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Volume 12 Issue 1 | Fall 2020

QUARANTINE QUEENS The Eugene drag scene adapts to the pandemic

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‘THE LIGHT COMES BACK’ UO’S URBAN FARM PROVIDES AN OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE DURING COVID-19

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Like almost every aspect of life, the University of Oregon’s urban farm is working to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a space that works to foster community, the farm has made a push to continue in-person activities.

“When COVID first came right before March, at the end of the winter term, we were much stricter, because we didn’t know as much about COVID,” Harper Keeler, the farm’s program director, said. Based on the hands-on nature of the class — 40% of student grades have historically been based on showing up at the farm and participating in class — the urban farm course wasn’t feasible in a virtual format.

This meant that instead of offering the urban farm class over the summer, the group working at the farm was limited to Keeler, five team leaders and a handful of already-hired students on work study. Grace Youngblood, one of the students on work-study, said the farm’s summer situation was the most noticeable shift for her.

One of the problems they ran into was a lack of students taking the course to send home with the food they grew. As a result, the summer farm crew donated everything to the student food pantry twice a week, supporting food security on campus.

While Keeler said he was proud of how much they were able to contribute to the UO community, he said the lack of students on the farm was a major loss. “It was really, really sad not to have students here,” he said. “The energy that the students bring to the farm is crucial.”

However, Keeler said the space the farm provided was especially important during the pandemic. “I started noticing, on numerous occasions, individuals just sitting there crying,” he said. “We’re all grieving. That was the day I decided: I’m not kicking anyone out of the garden.”

During fall term, things have turned around.

Keeler has been able to teach two smaller classes on the farm with the help of his team leaders. Although they’re constantly sanitizing tools, maintaining social distancing and replacing the odd in-person class with a video assignment from the streaming platform Kanopy, the urban farm has found a way to proceed relatively unhindered.

“It has been really sweet to have somewhere to go two days a week that isn’t just my desk in my room,” Jenna Rudolph, one of the students in the class, said. For Rudolph, spending

time on the farm is a wonderful break from her otherwise-virtual class schedule. “Urban farm, it’s like you pull something from the ground,” she said, contrasting it with the less tangible process of completing work online, “and you have something in your hands that you’ve helped produce, which feels more gratifying.”

Eloise Parish Mueller, another student enrolled in the course, said it’s nice to be somewhere where she can tell everyone else is happy to be there, too.

“It feels really satisfying to work towards something together and to get to share food amongst one another,” Rudolph said. “I think that still builds community. But I think there are some limitations on how much socializing outside our little crews there is, because of COVID.” Keeler pointed to Halloween as one of those limitations. Usually, this is a time when students get together to celebrate the Celtic holiday Samhain — a festival that honors the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the winter months — but Keeler had to tone down the event. Instead of a potluck, students gathered for socially-distanced apple cider and a talk about the significance of the day in relation to agricultural practices.

Keeler has set up other COVID-19-safe events, as well. He hosted a socially-distanced movie night for one of his First-year Interest Groups and a cocktail night for some of the graduate students in UO’s Landscape Architecture program. While the weather is still good enough to spend time outside, the farm has also been home to watercolor painting events. “Any interaction that students can have together on campus that’s safe is a godsend for morale,” he said.

Keeler felt this sentiment rings especially true at this time of the year. “Where we are right now, the time between Halloween and the winter solstice, is the darkest time,” he said. “The days are getting shorter and shorter and shorter. So we’re entering a dark period, both physically in terms of the sun and the days getting shorter, but we’re entering it in a COVID surge that’s going to come with a vengeance.

“But I told students this: on that winter solstice, on the shortest day of the year — that’s only a couple of months from now — that’s when the days start getting longer again,” he said. “The light comes back.”

ON THE COVER

A collage of Emerald photos.

Top to bottom, left to right: (Maddie Knight/Emerald) (Adam Eberhardt/Emerald) (Emerald Archives) (Marissa Wilke/Emerald) (Will Geschke/Emerald) (Will Geschke/Emerald) The Urban Farm is home to a wide variety of plant life, and is also home to a number of bee hives. The University of Oregon’s Urban Farm is a student- and community-led project that focuses on promoting sustainable food systems and community-based activism. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

Urban Farm is offered as a class every term at the University of Oregon, allowing students to get hands-on experience with local food production. The University of Oregon’s Urban Farm is a student- and community-led project that focuses on promoting sustainable food systems and community-based activism. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

REGIONAL AND STATE NEWS BLACK TEEN KILLED IN SOUTHERN OREGON: Ashland Police arrested a man from Talent, Oregon, for shooting and killing a Black teenager after the two got into an argument in the parking lot of a motel where they were both staying, according to the department. A Southern Oregon Black community leader said the killing and the way police and local media have framed it is exemplary of the white supremacist culture in the area.

– JACK FORREST DUCKS UPSET BY OREGON STATE: The Ducks experienced a crushing 31-28 defeat on Friday to the rival Oregon State Beavers, shocking the college football world and sending Beavers fans into a frenzy. Oregon women’s basketball opened their season on Saturday with a 116-51 victory over Seattle, while the men’s opener originally set for Nov. 25 was canceled. An updated schedule was released on Tuesday and has the men’s team set to officially begin their season on Dec. 12.

– MOJO HILL

(DL Young/Emerald)

PORTLAND’S YOUNG, DIVERSE MUSICIANS: With in-person classes and concerts cancelled due to the pandemic, Portland Youth Philharmonic used its freed up time to create a new commissioning program, the Youth Orchestra Commissioning Initiative. The initiative aims to connect young musicians with diverse composers writing short, chamber music pieces. It has resulted in 14 brand new works, primarily by women and musicians of color, that were presented at PYP’s New Music Festival Nov. 14 and 15.

– SARAH-MAE MCCULLOUGH

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NEWS

‘THE MORE WHO DIE, THE LESS WE CARE’

WHY WE’RE GROWING NUMB TO COVID-19

BY SALLY SEGAR• TWITTER @SALLYSEGAR University of Oregon psychology professor Paul Slovic has spent much of his time during the COVID-19 pandemic writing articles, talking to journalists and thinking about why the coronavirus is so out of control.

To explain why case counts are surging and the virus is growing so rapidly, Slovic has drawn on previous psychological research that he thinks is relevant to the

pandemic.

Slovic said there are a few concepts in particular — including reinforcement theory and psychic numbing — that can help everyone understand why, while the virus is getting worse, it seems the community is becoming less worried.

FAST AND SLOW THINKING Slovic said that given the curve of coronavirus cases since March, it’s clear the growth is exponential. This means it is growing more rapidly over time. This type of growth happens when one person gets infected, then infects a couple others, who in turn each infect more than one person and so on.

“The human mind doesn’t deal with exponential growth very well,” Slovic said.

Behind this, he said, is psychological research that shows humans think in two ways: fast and slow. Fast thinking relies on intuition and gut feelings, while slow thinking is based on analysis, data and science.

“We rely on fast thinking because usually it works

for us,” Slovic said. “It’s easy, it feels right and most of the time, it works for us.

Except when it doesn’t. And when things are happening exponentially, it doesn’t work for us.”

Exponential coronavirus data can also teach us about climate change, Slovic said.

The overwhelming surge of sea level rise will also come sooner than expected and the early exponential curve has been hard for the human brain to process.

If one isn’t trained to think exponentially or rely on slow thinking, they underestimate data. Slovic said the overwhelming surge that follows the initial, steadier exponential growth Listen to the experts, not comes sooner than expected. the politicians.”

This is why we need to rely on scientists and experts — those who are trained to think slowly when they face PAUL SLOVIC University of Oregon data — to make decisions regarding the coronavirus, psychology professor Slovic said.

Courtesy of Paul Slovic

RISK JUDGMENT Another reason people misjudge the risks of the coronavirus and allow it to get out of hand is because it’s an invisible threat. Unless people see the virus right in front of them — if they or a loved one gets sick — they don’t really think COVID-19 is there.

“We’re better at judging risk when we can see the evidence of it directly,” Slovic

said.

Because people can’t see the virus itself, they are less likely to be careful about it and more likely to underestimate the risk of it, he said.

REINFORCEMENT THEORY Another factor that makes the virus hard to control is that everyone has to rely on behavior to curb the spread, Slovic said. Unfortunately, this means communities have to stop doing things they like and start doing things they don’t.

When the pandemic first hit the United States in the spring, most people followed guidelines and took them seriously, Slovic said. Because of pressure to open the economy — which resulted in relaxing restrictions — people started to relax and stop following guidelines as closely.

“Even now, when we have a tremendous amount of cases,” he said, “people are tired of doing the things they’re supposed to do.”

The reason people are tired of practicing COVID-19-safe behaviors is because they don’t feel the benefit from them, Slovic said. In fact, they feel like they’re being punished.

Slovic said people can understand these behaviors through reinforcement theory — a concept that students might have come across in an introductory psychology class.

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Reinforcement schedules are rules that state the relationship between a behavior and its consequences. With COVID-19, the reinforcement schedules are the opposite of what they need to be to keep people doing the right thing, Slovic said. People don’t feel the immediate consequences when they do what’s wrong, and they feel punished for doing what’s right.

“You don’t see who you’ve been protected from or who you’ve been protecting.

You don’t see the benefit,” he said. “But you feel the cost that you’re constrained and you can’t do the things you want to do.”

Slovic said those kinds of reinforcement schedules don’t keep people motivated to keep doing the right thing and continue following COVID-19 guidelines.

“So that’s why you see people who are really good people and are concerned about COVID in general. They relax their guard,” Slovic said. “And that’s inevitable.”

This backwards reinforcement schedule means that the only way to get people to do the right thing during the pandemic is to enforce regulations and shut things down.

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PSYCHIC NUMBING AND FEELINGS OF INEFFICACY Another psychological concept that inclusion of the data was meant to get explains why the virus is out of control more donations. is called psychic numbing. When This happened, Slovic said, because people are exposed to countless data with the added millions of children, it and statistics, they become numb to the felt like the problem was too big and a information, Slovic said. single donation wouldn’t help.

Especially as numbers increase, he People feel this sense of inefficacy — said, they become just often false inefficacy that — numbers. They — because their don’t carry emotion feelings mislead and they don’t impact them. people as much.

David Markowitz A related concept is a professor at UO’s is the feeling of School of Journalism inefficacy. Even and Communication. if individuals are Markowitz and concerned about Slovic have something, they feel collaborated on as if they can’t do projects including anything about it. exploring why As Slovic put it: people dehumanize “Why make yourself immigrants in the miserable worrying United States. about these horrible Markowitz said things if you feel you he thinks psychic can’t do anything numbing is the most about it?” relevant concept on An example of display during the this occurred in a pandemic. study regarding “As the number donating to children of cases and DAVID MARKOWITZ Professor at in need, Slovic deaths surge,” UO’s School of Jouranlism and said. Participants Markowitz said, Communication were shown two “our feeling system commercials: one of a becomes numb and single child they could cannot respond donate to, and one of that same child compassionately.” next to statistics of millions of other Markowitz and Slovic agree that children who needed aid. hearing stories about COVID-19 Participants who saw the commercial directly affecting people — instead of with the statistics were almost 50% just seeing numbers and data — can less likely to donate, even though the make people care more about it.

As the number of cases and deaths surge, our feeling system becomes numb and cannot respond compassionately.”

THE ARITHMETIC OF COMPASSION Slovic uses this term — the arithmetic of compassion — to explain why people care less when they should care more.

Their feelings can only do arithmetic up to the number one, he said.

The arithmetic of compassion, Slovic said, is a mistake. In reality, people should care more about problems that are bigger. Everyone should work harder to stop them, he said, but they actually do less.

“The more who die,” Slovic said, “the less we care.”

Slovic said efficacy is a powerful motivator for people’s actions, and this also explains human behavior during the pandemic. Feelings of inefficacy can arise when people see others ignoring coronavirus guidelines or when they can’t help but be exposed to others at their jobs, for example.

“If we don’t think our actions make a difference and they’re not pleasant to

do,” he said, “we won’t do them.”

In addition to working for the university, Slovic is the founder and president of Decision Research, an institute that investigates human judgment, decision-making and risk, according to its website.

Along with others from the institute and faculty from various universities including UO, Slovic has been working on a project titled the Arithmetic of Compassion.

Slovic said the project goes from the basic science of things like psychic numbing and inefficacy and shows how those concepts play out in the world around us. The goal of the project is to make people aware of this mistaken arithmetic and other psychological factors that affect their behavior.

Maybe, Slovic said, the project can help people overcome the barriers and get the arithmetic right.

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(Courtesy of Laura McKnight)

(Emerald Archives)

NEWS

BELOVED UO BIOLOGIST JEFF MCKNIGHT DIES 6 MONTHS AFTER CANCER DIAGNOSIS

BY CLAIRE WARNER • TWITTER @CLAIRENWARNER University of Oregon Assistant Biology Professor Jeff McKnight had a keen sense of fashion, often sporting beanies and colorful sweaters. His most memorable attire was his galaxy-print hoodies, emblazoned with llamas, cats and panda bears. Sometimes, he would pin his daughter’s artwork to his shirts.

McKnight died Oct. 4 of lymphoma after celebrating his daughter’s eighth birthday. He was diagnosed with the rare blood cancer in March.

Students who worked with McKnight in his lab reflected on their experiences fondly, noting the googly eyes plastered to every piece of lab equipment. McKnight often rode his scooter around the lab and the science building’s halls and encouraged students to play with his fidget spinners.

“Jeff was definitely someone special who saw his students as equals and not as anything lesser,”

said Bryson Tyler Ricamona, a UO biology alum, said. “It was really enlightening and very motivating to know that somebody really believed in us, not only in the work that we’re doing now but the potential work that we could do in the future.”

Jeff McKnight’s coworkers and students decorated his door with supportive messages as he battled lymphoma. (Courtesy of Amy Robbins)

CLASSIFIED WORKERS AT UO EXPRESS THEIR FRUSTRATION WITH LACK OF COVID-19 RELIEF PACKAGE

BY SILAS SLOAN • TWITTER @SILASLOAN Feelings of frustration and uncertainty are rising among UO’s classified staff with the absence of the Heroes Act, a federal COVID-19 relief package.

Melissa Unger, executive director of Service Employee International Union Local 503 in Eugene, said that federal support could go a long way for workers.

“Having the Heroes Act to supplement their income, so that they can actually get back to normal or back to where they’re not robbing Peter to pay Paul to keep their car, to get to work or to put food on their table, it’s crucial,” she said.

Classified staff would also like hazard pay to supplement their income. They do not currently

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receive hazard pay because UO has provided the necessary protective equipment and training for employees to work, UO Associate Director of Employee and Labor Relations Chris Meade said.

Even with the personal protective equipment custodians are currently provided, UO Custodial Services Coordinator Johnny Earl said hazard pay is warranted because custodial staff are unsure about the safety conditions of working on campus.

“We’re using a great disinfectant, Oxivir, right. You’re wearing gloves and you’re protecting yourself,” he said. “But then again, who knows, right?”

(Marissa Wilke/Emerald)

‘A CONSISTENT CYCLE’: DRUG DISTRIBUTION IN THE WAKE OF EUGENE DRUG BUST

BY BRUNO CROLLA • TWITTER @BCROLLATWEETS An announcement on Oct. 29 gave light to a drug bust that had taken place in the Eugene area resulting in the confiscation of 260 pounds of methamphetamine, 16 pounds of heroin and six pounds of fentanyl.

The bust itself was considered a major victory in dismantling a key distribution ring in the Pacific Northwest, but Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner said that it is likely a new operation will take its place.

“It always shocks me a little bit that people don’t believe or haven’t come to terms with the fact that when you’re a community our size on the I-5 corridor, you’re the perfect component for a hub-and-spoketype of distribution operation when

you’re dealing with drug trafficking organizations,” Skinner said.

A hub-and spoke operation refers to a central figure (hub) distributing operations to a number of coconspirators (spokes) to extend the range of an operation.

Eugene is also an ideal location for this sort of operation due to the lack of a dedicated drug enforcement division. The previous division, the Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team, was dismantled in 2016 due to a lack of funding.

Skinner said there is a gap that EPD needs to think about how to fill in order to prevent these kinds of drug trafficking hubs from growing once again in the community.

MEMBERS OF SORORITY HOUSES ON CAMPUS SEEK TO BREAK HOUSE LEASES DUE TO COVID-19

BY JANE GLAZER • TWITTER @JANEGLAZER Editor’s note: The Daily Emerald changed the names of the sorority members interviewed for this story to protect their housing status and to avoid possible retaliation.

For most sororities on campus, members are contractually required to live in for one to two years of their time as an active participant.

Most members who planned to live in for the 2020-21 school year signed their lease before they knew how extreme COVID-19 would become.

Sarah, one member of a sorority, said that members of her chapters executive board, as well as the national headquarters, are trying to find ways to navigate 26 women living together in her chapter facility. The rules, however, are inconsistent.

“They’ll blatantly ignore some things,” Sarah said. “Like during work week, when everyone was together not wearing masks they

didn’t say anything, but then later they got mad for something completely different.”

Lauren, a member of another sorority, said there has been a general lack of transparency about COVID-19 accommodations in her chapter, which causes confusion for girls trying to figure out the best plan for their specific situation.

“I am now being held accountable to pay my rent for the sorority,” Lauren said. “That’s confusing, because they never really gave us that information prior.”

Both Sarah and Lauren have noted frustrations with their current housing contracts and living situations. Sarah is hopeful that future live-ins won’t have to deal with the same circumstances.

“Hopefully by the time that, if girls want to live in next year, they will have figured most things out, and we’re kind of just the lab rats for it,” Sarah said.

COVER (Kevin Wang/Emerald)

(Will Geschke/Emerald)

(Will Geschke/Emerald)

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A&C AN ANONYMOUS INSTAGRAM PAGE SHARES COVID-19 CONCERNS

BY EM CHAN • TWITTER @CATCHUPTOEMILY A couple months before fall term started, a group of anonymous students and UO alumni created the Instagram @covid.campus page, which posts anonymous submissions from students and community members about the school’s handling of COVID-19 issues. Other universities and colleges across the country have had similar pages pop up as students have felt outraged by the way their administrators have responded to the pandemic.

The page’s reputation grew as more students found the page and submitted their own testimonies.

Concerns raised by submissions include protocol for the human physiology department’s in-person labs, the safety of student workers in the libraries and how UO is handling Fraternity and Sorority

Life in the wake of parties allegedly thrown at live-outs and members’ homes. From all the discussion the page raised, UO administrators defended the safety protocol and challenged the legitimacy of some of the posts, but the submissions and dissatisfaction of students and community members remain evident and highly contentious.

(Makena Hervey/Emerald)

(Will Geschke/Emerald)

NEW ZONE GALLERY OPENS A NEW LOCATION NEAR CAMPUS

BY GRACE MURRAY • TWITTER @GRACIEE_MURRAYY The New Zone Gallery has been a staple in Eugene’s art community since 1983, serving as a place for artists to create, collaborate and display their work. The main gallery space is on Seventh Avenue in downtown Eugene, adjacent to the Hult Center, but for the first time, New Zone has opened a second location offering additional opportunities for members and the community alike. Just a block away from UO, the new location is the first art-oriented business to join the bustling 13th Street in years.

The building was formerly home to a Smith Family Bookstore location, but it now holds an entirely artfocused space. The features include a New Zone gallery, a gift shop and the Smith Galleria where artists can rent studio spaces to create and sell their own work in a marketplace fashion.

The New Zone gallery will stay on 13th Avenue until the end of 2020 — and possibly beyond.

Steve La Ricca, the manager of the New Zone Art Gallery’s new location, poses with one of his pieces on display in the gallery. On Oct. 9, the New Zone Art Gallery is opening a new location in the Smith Family Building on 13th Avenue.

(Will Geschke/Emerald)

FERMATA BALLET COLLECTIVE REINVENTS THE DANCE COMPANY

LOCAL HIP-HOP ARTISTS SHARE THEIR STRUGGLES

BY JENNAH PENDLETON • TWITTER @JENNAHPEN

BY LUCAS WARNER • TWITTER @LUCASWARNER16

This summer, Eugene dancers proved their resilience when they created a new dance collective that aims to support the dance community in the face of

Dancers warm up with stretches and slow rhythmic movements before rehearsal. The Fermata Ballet Collective supports dancers to continue dancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Flex Studios is where dancers come to perfect their art to later showcase their skills. With concerns of COVID-19, the dancers follow safety protocols to help prevent the spread of the virus. (Kevin Wang/ Daily Emerald)

extraordinary challenges. When met with a global pandemic that made the traditional process of a dance company impossible, as well as the civil unrest that has aimed to change traditional power structures, the seven founders of Fermata saw the dire need for change.

Fermata is a performing collective that relies on an egalitarian decision-making structure. The cofounders’ mission in the formation of the company was to offer a safe place for dancers to continue their practice during the pandemic. “It was important to our name and brand that we are an exemplary institution of healthy ballet, diverse ballet and representative ballet,” Fermata co-founder Angela Dunham said. In addition to classical ballet classes, Fermata also offers other genres of dance like contemporary ballet and modern technique.

Rap music may not be the most popular genre in Eugene, but local artists are still trying to push it to the forefront. Many were set to make good inroads into repopularizing the genre before the pandemic happened. Now they are staying motivated by interacting with their fans online and keeping their nose to the grindstone.

Three Eugene hip-hop artists who stand out are Julian Outlaw, Michael Klindt and Elena Leona. All of them have overcome challenges like the struggle to make money from art, the stereotyping of hip-hop artists and Eugene’s lack of diversity.

Artists in Eugene also have to deal with the close-minded attitudes of some local venues that don’t support hip-hop music. Although these artists face a long road to change the mindset of locals, they remain steadfast in their love of and desire to make music.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Julian Outlaw moved to Oregon after hearing people sing along to his music at a house party. “I hadn’t felt that type of love before for my music,” Julian said.

Eugene’s grassroots hip-hop scene is often overlooked, but it hasn’t stopped artists from continuing to share their own unique voice with their music. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

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(Courtesy of Keith Harvey)

SPORTS

AS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RETURNS, STUDY PINPOINTS LANE COUNTY AS MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY

(Courtesy of Kylee Watson)

A DECADES-LONG FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS CONTINUES IN A PANDEMIC

BY SHANE HOFFMANN • TWITTER @BCROLLATWEETS

BY CLAYTON FRANKE • TWITTER @CLAYFRANKE1 As Ducks fans yearn for the day their team can return to the field, Oregon Football will return to an empty Autzen stadium on Nov. 6 to play UCLA. This return might rejuvenate the university community, but a recent study says it could prove deadly for the city of Eugene.

The Surgo Foundation, a privately funded social science and data research organization, conducted a study that surveyed college football towns for their susceptibility to a COVID-19 outbreak. Using their COVID-19 vulnerability index, which measures different social factors that may contribute to an increase of virus spread, the foundation ranked six college football towns that were at the greatest risk for an outbreak and where college football was returning.

In September the Pac-12 reversed

their August decision to cancel sporting events through 2020 based on an apparent improvement in testing, drop in cases and less of a risk for cardiac concern.

(Courtesy of Keith Harvey)

Autzen Stadium will remained closed to fans throughout the 2020 Pac-12 season. (Maddie Knight/Emerald)

A TALE OF TWO QUARTERBACKS: MARKED DIFFERENCES DEFINE OREGON’S QUARTERBACK COMPETITION

BY CHARLES GEARING • TWITTER @GEARINGCHARLIE Leading up to the 2020 season, the Ducks were in the midst of a quarterback race. Tyler Shough, a junior, was met with ferocious competition from Boston College

Freshman quarterback Tyler Shough throws a pass during Oregon’s spring practice. (Adam Eberhardt/Emerald)

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Keith Harvey and his teammates at Miami University of Ohio couldn’t have known when they set out to unionize in 1976 that the battle they were beginning would continue for decades to come. In August, a group of Pac-12 football players formed the #WeAreUnited movement to demand better health and safety treatment from their universities, a symbolic continuation of the work started by Harvey and his teammates.

Although the Pac-12 reversed an earlier decision to cancel the season, upwards of 10 players have opted out of the season due to safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortened sevenweek season presents a test to see if the conference has listened to its players’ demands and concerns.

graduate transfer Anthony Brown.

The race for the starting role not only presented two viable options, but two unique stories. Whether it be Shough’s willingness to settle for a backup role behind fromer Ducks starter Justin Herbert, or Brown’s nagging injuries in his time at BC, both have endured their share of trials and tribulations.

“You can’t replace a guy like Justin Herbert,” Shough said. “I’m just trying to be myself, trying to be Tyler, and write my own story.”

Shough has two seasons in Eugene under his belt and leads the race for the starting role but still embraces the opportunity to learn alongside Brown.

MEET OREGON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FAB-FIVE RECRUITING CLASS

BY CARLY EBISUYA • TWITTER @CARLYEBISUYA When last year’s No. 1 ranked team abruptly finished their final run, it may have seemed as if they lost all their star power. How will Oregon’s program-changing roster sustain itself for the coming years? By building the nation’s best recruiting class.

Little did people know what was coming for the next year. Oregon women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves was brewing up the nation’s No. 1 incoming recruiting class for the 2020 season. All five of Oregon’s new freshmen — Maddie Scherr from Kentucky, Sydney Parrish from Indiana, Te-Hina Paopao from California, Angela Dugalic from Illinois and Kylee Watson from New Jersey.

The five-star freshmen bring stellar resumes that are bound to impact the Pac-12 and the nation.

Each of the recruits won their respective state’s Player of the Year Award, Jordan Brand Classic

Selections and in espnW’s top-25 prospects coming into 2020.

(Courtesy of Kylee Watson)

A&C

SHOPPING LOCAL

A GUIDE TO BUYING ART IN EUGENE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

BY GRACE MURRAY • TWITTER @GRACIEE_MURRAYY

BUYING GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS? THESE EUGENE BUSINESSES AND EVENTS OFFER EVERYTHING FROM BEAUTIFUL HIGH END PAINTINGS AND AFFORDABLE ART PRINTS TO HOLIDAY-THEMED DECORATIONS.

Throughout this tumultuous year, the Eugene arts scene has been as active as ever and many local artists have prepared for the holiday season with a plethora of art ready to be sold and shared with the community. Artists, businesses and museums have restructured their annual holiday art sales to be safe enough to remain open throughout the holiday season with everything from paintings and pottery to small affordable art prints.

The Eugene Holiday Market at the Park Blocks The Eugene Saturday Market has hosted a yearly Holiday Market for 35 years that typically takes over the entire Lane Events Center downtown. This year it will look quite a bit different; instead of the traditional indoor market, it will be an open-air market in the same spot that the Saturday Market is traditionally held. Every Saturday through Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, the Park Blocks off Eighth Avenue and Oak Street will come alive with a bustling marketplace.

Most of the vendors who participate in the Saturday Market will come back for the holiday market with an abundance of pieces to sell. There will be beautifully complex stained glass, handmade jewelry, pottery of all shapes and sizes, handcrafted woodwork and much more according to the Holiday Market website. Admission is free and lots of free parking will be available in walking distance.

New Zone Gallery and Annex Holiday Markets Just a few months ago the New Zone Gallery opened their Annex on 13th Avenue, and this year they will be offering art for sale for the holidays at both their old and new locations. The yearly full-scale holiday store will be at the gallery downtown on Seventh Avenue. There will be a wide range of art and gifts from a wide and flexible

price range all created by local New Zone members.

The store will have photographic prints, original watercolor and acrylic paintings, clothing, books, cards, holiday ornaments, decorations, jewelry, bags, ceramics, pottery, woven baskets, woodwork and more. The Annex location will feature a traditional shop offering a smaller selection of similar items. They will be open for their traditional hours of 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday through Sunday and the holiday market will be open until the first weekend of the new year.

“It’s just been such a chaotic year, so it’ll be nice to support the artists,” said Steve LaRiccia, the New Zone gallery coordinator.

“It’s a win-win-win. It’s a win for the artists, a win for the community, it’s a win for those who buy.”

The Club Mud Ceramics Holiday Sale at Maude Kerns Art Center The Maude Kerns Art Center is hosting its annual Art for All Seasons exhibit and Club Mud Ceramics Holiday Sale through Dec. 18. The exhibit will include artwork from roughly 160 of the center’s members. Many of the pieces are available for purchase in person and online. Club Mud, an on-site cooperative ceramics group, will host its annual holiday sale within one of the exhibition spaces at the center adjacent to the exhibit.

Among the pieces for sale are cups, bowls, mugs and incredible detailed ceramic sculpture pieces. The Maude Kerns Art Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. via appointments made online or over the phone through the twoweek freeze.

“I think this is just a wonderful example of a way in which people can invest in their local artists to highlight the amazing talents that we have here in the Eugene Springfield area,” said Michael Fisher, executive director of the Maude Kerns Art Center.

The Club Mud Ceramics Holiday Sale contains pieces by various local artists. Local artists and marketplaces hold holiday sales featuring various mediums in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 25, 2020. (DL Young/Emerald)

A painting done by Demetra Kalams sits on display in the New Zone Gallery. Local artists and marketplaces hold holiday sales featuring various mediums in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 25, 2020. (DL Young/Emerald) M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 0

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OPINION

DON’T

GO HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

BY ANDY STEVENS • TWITTER @VNDREWWS

(Tia Swenson/Emerald)

“Tests are most effective if they’re administered a little more than a week after exposure, according to experts. This means if you’re exposed the day before returning home, or even a few days, the test is somewhat likely to produce a false negative.”

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After what feels like an extremely long term of taking class from my home in Eugene, I’m sure most students are ready to return to their families for the holidays.

Sadly, going home after a term in Eugene is putting everyone you interact with at risk.

This holiday season, it’s better to stay put and yet again use Zoom to replace your traditional social interactions. Yes, we’re all tired of using Zoom, but I promise it’s better to video chat with your family than risk bringing them a case of COVID-19 or vice versa.

Even if you have been extremely careful about who you see and where you go, living in a different city from your family means you’re taking a big risk by going home.

The easy solution to this problem should be to simply get a test before returning home, but that doesn’t quite cover it.

Tests are most effective if they’re administered a little more than a week after exposure, according to experts. This means if you’re exposed the day before returning home, or even a few days, the test is somewhat likely to produce a false negative.

It’s also important to consider that if you’re coming back to Eugene for winter term you’ll be risking the health of others yet again. Especially if seeing family means getting on a plane, traveling right now is simply a bad idea.

The holiday season is beloved by most, and for good reason: It’s a time to be grateful for those that are close to us and celebrate family. This is still completely possible, but it should take the form of phone calls and Zoom calls.

Setting up a Zoom call with family can be difficult to coordinate but it is always worth it. Getting to see my grandparents who are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 this Thanksgiving was important to me, and Zoom made

that happen. Our close family friends also had a Zoom cocktail hour with us where we made fancy drinks and talked.

Right now COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, especially in large cities like San Francisco and Portland, where many UO students will be returning home. It might be easy to think that COVID-19 is no big deal because it’s unlikely students will die from it, but their families can’t say the same. Young people are the most likely to cause a family outbreak, and returning home for the holidays is exactly how that happens.

It is possible to safely return home for the holidays, but that requires much more forethought and planning than most students can afford. To return home safely, you would have to quarantine two weeks before leaving and get one of the more reliable tests. This doesn’t seem too difficult, but many students work full time and can’t take the time off. Other students have also proven that they are not willing to be patient or considerate of others during this pandemic.

If you’re planning on traveling at all, be sure to do so by car. Flying anywhere is an incredible risk, but driving can be done relatively safely. If you’re driving and only stop when necessary you can be much safer while traveling. It does take significantly longer to drive long distances but with proper planning it minimizes the risk much more than a flight.

Maybe you think you’ve been doing a great job of quarantining and keeping your circle small, so you think it’s fine to go home — but can you really say you know everyone you’ve been exposed to? Your most brief interactions with close friends could lead to the death of your grandmother, or theirs. Stay home this holiday season.

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