19 minute read
UNTHANK HALL FURTHERS THE CLASS DIVIDE
OPINION UNTHANK HALL FURTHERS THE CLASS DIVIDE
Wheeler: UO’s newest dorm is more than a shiny new building, but a change emblematic of the growing inaccessibility of college as an institution that grants social mobility.
BY PORTER WHEELER • TWITTER @DOCBATTINGTON
Unthank Hall is more than a shiny new building on campus, it is emblematic of the University of Oregon’s increasing cost to its students and the systemic growth of college inaccessibility. This is an issue because it runs contrary to conception that college is meant to be an institution of class mobility.
Class is not just the place you show up to, but also a system of categorization based on perceived economic and social standing. To move up the class ladder has long been the drive of American society, primarily achieved by going to college and receiving education for a lifelong career.
Though popular culture touts this American Dream as the birthright of all those willing to work for it, the facts simply don’t bear that out. Since 1980, the cost of higher education has doubled while wages have grown 0.3% annually, according a report in Forbes, despite 65% of U.S. jobs requiring a postsecondary education. Paradoxically, university is both necessary to acquire a career and ineffective in guaranteeing a stable middle-class future – as 60% of the most recent graduates, the millennial generation, live paycheck to paycheck.
Unthank is a $87 million stepping stone in the process of transforming campus’ residence halls with lavish prices as Unthank rooms cost between $14,488 and $19,692 annually. This is occurring while Walton is in the process of being knocked down, with Hamilton’s demolition coming next, and two Unthank-like halls are set to take their place. Dwindling are the affordable options that allowed a student a few years ago to live on campus for under $10,000.
This grand transformation of campus is a response to the constantly declining enrollment numbers UO has experienced for the past decade. The unspoken truth is that these measures will attract a certain type of student: those who can afford it.
Discussions on the growing cost of college are nothing new, but the rhetoric rarely goes beyond debt and to the more systemic ramifications of class divide. College plays a different role today than it did for our parents. For those before us, it was an additional step to solidify themselves in the middle class. It was not uncommon for an accountant and a garbage collector to live on the same block. Widening the class divide will be the death of social mobility. The majority of Americans will be trapped in the lower class with ascension becoming an endeavor either unavailable or unfeasible without accruing mass amounts of debt. It is clear college will soon not be for the working class, and it is rare for a white and blue collar worker to live in even the same zip code.
All the while, college still holds a cultural significance in American hearts as a romanticized institution with whose sports teams and colors we decorate our lives. The consequences of this institutional change are twofold: Those who graduate will do so with debt, yet they will still have a cultural fondness for college; those who do not attend a university will be trapped as lower-class workers, stuck in generational immobility.
This will become the norm as those in so-called “higher society” will not change their beloved institutions, and the lower classes will be unable to access journalistic, financial or political positions to enact change. As such, university will become a restricted ceremony that will separate different socioeconomic classes by manifesting itself as a natural, necessary institution culturally baked into American society.
I do not question the importance of college’s training and humbling exposure to the vast wealth of human knowledge, but instead resent the growing inaccessibility for the majority of the population to access those. If college is our culturally beloved institution that grants mobility it must be available to all that wish to use it. If that is not true, then the promise of the American dream with its opportunities is nothing but a ruse. Unthank Hall is not the final falling bastion that makes university wholly inaccessible, but a local example of the continuing trend that will lock the majority out of class mobility.
Porter Wheeler is an opinion columnist at the Daily Emerald. As a student of global studies and cultural anthropology, he writes passionately about politics and culture through an intersectional lens.
A PANDEMIC CAN’T STOP A CREATIVE MIND
BY NIKA BARTOO-SMITH • TWITTER @BARTOONIKA
Over the past year and a half, artists have adapted to the pandemic, often focusing on self-reflection and finding new places to do art.
In March 2020, when the pandemic first hit, Malik Lovette found himself without a studio space to create his art. He began sleeping on his friend’s couch in order to use their garage to continue creating, he said. With the shutdowns, Lovette found that he had to get creative with the materials he used — he found woodblocks by a dumpster that he used to make furniture and started getting commission requests from his parent’s friends.
“I was doing anything that I could and [my friend’s place] had the space to provide that,” Lovette said. “It was challenging, but I was just focused on what I could control.”
Over the course of the past 16 months since COVID-19 first hit, most people faced some sort of struggle. For many artists, this meant having to be extra creative with their work and also channeling their emotions into their creations.
Lovette, a UO undergraduate alum and current UO architecture grad student, first came to the UO as a football player for the Ducks, majoring in fine arts. While Lovette enjoyed playing football, it was always more of a pathway to do what he really wanted: creating art.
“I had this personal goal of mine where I wanted to be respected for my artistic integrity rather than my jersey number,” Lovette said.
In July 2021, that dream became a reality. Lovette exhibited his first piece in a museum at the “JSMA Black Lives Matter Artist Grant Program Exhibition.” His piece, “Unchained,” highlights the correlation between sports and slavery of Black men.
The piece displays an image of Lovette in the center of a black background. Chains are shackled to his hands, ankles and neck and Lovette is bent over trying to break the chains around his ankles. He is surrounded by sports equipment — a football by his left leg sitting atop an American flag, a basketball by his right and a myriad of other equipment around him. A Wheaties box sits to the side of him, a cereal well known for featuring prominent athletes.
All around the central image of Lovette are images of 14 famous Black athletes with looks of pride and accomplishment on their faces.
“There’s this correlation between sports and slavery,” Lovette said. “But then [this piece] offers an internal versus external perspective of being able to show the bad in it — and how it’s been disguised in different forms, how People of Color have had to use this pathway of sports to gain liberation as a U.S. citizen.”
Although COVID-19 provided its own challenges, Lovette used this
Image courtesy of Malik Lovette.
Image courtesy of Malik Lovette.
Kalli Bechtold, an artist at the University of Oregon, poses with her painting, entitled "Institute". Eugene, and the University of Oregon, are home to a thriving art scene. (Will Geschke/Emerald)
(Courtesy of Noelle Herceg)
"Bernard", anthotype with avocado emulsion, 2020, by Noelle Herceg. (Courtesy of Noelle Herceg)
time to further his work. Lovette is not the only artist who spent this time focusing on self-reflection and expanding their creation.
While the JSMA experienced a number of closures and reopenings throughout the course of the pandemic, it maximized the closures’ opportunities to work on construction and explore new modes of technology, according to JSMA communications manager Debbie Williamson-Smith.
The biggest technological change was the creation of virtual tours through Matterport technology, a 3D platform that allows online viewers to see a space such as a museum. This provides an opportunity for people to explore an exhibit virtually — from the comfort of their own home or in a classroom setting all together. According to Williamson-Smith, the virtual tours are one piece from the pandemic that the museum plans to keep.
The “JSMA Black Lives Matter Artist Grant Program Exhibition” is currently available as a virtual tour and in person until Nov. 21.
For former UO student Kalli Bechtold the pandemic offered a “blessing in disguise.” In the winter of 2020, Bechtold was enrolled at UO as a fine arts major. Once the pandemic hit and classes went online, she took a hiatus from school. Now, she is discovering that she does not want to return at all.
“When I would work on art pieces for class, I would feel like it wasn’t really doing me much,” Bechtold said. “I would always want to shift it to what I wanted to do anyway.”
Bechtold works mostly with oil paints on canvas. A lot of her work is a form of self-reflection, and the pandemic offered her plenty of time to spend alone reflecting on herself and creating art. Bechtold started her first website where she sells hoodies, t-shirts, tote bags and oil paintings in the early months of 2020; she also has a spot to send her a commission request.
All of the images Bechtold creates feature trippy, colorful and “genderless” faces. The piece “How To Lose Your Mind” shows a serious, yellow face staring out at the viewer while its head begins to dissolve into a chaos of curvy lines.
Third-year graduate student and introduction to printmaking professor Noelle Herceg had to find new ways to be creative with the materials she used both for her students and her own artwork. She taught her students to be creative with the materials they had access to around them.
Embodying her teaching, Herceg began to use her kitchen space as her art studio as well. She started brewing kombucha and used the SCOBY, the bacteria and yeast that form during the fermentation process of the kombucha, to create a sculptural piece. She dried it out until it took on a leather-like quality and then put it atop a mold of her belly button.
“For me, the SCOBY pieces are a reminder of intergenerational correspondence and connections to the mother,” Herceg wrote. “The new SCOBY growth from the kombucha brewing process has been peeled away from its mother culture, and now holds an impression of my own navel, the point of contact I once joined to my mother as well.”
While many artists used this time alone during the pandemic to work on self-reflection, other artists had to be creative in figuring out how to work in a group.
The rock band EWEB, Eugene Water and Electric Band, formed in March 2021. They play a mix of covers and original music. At this point, they mostly play house shows at their friend’s house, nicknamed “The Sandlot,” and a few bars around Eugene.
For most of the band members, the beginning of COVID-19 provided a time to focus on their music. Drummer Jack Carek got excited about electronic music as a way to create music without having a full band. After a while, guitarist and vocalist Ben Sickler and Carek grew tired of playing music by themselves. Soon after, EWEB was formed.
Sickler said he reminded himself, “I don’t know when else we will be able to do music all the time,” when he was feeling frustrated with COVID-19, quoting the other guitarist and vocalist Sam Mondros.
On Oct. 2, EWEB played at a friend’s house. The backyard was full of people — dancing to the music and socializing with friends. The band played a mix of original songs and covers, debuting its latest song, “Spider.” EWEB’s music is perfect for jumping around, swaying your hips and screaming along to the lyrics.
For EWEB members, they used the beginning of the pandemic to hone their own skills and have since transitioned to playing shows for live audiences, with their favorite being jam sessions. If you want to catch their music in person, they play a 21+ show at Max’s Bar on Oct. 8, according to Carek.
While the past 16 months have been wrought with hardships and uncertainties for so many, it has also been a time of growth and selfreflection. These artists prove that art will always be created and adapted, no matter the circumstances.
OPINION STEP UP YOUR FOOD GAME AT EUGENE'S FARMERS MARKETS
Stop eating out of your freezer and buy from your local farmers market
BY LAUREN LEONE • TWITTER @OH_SHES_ARTSY
When I think about the average college meal, a microwave and a freezer is almost always involved. I understand college students are more likely than not buying their groceries on a budget, and shopping at the farmers market doesn’t sound like it’s cost effective. But it, in fact, can be! People often end up paying more money at a grocery store for lower quality and quantity food when they could be shopping at the farmers markets and buying the healthiest food they can.
It may sound expensive, but it’s actually quite affordable! Just this past weekend, I purchased six large carrots for only $1, a price I definitely wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. It’s farmers markets that have larger bundles of vegetables for a cheaper price — and much higher quality. Farmers markets are great ways to shop on a budget and get locally-grown produce you won’t find anywhere else.
Shopping at a farmers market can be a source of inspiration and a great way to buy unique items. One of my favorite things about the farmers market is seeing all the different fruits and vegetables on display, as well as the stalls offering sauces, baked goods and other obscure items. The offerings range from nutritious fruits and vegetables, like wild foraged mushrooms, to honeycombs straight from the hive and sunflower heads ready for oven roasting. You never know what you may find!
Another amazing quality of shopping at farmers markets is the in-season produce. Nothing beats the taste of freshly harvested and in-season food. While Oregon has a shorter growing season than other states, the shorter season can often mean a higher quality of food and intensity of flavor, according to The Spruce Eats. The Spruce Eats is a reference for would-be chefs when searching for in-season produce. In-season crops are picked at their peak ripeness and are often grown locally, whereas out-ofseason produce is often picked early and transported long distances before reaching your plate. While there isn’t anything wrong with that, nothing beats the taste of perfectly ripe fruits and vegetables.
Some fruits in season right now are a variety of berries, melons and grapes, as well as vegetables like carrots, green beans, corn and tomatoes. If you’re like me and have made an effort to learn to cook while in college, the farmers market is an amazing place to decide where to start. I recommend picking vegetables in season and dedicating the season to experimenting with different recipes. You wouldn’t go shopping for bathing suits in the winter, so why buy food any differently?
After walking up and down the market and buying all my fresh fruits and in-season vegetables, I always leave some room in my reusable bag for Lady Bread Bakery. Coming all the way from Coos Bay, Oregon, these outrageously delicious recipes are by Jen Harvey, who calls herself a true Irish Italian “Bakester” (which, according to Lady Bread’s website, is the feminine pronoun for a baker from the 1950’s). This bread is inspiring. Just one bite of her turmeric bread had me planning a charcuterie board. Her stall includes breads with loaves ranging from her Captain’s Crust Sourdough bread to artichoke and garlic. My personal favorite is the Tuscan loaf, composed of tomatoes, garlic and basil. This bread is truly one-of-akind, and there is always a line of people waiting to buy Harvey’s bread. On top of her delicious bread, she has quite the variety of baked goods, like cookies, muffins and a “Cinna-Monster.” And, if you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase the “Cinna-Monster” and, yes, it is as big as it sounds.
I encourage you to experience all Eugene’s farmers markets have to offer. Either stop by the Saturday Market on East Fifth Avenue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, or head to the Park Blocks on Eighth Avenue and Oak Street on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are many benefits to shopping from your local market like saving money, eating healthy and so many more!
Various baked goods are on desplay at the Lady Bread Bakery farmers market stall. The Lane County Farmers Market takes place every Saturday on E 5th Ave, Eugene, Ore. (Serei Hendrie/Emerald)
Gannon Shuttleworth, one of the three bakers at Lady Bread Bakery, holds up a loaf of kalamata olive, fetta and dill flat bread. The Lane County Farmers Market takes place every Saturday on E 5th Ave, Eugene, Ore. (Serei Hendrie/ Emerald)
Colorful local produce provided by Crossroads Farm is on out display for shoppers to buy. The Lane County Farmers Market takes place every Saturday on E 5th Ave, Eugene, Ore. (Serei Hendrie/Emerald) Lauren Leone is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a thirdyear advertising student at UO. She is a Bay Area native with a strong passion for healthy food, digital art and creative writing.
Byrd: We should all be exercising caution during this term so we can continue to be a society that cares for one another.
BY BEATRICE BYRD • TWITTER @BEATRICEBYRD31
Students are seen at Lillis Hall on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 30, 2021. Students, staff and faculty at the University of Oregon navigate what in-person classes and events look like in the time of COVID-19 and the new dangers of navigating the delta variant. (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald)
Students are seen at Lillis Hall on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 30, 2021. Students, staff, and faculty at the University of Oregon navigate what in person classes and events look like in the time of COVID-19 and the new dangers of navigating the Delta Variant. (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald)
Students are seen in the EMU on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 30, 2021. Students, staff, and faculty at the University of Oregon navigate what in person classes and events look like in the time of COVID-19 and the new dangers of navigating the Delta Variant. (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald)
A collective buzz of excitement accompanies the fall of autumn leaves as the University of Oregon reopens this term. The return to in-person classes means an influx of students. And, although the excitement of community is a much-needed tonic after many months in isolation, a frightening and slightly fabricated version of normalcy fills the air.
With the threat of the delta variant increasing each day, the easing of pandemic restrictions is the last thing that should be happening. While vaccines offer increased levels of protection against COVID-19 and its variants, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have indicated the delta variant has caused more infections and can spread faster than the original virus. In Lane County, current community transmission rates maintain high levels.
While the statistics provided by the CDC seem daunting, a campus-wide mask mandate offers some hope for the continuation of inperson classes. However, the sheer number of students returning to campus for fall term complicates the matter.
Much of the world is experiencing a misplaced sense of relief as mandates begin to loosen and a return to pre-pandemic life appears closer to being realized. But, although much of society wants to trust this silver lining, research suggests an increase in volatile and unknown variants of the virus. Without the appropriate safeguards, the pandemic will continue to weigh down the foundation of civilization.
Out of 21,800 UO students, 96.1% of them are reported as fully vaccinated as of Sept. 27, according to UO’s vaccination dashboard. The dashboard also states that 95.2% of staff are immunized. This data only includes those who have reported their status. There are still over 900 individuals at the university who have not submitted their status. While these numbers reflect a highly vaccinated community, both the density of the group and the lack of common-sense regulations in place for students open a possibly disastrous door.
Given how many students attend the university, it is naive to believe that rules and regulations will be consistently followed by every community member. Highly trafficked areas, such as Straub Hall or the Recreation Center, are potential locations for viral spread because it’s unrealistic to assume that all students will follow the health and safety guidelines.
Other universities that have similar population sizes and guidelines to UO, such as Michigan State University, are experiencing increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases. As of Oct. 2, testing and reporting services for MSU have detected 454 cases of the virus since Aug. 2, despite MSU having high vaccination rates and a mask mandate similar to UO’s. Without further care for these policies, UO’s infection rate will continue to rise similar to other schools of its type.
In the past year, many people’s refusal to adapt to the pandemic has displayed their outright selfishness. Not wearing a mask has become an uninformed political statement, one that values personal comfort over protecting the group. The idea that a “new normal” includes masks is widely rejected, and public impatience for a supposed end to the pandemic continues to grow.
Most frightening of all is the growing sense of the unknown. The dangers of COVID-19 are continuously evolving. Breakthrough infections for those who are vaccinated, as charted by the Oregon Health Authority, prove this solemn point.
Simply stated, a semi-normal school experience this term should be celebrated, but a greater victory lies ahead: a collective and responsible approach to the common good, and one which will help all of us face the challenges we have faced over the past 18 months.
Beatrice Byrd is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a first year student studying journalism at UO. She believes in the power of fair and educated opinions that come from a desire to help strengthen communities.
