A day in the life of Eugene-Springfield firefighters
By Stephanie Hensley City News Reporter
Before most people have had their cup of coffee, the firefighters at Eugene-Springfield Fire Station 2 are already gearing up for their day –– checking equipment, reviewing emergency calls and preparing for their upcoming shift.
Crews will typically work 24 to 48 hour shifts, rotating each morning to the following crew.
While shifts start at 8 a.m., crews may come in earlier for gear and equipment checks before getting an update from the previous shift.
Their morning starts with breakfast made by crew members on shift, filling the common area with the smell of fresh coffee and bacon. A large table held donated food from various community members, including cookies, muffins and other baked goods.
The majority of calls received will be
ARTS & CULTURE
Books to read this Black History Month
By Bella Graham Arts & Culture Writer
Black History Month is as good a time as any to read books that explore and honor the stories, struggles and triumphs of Black people through history. Many books tackle themes of institutionalized racism and colorism and challenge societal understandings of these themes. The following books are great picks for your next read this Black History Month.
Continue
ACROBATICS AND TUMBLING
OPINION
Why the faculty strike matters
By Maddox Brewer Knight Opinion Columnist
When I met with Mike Urbancic, a senior instructor II of economics and president of United Academics, he illustrated the University of Oregon faculty’s plight with a metaphor.
The opportunity sport
Acrobatics and Tumbling began with one coach on the West Coast. It’s grown into a national sport, but Felecia Mulkey still lives at its center.
By Owen Murray Sports Reporter
Thirty-five thousand feet in the air above California, on her way to a recruiting visit for a sport that barely existed, Felecia Mulkey took a napkin from the flight attendant.
She had two problems: The sport which the University of Oregon had just hired her to coach in 2012 didn’t have rules, and she had forgotten her notebook in her checked bag. Carefully, on the wrinkled United Airlines napkin, she sketched out the six-event formula that the collegiate association whose last 12 championships she owns now uses. She relaxed. She could figure out what came next.
What Mulkey has done since then is unprecedented: 12 straight titles, split between two schools.
“We’ve got that lovely collection of world flags around Hayward Field. They were gorgeous when they were put up, but over time they’ve fallen into miserable disrepair. They’re tattered, torn and snagging on trees — it’s a powerful visual. The university is really proud whenever we create shiny new things, but when it comes to maintaining them, it’s just not a priority — they’re left to be weathered, bedraggled and fall apart,” he said.
UO’s faculty endure a similar state of neglect as they bargain for their new
(Miles Cull/Emerald)
Chris Sinclair, Secretary of The United Academics of the University of Oregon, poses for a portrait before a meeting. Continue story on page 7
( Miles Cull/Emerald) Station 2 firefighter stands in front of engine
(Rowan Campbell/Emerald)
Cassidy Cu (19) being is held up by Bella Swarthout (10). The University of Oregon Ducks
Acrobatics and Tumbling team practices at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Feb. 6, 2025.
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Love is in the air: Eugene’s top date night spots for a memorable
Valentine’s Day
These three date night restaurants will make your Valentine’s Day extra special. All three restaurants offer a different vibe, but there is a place for everyone.
By Fern Peva Arts & Culture Writer
Looking to make your Valentine’s Day extra special this year? Look no further. Plan ahead and make a reservation at one of these Eugene restaurants to make this Valentine’s Day one to remember.
Poppi’s Anatolia
This Indian-Greek eatery has been a staple of the Eugene community since 1977, offering a blend of vibrant flavors and warm hospitality. Poppi’s is nestled in a charming old Eugene building, and its walls are adorned with colorful tapestries and string lights that create an inviting, intimate atmosphere.
‘Huge’ aquifer discovered underneath the Oregon Cascades
Aquifer basin the size of “major continental lakes” has implications for river flow and agriculture in the Pacific Northwest
By Sasha Love Campus News Reporter
Emerald Media Group 1395 University St.,#302 Eugene, Or 97403 (541)-346-5511
University of Oregon scientists and partners published a study on Jan. 13; the study said they found an aquifer running underneath the Oregon Cascades, which indicated to be many times larger than previously estimated — at least 81 cubic kilometers.
“It’s (aquifer) around three times the size of Lake Meade when full,” Alex Simpson, UO graduate hydrogeology student and co-author of the study, said. “It’s on the scale of Lake Tahoe
INTRODUCING
and Lake Geneva and we (scientists) didn’t really know about it at all.”
According to the study, the aquifer is trapped beneath the surface by porous volcanic rock, which accumulates over time and helps regulate climate, river flow and more.
The study also said the scale of the discovery has implications in several disciplines including agriculture, a field increasingly utilizing groundwater for irrigation.
“(The aquifer) will definitely attract a lot of people, a lot of farmers.
Mural featuring Oregon basketball players debuts in EMU
SOJC’s
Allen Hall
Advertising launched the photo mural in the Erb Memorial Union food court right before the beginning of the quarter
writers and designers.
By Angelina Handris Campus News Reporter
In late December 2024, Allen Hall Advertising — a student-led advertising agency of the School of Journalism and Communications — installed a new mural on the first floor of the Erb Memorial Union, featuring players from both the Oregon Ducks men’s and women’s basketball teams.
According to AHA Account Manager Alex Gray, Oregon men’s and women’s basketball has been a client of AHA since 2017. Other clients include University of Oregon Hockey and the Oregon Innovation Challenge.
“Our goal for our campaign, and for this mural in general, was to really just create awareness around Oregon basketball,” Gray said.
According to AHA Media Planner Kay Peters, the mural took four hours to install. Peters also said the mural is made of a three-millimeter IJ40 vinyl wrap with a matte laminate finish.
The mural was put together by a team that includes Peters, Gray and several AHA copy-
“We pretty much had about two days of just working on this as a creative group. It was a lot of figuring out how to work with massive files because the insulation (in the EMU) is probably 70 feet,” Colby Wissmiller, AHA designer, said.
According to Peters, there was another wrap in the EMU in 2019 to 2020 featuring women’s basketball, and another in 2021 to 2022.
“One of the big things we did this year was putting the (basketball) schedules on the pillars, and putting schedules on the wrap, which helped with allowing students to actually remember where games were so they could go,”
Peters said.
Wissmiller said the original idea for the mural was to include students on the wrap in the EMU, but the team lacked enough photos to do so.
“We kind of were short on some student pictures, so we wanted to include pictures that were full of energy that kind of convey that feeling,” Wissmiller said. “We got feedback from the Athletics (department) that said we should make it stand out more, so we ended up making the background black and using the black and
yellow color scheme a bit more.”
Wissmiller also said that the files for the mural were so large that they drained the batteries of the designers’ computers quickly.
“One of our designers ended up plugging two plugs into his computer at the same time and ended up melting his computer while we were making it,” Wissmiller said.
Sam Austin, a third-year student, said that early February was his first time seeing the mural.
“I think it’s super sick,” Austin said. “I like that it has the lineups posted, and I think it’s just visually pleasing.”
Austin also said his favorite basketball player featured on the mural is Jackson Shelstad.
Oregon men’s and women’s basketball schedules can be found both on the mural and on the GoDucks website.
UO community reacts to Trump’s first week in office
By Bella Bishop Campus News Reporter
In his first week of office, President Donald Trump signed 36 executive orders regarding public health, immigration, gender and policies around diversity, equity and inclusion among others.
On his first official day in office on Jan. 20, Trump signed an order aiming to abolish birthright citizenship for undocumented immigrant citizens. This order will extend to citizens whose parents were undocumented and unlawfully in the U.S. at the time of their birth or if they were here temporarily — including those whose parents have visas.
On the same day, Trump signed an executive order that recognized only two genders, male and female, as well as an executive order to eliminate all DEI programs nationwide.
Following the executive orders, some University of Ore-
Following President Donald Trump’s re-entry into office, some in the UO community expressed concerns about how these policies could affect campus
gon students are sharing their thoughts and expressing concerns for the future.
“It sucks as a young, 22-year-old, African American Cuban woman, you know, I’m a minority so I support the diversity and the inclusion in jobs. Equity is also very important,” UO student Sophia Soleil said. “But the ‘D’ and the ‘I’ of DEI resonates with me and who I embody,” Soleil said.
Major companies and corporations have reacted differently to the executive order regarding DEI policies, but some recognizable companies have removed DEI programs, including Target, Amazon and Meta.
Soleil also said she and one of her friends are “boycotting Target because of their lack of DEI practices.”
UO student Juliet Wright said Trump’s decision to terminate DEI programs is a “slap in the face.”
“In a way, it’s kind of like a slap in the face to say that people were hired just because of maybe their skin color or their race,” Wright said.
Wright also said she was discontent with Trump’s decision to leave the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change whose central mission is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming.
“That’s the thing that bothers me the most,” Wright said.
Following Trump’s executive order that threatens to remove birthright citizenship, President of the Latinx Male Alliance Victor Cendejas said the situation “sucks” for undocumented immigrants.
“It sucks for undocumented people to be scared just doing what they wanted to do here in the United States, which is to keep going in life and have their kids be successful,” Cendejas said.
According to sophomore Daphne Jilot, a lot of her friends identify as non-binary. Following Trump’s executive order
recognizing only two genders, male and female, her inner circle felt shocked.
“A lot of my friends who identify as non-binary were just confused and shocked by this order,” Jilot said.
Similar to Jilot, UO student Lucian Gladstone said the executive order “doesn’t feel real.”
“I think him (Trump) being so close-minded about gender and stating how he’s going to be (declaring) only two genders, it doesn’t feel real,” Gladstone said.
UO sophomore Carlyn Jones said she believes Trump’s approach to eliminating DEI is “very targeted.”
“(I) think his (Trump) approach is very targeted,” Jones said. “Trump is really strangling that area (DEI) for safety, at least in light of right now.”
In response to the growing concern among students regarding immigration and DEI policies, the university published various online resources including One Stop Student Resources and Immigration Resources, which both offer various avenues of support and information available to the UO community.
The UO currently serves 825 international students, according to the Office of the Registrar.
According to UO Spokesperson Eric Howald, with ongoing discussions about immigration policies, the university is monitoring potential impacts on students.
“The federal executive orders have generated plenty of questions about their impact on our students and research,” Howald said. “We’re (UO) looking closely at each executive order and agency request to understand the potential impacts on the groundbreaking research conducted by our faculty and benefiting the citizens of Oregon and beyond.”
Howald said that neither Dean Jimmy Howard nor Associate Dean of Students Dianne Tanjuaquio would be available to speak on the matter directly.
(RIGHT) A mural depicting images of the Oregon women’s and men’s basketball teams and their schedules is on display in the Erb Memorial Union. The mural was designed and produced by the Allen Hall Adveritsing team.
(Molly McPherson/Emerald)
(Noa Schwartz/Emerald)
Lane County heading toward $6.3 million budget gap later this year, officials warn
At a Jan. 15 budget kickoff meeting, county officials warned of multi-million dollar cuts to the Health and Human Services department
By Lucas Hellberg City News Reporter
On Jan. 15, Lane County officials warned county commissioners of difficult times to come, delivering a grim outlook for the upcoming 2025-2026 fiscal year.
According to Budget and Financial Planning Manager Christine Moody, the county faces a projected $6.3 million shortfall in its general fund starting in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in July. The projected gap, 0.5% of the county’s $1.24 billion total budget, accounts for more than 4% of the $143 million general fund — the largest pool of discretionary funds, funds that are available for non-essential spending, at the county’s disposal.
Around the same time last year, county officials predicted a $7 million general fund deficit. To address that gap, the county implemented a series of cost-saving measures, including keeping vacant positions open longer, cutting funding for material and service accounts and eliminating approximately 15 full-time positions across multiple departments.
Since the county adopted the current fiscal year’s budget in June, two supplemental budgets have increased the total budget by more than 8% or roughly $103 million. The money came from unspent funds the prior year, state and federal grants, transfers between different county funds and additional county revenue.
Lane County officials said their budget woes
have two key drivers: unstable revenue and skyrocketing expenses that have continued to outpace revenue growth in recent years. Next fiscal year, costs are projected to increase nearly 10%, while revenue is expected to rise by just 3%. The forecast marks a significant change from last year’s projections, which showed costs increasing by more than 5% and revenue rising by 2%.
“The money going out the door is leaving faster than the money that we can collect coming in the door,” longtime Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky said. “Our expenses are growing faster than our revenues.”
Mokrohisky cited several reasons for the current imbalance between revenue and costs. He said revenue is unstable because the county has a lower property tax rate than other Oregon counties that provide similar services. He added that the issue is further complicated by high inflation following the coronavirus pandemic, the county’s past reliance on declining timber tax revenue and 1990s statewide voter measures restricting property tax increases.
Officials say the imbalance has resulted in chronic underfunding of essential county services, like public safety and health and human services. They say the problem has been further exacerbated by the county not receiving enough state and federal funding.
Another reason for the imbalance is that other county expenses, like wages and county retirement plans, are growing faster than revenue, officials say.
Moody said the current area of focus for potential cuts is in the county’s central services departments. She said the county is looking at making cuts in the departments at 5% to 10%. The departments include technology services, county counsel, human resources, county administration, financial services, budget and financial planning, policy, operations and facilities.
Another area officials say cuts could be made is in the county’s health and human services department. Department director Eve Gray said by eliminating funding for vacant positions in the department, a current department plan, the county could save $3 million — nearly half of the county’s projected budget gap.
In addition to those potential budget cuts, officials say other essential county functions may be at risk, including public safety, land management and parole and probation.
Chair David Loveall, who represents Springfield on the Board of Commissioners, said the county’s budget gap is growing and getting worse. He said addressing the shortfall will be a delicate balancing act.
“We are going to have to do some serious prioritizing,” Loveall said, adding that he hopes to prioritize funding for public safety.
It is not clear yet how the shortfall will be resolved. The county is in the early stages of its budget process for the upcoming fiscal year.
To date, the county has only completed forecasts for the general fund. The projections for the total budget deficit will not be complete until April, officials say. In mid-June, county commissioners will vote on the final budget before the 2025-2026 fiscal year begins on July 1. There will be opportunities for the public to weigh in when the county’s budget committee starts meeting in May.
A day in the life of Eugene-Springfield firefighters
When not putting out house fires, firefighters at the Eugene-Springfield Fire Department Station 2 still find ways to put their training to good use
Continued from page 1
medical issues, but house fires are still common due to kitchen accidents and other mishaps.
EMT-Paramedic Dave McNeil and paramedic Evan Sloan went out on their first call of the day at roughly 9:15 a.m.
McNeil, who lives in Redmond, Oregon, drives approximately 150 miles for his shift at the station, which can make working overtime difficult.
Sloan sat with the patient in the back of the ambulance, gathering their medical history as well as recent health issues.
Sloan said that going back to his training is essential for staying prepared during situations like that.
“We do extensive amounts of training to always be prepared for a handful of environments,” Sloan said.
McNeil added onto the importance of maintaining composure, explaining that first responders will often distance themselves emotionally to remain clear-headed in critical moments.
“It becomes a puzzle and not so much a person,” McNeil said. “Not so much to dehumanize them, but to make sure you remain calm because if you invest yourself emotionally into that moment, that’s when you start making irrational or emotional decisions.”
Both Sloan and McNeil stayed with the patient for almost an hour before they received treatment. As the pair left the hospital, they noticed that another ambulance left behind their gurney and remained with it until the ambulance returned.
Back at the station, the other firefighters were seated in the common area, eating breakfast, discussing
the lack of ambulances and their upcoming drill later on in the day.
According to firefighter Andy Goodenough, some firefighters don’t go straight into the service and had either become firefighters straight after graduation or pursued other careers.
The Station 2 crew includes former Navy SEALS, construction workers and even a professional kayaker.
Goodenough, who has been with ESFD for a little over 16 years, studied business in college before coming into the fire service after being persuaded by a friend.
“Once I started doing it, I never looked back,” Goodenough said. “I started the training for it and I was pretty fortunate to get a job early on.”
When they’re not on call, firefighters dedicate time to training and equipment checks to ensure they’re ready for any emergency.
On Friday, Jan. 31, the Station 2 crew conducted a drill using their aerial, making sure that water flowed properly and practicing its deployment for a potential high-rise fire.
The aerial on a fire engine is a platform that extends upwards shooting out approximately 1,200 gallons of water per minute, drenching the already rain-soaked ground. By the time they leave the station, firefighters will go over updates from their shift to the incoming crew, ensuring a smooth transition and staying prepared for whatever comes next.
Whether responding to medical emergencies, house fires or running essential drills, the firefighters at Station 2 remain committed to their training.
Firefighter Rory signals to the water supply engine.
(Miles Cull/Emerald)
(Miles Cull/Emerald)
County Board of Commissioners Chair, Laurie Trieger, wraps
Maddox Brewer Knight is an opinion columnist at the Daily Emerald. As a lifelong Oregonian, Maddox cares deeply about confronting social issues both within UO and in the greater community to make our home region a better environment for all.
Why the faculty strike matters
A faculty strike would cause a major disruption to campus life — but its positive impact would outweigh the inconvenience
agreement. UO’s United Academics (UA), a union representing 1,728 faculty members, has been bargaining with the administration since Dec. 5 for contract improvements such as more sick leave, fairer workloads and a salary raise.
Campus has rippled with discussion over what this strike would entail for students — no classes, no research and a total academic blackout — but what would it mean for instructors? What do they stand to gain? What are their reasons for such drastic action?
Currently, UO faculty have the lowest salaries out of any Big 10 university. While in-state tuition has risen 37% since 2014 in inflation-adjusted dollars, faculty salaries have declined by 5%.
This deprivation, however, doesn’t stem from financial hardship — UO’s general budget has grown by 5.7%, and the six highest-paid administrators rake in a combined yearly total of $3,037,800.
This injustice spurred the UA to submit a proposal requesting an acrossthe-board 8.5% raise for all faculty in 2025. The administration countered with 4%. If the administration refuses to budge, faculty say they will strike in spring term.
“My personal reason for being
involved in the union is that right now, we’re facing a complete societal transformation with the incoming presidential administration,” Jon Jaramillo, a UA-affiliated Spanish career instructor, said. “Truth is not as important, and our work (as scholars) has been devalued. We’re seeing a shift toward running the university like a corporation — it’s destroying students’ creativity. If we don’t do everything possible right now with this contract, when will be the next opportunity for us to adjust our pay?”
While federal changes may threaten the future of public universities, Urbancic notes a promising change on the state level. Due to increases in Oregon’s budget forecast under new state economist Carl Riccadonna, there will likely be $1.3 billion more from taxes available by 2027. Some of this money could be used for public purposes such as paying state university faculty.
In other words, the scarcity long used to justify underpaying instructors has vanished.
“There can be more investment in higher education and K12 and housing and healthcare because the pie is simply bigger,” Urbancic said. “We’re done with this idea that we’re squabbling
Is Thrifting Dying?
By Leo Heffron Opinion Columnist
Finding a hidden gem in a thrift store for an affordable price is always satisfying. However, often when I’m flipping through racks of used clothing, the items I find have a ridiculous number attached.
Carhartt pants ripped in the crotch are priced over $20, and fleece jackets matted down with questionable stains are at $30. Who sets the price so high on these damaged items?
The answer is nonprofit thrift stores, which get
over a fixed budget. We’ve had years of underinvestment in higher education relative to other states; now is the time to do something about it.”
Instructors form the foundation of our university, and their current wages are not only unacceptable but unwarranted. Labor activism is having a renaissance on campus, as evidenced by graduate educators’ and classified staff’s successful fight for better compensation and the prospective student worker strike. Faculty should not be forgotten in this push for equity.
“I think students should hear both sides out — listen to what both the administration and the union have to say, look at the data and decide for themselves who to support,” Jaramillo said.
“We hope that students will be supportive and understanding of our struggle…because really what we’re struggling for is to secure the conditions to continue providing our students with an excellent education. We’re struggling to create the conditions for us to be successful in helping them to be successful.”
The price of thrifting is rising, which goes against what thrift stores stand for
all of their products from donations. What gives these organizations, with mission statements based around helping those in need, the right to mark up used items that are not wearable?
Thrift stores have historically provided a cheap way to find functional clothing for those who need it, and as thrifting becomes more popular, these companies are drifting away from their roots.
Sadly, many people blame resellers for the inflation in thrift stores. I’ve heard people say thrift stores are trying to emulate what vintage stores and resellers do for a living to make more money.
Thrift stores and vintage stores are anything but similar.
Thrift stores, which are often chain stores, are donation based, and sell a wide variety of items.
Vintage stores hand curate and resell the items that they find to turn a profit, making the experience more curated.
Nadav Kramer, a University of Oregon class of 2024 graduate and vintage clothing collector, said, “I don’t think that it’s fair to compare thrift stores and vintage stores considering they cater to completely different audiences.”
The average person thrifting is looking for affordable, functional clothes — not paper-thin graphic T-shirts from the 1980s priced at $14.99, similar to vintage store prices.
Vintage stores are curating a certain style, while thrift stores aren’t. They simply mark up products based on similar items online, pretending to curate, and failing.
According to the data from the United States Census Bureau, “the U.S. secondhand market will
more than double by 2026, reaching $82 billion.”
This is largely due to companies like Depop and eBay. People can make a living off of these online platforms. Some thrift stores could see this growth and capitalize on it. Both have websites that sell higher-end products for a premium.
Peter Michaels is the owner of Founded Vintage based in downtown Eugene. Michaels makes a living off of curating an experience for his customers through vintage clothing. Although he hasn’t felt the effects of the rising thrift store prices, he points out the strain it puts on other people.
“It’s horrible,” Michaels said. “Homeless people can’t find a jacket that’s warm for less than $20.”
Michaels has been able to avoid feeling the effects of thrift inflation by being resourceful.
“I would say that if there is any effect on resellers, it’s just people getting the product in a different way and going to the racks less,” he said.
Thrifting seems like it’s dying, but is still viable.
Search for deals at your local mom-and-pop thrift stores. These establishments are not corporatized. Prices at these thrift stores are almost always cheaper.
Local vintage stores often have affordable $10 racks — similar to an affordable thrift store with amazing finds already chosen for you.
As Michaels puts it, “thrift stores are trying to corporatize something that can’t be corporatized.”
Sadly, thrift stores allow their corporate prices to hurt those they claim to serve. Thrift stores will continue to cosplay vintage and resale stores, but they will always lack the knowledge and eye for curation that resellers spend years developing.
The university is really proud whenever we create shiny new things, but when it comes to maintaining them, it’s just not a priority — they’re left to be weathered, bedraggled and fall apart.
-Mike Urbancic President of
“ “
United Academics
Leo is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. He is a third-year student studying journalism and Spanish. Leo enjoys writing about many topics, but fashion and social media are his favorites.
(ABOVE) Members of The United Academics of the University of Oregon pose for a group photo. The United Academics of the University of Oregon held their oncea-term union meeting on Feb. 7.
(Miles Cull/Emerald)
(Alyssa Garcia/Emerald) A denim jacket hangs from
clothing rack at
thrift store, selling for $80.
Design Under This Line
Acrobatics and Tumbling Schedule
Feb. 15 - Sat. at 4:00 P.M.
VS. Morgan State
At Matthew Knight Arena
Feb. 22 - Sat. at 4:00 P.M. VS. Baylor
At Matthew Knight Arena
Mar. 7 - Fri at 6:00 P.M.
VS. Gannon
At Matthew Knight Arena
Mar 14 - Fri. at 6:00 P.M.
VS. Mary Hardin-Baylor
At Matthew Knight Arena
Mar. 23 - Sun. at 10:00 A.M.
VS. Quinnipiac
In Hamden, CT
Mar. 28 - Fri at 3:00 P.M. VS. Iona
In New Rochelle, NY
Apr. 5 - Sat. at 3:00 P.M.
VS. Baylor
In Waco, TX
Apr. 24 - Thur., time TBA NCATA National Championship
In Sioux Falls, SD
Schedule from goducks.com
For more Acrobatics and Tumbling updates, visit dailyemerald.com
The Opportunity Sport, Two coaches, one
Those two universities are the foundation of a sport that gives women a chance to compete. The sport itself has grown from infancy to nationwide existence in under two decades, nursed by Mulkey. For the coaches, athletes and families, it created an environment for personal development they never would’ve had otherwise.
It’s the opportunity sport.
The most important person in Fairmont, WV
Twelve years after Mulkey took that flight from Eugene to California, on April 25, 2024, the 13th annual National Acrobatics and Tumbling Association Championship began at Fairmont State University. Mulkey’s Baylor Bears are seeking their ninth-straight title in a sport that has grown into one of the nation’s newest emerging competitions. The program she coached to the first four titles in the sport’s history, Oregon, will arrive helmed by one of her former recruits. It’s a full-circle moment.
Their sport, barely a decade old, is scrambling for any shred of attention it can get. It’s an exclusively collegiate sport, but there’s still a few hundred athletes in Fairmont.
Mulkey is perhaps the most important person in Fairmont today. The matriarch of the sport, as it were, is the head coach of the No. 1 seeded Baylor Bears, and also the NCATA’s (volunteer) Director of Expansion.
She’s talking for the first time after her Baylor Bears comprehensively dismantled the Oregon Ducks — coached by her former athlete, Taylor Susnara — for the third time this year. This time, it was in a national semifinal where they won 19 of 20 heats and the second of three meets in as many days. She was probably exhausted. In spite of everything else — the need to prepare for tomorrow’s championship meet — she took time to chat.
She laughed, then listened. The question came: “Have you had any conversations with (Oregon head coach) Taylor Susnara?”
She hadn’t yet. She’s only seen her protégé in passing, across the mat. The two are connected by years of history: Susnara was an All-American athlete, recruited by Mulkey at Oregon before she flew east to Waco, TX. The two never shared a mat as part of the same team, though. They’ve never worked together, only watched and learned from afar.
“I love Taylor. I think that she’s doing a fantastic job at Oregon,” Mulkey said.
Not quite as fantastic as herself, of course. Pretty solid, though. Susnara was in the room before the sport’s greatest sat down. Her answers reflected the strain of a season that slipped away from her team, bit by bit. She’s the product of a sport built to provide opportunity. The coach and her team seized it, handful by handful, until the rope drew taut. The shock is still reverberating.
The napkin
Mulkey is a big journaler. She fills notebook after notebook on away trips, especially then, across the country and experiencing culture shock. On the flight to her first recruiting trip — back in 2012 — she left her journal in her checked bag.
The higher-ups at Oregon were concerned. How, they asked, would she stretch what they saw as competitive cheerleading from two-and-a-half minute routines into an event that would be worth the money sunk into a new sport?
The six-event formula she sketched out is, more or less, what the NCATA endorses today. Six events, each of which test skills spanning the diverse background of the athletes involved. Acro, pyramid, toss and tumbling span the first hour of the meet. Each event features somewhere between three and seven athletes. The final event is the most important: a two-minute team routine, including 20 to 30 athletes, worth nearly a third of the meet’s points.
(Rowan Campbell/ Emerald)
Taylor Susnara (HC) talks with Rachel Furlong (18) after running through the routine. The University of Oregon Ducks Acrobatics and Tumbling team practices at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Feb. 6, 2025.
Sport, Part I: one culture
Combined, it’s an hour and a half of action. Mulkey and her critics were satisfied.
She landed with the pitch that would secure her first recruit:
“I have no idea what we’re going to do, you guys, but you’re going to be able to come be a Duck, and we’re going to change the world, and we’re going to change college athletics for female athletes. Come and do this with me. Let’s figure it out.”
“Come and do this with me.”
Taylor Susnara was going to be a cheerleader. She retired early from gymnastics, in middle school, with a back injury. She flipped over to cheer (it was always in the back of her mind, she said), but at some point, word came to the gym: “Come and do this with me. Let’s figure it out.”
Susnara was hooked. Mulkey was off to Waco by the time she arrived in 2015, but it didn’t matter. Susnara was a three-time All-American and four-time event national champion. Her competitive drive pushed the Ducks to three national championship appearances as an athlete. But all three times, it was Mulkey and Baylor in the final who ousted her.
But she made her name in Eugene. There’s a reason that the post-playing roles are dominated by former athletes; It’s a sport so nuanced and complex that those who understand it best are the ones who lived it. Susnara’s assistant coach, Karly Nowak, who competed at Oregon from 2020-23, emphasized it during the 2024 season.
“I think that I have a good connection with a lot of them, and I know them really well,” Nowak said in February 2024, “and I think I know … what they need at certain times.”
Susnara added Nowak to her staff in 2023, less than a month after she graduated from Oregon, before hiring former Hawai’i Pacific University assistant coach Jacie Van de Zilver in July 2024.
Susnara and her program stormed through their third National Signing Day in winter 2024. She inked ten incoming freshmen, pulled from corners of the nation: Katy, Texas. Burlington, New Jersey. Corvallis, Oregon. It’s just one sign of her impact.
Oregon believes in her. Susnara signed her own contract extension in July, keeping her in Eugene through at least 2028. Her credentials aren’t in doubt: In three seasons at the helm, she’s already coached the Ducks to seven national event titles, five All-American honors and one national championship appearance, in 2023.
She hasn’t toppled the queen yet, though.
The day after
The championship coach was exhausted the day after the title meet, she confirms. She talks about the emotional drain — “It’s like you’re running on pure adrenaline until after the championship,” Mulkey said, “and I just crashed.”
Susnara had different plans. While the Ducks flew home from the emptying campus at Fairmont State, the soon-to-be-third-year head coach was hungry.
“Honestly,” she said, “I think if you asked me before the championship, I was highly disappointed — having the three losses on our record and going forward to the championship after being ranked second last year.”
Two weeks after the national semifinal loss, the Ducks were back in the gym. Susnara refocused. She’s talking about Fee again.
“For me as the head coach here at Oregon,” she said, “my goal is to knock her down here soon. You bring those championships back to Oregon, you know.”
The season is four months away. The coaches already have each other circled on their calendars — February 22, when the two will meet in Eugene. Their story has barely even started.
This is an edited-for-length edition of Part I of a three-part series telling the story of acrobatics and tumbling at the University of Oregon. Find the full-length Parts I, II and III online at dailyemerald.com.
(Rowan Campbell/Emerald)
Bella Swarthout (10) during warm ups. The University of Oregon Ducks Acrobatics and Tumbling team practices at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Feb. 6, 2025.
ARTS & CULTURE
Lizzy
and
Darcy
welcome the season of love through ballet
Ballet Fantastique’s production of “Pride and Prejudice” highlights love as Valentine’s day approaches
By Seira Kitagawa Arts & Culture Writer
Eight years ago, Ashley Bontrager played Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennett in Ballet Fantastique’s production of “Pride and Prejudice.” This Valentine’s Day weekend, Bontrager returns to the stage.
When Bontrager first played Lizzy, Gustavo Ramirez was cast as Mr. Darcy, costar and love interest. Bontrager and Ramirez met through the show, and are still dating today.
“It’s like a joke, but we fell in love while we were doing the show,” Bontrager said.
Bontrager had been serving as a principal dancer at the Ballet Fantastique since 2010. Her mother is the artistic director and founder of the company, and her older sister, Hannah Bontrager, is also a dancer.
Hannah and Ashley Bontrager kicked off their first dance performance when they were only five and seven years old. They put on back-
yard productions for their neighbors under their very own production company,
“The Littlest Theatre Group.” The two sisters would go thrift shopping for costumes, collect cardboards for stage sets and work in the garage and backyard for rehearsals and preparations. “We went all out,” Bontrager said.
Bontrager grew up in a dancing environment. Her family often says, “pick one thing and do as hard as you can,” as a motto. When she went to college at the University of Oregon to study journalism, it was the first time she was exposed to life outside of ballet.
“It was the time when I realized that I love ballet,” Bontrager said. “In ballet you can be so many different characters and live so many different lives.”
As she considered her future career in the ballet world, she began to raise a common concern for dancers: it has an expiration date. In the physically demanding world of art, injuries and physical capacity are crucial things. Bontrager said that she is fortunate to never have had any major injuries, and she hopes to stay in the ballet world in some form.
For now, as a principal dancer, “I have to keep working harder,” Bontrager said. She said that even the most famous ballerinas aspire to keep achieving more and work hard.
Bontrager calls herself a “book nerd,” because she reads “Pride and Prejudice” at least once a year and watches the BBC version of the movie every summer with her cousins. One of her favorite scenes to dance is when Lizzy refuses Darcy’s first proposal.
“I like how Lizzy gets angry and stands up for herself,” Botrager said. She said these emotions are not often portrayed in ballet, and she enjoys dancing it.
The “Pride and Prejudice” ballet, based on Jane Austen’s classic romance book, touches on themes such as family, marriage and of course, pride and prejudice.
In Ballet Fantastique’s show, there are some “tweaks” to it. The scene is the 1920s in Paris, and the Gerry Rempel Jazz Syndicate plays French jazz alongside the ballerinas.
Pride & Prejudice — A Parisian Jazz Ballet by Ballet Fantastique — will be performed at the Hult Center on the evenings of Feb. 13 to Feb. 16. Tickets are ranging from $22 to $120 depending on the seats.
Books to read this Black History Month
This Black History Month, dive into a curated list of books to celebrate Black culture. From powerful stories that parallel history to thrillers that leave you on the edge of your seat, these books are worth your while this February.
1.
“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett
Desiree and Stella Vignes are identical twin sisters who grew up in the fictional town of Mallard, Louisiana, where residents are exclusively and intentionally light-skinned. The twins decide to run away to New Orleans at the age of 16, but the founding premise of their town and subsequent upbringing influences their lives and sets the tone for the rest of the book.
Once they leave Mallard, Desiree and Stella lead two entirely different lives in two entirely different worlds; while Desiree embraces her race, Stella hides it. Yet, their stories stay connected as Brit Bennett explores the history of racial passing in America, colorism and how the past can stick.
This book is impossible to put down once you start reading it, and the non-linear narrative structure is engaging as it jumps between years and familial generations. This structure allows readers to concurrently watch Desiree and Stella make decisions in the past, and see how those decisions affect them in the future.
2.
“Ace of Spades” by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé had a strong debut with “Ace of Spades,” which follows Chiamaka Adebayo and Devon Richards — the only two Black students at the elite Niveus Private Academy. Everything is normal until someone named Aces begins to text the entire school with rumors and photos attacking Chiamaka and Devon. Despite coming from two different backgrounds and not knowing each other, the two are forced to work together to figure
out who Aces is. This dark academia thriller tackles institutionalized racism and class differences. Aside from the deeper societal context, the narrative is compelling. The relationships are messy, the stakes are high and you don’t realize a twist has happened until it’s five pages behind you.
The ending is shocking — even more so because it’s rooted in reality. This thriller is definitely worth your time this February.
3.
“The Nickel Boys” by Colson
Whitehead
“The Nickel Boys” alternates between two timelines. In the 1960s, Elwood Curtis is an intelligent and hardworking high schooler. Falsely accused of stealing a car, he gets sent to the Nickel Academy — a segregated juvenile reformatory rampant with racism, abuse and corporal punishment. Elwood ends up meeting Turner, another student at the academy, and they navigate the academy’s horrors together.
In the 2010s, the Nickel Academy is under investigation, and despite the school closing, Elwood grapples with how his life continues to be shaped by his experiences at the school as he decides whether to testify in the investigation.
The most powerful part of the book is that the narrative is rooted in true stories. Based on Florida’s Dozier School for Boys and other “reform schools,” the book scathingly critiques our American society that allows places like this to exist.
Whitehead was inspired by the election of Donald Trump in 2016, and started writing “The Nickel Boys” to make sense of where the country was headed. With a new Trump administration beginning, this book is more than a necessary read.
Continued from page 1
(Noa Shwartz/Emerald)
Crossword
Kylo of “Star Wars”
“You for Me”
Sudoku
Ducks fall to No. 16 Maryland 79-61 in a rough shooting performance
Oregon Track and Field announces outdoor schedule
The Ducks will host six home meets, including the Big Ten and NCAA Outdoor Championships, in 2025
By Owen Murray Sports Reporter
Track and field is heritage at the University of Oregon, and one of the school’s most famous programs will return to action at Hayward Field with a series of meets, it announced on Jan. 22. The Ducks will host and compete in several regular season and postseason competitions on campus in Eugene, and multiple additional international events will take place at the facility in summer 2025.
Oregon head coach Jerry Schumacher and his team have four regular-season appearances scheduled at Hayward Field this year. They’ll run the Oregon Preview on March 21 and 22, the Oregon Open on April 18 and 19, when they’ll also host the Oregon Team Invitational on April 19, and Oregon Twilight on May 9. Hayward magic could boost the Ducks through their postseason, too. Both the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (May 16-18) and the NCAA Outdoor Championships (June 1114) are set to run in Eugene this year. It’ll be the second consecutive year the NCAA Championships will be hosted at Hayward Field after the Ducks hosted but failed to win either the men’s or women’s title in 2024.
Oregon track and field is currently
Emma Cox propels Oregon softball to 18-6 win over Southern Utah.
TOMORROW
Feb. 11, 2025
Oregon vs. Stetson
Women’s
Athlete of the Week:Phillipina Kyei
The Oregon women’s basketball center is leading the Ducks on and off the court in conference play
By Lily Crane Sports Reporter
The narrative of Oregon women’s basketball has changed in many ways this season — new starters, a new conference and a drastically improved record.
One thing that has remained consistent is Ducks’ center Phillipina Kyei’s impact on the team.
Kyei has dealt with lingering injuries this season, decreasing her minutes from 29.4 per game last season to 18.2 minutes this season. She enters top-25 matchups against Maryland and UCLA with averages of 7.2 points and 6.4 rebounds — but her field goal percentage stays the same from last season at 52.3 percent.
The 6-foot-8 center’s numbers have shot up in Big Ten play. In conference games, she’s fifth on
paint where she recorded 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting and grabbed five rebounds.
The Ducks have several veteran players on the team, such as fifth-year guards Peyton Scott and Deja Kelly. Unlike the other veterans, Kyei is the one who’s been with the team for four years, even when all of Oregon’s stars were hitting the transfer portal.
“She wasn’t like a top-five kid, and everybody in the world was recruiting her,” Graves said. “[We] took a chance on her and it’s really paid off. She represents our university so well.”
Graves said she’s gone from being a quiet player her freshman year to now someone who fits in with any “clique” within the team.
“She’s one that just kind of transcends everything,” Graves said. “And when Philly has something to say, people listen.”
working through its indoor season, which will culminate with the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Indi anapolis on Feb 28 and Mar 1, and the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach on Mar 14 and 15.
There’s more international and professional events set to return to Hayward Field this year — many of which could feature current or for mer Oregon athletes.
USA Track and Field will host both its U20 and senior Outdoor Championships on Agate Street this year. The U20s will run June 19-22, while the senior competition will be held between July 31 and Aug 3. The Diamond League — one of profes sional track and field’s premier com petitions — also heads back to Eu gene for the 50th anniversary of the Prefontaine Classic. That meet, held on July 5, will likely feature some of the sport’s best athletes at Hayward Field just weeks after spring term classes end.
Oregon students can access stu dent tickets for all regular-season meets through their portal, accord ing to the university.
(Darby Winter/Emerald)
Phillipina Kyei (15) holds the ball. The Oregon Ducks Women’s basketball team takes on the Purdue Boilermakers on Jan. 15, 2025 in Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.
