching, Lopez-DuBoff said he is ready to hit the ground running.
“We’re having some trying times, but I think the university leadership, the faculty and the students are resilient,” Lopez-DuBoff said. “I’m excited at the prospect of building something bigger that’s going to outlast all of us.”
Unprecedented international recruiting class helps Oregon volleyball to strong nonconference start
A key piece of new head coach Trent Kersten’s first recruiting class suggests that the Ducks still have room to grow.
players from Canada and Argentina.
Recruiting outside of the United States is valuable for any program and produces some of the best players in the NCAA, but it is specifically valuable for programs trying to punch above their weight.
While it remains to be seen how the coaching change will impact Oregon’s recruiting ability, expectations can only be so high for a team with 14 new players, so in 2025 Oregon will look to punch above its weight.
International recruits bring experience from their national teams and native professional leagues that can be difficult for smaller programs to find within the United States. The massive roster turnover necessitated that Kersten explore every option available to him, and international recruiting has a proven track record.
When talking about his international recruits, Kersten has continually stressed the value of their experience. Tomic and Šucurovic were teammates on Serbian Superleague champion OK Železničar Lajkovac last season, with Tomic being named the best outside hitter in the league. Tabacuks played three professional seasons for Volero Le Cannet in France before joining the Ducks. All three have also represented their countries in various age groups and tournaments, with Tabacuks representing Germany.
Their experience has translated seamlessly to NCAA play, most notably with Šucurovic leading the Big Ten in blocks
going into conference play. Tabacuks and Tomic rank third and fifth on the team in kills per set, respectively, and both ended nonconference play with strong showings against Portland State University. In the five-set win, Tabacuks posted a career-high of 14 kills for the third time this season, and Tomic achieved her second-best of 10 in three sets.
Michigan transfer Valentina Vaulet has been a key leader, not only for the international recruits but for the team as a whole. Vaulet came to Ann Arbor from Córdoba, Argentina, and made the All-Big Ten Second Team as a sophomore in 2024. Vaulet leads the Ducks in kills (130), total attacks (302) and service aces (22) through nonconference play, and is a valuable role model for the players making the same transition she did to collegiate volleyball.
The Kersten era is underway in Eugene, and he already has the Ducks knocking on the door of the coaches’ top 25, landing third in the “others receiving votes” section as of Sept. 21. A 9-1 record is a remarkable start considering the roster turnover he faced, and the international recruits who were so crucial in solving it should only improve as they continue to adapt to NCAA play.
(Miles Cull/Emerald)
ASUO Senator and former presidential candidate Taliek Lopez-Duboff.
( ABOVE) The Oregon Ducks defeated the High Point University Panthers
James Lavadour (Walla Walla, b. 1951). Land of Origin, 2015. Oil on panel, 39 x 78 inches. Jane and Spencer Beebe Family Trust.
By Harry Leader Sports Writer
The Oregon women’s golf team got off to a rough start to their 2025-26 season with a 3-2 loss to the Texas Longhorns on Sept. 17 at Shoreacres Golf Club in Illinois. Sophomore Tong An and freshman Sophie Han secured the two wins for the Ducks early in the first two rounds.
“Not the result we were hoping for today, but this was a really great experience for our team this week,” Ducks head coach Derek Radley said to Go Ducks. “I’m looking forward to see how we respond from this and am excited to get back to practice and work on some areas where we can improve.”
Han was dominant on the links, winning the first eight holes before later securing a 5&4 win on the 14th hole. An battled with Texas’s Vivian Lu for almost the whole round
Kiara Romero and women’s golf struggle in opening match
The Ducks lost 3-2 to Texas in a narrow defeat at Shoreacres Golf Club, but take a strong initial performance into the fall season.
before securing an eagle on the 17th hole to take the victory with one hole left.
The Longhorns turned things around after a grueling 18hole battle was finally won by Angela Heo against Ducks’ sophomore Suvichaya Vinijchaitham. Vinijchaitham was only a hole behind for the whole round — and even birdied on 17 — but still could not pull out the win.
Texas tied things up after Lauren Kim took down freshman Shyla Singh in a 2&1 battle to set up the final round.
Star junior Kiara Romero, who is currently the No. 1 ranked amateur golfer in the world, was taken down by Farah O’Keefe in a devastating 4-3 loss. As Oregon’s best golfer and one of the best collegiate golfers in the country, the Ducks lean on Romero in match play. When Romero loses, however, it’s usually much more difficult for the team to recover.
Romero recently placed 45th at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open in May which was her first LPGA event. Her five under par score was a record for an amateur golfer at the Open. She also recently won the Mark H. McCormack Medal which is awarded to the No. 1 ranked Women’s and Men’s players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Previous winners of the award include 2023 Masters Champion Jon Rahm and 2025 Women’s PGA Championship winner Minjee Lee.
The Ducks will be heading up to Corvallis this weekend to take part in the Molly Collegiate Invitational. Oregon will look to gain back some much needed momentum as the push into their next big tournament in mid-October against Stanford.
Stanford was ranked No. 1 last season and was runner up in the national championship against Northwestern. A win against Stanford would be a massive step in the right direction for Oregon heading into the final tournament of the fall the following week.
The Ducks have so far fielded a young team with no seniors appearing in the matchup against Texas. Giving younger players like An, Vinijchaitham and Han an opportunity to compete in these early fall tournaments is going to be key in order to prepare for the Big Ten Championship in late April.
Any team that wants a chance at a conference or national title needs depth which was lacking in the recent loss to Texas. Picking up early wins means nothing if your upperclassmen can’t pull away in the closing rounds.
The Ducks will still bring this momentum into the rest of the fall season and they’ll use Romero as their spark going forward.
( ABOVE) A golfer walks through the rain during the championships. The Eugene Country Club hosted the Pac12 women's golf championships from April 18-20, 2022.
(Will Geschke/Emerald)
( LEFT ) Oregon's Hsin-Yu (Cynthia) Lu, uses an iron for her approach shot on a Par-3 hole. The Eugene Country Club hosted the Pac-12 Women's golf championships from April 18-20, 2022.
