OCT. 25, 2021
Monday Edition
Emerald Media
CLASSROOM CASES GEs, professors and their unions voice their concerns about COVID-19 transmission in classrooms.
NEWS
A&C
OPINION
SPORTS
TARGETING STUDENTS' BASIC NEEDS PG 4
HALLOWEEN AT HIRONS PG 6
COMING TO CLASS WITH A COLD PG 8
DUCKS STAND TALL IN WIN OVER CAL PG 9 M O N D AY, O C T O B E R 2 5 , 2 0 2 1
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QUICK HITS
From the Emerald opinion desk NETFLIX’S “SQUID GAME” VOL. 123, ISSUE NO. 10
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NEWSROOM EDITOR IN CHIEF
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Even those who don’t traditionally watch Korean shows or movies have been drawn to Netflix’s new survival series. This show will have you on the edge of your seat every episode, rooting for your favorite characters to win.- Caitlin Tapia
FALL COLORS
Eugene explodes with reds, oranges and yellows this time of year. There’s still time before the final leaves are on the ground, so leave your phone at home and bring a friend for a walk in the natural splendor. - C. Francis O’Leary
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Grace Murray SPORTS EDITORS
Shane Hoffmann Mojo Hill Charlie Gearing OPINION EDITOR
Francis O'Leary PHOTO EDITOR
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DESIGN EDITOR
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“DUNE”
A two-and-a-half hour prelude of slow moving characters and a plot with not enough giant desert worms. If you really want to experience something so dry and sandy, just get a burrito from the EMU Chipotle. - Porter Wheeler
CANVAS IN COLLEGE
Canvas seems like a site that anyone with a basic grasp on technology could use. But, when esteemed professors struggle to use the discussion board or put questions on a quiz, progress in class grinds to a halt. - Emma J Nelson
DIGITAL EDITOR
Rikiya Klasen
BUSINESS PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT
Bill Kunerth X317
bkunerth@dailyemerald.com VP OPERATIONS
Kathy Carbone X302
TRAGEDY ON SET
Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally killed a cinematography director and wounded a director with a prop gun on set of his new movie “Rust.” It is unclear how a live round ended up in the props chamber. - Lauren Leone
AROUND CAMPUS
NEW ATHLETICS FACILITY ON THE HORIZON: UO plans to build a new athletics facility west of Autzen Stadium, with a projected completion date of 2024. The 170,000- square- foot facility will feature a training football field, as well as a space equipped with a weight room and players’ lounge. UO reports private philanthropy will fund the new project, with the UO Foundation — the university’s non-profit organization — managing its construction. — DUNCAN BAUMGARTEN UO STUDENTS REPORT “INSTITUTIONAL BETRAYAL” DURING COVID-19: University of Oregon professor emeritus Jennifer Freyd and PhD candidate Alexis Adams-Clark released a study on Oct. 20, exploring how universities failed to protect students from COVID-19 during the pandemic. 67% of the 309 students surveyed in fall 2020 and about 55% of the roughly 280 surveyed in winter 2021 reported COVID-19-related “institutional betrayal” — including creating environments where COVID-19 spread “seemed normal” or “more likely to occur,” according to the study. — LEO BAUDHUIN
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EARTHQUAKES Following the recent earthquake drills, Oregonians are reminded about the long overdue megathrust earthquake. My roommate from Colorado just learned about it. She is not doing well. - Beatrice Byrd
STUDENT SALES MANAGER
Patrick McCumber ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Melanie Lopez Riley Valle Kevin Sullivan Amy Menendez Keaton Roberts Jen Caplan
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.
ON THE COVER
(Grace Turchetto/Emerald)
Reader Recommends MOVIE RECOMMENDATION: “THE LOVE WITCH” Summary: A beautiful young witch named Elaine is determined to find a lover after the death of her husband Jeffery. She moves to northern California to perfect her spells in a Victorian apartment which is decked out in full gothic aesthetic. A slew of men become enthralled with Elaine through spells and potions. When Elaine finally finds a man that meets her standards, her need to be loved by him drives her to the brink of insanity. Full of cheesy horror, 60s aesthetics and beautiful Genre: Thriller, horror Recommended by: Lily Armstrong, UO junior studying public relations “The Love Witch has its target audience for sure. It's very dark and witchy, and there’s a lot of cheesy animation going on in it,” Armstrong said. “Some segments of it are blowing up on TikTok right now, and it’s like the perfect fall movie. The clip that says ‘the day he left me is the day that I died.’ The whole movie is that great and dramatic, it’s great.”
Straub 156 is a lecture hall with 500 seats, making it one of the largest lecture halls at The University of Oregon. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)
OREGON FOOTBALL SEIZES CRITICAL WIN AGAINST UCLA: The No. 7 Oregon football team defeated UCLA 34-31 in a roller coaster win at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. After trailing 14-0 early, the Ducks rattled off a 34-3 run between the second and third quarters. Turnovers allowed the Bruins to creep back into the game late, but cornerback DJ James sealed the win with his second interception of the game. — SHANE HOFFMANN
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NEWS
TARGETING STUDENTS' BASIC NEEDS ONE PROGRAM AT A TIME
From menstrual products to food security, ASUO shifted its budget to focus on meeting students’ essential needs. BY GAVIN GAMEZ • TWITTER @GAV_GAMEZ Following major changes in its budget, ASUO has been implementing new programs targeting students’ basic needs this year. Some of these programs focus on making menstrual products more accessible for students as well as hiring basic needs and food security coordinators. ASUO president Isaiah Boyd said ASUO shifted funding away from athletics to focus on providing aid for students and went about taking apart the athletics contract to use it for prioritizing basic needs. ASUO’s previous contract budgeted $1.7 million for the athletics department to provide student tickets to sports events, Boyd said. “We noticed there was a big issue with that because not everyone wants to attend a football game,” he said.. “Not every student wants to attend an athletics event, but every student does need textbooks. Every student does need basic needs.” In early 2021, ASUO announced its basic needs proposal which shifted funds previously used for sport tickets to help with students’ basic needs like textbooks, menstrual products, emergency housing and food. One of the projects included the implementation of accessible menstrual products in highly trafficked restrooms in the EMU.
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The Oregon Legislature passed a bill this summer requiring “education providers, community colleges and universities in Oregon” to ensure students who menstruate have access to free menstrual products while at school. Boyd said he was glad that the Oregon Legislature passed this bill. “It just so happened that I guess the entire state realized that this is a basic need,” he said. He said ASUO was unaware the legislature would pass a bill of this nature when it proposed its basic needs programs. After the bill was passed, ASUO was unsure if the University of Oregon received funding from the state. “We decided until that program gets developed further and we find secure funding that is sustainable, we’ll use our own budget,” Boyd said. Now that the Oregon legislature has passed a bill requiring accessible menstrual products, Boyd said he hopes to work in collaboration with UO to show the impact of their program in the EMU. “We’re collecting data right now and seeing the impact that our program has just within the EMU, since it’s the central hub for students,” he said, “and then presenting that data to the university saying, ‘Hey, look, you have a legislative responsibility, and the rest of the campus is not being served.’”
If UO expands this program to the rest of campus, Boyd said ASUO will continue to fund operations within the EMU until UO takes over. In addition to its program offering menstrual products in the EMU, ASUO also hopes to fund a basic needs coordinator to help assist students with things like financial support, understanding the cost of living in Eugene and other obstacles. Boyd said the pandemic impacted the hiring process for the basic needs coordinator position. ASUO recently resumed its search for a basic needs coordinator and a food security coordinator. “We separated the two,” he said. “One to be focused solely on greater basic needs… and designating the food security coordinator to take on the larger task of our Food Security Task Force.” ASUO senator Jon Laus said he is working on a project with ASUO senate president Claire O’Connor who is trying to create a “one-stop” for students from marginalized communities to come in and receive resources. Other colleges in Oregon have also created positions to support students’ basic needs. Miguel Arellano Sanchez is Oregon State University’s basic needs navigator and helps students alleviate financial stress and navigate the school’s
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resources. Sanchez said the Human Services Resource Center at OSU was established in 2008 and had one of two food pantries on a college campus in the country at the time. “A lot of our programs that we have inhouse through HSRC really help students alleviate a lot of their financial stress and have access to food,” Sanchez said. Sanchez said he helps students navigate financial aid and food security policies. He said a lot of students are not aware that they are eligible for federal programs like SNAP benefits. “In my role, I’ve been able to help students be connected to some of these programs that do have a large financial impact on students’ ability to stay in school,” Sanchez said. Through the implementation of programs offering menstrual product accessibility and a basic needs coordinator, Boyd said he hopes to build bridges across campus to get an understanding of students’ needs. “A lot of these programs were designed with that intention of ‘We’ve identified the key point issues for students across campus that are impacting their education,’” he said. “‘How do we solve that?’” Leo Baudhuin contributed reporting to this story.
A&C Spooky season is here as racks are filled with a variety of costumes for all ages. Local stores prepare their Halloween sections as the countdown to Halloween begins for Eugene residents. (Mary Grosswendt/Emerald)
HALLOWEEN AT HIRONS BY EVAN HUNTINGTON • TWITTER @EVANHUNTINGTON
Not sure what to wear for Halloween? Here are some cheap costume ideas from UO students' favorite nearby drugstore. Delicious candy, carved pumpkins, spooky monsters and horror movies — Halloween is finally upon us. No place embraces the spirit of Halloween quite like a college campus. University of Oregon students are gearing up for this year’s annual “Halloweekend” that seizes campus life every year. With every autumn comes the inevitable question: What am I going to dress up as this year? Arguably the most important task as the holiday approaches, thinking of and finding a costume can be a burden for some people. But, thankfully, there are cheap and easy options for Halloween attire right near campus. Hirons Drug is a local pharmacy and drugstore that is very popular amongst UO students; it’s known as the go-to place for just about anything under the sun. Serving as a true one-stop-shop, stepping inside the store is a sensory overload — filled with all kinds of goofy trinkets, UO gear and school supply essentials. Leading up to Halloween season, the store has implemented a large supply of holiday costumes and other decorative pieces. “We’ve got a ton of costume accessories,” Nicole Allred, a manager at Hirons Drug on East 18th Avenue, said. “We have lots of wigs, face paints, devil and angel kind of stuff, wings, animal ears, vampire fangs – mostly smaller inexpensive accessory pieces to put a whole look together.” While the store carries some semi-larger costume pieces, such as togas and flapper dresses, Hirons does not put a large emphasis on selling full costumes. Instead, they prefer to offer these smaller accessory items to keep costume shopping inexpensive for customers. “We try to keep most everything under $20,” Allred
said. “We have a bunch of really cute costumes depending on how you want to go.” Along with all the basics and essential accessories in the store, each year tends to provide new themes and collections; customers can draw inspiration from them to construct costume ideas and create fun themes. Hirons has a new selection of Star Wars costume accessories this year that they are excited to bring out as well as some formal attire for a more retro style. “We have Yoda ears and some Princess Leia buns, and we’ve got a Boba Fett tutu in and a Chewbacca one as well,” Allred said. “Also I love that we’re going out of a depression, so it feels like the Roaring ‘20s is a really cute theme this year.” Last year was an odd year for Hirons. The pandemic and restricted event gatherings resulted in the store not ordering any Halloween costumes and accessories, Allred said. With the season back in full swing this year, the store is thrilled to see the excitement and festive spirit of Halloween come back to their business once again. “We’re going to be open all Halloween weekend. So, hopefully, people are going to come in and shop,” Allred said. “For the most part, we’ve got a huge selection, and I’m sure everyone’s going to be happy to find something that they can make work for a fun party on the weekend.” Hirons on East 18th Avenue is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The location on Franklin Boulevard is open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and closed on weekends.
POPULAR COSTUME IDEAS FOR 2021
• "Squid Game” red guards and green • • • • • • •
jumpsuit contestants Harry Styles Bernie Sanders in mittens Bridgerton Addams Family Black Widow Lil Nas X country-glam style Joker
Spooky season is here as racks are filled with a variety of costumes for all ages. Local stores prepare their Halloween sections as the countdown to Halloween begins for Eugene residents. (Mary Grosswendt/Emerald) M O N D AY, O C T O B E R 2 5 , 2 0 2 1
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COVER
GEs, PROFESSORS REPORT UNSAFE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS
Straub 156 is a lecture hall with 500 seats, making it one of the largest lecture halls at the University of Oregon. The UO returned to in-person classes this fall after four consecutive terms of online instruction. (Ian Enger/Emerald)
BY ALEXIS WEISEND • TWITTER @WEISEND_ALEXIS As the University of Oregon’s COVID-19 cases rise — reaching 183 since week one — reports of unsafe classroom environments continue to spread across social media. Some Graduate Employees and professors are concerned about a lack of social distancing, proper ventilation and clear policies during UO’s first few weeks of in-person classes. The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation’s Twitter and Instagram account began posting anonymous GEs’ experiences with in-person classes on Sept. 29. The messages described cramped classrooms, improper mask wearing, denied room changes, windows that could not open and a lack of proper ventilation. Despite UO’s 96.3% student vaccination rate and declining case numbers throughout Lane County, student-and-employee-reported COVID-19 cases climbed during UO’s first three weeks of in-person classes. Reported cases jumped from 31 to 46 the first week of class, according to UO’s COVID-19 case tracking and testing results. The second week grew to 60 cases, and the third week saw 55 cases. However, the fourth week declined to 22 new cases. Concerns about classroom environments The university has scheduled classes at full capacity for fall term. UO does not need to apply social distancing in classrooms due to UO’s safety measures and high vaccination rates, according to the university’s FAQ page. But professors and GEs have said they are concerned about COVID-19 transmission within classrooms nonetheless. Kristin Yarris, a professor in the Department of Global Studies, said this decision runs counter to the best public health science, evidence about new, highly-transmittable variants of COVID-19 and the waning effects of the COVID-19 vaccination with time. Social distancing is not possible in her class of 55 students, and she must keep her doors open since her
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classroom — Lowkey 117 — lacks a modern ventilation system, Yarris said. The classroom also did not have enough seats for students, and Yarris asked the university for a classroom change or a few more chairs, she said. She received more chairs. School of Journalism and Communication professor Christopher Chavez said his classroom in Esslinger appeared to be over capacity and had more chairs and desks than it was designed for. “Students were one stacked on top of each other, but even to the point where they had to have additional chairs lined up around the perimeter,” Chavez said. The room’s windows were high up and closed. “It was pretty dark and cavernous,” he said. He requested to change classrooms, and the university moved him to Allen Hall the next day. Raye Hendrix, a GE in the Department of English, said her class of 109 students has no room for social distancing. “That’s been really stressful,” she said. “We are completely packed into a room that has no windows and only two doors,” Hendrix said. “Those doors open into a hallway that also has no windows.” Hendrix said there are no filters in the vents of her classroom, and the instructors are not allowed to leave the doors open. The professor of her class, Forest Pyle, said there are notes next to classroom doors that say to keep them closed during class because of noise. “Essentially, it just kind of seems like we’re just shut into this coffin of a room for hours,” Hendrix said. “There’s a class immediately before ours as well, and so we're sitting there thinking like, ‘okay, so are we just sitting in their air also? Are we being exposed like 220 people at a time, essentially, because there's nowhere for this air to go?’” Pyle said he reported his concerns about conditions of the classroom — Clinical Services 250 — to the Department of English but was assured the classroom met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
A GE in the Department of Global Studies who wished to remain anonymous said students in her classroom sit elbow-to-elbow with five to six students at each table. “The lack of air filtration in the room was concerning,” she said. “We have planned to keep the three doors in the classroom open, but already students have complained about being cold in class.” The university’s ventilation FAQ said UO has adjusted building ventilation systems to maximize outside air supply to the extent allowed by each individual building’s mechanical systems and established cleaning protocols required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the CDC. However, some buildings still rely on operable windows for ventilation. Multiple GEs said they have experienced issues with maintaining airflow via open windows during cold or rainy days. At the beginning of fall term, UO had 65 classrooms that relied on operable windows for ventilation, according to UO’s classroom local filtration map. A UO FAQ page about ventilation said the university will install portable air filtration units in some heavilyused classrooms within such buildings. UO has installed 53 units so far, UO spokesperson Kay Jarvis said.
Essentially, it just kind of seems like we’re just shut into this coffin of a room for hours." RAYE HENDRIX GE IN ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
COVER However, UO’s classroom local filtration map shows 11 classrooms where the university has no plans to introduce portable filtration units. Avinnash Tiwari, president of UO faculty union United Academics, said the classroom conditions GEs and professors mention are consistent with how things have been in many buildings. However, faculty and students have never had to live with them during a global pandemic, he said. “We know some faculty were able to move classrooms to address a number of issues, but not all faculty have been able to do so,” Tiwari said. Confusion over COVID-19 containment Several GEs and professors said they are confused on how to handle positive cases in their class and if they will be notified of a possible exposure. Executive Vice Provost Janet Woodruff-Borden sent an email to faculty on Oct. 12 with information on UO’s COVID Containment Plan for Classes. The email said instructors should not notify their entire classroom if they learn of a positive case or close contact in their class. “Following a case investigation by the Corona Corps, all identified close contacts in a classroom will be notified, including instructors,” the email said. Corona Corps, UO’s contact tracing and case management program, is in charge of notifying people it deems close contacts, according to WoodruffBorden’s email. The email also said: “For reasons of privacy and protected health information, instructors will NOT be notified by Corona Corps when a student in their class has tested positive or has been identified as a close contact.” Woodruff-Borden told the Daily Emerald that instructors and students will be notified if they are identified as close contacts, but the name of the person testing positive will not be shared to protect private medical information. UO’s COVID-19 Exposure Scenarios and Guidance said a close contact “is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24hour period during the infected person’s period of transmissibility.” The university encourages assigned seating charts and students learning the names of people sitting near them but does not require it, according to UO’s COVID Containment Plan for Classes. GTFF President Miche Dreiling said there has been too much ambiguity in the communication between the university and instructors. “The classroom is our working conditions where we work and earn a living,” Dreiling said. “There are safety guidelines, like on a really basic level, that mean that we should be notified if there are folks with COVID in our workplace. The university seems to be suggesting that they’re not willing to do that.” In GTFF’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with UO, the university acknowledges an obligation to provide a safe, clean and healthy environment for its employees and agrees to do so in accordance with any and all applicable local, state and federal laws pertaining to safety and health. GEs may also refuse to work in unsafe spaces, the agreement said. Dreiling said members of GTFF have been reporting their concerns
about safety to the university since spring when UO announced fall classes would be in-person. GTFF’s COVID Strategizing Committee released a revised list of demands for campus safety on Oct. 18, including sufficient ventilation and filtration systems, an easier process for GEs to work remotely and consistent contract tracing and reporting. Tiwari, the president of UA, said members of his union also reported concerns. “Even as the latest round of clarification messages came out on COVID containment policies, UA received a range of faculty messages with concerns about contact tracing given there is very little faculty can actually do to help in this regard given how the policies are laid out,” Tiwari said. Jarvis said Corona Corps receives official notice of positive cases from UO’s COVID-19 Monitoring and Assessment Program, University Health Services and from Lane County Public Health. Students and staff can also self-report using the university’s Case and Contact Form, she said. Bill Harbaugh, a professor in the Department of Economics, said he finds it bizarre that the university will not inform instructors about positive cases in their classes, considering many other universities do and California law requires it. California passed Assembly Bill 685 in 2020, which requires that if public and private employers receive notice of a COVID-19 case in the workplace, they must notify all employees who were at the same worksite as the person exposed to COVID-19. Lissie Connors, a GE in the Department of Earth Sciences, said it concerns her that she might not know if someone in her class had COVID-19. She worked in close proximity with a professor who tested positive
for COVID-19, but said Corona Corps never contacted her. Corona Corps could not be reached in time for this article’s publication to explain how it determines and identifies close contacts. GTFF’s demands ask for more transparent definitions of a close contact and notifications to GEs when a student tests positive in their classroom. Jarvis said the university currently does not have a response to GTFF’s demands because negotiations between the union and the university have not begun yet. "The position of the GTFF is that no worker should have to feel unsafe in their workplace, and no students should have to feel unsafe in the classroom," Dreiling said. "We know, through hearing from GEs, faculty and students, that people are feeling unsafe in the classroom and their workplace right now, and it's the university's responsibility to fix that." (Lynette Slape/Emerald)
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OPINION
COVID-19 OR 'FRAT FLU,'
STUDENTS STILL STRUGGLE
Oronsky: To ease stress and keep everyone safe, professors must record and/or livestream their lectures. BY ISAAC ORONSKY It’s a gloomy Wednesday morning, and you arrive at your 8 a.m. Spanish class. It’s a miracle you woke up this time, considering you slept through your alarm the past two days. Nevertheless, you finally made it. You walk to your seat, and are (at least slightly) ready to learn. But before your body even touches the chair, you hear a cough. And then another. Then another. And then a sniffle, a sneeze and a faint “bless you” from across the
room. Sound familiar? The University of Oregon is back inperson, and so is the common cold – or the “frat flu,” as many call it. Dealing with sickness has never been more important, as almost every symptom could be a sign of COVID-19. However, missing class because of illness can seem like a last-resort option because it always has been. Students were raised in a schooling system that places a premium on perfect attendance – one that values productivity over mental and physical health. We all remember the rewards for perfect attendance in elementary school and how frowned upon it was when we missed class. In Georgia, parents are sent a letter after their student has five unexcused absences “informing them of misdemeanor educational-neglect charges that could be filed against them,” according to The Atlantic. This example, while extreme, reflects the mindset that can lead students to ignore what their body is telling them while ill, putting themselves and others at risk. Firstyear student Will Garrahan had just that experience. He missed three days of classes due to a cold he caught while partying with his fraternity on Bid Night. “I didn’t realize how sick I was at first, and there was definitely a lot of pressure [to come to class],” Garrahan said. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, some professors, like assistant professor of history Steven Beda, didn't think sickness policies were necessary. “I never had felt the need to discourage students from coming to class who may be exhibiting symptoms,” Beda said. “I always figure [students] are adults, and they are old enough to understand when they can and can’t come to class.” Much has changed since then for Beda, who now places a large emphasis on students staying home when they feel sick. “The GE’s and I will make sure to "Whatever you do, don't come to Unthank during work with you to make sure your breakfast, lunch or dinner. For optimal wait times, only grade does not suffer,” Beda said. “[My come for brunch, linner or dreakfast." (Ian Proctor/ policy] is in the syllabus. I mention it Emerald) on the first day of class. I mention it
EDITORIAL CARTOON:
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Jessica Bolden/Daily Emerald
other times... I think even in my introductory email I mention it, and my GEs mention it.” But not everyone has the support they need from their professors. “I’ve realized that there’s a lot of that work that I really can’t make up, especially in Spanish,” Garrahan said. “We had a quiz the other day, and about half of it I just didn’t know how to answer because it was all work they had done in class that I missed.” Extended illness is also an issue. Professors often expect students to get over colds in just a couple days. However, even if major symptoms are gone, it can sometimes take up to two weeks for people to feel fully better. “My teacher said I could make the work up, but now it’s been a while so I’m not sure if I really can,” said Garrahan, who has had a cough lingering more than a week since returning to classes. This is the struggle that students face: come to class for lecture, or miss and run the risk of putting themselves behind for weeks. “I think students are in a really difficult situation,” Beda said. “Especially students who are exhibiting light symptoms, ones that would be easy to ignore… There are a lot of classes that if you miss one class it sets you behind the entire quarter.” It is apparent that students’ fears of falling behind can outweigh their traditional judgements, and the makeup policies for many classes, while well intentioned, can sometimes fall short. This may paint a bleak picture for the present, but the situation could open the door to explore possibilities for the future. Before March 2020, most people had no idea what Zoom was. Since then, the program has exploded and allowed dramatic improvements for teaching, learning and meeting virtually. Professors and students should not disregard the skills they picked up from online learning, but rather put them to use for a more accessible classroom. To encourage those with mild to severe symptoms to stay home and keep our overall community safe, UO should implement a policy requiring professors to record or livestream lectures. "A “return to normal” should not be the goal this year. Instead, we must take this opportunity to improve our educational systems, because everyone has already lost enough." Having a cold should not incapacitate students and harm their learning. Isaac Oronsky is a first-year opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. A political science major from the Bay Area, he enjoys soccer, duck games, and writing.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
A NEW LOOK FOR STUDENT ORGANIZATION STIPENDS: TOSS
For the past decade, stipends for student organization leadership have been calculated solely based on their size. The ASUO Executive is replacing this model with a more equitable process considering size, impact and reach of the student organization. BY SAM SIMONETT, ASUO COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR; LUDA ISAKHAROV, SECRETARY OF PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION AND ELLA MELOY, PROGRAMS FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR
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Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) is recruiting for the following part-time positions in its Senior & Disability Services (S&DS) Senior Meals Program.
• Senior Meals Kitchen Assistant
$500 HIRING INCENTIVE UPON PASSING PROBATION
$22.95-$31.28/hr (Coburg)
Learn more at www.lcog.org/jobs! EOE/AA Sign up on handshake.com to talk with us at the UO Public Service and Nonprofit Careers Fair October 22.
$18.09-$24.65 per hour (Springfield)
• Senior Meals Site Coordinator
Open until filled.
For many years the ASUO has employed a policy providing stipends for student organization leaders. This stipend is not compensation for hourly labor, and never has been, but rather an incentive and small reward for those students dedicating personal time to lead extracurricular activities within the college community. Student organizations are essential for a successful and well-rounded college experience; the University of Oregon would not be the same without them. This is why ASUO has prioritized student organization leadership stipends in its budget for years — in fact, the University of Oregon is the only university who has such a policy. That's right. We are the only university who pays its student organization leaders. ASUO is baffled as to why this is not common policy across American universities, but it provides us an opportunity to lead and set a national precedent of how to treat student organizations. It also fulfills another promise made over the summer to increase student organization stipends. Opportunity comes with responsibility. And, to ensure the precedent ASUO sets will lead other universities to effective policy decisions, an interbranch workgroup was formed to evaluate and recommend changes to the current stipend model. The driving force behind the workgroup was their mission to increase access to leadership and ensure ASUO engages in equitable use of the I-Fee. The recommendation from this workgroup’s analysis and policy creation is a new model to calculate a respective organizations stipend amount. The proposal has been given the name Tiered Organizational Stipend System. The key flaw found in the current model is how stipend amounts are calculated solely on the basis of clubs’ budget and size. The TOSS workgroup found this inequitable. Many student organizations are dedicated to invoking strides of communal activity across campus that may not have a large club base compared to others — like our multicultural organizations for instance. Because the current model does not allow ASUO to consider campus impact, the amount of programming an organization facilitates and community reach in its stipend calculation model, many essential clubs have been under-stipended; some larger clubs have engaged in perfunctory spending just to retain their large stipend which, again, is the sole factor used to calculator clubs stipend amount. TOSS fixes this issue. The TOSS model is composed of four tiers in which a student organization may be categorized, along with different stipend distribution options that clubs can individually select, each tier carrying different qualifications and minimum/ maximum stipend limits. ASUO prioritizes transparency, and we want to give you the most accurate and clear information possible. Scan the QR code below for charts documenting the differences between tiers and how student organizations will be categorized. In addition to fairly utilizing the I-Fee, TOSS increases accountability for both ASUO and student organizations. Clubs will be required to track meetings and events through Engage, keeping a record of the level of outreach and achieved benchmarks. This allows both ASUO and the club to receive the accurate designation and stipend amount – and will give clubs who are attempting to raise their stipend a progress report. TOSS’s allocation of stipends increases the total funds doled out to student organizations. This, coupled with the stipend increase for ASUO officials, will currently raise student’s I-Fee by 3.3%. ASUO understands asking any student to pay more for their already encumbering college fees is a serious matter. This is only occurring because we, the ASUO Executive, strongly believe this will create more opportunities for student organizations and will open more paths towards leadership. An increase of this size has been standard for each school year. This new model comes with a vision, a vision that greatly outweighs and justifies an I-Fee increase. As clubs attempt to move up the tiers, campus will become even more effervescent. More campus wide activities representing fabulous interests and identities will flourish into our weekly college experience. Clubs deserve to benefit from this effort, an effort that benefits the entire campus community. If you have any questions regarding this change, please contact ASUO’s communication director Sam Simonett at asuocomm@uoregon.edu. Sincerely, The ASUO Executive Editor’s note: This is an excerpt of the ASUO Executive’s letter. Visit https://www.dailyemerald. com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/ to read the full letter, including detailed information about TOSS and the leadership stipends for student organizations in different tiers.
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A&C
OPINION
THE BATTLE BETWEEN LOCAL BUSINESSES AND E-COMMERCE Eugene local businesses show how the transition to online shopping has created an unfair competition between the e-commerce industry and ‘ma and pa’ shops.
BY CAITLIN TAPIA • TWITTER @CAITLINTAPIA21
The Broadway Metro, located in downtown Eugene, is Eugene's last remaining independent theater. (Will Geschke/Emerald)
Eugene is a city for everyone, full of vibrant art and music, known as “TrackTown USA,” encompassing a wide variety of scenic landscapes and destinations and, of course, home to the University of Oregon. Those who have grown up in the area, tourists and college students alike can attest that there is no lack of culture within the Eugene community. However, as it did across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc among local cultures. Between the rise in exposure rates and various lockdown restrictions, Eugene was just one example of a city put on pause. This caused the local businesses that once gave Eugene its unique culture to be placed on the back burner. Meanwhile, the already growing e-commerce industry expanded to fill the void. A United Nations report on trade and development found that “businesses and consumers increasingly ‘went digital,’ providing and purchasing more goods and services online, raising e-commerce’s share of global retail trade rose from 14% in 2019 to about 17% in 2020.” Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, reported a net profit of $21.33 billion in 2020 while “accounting for over 40% of the United States’ e-commerce market,” as reported by Statista. Other companies such as Walmart and eBay, both of which are near the front of the pack in the nation’s e-commerce market, benefit from a system in which large companies are able to easily dominate the industry due to the sheer amount of resources at their disposal. On the other hand, local businesses, miniscule in comparison to chain corporations, are left
hanging by a thread in a world that does not give them even a remote opportunity to survive. These businesses are the driving force behind the Eugene culture; yet, due to the slim size of staff and income, many businesses couldn’t transition their operations online. Within Oregon alone, nearly half of businesses closed temporarily and several shut down permanently. Additionally, almost all businesses showed a decrease in sales, according to a statewide COVID-19 business impact survey. As reported in a previous Daily Emerald article, the pandemic has left local favorites such as the Bijou and David Minor theaters permanently closed, leaving the Broadway Metro as the last indie theater standing. And, while one might assume that with the closures of other local theaters the Broadway Metro would gain the monopoly of the movie theater industry, this idea has not become a reality. Even companies such as movie theaters must compete with the e-commerce giant in the form of digital streaming services. Similar to the rest of the online shopping trends, digital streaming services have seen a rise in subscriptions over the past few years with a tremendous increase during 2020. Digital streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu and HBO Max, reached over 1.1 billion subscribers in 2020 — a 26% growth from the previous year, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. This occurred while box offices reported the lowest amount of revenue from ticket and concession sales in decades. If companies as large as AMC have suffered losses up to $4.5 billion, there is no doubt that local businesses that already profit less have suffered immensely. With the rise in online consumerism, there is a clear and present danger to the local, culture driving shops within the Eugene area. Even as vaccination rates increase and many in-person aspects of life return, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for local businesses if they regain the customers they had before the pandemic while acquiring new ones. Caitlin Tapia is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a secondyear student from Colorado majoring in journalism and political science. She is most passionate about social justice and politics but loves to debate about anything.
ASKING FOR A FRIEND: CASUAL RELATIONSHIPS Asking for a Friend is the Daily Emerald’s sex and relationship column. Every other week, Aisha Ghorashian answers anonymous questions about anything from how to date, to sex, to how to heal a broken heart. BY AISHA GHORASHIAN • TWITTER @AISHAISHBABY29
(Alexis Barrett/Emerald)
How do you know you should break it off with someone you’re just seeing casually? We’ve been friends for a while, and we care deeply for each other, but we know we aren’t “the ones” for each other.
- Casual and confused
Dear Casual and Confused, Your causal situation is one that many young adults and adolescents face. Being in a casual relationship is easy and fun, it allows for a lot of the fun of being in a relationship without the pressure. It can be hard navigating casual relationships because they arise gradually sometimes and out of nowhere. Like you said, you were bored, and now you are rethinking the relationship a little. No matter what type of relationship you have, it’s important to: communicate clearly, listen to yourself and be honest. Ask yourself what you want. It’s really important to take the time to evaluate the way you feel — it’s a great way to figure out what exactly you’re looking for. Your happiness in a relationship is the most important thing, and I suggest taking some time to ask yourself these questions: 1. What do I like about this relationship? 2. What do I like about the person I am casually seeing? 3. Am I getting what I want from the relationship? 4. Am I looking for something serious? 5. How will the friendship look after we end things? These questions are important to reflect upon when examining the stability or value of a causal relationship. I also want to remind you that you can date someone who isn’t “the one.” There is a lot of social pressure surrounding the idea that when you date someone it has to be because you may want to marry them. That is not the case; you can absolutely date someone who you have no intention of being lifelong soulmates with. When you are in
college, a big part of dating is figuring out what you like and what you do not. If the person you are seeing isn’t “the one,” you at least learned something about yourself. Once you have figured out how you feel about the relationship, then you can decide what to do next. If you realize, “ I do not like this, and I want to end it,” then take the next steps to end it. But, if you realize you enjoy the situationship, then there is no need to end it. Deciding to break off a casual thing can be complicated and having a serious conversation when you’re in a casual relationship can be really hard and feel awkward. We’ve all been there, and it’s nerve racking, but communicating clearly is important for your own sake and theirs. If you are ready to have a “break it off” conversation with them, there are various ways to go about it. You can do it over text if you are very nervous; while that is not ideal, it is one way to get the conversation over with. Start the message with something like, “Hey I’ve been thinking about…” to get the ball rolling. If you are more traditional and prefer to do things in person, meeting up for coffee or going on a walk is a good way to start the conversation. Sometimes speaking your feelings can be very difficult, but once it’s over a weight will be lifted off of your shoulders. However, if you realize that you have developed feelings for this person it is important to communicate that. Expressing your feelings is scary because you have to be vulnerable and open yourself up to hurt. Your casual partner may not reciprocate the feelings. If you want to take your casual relationship to the next level be prepared that the other person may not want that and you may feel rejected. Once you have become comfortable with being vulnerable, you can have the conversation. Meeting up for coffee or grabbing drinks will probably be the easiest way to go about it. The start of the conversation will always be awkward, but you just have to bite the bullet. You use starter phrases like “So I have been thinking about our relationship” or “How do you like where things are going with us.” Again, it will not be easy but it will be worth it. Overall, when it comes to knowing if you should break off a casual relationship, being honest is the key ingredient. Casual relationships are fun and easy, but they can get complicated — especially when you're friends with that person. Knowing yourself and your feelings is important to preserve your own well-being and the other person’s. Aisha Ghorashiam is a Sex and
Courtesy of Madi Vann
Relationships reporter at the Daily Emerald. She writes about sexual topics that pertain to college students and runs a bi-weekly column called "Asking for a Friend" where she answers students’ questions about sex and relationships. Outside of the Emerald she studies political science and psychology, in the future she hopes to work in public health Courtesy of Madi Vann programming and policy.
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SPORTS
OREGON TOPS UCLA 34-31 IN ROLLERCOASTER AT THE ROSE BOWL BY SHANE HOFFMANN • TWITTER @SHANE_HOFFMANN
(Courtesy UCLA Athletics)
PASADENA, Calif. — Troy Dye’s hands flew to his head as Anthony Brown’s second interception of the day floated into the grasp of UCLA defensive back Jay Shaw. Minutes later, Dye jumped up and down, pointing towards the UCLA sideline as he watched Ducks cornerback DJ James streak across the field after hauling in the game-winning interception. Beside him stood former Ducks Justin Herbert, stoic as ever, and linebacker Justin Hollins. Hollins wore a black sweatshirt, and written on the back in white lettering read, “I miss gamedays.” After Oregon’s 34-31 rollercoaster of a win against UCLA, they all must have. The duo of Herbert and Dye relived their college days in the very stadium where they ended: the Rose Bowl. They watched as the Ducks put together a victory that could go a long way in a potential return to this exact field this winter. A win that keeps the Ducks in the Playoff hunt for yet another week. “They’re just resilient. They just keep coming, and they truly believe that there’s no play, no circumstance, no bad call, no injury that we can’t overcome,” head coach Mario Cristobal said of his team. Dye’s younger brother Travis scored four touchdowns, and Oregon ripped off a 34-3 run after spotting UCLA a 14-0 lead early in the first half. Then, after Brown put together his most explosive game of the year, he salted away a double-digit lead with a pair of fourth quarter interceptions, leaving Oregon’s defense to decide the game. Kayvon Thibodeaux was the playmaker Oregon’s defense has lacked in weeks past. Available for the entirety of the afternoon for just the second time this year, the edge rusher collected nine tackles, 4.5 tackles PA G E 1 2
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for loss and two sacks. “There is always one more play, one more opportunity to showcase the work that we put in on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Thibodeaux said. “Our backs were against the wall. We had to come out and fight, show our grit.” With just over a minute left, Thibodeaux landed a hit on UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson –– which sent him to the sideline and his backup Ethan Garbers into the game. James, who lost his spot in the rotation after an off-the-field legal incident in the offseason, snagged his first career interception to stop UCLA’s lead from snowballing in the first quarter, then caught the game’s most important ball from Garbers with 48 seconds remaining, securing Oregon’s win. James didn’t let go of the ball he picked off. Still holding it, he ran across the field and into a swarm of teammates. As he finally made his way off the field, he gripped it tight in his left hand, embracing Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens. Herbert must have been jealous watching Oregon’s offensive game plan. Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead dialed up screen pass after screen pass, gashing a blitz-happy Bruins defense and between the second and third quarters, the Ducks scored four touchdowns on as many possessions. “[UCLA] is chaotic,” Cristobal said. “They bring pressure from all over the place. It looks like ‘Star Wars.’ There’s just stuff everywhere. And you got to block it and you got to beat it.” “We knew that some holes would be open for the pass game, and we had to take advantage of them,” Brown said. “We did it today. It was good to come fullcircle.”
UCLA’s head coach Chip Kelly stubbornly stuck with his conference-leading run game. It went nowhere except a season-low 110 rush yards on 2.4 yards per carry. Moorhead, meanwhile, just let the hot hand cook. Brown finished with a season-high 296 passing yards at a 74% clip and added 85 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Before his late-game interceptions soiled what looked to be a turning point in the quarterback’s highly criticized season, Brown threw some of his best — and deepest — throws of the season. At one point, completing 11 straight passes. “We knew that some holes would be open for the pass game, and we had to take advantage of them. We did it today. It was good to come full-circle,” Brown said. “I should have been playing like this for a while, but the fact that it came in a big moment was important.”,” Brown said. Cristobal will take the good — Oregon’s defense standing tall throughout the afternoon and holding a potent UCLA offense to just 352 total yards — with the bad — two uncharacteristic turnovers from a quarterback who seemed to find his stride at times. Even with the man who revolutionized college offenses — and brought Oregon to its first national championship — on the opposing sideline, Oregon had the more dynamic offense Saturday. Oregon got its playmakers in space, and the Ducks combination of speed and power prevailed. While they're prone to chunk plays through the air, the Ducks’ defense is full of star-studded playmakers who continue to prevail in late-game situations. Oregon just needs to put it all together now. And, if the win in Pasadena is any indication, once the Ducks get out of their own way, they’ll be just fine.