3-29-21 Emerald Media - Week of Welcome

UNDER MAR. 29, 2021

Week of Welcome

Emerald Media

PRESSURE UO’s women in academia are taking on extra loads while working from home.

But the tenure clock ticks on and research deadlines loom.

NEWS

UOPD VR TRAINING PROGRAM PG 2

OPINION

A&C

PREPARE FOR ‘THE BIG ONE’ PG 7

DANCE MAJORS DURING THE PANDEMIC PG 13

SPORTS

OREGON SOFTBALL YOUTH MOVEMENT PG 14 M O N D AY, M A R C H 2 9 , 2 0 2 1

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NEWS

UOPD BUYS $62K VR TRAINING SYSTEM

UOPD is excited about the possibility the new state-of-the-art simulator brings to de-escalation training.

BY SILAS SLOAN • TWITTER @SILASLOAN VOL. 122, ISSUE NO. 39

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ON THE COVER

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The University of Oregon Police Department department was able to repurpose existing funds. purchased a $62,000 virtual reality system for “We’ll know in about 12 months after we get de-escalation training intended to improve the rocking and rolling with the system working,” quality of training for officers and its service to Carmichael said. “Not only will we see what that the community. cost saves us, and maybe training that it replaces, While VR is not new when it comes to police but the new thing is going to be — look at all this training, older systems tend to focus only on the training we’re going to get to do on shift that we use of force and “shoot, don’t shoot” situations. didn’t have the opportunity to do before because UOPD Chief of Police Matthew Carmichael said we didn’t have the system.” the new system is a big improvement as it focuses To make sure training is as effective as possible, more on de-escalation and is built for “today’s Carmichael said UOPD Interim Director of policing.”

Outreach and Engagement John Johnson will “We want to set up positive, interactive look at the system through an equity lens to feedback,” Carmichael said. “If I go into a system, provide feedback. and all I’m doing is training officers on use of UOPD brought in Johnson, who spent 13 years force with that system, what do you think they’re in law enforcement at UC Davis and has master’s going to focus on?” degrees in organizational behavior and family Carmichael said the Apex Officer Pro Training therapy, to consult and improve the department’s Simulator, which UOPD purchased culture, diversity, equity and inclusion. in early March, allows for multiple He uses his previous experiences officers to train together. He intends in policing to offer a new perspective to pair armed officers and unarmed We want to set up positive, for UOPD’s training, while also community service officers, or CSOs, studying the needs and perspectives interactive feedback,” together to better mimic what happens Carmichael said. “If I go into of community members who come a system, and all I’m doing from different backgrounds to improve in the field. is training officers on use of service.

“This system will give me the force with that system, what opportunity to immerse officers “I’m looking to learn what can be do you think they’re going to CSOs into a training environment done to address the needs of this focus on?” without having to close a building community,” Johnson said. “Taking MATTHEW CARMICHAEL and post training signs and have, you into account my previous experiences, UOPD Chief of Police know, actors and actresses in there I had to learn the needs of what a and simulate some kind of event,” community is all around the university, Carmichael said. and each one is going to be different.”

The entire system includes VR goggles, Since UO brings in students from all over the headphones and a vest that provides interactive, world with different backgrounds and cultures, haptic feedback based on the simulation so Johnson said it’s important to prepare for their officers can feel any attack brought on by the needs and adjust training to accommodate those scenario. Carmichael said the feedback is factors. a valuable feature for creating realistic and “How do we visualize all the different cities of educational scenarios. all the different people that will come in and now “Say we do have a situation where there is be part of your community for one, two, three or some type of violence, you will know if you were four years and beyond?” Johnson said. “We need successful in resolving at the time because you’ll to prepare for the unknown.” get feedback through the vest system,” he said.

Johnson said he will bring this approach to the According to the Apex Officer website, the new simulator to collaborate and give input on simulator has a “dynamic scenario generator” how officers should be training and what new that uses artificial intelligence to create multisituations they may encounter. He wants officers incident scenarios that adapt to how the officer to train outside their comfort zone, comparing it reacts. In addition to use of force, the system can to practicing for an athletic event. simulate a wide variety of scenarios including “The conditioning dynamic should be much mental health crises, traffic stops and even calls more intense than the actual competition,” when nothing happens at all.

Johnson said. “That means that when it comes Normally the simulator costs about $90,000, time to see the situation, you’re not overwhelmed but Carmichael said the department bought it for by what could possibly occur because you’ve $62,000 and called it an “outstanding investment” been training at a much higher level of intensity, for UOPD that he hopes will save money down much greater focus.” the road. He said that this system did not Carmichael has high hopes for the new require additional funding as the simulator and believes that UOPD’s approach to the training, paired with Johnson’s consulting, will make the training system more effective than it otherwise would be.

“Our focus on communication is going to be something that is going to help build a training platform that is educational, but it’s positive,” Carmichael said. “If we use this system just to focus on the potential continued negative contacts, that would be a bad choice on our part.”

The University of Oregon Police Department, formerly the Department of Public Safety, was established in 2012. (Summer Surgent-Gough/Emerald)

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Around OR REGIONAL AND STATE NEWS FRONTLINE WORKERS ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINE APRIL 5: Oregon is expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5 to those over 16 with underlying conditions, frontline workers and people living in multigenerational households. Frontline workers include anyone with a job that requires regular close contact with people outside of their household, regular interaction with people for over 15 minutes or for any people that can not perform their jobs from home. The expansion comes two weeks ahead of schedule.

– JACK FORREST SOFTBALL SWEEP: Oregon softball is now 23-1 after sweeping its non-conference series against Loyola Marymount this past weekend. In their first game of a doubleheader on Friday, Oregon exploded with 14 runs that included a seven-run fourth inning. In the second game, Makenna Klietheremes struck out 15 to complete the first no-hitter of her career. Oregon wrapped up the weekend with a 6-0 win. They have a four-game series against Oregon State starting Thursday.

– CARLY EBISUYA

(Summer Surgent-Gough/Emerald)

CHALLENGING THE TRADITIONS OF BALLET: Portland violinist and composer Joe Kye released a new single on March 19, “The Way Out,” that addresses the U.S.-Mexican border crisis. The project started as a collaboration with high school student Diego Gartia, who wanted to create a dance piece exploring the border crisis. The audio single is accompanied by Garita’s dance piece, “Los Delores de la Raza,” which was recorded on Zoom.

– SARAH-MAE McCULLOUGH

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SPORTS

GLORIA MUTIRI

LEADS OREGON VOLLEYBALL TO

3-0 VICTORY OVER CAL

BY AARON HEISEN

Ducks middle blocker Karson Bacon and Ducks middle blocker Morgan Lewis (11) block a spike from a Huskie. Oregon Ducks verses Washington Huskies at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on March 7, 2021. (Kimberly Harris/Emerald)

Ducks setter Kylie Robinson (21) sets for an attack. Oregon Ducks verses Washington Huskies at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on March 7, 2021. (Kimberly Harris/Emerald)

The Oregon volleyball team defeated the Cal Bears, 3-0, in Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday. The Ducks extended their winning streak to five and improved their overall record to 13-3. After taking down the Bears on Friday in three straight sets, the Ducks looked to build on that performance.

Similar to Friday, the Bears traded points with the Ducks to kick off the initial set. Katarina Pantovic slammed the ball across the Ducks blockers for a kill that gave the Bears an 11-9 lead.

The Ducks came racing back with an impressive 14-1 run. The Bears could not keep up as Morgan Lewis delivered three straight kills to close out the first set. Oregon took the first set 25-14.

“Serves from Elise Ferriera and Taylor Borup set the tone and propelled us on an early surge.” Oregon head coach Matt Ulmer said.

Cal found their footing early in the second set after struggling in the back half of the first set. The Bears traded points with the Ducks until Brooke Nuneviller

Ducks outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller (5) goes in for the serve. Oregon Ducks verses Washington Huskies at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on March 7, 2021. (Kimberly Harris/Emerald)

committed a service error giving the Bears a 5-3 lead.

Oregon weathered the storm as Gloria Mutiri came off the bench and provided three straight kills to give the Ducks a four-point lead. Cal responded with a four-point run of their own as Lydia Grote picked up where she left off on Friday. She provided two kills to tie the set at 12.

The Bears were searching for their first set victory of the weekend, but a 6-1 run by the Ducks would kill the Bears’ momentum. Nuneviller came through with her fifth kill of the match to give Oregon a 19-13 lead.

Oregon retained its lead for the remainder of the second set. Abby Hansen rose up above the net and blocked the Bears’ hit, giving Oregon the second set 25-19.

To kick off the third set, Cal came out hot with a 3-0 run capped by a Pantovic kill, her fifth of the match. The two squads traded points until Oregon began to dominate the back-half of the set.

A five-point surge from the Ducks gave them a

13-7 lead as Mutiri continued to shine. Through the midpoint of the third set, she led all players with 11 kills.

After taking that lead, the Ducks wouldn’t look back as they went on to finish off the Bears in the third set.

In a similar fashion to Friday, a commanding kill from Nuneviller put the nail in the coffin. Oregon took the third set 25-19.

“Today, we benefited from better pace on the ball,” Ulmer said. “Our constant movement kept Cal on its toes.”

Nuneviller led the team with 13 kills, but Mutiri’s performance deserves high praise as well. She provided timely hits and delivered 11 kills. With the win, Oregon volleyball improves its record to 13-3 and completes a two-game sweep over the Cal Bears without conceding a single set.

Oregon’s next volleyball game is in Tempe, on Thursday, April 1, against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

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OPINION

PREPARE FOR ‘THE BIG ONE’ Calloway: The earthquake that will destroy the Pacific Northwest is 75 years overdue. Creating a plan for the inevitable is going to keep you and your community safe.

BY JAEL CALLOWAY • TWITTER @JAEL_CALLOWAY What would you do if you got an alert telling you the biggest earthquake in the Pacific Northwest was about to hit? How prepared are you for the inevitable? The predicted 9.0 magnitude earthquake is 75 years overdue, and scientists expect its arrival in the next 50 years. Residents from Vancouver Island to Portland to Cape Mendocino need to create a plan now to prepare for this inevitable force of nature.

The Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake is most commonly referred to as “The Big One.” The Cascadia Subduction Zone is where the Juan de Fuca, an oceanic plate, and the North American tectonic plate meet. The North American plate is steadily bulging upward as a result of the Juan de Fuca plate pushing it head on. Sooner — rather than later — North America will spring up causing a devastating chain of events.

9.0 earthquakes differ from 6.0 or 7.0 in the length of time it takes and the damage it creates. Moderate to large earthquakes, ranging from 5.0 to 7.9, last between 10 to 30 seconds; whereas 9.0 earthquakes can last up to five minutes.

The last 9.0 earthquake the Pacific Northwest felt happened in 1700. The entire coastline dropped between 3 to 6 feet and a tsunami, reaching 33 feet, traveled across the ocean and hit Japan.

This earthquake will “affect the entire Pacific Northwest in one afternoon, and it’s going to change our economy and our culture and our society profoundly,” said Ian Madin, a senior scientist and earthquake hazard with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries for a KOIN special report.

A 2018 report from the Oregon DOGAMI says the aftermath could result in tens of thousands of people wounded or killed, $80 billion in building damage and more than 250,000 people facing long-term displacement. Buildings and bridges are expected to buckle. Gas and electricity will be out for a period of time. Local, state and federal governments can only do so much for the hundreds of thousands of individuals who will be affected.

My goal here isn’t to scare you or make it seem like there’s no hope. My goal is to convince you to prepare. There are tons of steps you can take to make you, your friends and your family as prepared as possible.

Having a family and friend plan is a great first step. Discuss multiple meeting locations that will work for all parties involved. Go over who will partner with whom if the group splits up, whether it’s voluntary or involuntary. Plan for phone lines in and around your city to be jammed, so assigning a contact who is outside of the disaster zone will allow for an immediate information source.

Make sure you have your family documents all in one place and ready to go. Get familiar with your evacuation routes; walk them if you can. Be conscious about the type of food you store. Electricity will be down, so heating your food will need to be done with a flame. A pan, pot, can opener, plates or bowl and some utensils cover the basics.

Also, remember that your neighbors will be your first responders. We saw this a couple weeks ago when Texas

faced a brutal winter storm. Neighbors came together to supply blankets, food, water and even shelter for one another. It’s easier to hold on through disaster when you have a community.

Oregon is implementing an earthquake early warning system called ShakeAlert that will send alerts to our wireless devices. Lane County asks families to plan on storing enough supplies “for everyone in your family for at least 72 hours.” It also advocated for a DIY disaster backpack, with water bottles, snacks, flashlights, gloves and sturdy shoes, as well as a first aid kit, that can be stored somewhere accessible.

Today, millions of Oregonians, Washingtonians and Californians are living in the epicenter of the next great natural disaster. The fallout will create the largest humanitarian crisis ever seen on U.S. soil. And we don’t know when it will happen. Just taking the time to create a plan for the inevitability of the Cascadia Subduction Zone’s wrath is going to save lives.

“MY GOAL HERE ISN’T TO SCARE YOU OR MAKE IT SEE LIKE THERE’S NO HOPE. MY GOAL IS TO CONVINCE YOU TO PREPARE.”

Jael Calloway is a junior at the University of Oregon.

She is an opinion columnist at the Daily Emerald and writes to help make students feel less alone. Follow her Twitter @ jael_calloway

(Makena Hervey/Emerald)

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COVER

WOMEN IN ACADEMIA TAKE ON LARGER WORKLOAD DURING PANDEMIC

BY JOANNA MANN • TWITTER @JOANNA_MANN_ More than a year ago UO limited students and instructors access to buildings and schools on campus. (Kimberly Harris/Emerald)

UO IMPLEMENTS POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COMBAT THE ADDED PRESSURES OF WORKING FROM HOME. Earth sciences professor Samantha Hopkins has conducted her research from home for the past year.

Instead of mining fossils from streams, she catches up on data analysis and other projects that don’t require fieldwork. She takes an hour out of her work day to make lunch for her family and helps her two kids with problems that arise from online school several times a day.

Hopkins said her paleontology fieldwork can’t be put on hold much longer. Fossils are weathering into the stream each day, which is research she will never get back. If she doesn’t get grant funding, her graduate students, undergraduate students and collaborators will also miss out on funding.

“So the total outcome is not good,” Hopkins said.

“I’ve been trying to get a grant proposal done, and it’s taken me five to seven times as much time as I had expected.”

Women in academia, specifically women of color, have been disproportionately affected by working from home during COVID-19 because of increased caregiving responsibilities and the tendency of daily household chores to fall on women.

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don’t necessarily have working spouses, and they’ll be like, ‘Ah, you know, being at home. I’ve been so productive. There aren’t people distracting me in my meetings,’” Hopkins said. “That must be lovely to just close that door and ignore everything.”

Executive Vice Provost of Academic Affairs Janet Woodruff-Borden said it was clear at the beginning of the pandemic that the transition to remote instruction was going to be difficult. A survey of UO faculty on the pandemic’s impact on research and creativity found that respondents were struggling with working from home, and the university responded with support strategies meant to provide relief.

“The goal was really to document what the impact was, how people were experiencing this and then what resources the institution could provide to be helpful in those spaces,” Woodruff-Borden said.

The survey was consistent with research findings nationwide, as faculty reported being impacted by heightened stress, caretaking pressures, inadequate work environments and racial trauma. Respondents identified a need for support in childcare assistance, ease of academic time pressures and access to campus labs and offices. One of the main findings

was a desire to delay the tenure and promotion clock.

Faculty are brought on as an assistant professor for seven years, but undergo a review in their third and sixth year to see whether they merit promotion to Associate Professor and tenure. Education professor Gina Biancarosa said if the promotion decision does not go in the faculty member’s favor, then they basically have to find a new job.

“It’s sort of an up or out moment,” Biancarosa said.

“It’s really high stakes.”

To combat the issue, the university extended the tenure timeline one year. In this opt-in program, third and sixth year faculty reviews will be postponed until the 2021-22 school year. Faculty members who already have tenure may postpone completion of their development plan by one year.

“It became very clear that allowing people more time on their so-called tenure clock made some sense. The literature shows us that women were disproportionately impacted, faculty of color are disproportionately impacted by the caregiving and other responsibilities associated with pandemic. Not all men were,” Woodruff-Borden said. “And so in some ways, slowing down the tenure clock has to be

COVER

Samantha Hopkins. (Image provided by Samantha Hopkins)

Janet Woodruff-Borden. (Image provided by Dave Austin)

Cassandra Moseley. (Image provided by Dave Austin)

balanced with recognizing that there’s still equity that you have to pay attention to in that space.”

She stressed the importance of making sure external reviewers know not to treat the one-year extension as extra time to increase productivity, but as a way to account for potential delays resulting from pandemic-related obstacles to research productivity. Some faculty, including Hopkins, are worried about others taking advantage of the extension, using the extra time to get ahead when their research has not been as heavily impacted.

“The idea that the rising tide lifts all boats is not actually accurate,” Hopkins said. “It’s like, yeah, it makes it possible for those people to survive, but they look crappier relative to all the people who aren’t having as hard a time.”

Cassandra Moseley, interim vice president of the Office for Research and Innovation, touched on this inequity. By the nature of some people’s research, she said, they were either not disrupted at all, or they had their productivity ground to a halt by disciplinary or methodological differences.

Moseley said some faculty research was not affected by working from home if they only had to conduct computation research or write philosophy articles, for example. But faculty members who have to conduct their research in a laboratory setting or use human subjects do not have the luxury of being productive from home.

“The impacts are going to continue beyond when we’re all reopened. How people bounce back is going to be really uneven,” Moseley said. “Our response is going to be ongoing. Because the impacts are going to

be ongoing.”

Biancarosa said her women academic circles have been discussing whether a one-year extension is enough to make up for lost research. As a professor in the special education and clinical services department, most of her research is conducted on children in school settings. Kids have not been in school for over a year now, and they will not be going back full time for even longer.

“These disruptions are continuing to affect people,” Biancarosa said. “Until those things really resume normal, it seems to me that it would only be fair to further extend that potential, you know, give them another year.”

The Office of the Provost implemented other policies and recommendations to help the situation, including a $200,000 fund to spur the research of assistant and associate professors impacted

by COVID-19. It also recommended postponing non-essential services this academic year, and that department heads limit the number and duration of meetings.

The caveat to this recommendation is that most, if not all, work is essential, and anything that does not get done this year will result in more work next year.

Additionally, the sociopolitical events that transpired this year resulted in faculty members spending more time mentoring and caring for their students.

Biancarosa said the College of Education is taking issues of racism and discrimination seriously, working on anti-racist teaching practices and preparing teachers to implement these practices as well. She said this is not simple work.

“I’m on multiple diversity, equity and inclusion committees that didn’t exist before last spring, which is perhaps its own problem,” Biancarosa said. “But I think most faculty have stepped up and stepped into this work, because they recognize the importance of it. If anything, it’s more work rather than less.”

Cinema studies professor Sangita Gopal said her mentoring load is quite heavy, and invisible. She said she has students who are not even in her class coming to her for advice on issues of access because they don’t feel comfortable talking to their White professor.

“It’s very difficult to tell your supervisor, ‘Look, I spent 10 hours talking to students who were upset about this.’ That is not something that’s quantifiable as your labor,” Gopal said. “It’s emotional labor that takes a toll from your ability to get your work done.

I think that’s always been somewhat true, but it got highly foregrounded, highly underlined, during the pandemic.”

Gopal directs the Women of Color Project in the UO Center for the Study of Women in Society. She said many of her colleagues of color have found themselves in similar mediating situations during the pandemic. The best thing the administration can do, Gopal said, would be to survey faculty for their needs, one year into the pandemic.

“We were in a fight and flight response in the spring,” Gopal said. “So now that it’s routinely normalized, then another set of considerations come into view. How are you doing one year out?

The picture has become a lot clearer as to what the challenges that lie ahead are.”

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A&C “Grouplove LIVE in Philly FroKnowsPhoto” by jaredpolin is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

‘THIS IS THIS’

BRINGS OUT THE BEST OF MODERN ROCK

BY GRACE MURRAY • TWITTER @GRACIEE_MURRAYY

GROUPLOVE’S FIFTH ALBUM FEATURES A NEW HEAVIER ROCK SIDE OF THE INDIE-POP GROUP. Just one year after the release of Grouplove’s long-awaited fourth studio album “Healer,” the five-piece has come out with a surprise fifth album, “This is This.” Without any advertising campaigns or early single releases, the band announced the album just one day before it was released, debuting it in a live stream on March 11. This is a rather rare release strategy — especially in the midst of a music lull — and the band is certainly suffering the consequences with the release slipping under the radar.

Despite the anticlimactic release, the album is quite possibly one of their best with nine incredible songs that shift seamlessly through heavy rock, electronic pop, alternative rock and indie pop. This album shows a completely different side of the band that made a splash 10 years ago with its first big hit, “Tongue Tied,” which continues to be popular even today.

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bridges the gap between the Grouplove of the past and the new angsty rock sound that this album conveys. The instrumentation and singing is ethereally upbeat despite the negative and sad nature of the lyrics, “I’ll never, never, never make it on my own,” repeated in the chorus.

The song is overwhelming as it takes the listener through an emotional journey featuring occasional angry scream singing and slow sad singing mixed with chanting. Reminiscent of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” the song even features a section of nonsensical phrases sung in a chant; “I think I lost my teeth down the street/ Come marry me/ I’m gonna smash my face in the cake and celebrate.”

The only slow ballad on the album, “Oxygen Swimming,” is a perfectly existential love song with an indie pop calming nature as an acoustic guitar strums the song along. It is an ode to a lover with verses that sing about

sharing memories of the past and present, and it ends with the simple but sweet sentiment, “That I love you for everything you are.” The chorus speaks to existence and the simplicity of being human as the group comes together to sing, “Lights go out but we’re still living/ We’re just oxygen swimming.” The phrase “oxygen swimming” captures life at its simplest form: an everflowing existence shared with others.

“Just What You Want” is angsty and powerful, channeled through the fantastic but loud instrumentation that includes a heavy electric guitar and a pulsing rhythmic drum. The first lyric of the song, witty and full of attitude, is quite possibly the best on the entire album: “All my life I wanted to be better/ But there’s something ‘bout my middle finger.” The song is about being rebellious, the end of the world and new beginnings featuring Dani Miller from Surfbort.

The album finishes with a five-

minute masterpiece, “Shout,” which is incredibly raw and emotional, touching on mental health and violence. Some of the lyrics are intense and saddening, but the heavy rock song focuses on an important message of togetherness, acceptance and relief. One of the choruses repeats, “Shout, shout, shout/ Just let it all out,” while the other repeats, “You are not alone,” pushing an incredibly meaningful message with just a few words.

The album is a mixed bag of different genres and musical styles, but manages to capture a lot of the emotional turmoil that has occured throughout the last year. It is a version of Grouplove that the world has never seen before but will hopefully stick around in the future as the band caters to new audiences. “This is This” is a fantastic representation of modern rock showing versatility, ability to capture emotion and beautiful instrumentation.

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A&C

‘WE STILL HAVE OUR VOICES’

DANCE DURING THE PANDEMIC

ST. VINNIES

Two students describe their experiences dancing at UO and how it has changed in the past year.

BY NIKA BARTOO-SMITH • TWITTER @BARTOONIKA

Kenneth De La Fuente is a dancer with the Duck Street Dance Club, which has been able to meet in person while following CDC guidelines. University of Oregon dance majors and students affiliated with Duck Street Dance Club have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)

The annual University of Oregon faculty dance concert streamed online this year, instead of in person.

One of the pieces, “You Shall Live,” opens with four women spaced 10 feet apart and wearing masks. They dance together and yet cannot touch each other. A huge part of many dance forms is human contact, but with the pandemic, this is no longer possible.

For senior Makena Cavarozzi, a dance and sociology major at UO, the piece “You Shall Live” symbolizes power, burden and life. The song it’s choreographed to is all about breath, with the line “I need you to breathe again” repeating throughout. The choice to use this song, focusing on breathing during a pandemic that makes it harder to breathe, was not coincidental.

“I kind of took it as a way of optimism, as we’re gonna get through this,” Cavarozzi said. “We still have our voices.”

Cavarozzi believes that the pandemic highlights the cross between sociology and dance. Since COVID-19 shut everything down in March 2020, Cavarozzi said that every piece she has danced in centered “human relationships, systematic relationships and political issues.” For her, the pandemic amplifies the need

for human contact.

“Dance has really come forward and shown amazing things throughout this pandemic. And it’s completely, in my opinion, sociology-based, because this pandemic is about people,” Cavarozzi said. “The world is telling you you need to stop, and dance has shown us that the dance in us, the art form, doesn’t stop.”

Cavarozzi started competitive dancing at age 10. Originally from Los Angeles, she came to UO because of its dance program. She felt strongly that she did not want her needs to get lost in an overly competitive dance program. She joined the UO Hip Hop Team to ensure that she could perform as much as possible.

In the dance department at UO, Cavarozzi mostly practices contemporary and modern styles of dance. Since the summer, all dance classes at UO have either been held via Zoom or in-person requiring students to wear masks and stay 10 feet apart. Outside of class, she is the president of the UO Hip Hop Team. Unlike classes in the dance department, the Hip Hop Team functions fully via Zoom, practicing twice a week without being able to perform. Cavarozzi is hopeful that they will be able to meet in person starting next term.

UO Hip Hop Team is not the only hip-hop-specific dance group on campus. Kenneth De La Fuente, a sports business major, dances for Duck Street Dance Club. Unlike the UO Hip Hop Team, Duck Street Dance Club still trains in person while wearing masks the whole time.

“Dancing with a mask on is probably five times the effort,” De La Fuente said. “That doesn’t just go with our style of dance, it goes with every dancer, every single dance club here at the UO.” While not a dance major, he has taken dance classes in the dance department at UO. He recalled one of his favorite classes, an African dance class. De La Fuente took the class last spring term, completely virtual.

Even though the class was not in person, De La Fuente expressed that

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he still enjoyed it. The new experience challenged him, although he did note that he probably would not take another virtual dance class.

“Dance for me is a passion,” De La Fuente said. “Let’s say the dance class is not taught properly, at the end of the day, I try to make the most out of the class.”

De La Fuente mostly dances with Duck Street Dance Club. The team practices in person but no longer gets to perform in person. There will be a year-end dance concert hosted online.

Dance has long been an emotional support system for De La Fuente, and that hasn’t changed during the pandemic. When something goes wrong or he needs to process his

emotions, dance is De La Fuente’s main go-to.

“It’s like your way to express yourself really explicitly without having to resort to other methods,” De La Fuente said, referring to how dance is an emotional outlet for him. “[Dance is] the ability to just go all out, and let out all your feelings.”

Both Cavarozzi and De La Fuente reflected on how their experiences with dance have changed over the past year, including dancing with masks on, dancing socially distanced or over Zoom and dancing about issues highlighted by the pandemic.

Both dancers realized they will always find ways to prioritize dance and expressed optimism for the future.

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SPORTS

THE YOUTH MOVEMENT OF OREGON SOFTBALL How Oregon’s young players have continued to grow the legacy laid out for them by previous teams.

BY DANIEL FRIIS When discussing this year’s Oregon softball team, it’s hard not to recognize the veteran leadership and productivity.

Fifth-year senior Haley Cruse has been a household name in Eugene since her freshman year, and this year isn’t any different. She’s begun the season red-hot out of the leadoff spot with a .423 batting average and a team high 30 hits.

Fifth-year Samaria Diaz has set a dominating tone on the rubber, holding her opponents to a .219 batting average while striking out 35 batters to just four walks and possessing a 2.33 ERA. Both players have played a monumental role in the Ducks’ 23-1 start to 2021, but it’s been the underclasswomen who’ve made their presence known, hinting at a bright future for the program.

In the first Pac-12 series against the Utah Utes, head coach Melyssa Lombardi started seven underclasswomen. All seven of them have earned their spot in the lineup not only for this season, but for seasons to come. Most notably, it’s been two freshman, Alyssa Brito and Hanna Delgado that’ve made names for themselves.

Alyssa Brito

Ducks second basemen Allee Bunker (51) connects with a pitch. Oregon Softball takes on Loyola Marymount University for a doubleheader at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on March 26, 2021. (Summer SurgentGough/Emerald)

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Alyssa Brito has held down both the middle infield and four spot in the order all season. Her eight home runs lead the team by a wide margin and rank her third in the Pac-12, all as a true freshman nonetheless.

Her competitiveness and work ethic have separated herself from the rest of her peers for her entire life.

“We would practice as a team, and she would stay after and hit on a tee by herself for an hour, then go to a hitting lesson after, then a training after that,” former high school coach Tony Arduino said. “The amount of time she has put into her body and swing is really impressive.”

For a freshman like Brito, who played only a handful of games their senior year due to the COVID-19 while having to adjust to a mostly virtual fall camp, the adjustment can be hard. For Brito, it was effortless.

“It doesn’t surprise me how well she’s adjusted,” Arduino said. “She has the first one to get there, last one to leave mentality and she’s a fierce competitor.

Those two traits will get her far in the game.”

Perhaps Brito’s most notable moment as a Duck came against No. 1 ranked UCLA. After both teams traded zeroes in the run column for three innings, Brito stepped up and homered against UCLA’s ace to give Oregon the lead, and eventually, the win,

handing UCLA their only loss of the season.

It’s moments like those that have already set Brito apart and have excited Duck nation for the next three years.

Hanna Delgado Hanna Delgado’s transition wasn’t as seamless as Brito’s, but over time, the freshman has shown her true colors.

After starting out the season just 1-8 and mostly playing a platoon role, Delgado finally broke through on March 6 against Portland State with a late two-run single which fired up the dugout and proved to be the difference.

Since then, Delgado has batted .444, and has become the Ducks everyday left fielder and number two hitter. With just one home run and 13 RBIs, the numbers may not jump out like Cruse’s or Brito’s, but Delgado’s offensive versatility has already proven to be an important asset.

“Having a lefty in the lineup gives a different look especially with our right-handed dominant lineup,” Lombardi said. “It allows you to do a lot of different things especially with someone like her who can bunt for a hit, or drive in a run.”

Delgado already proved to be a bat that deserves to stay in the lineup, but it’s her defense that’s been arguably the most valuable part of her game.

As a highschooler, Delgado played second base, a position she mastered over time.

“Her footwork at second base is as good as I’ve ever had, and defensively, she’s about as good as I’ve ever coached,” former club coach Mike Stith said.

At Oregon, Delgado has held down the left field job, but throughout fall ball, she still took reps in the middle infield. It’s this versatility that makes Delgado such a useful player for both this year, and many more to come.

Other bright spots Allee Bunker has been on fire from the plate all year, shown through her .400 average and team high 29 RBIs. Mya Felder has made huge strides both offensively and defensively from last year, with a walk-off home run against Utah earlier this month serving as her breakout moment. Makenna Kliethermes has been unhittable all season, and she’s coming off a no-hitter in one of her last starts.

For a program that has established itself as a softball juggernaut throughout the past five years, it’s apparent that the underclasswomen of the team won’t allow the hard work from older players go to waste.

“I think our elders have done a really good job at allowing the young athletes to settle in, and getting them to understand what we want out of them,” Lombardi said. “I love how they are all competing: they’re powerful, athletic, and best of all, they’re all really good.”

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