3-30-22 Emerald Media - Week of Welcome

MARCH 30, 2022 Week of Welcome

Emerald Medai

POST PANDEMIC PITCH

After the COVID-19 pandemic, all three acapella ensembles on campus are rebuilding with projects like live performances and album releases in the works.

SPORTS

OPINION

NEWS

A&C

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EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity

Do you know an exceptional student worthy of an award?

2022 | 10th ANNUAL Help celebrate the tenth annual 25 Ducks and nominate a deserving student.

Taking nominations until Thursday, April 28th.

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“I am hugely grateful for everything that The Daily Emerald has provided for me."

- Skyla Patton

Special Sections Editor 2021-22

FROM YOU

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

TIP YOUR DELIVERY DRIVER

BY Millie Driver, Springfield resident

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I’m posting this because, as a single mom in this economy, I recently took on a second job as a delivery driver to make ends meet. I feel that people really need to be informed of how much the average delivery driver is being paid by the company that you (the consumer) order your goods through. I’m talking about DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats, Munchies, GoPuff and the list goes on. You see these companies hire the drivers using a 1099, which in short means the drivers are self employed. They are not actual employees of the respective delivery service, therefore they do not qualify for any of the benefits that you probably assume they do. No paid time off, no IRA, no health or life insurance, no sick time, nothing. They get a very minimal delivery fee per order, most likely it’s $5.00 or less. They are not being compensated for gasoline (which is $4.94 per gallon where I live) or mileage, nor the wear and tear that

their (in most cases) personal vehicles are acquiring during an average shift. I’m sure you can imagine what the driver goes through to ensure you receive your products are delivered accurately, in pristine condition and most importantly in a timely manner. The traffic, the nasty weather, the horrible road conditions, the dumb (not to mention “crazy”) people out there. For these reasons and many, many more… PLEASE tip your driver. The only real compensation your driver is receiving is 100% of the tip (which in my opinion should not be optional) you are leaving for them. To those of you who leave a tip on the regular, I’d like to applaud you and sincerely thank you. To those of you who never tip or feel it’s not necessary I ask that you reconsider, look deep inside or your moral fiber where integrity and empathy reside and do the right thing! Finally, if this opinion offends you, it’s because it’s about you.

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Top read new story last week:

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Scan here or visit the Emerald’s social media to participate in our next Voices of UO. What do you think of Oregon and UO lifting the mask mandate?

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ON THE COVER

Courtesy of Cheng Lee

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION: "Back To The Future" Summary: Marty McFly may be a typical teenager, but he has grand ambitions with his life. After his band gets rejected from a music competition, he meets up with his scientist friend Emmet “Doc” Brown to hear out his new invention. What he reveals is a time machine built into a modified DeLorean, and Marty accidentally activates it, sending him 30 years into the past. Stuck without a power source to return to the future, he must seek out a younger version of Doc before he disrupts the flow of time and destroys reality as he knows it.

We want to hear from you: Email editor@dailyemerald.com to submit a tip or a letter to the editor. The ideal length for a letter is 200-500 words, but we publish letters of various lengths online.

Recommended by: Ash Carbin, freshman majoring in architecture “It’s an old movie, but I feel like the story is really well built around time travel, and I think more people should see it,” Carbin said.

(Maisie Plew/Emerald) W E D N E S D AY, M A R C H 3 0 , 2 0 2 2

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SPORTS

SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW:

TIGHT ENDS

Oregon could boast one of the conference’s most talented tight end groups in 2022.

BY CHARLES GEARING • TWITTER @GEARINGCHARLIE Five minutes into the fourth quarter, the No. 3 Buckeyes trailed 28-21, appearing poised for a comeback. Oregon needed distance, and fast, to keep the explosive Ohio State offense at bay.

Anthony Brown and the Oregon offense marched up the field in the face of the packed Horseshoe crowd looking for a dagger. Brown took the snap at the Ohio State 14 yard line, scrambling left under duress before finding wide open freshman tight end Moliki Matavao for what would ultimately be the game-winning touchdown.

It was his first reception of his college career – and what a moment to do it.

The Ducks’ young and talented tight end group was a centerpiece of the team’s offense in 2021. With Matavao, Terrance Ferguson, DJ Johnson and Spencer Webb all returning and a new positional coach in the fold, the tight end position will be equally utilized and potentially more successful in 2022.

Matavao’s touchdown against Ohio State was his only one of the season, but his role on the team spread far beyond scoring. The Henderson, Nevada, native caught nine passes, appearing in all 14 games of his freshman season. His 6-foot-6, 265 pound frame made him an elite blocker.

He’ll be well-suited for offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham’s in-line tight end formation, which disguises the tight end as a blocker along the line, while opening them up as an open receiver.

The former 4-star found a role as part of a tight end tandem with fellow freshman Terrance Ferguson.

Ferguson, a former top-10 tight end out of high school, gave the Ducks’ another receiver last season. He carries a slighter build than Matavao, at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds.

His athleticism and route running ability stood out for

Ducks tight end Spencer Webb (18) stiff arms an opposing wildcat. Oregon Ducks Football takes on the University of Arizona Wildcats at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 16, 2019. (DL Young/Emerald)

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the Ducks in key moments. He finished the season as the Ducks’ No. 1 pass-catching tight end with 17 receptions and two touchdowns, averaging 8.3 yards per touch.

Ferguson could thrive in Dillingham’s new-look offense in pass-catching formations like the inline rollout or the split-end, both of which were commonplace during Dillingham’s time at Florida State.

As Matavao and Ferguson approach their sophomore seasons in Eugene, they’re joined by two more returning tight ends in Spencer Webb and DJ Johnson.

Webb will challenge Ferguson for reps in the passing game next season. He was second in catches among tight ends in 2021 with 13 receptions for 87 yards and one touchdowns. He carries almost the exact same build as Ferguson, measuring in at an athletic 6-foot-6, 235 pounds. While Ferguson garnered more reps last season, it’ll be up to the offseason to see how the two compare in 2022.

Johnson played only one game in 2021 due to injury but has shown significant flashes through his time in Eugene.

As a sophomore in 2020, Johnson was a switchblade, playing on both sides of the ball.

While tallying 10 receptions for 113 yards and three touchdowns, he utilized his size at defensive end.

His stocky build makes him a physical blocker, with surprisingly good catching prowess for his size. After a season spent mostly away from game action, expect Johnson to be back with a vengeance in 2022.

With Oregon’s hiring of tight ends coach Drew Mehringer, the position is in great hands.

Mehringer is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading recruiters. In 2019 at Texas, he was ranked as the Big-12’s top recruiter and the No. 3 recruiter in the nation. He’s had stints as a offensive coordinator, a passing game coordinator and a wide receivers coach throughout his decade-long career, coaching several NFL draft picks throughout the span.

As spring football gets underway in Eugene, the skilled and well-rounded tight end group will be a position to watch as it seizes an opportunity under new management.

Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson (19) helps up his teammate Devon Williams (2) after Williams was tackled into the endzone. The University of Oregon Ducks hosted and defeated the Oregon State Beavers 38-29, claiming the Pac-12 North champions title. (Emerald/ Ian Enger)

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OPINION

CRUEGER: I HATE BABIES If you feel troubled by public outbursts of screaming infants, the politicization of pregnancy and mass suffering, you too may be a baby-hater.

BY CALE CRUEGER I've been an out and proud baby-hater for years.

Most people find it funny, like it's a quirky personality trait. It's not. My woefully misguided friends can attest to this. They’ll send baby videos and gush in group chats: “Look how cute!” and “I can't wait until we're all moms.” I can, Cindy. I can wait. In response, I bombard them with rants about overpopulation and straining resources. The truth, though? I don't give a rat's left nut about that stuff. It's babies that are the problem.

They're needy and whiney and expensive. They poo and puke and stink. They look like sea lions in an odd, unsettling way. Above all, they are public nuisances.

I haven't been on a plane in years. When people talk about travel, I get clammy and faint. I don't fear heights or dying in a fiery plane crash or anything that benign; I'm not a coward. What I do fear is hours trapped in coach listening to a baby passenger’s echoing cries.

Hating babies isn’t just taboo, it’s unnatural. We instinctively care for these little gremlins to ensure the survival of humanity. But what if humanity’s survival now demands we kick them to the curb?

Unfortunately, societal norms position starting a family as this ultimate “goal of life.” People want to make the world good for one person: a mini-them.

It's selfish. There are already children, dare I say even babies, who deserve and need a loving family. I admit that adoption is unnecessarily difficult, but how many

even consider it as an alternative? And still, the world is ripe with other needs. There are orcas in oceans and trees in forests. There are people sleeping on street corners. Who will mother these parts of the Earth?

Isn't parenthood supposed to be this ultimate act of selflessness?

Society pressures married couples, and especially women, to want and to have children. In the U.S., first-time mothers average at 26 years old. As a college student, this is terrifying. Most of us are in need of therapy and life skills, not babies.

They say the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, and anyone who thinks that’s a reasonable amount of power has never seen “Teen Mom.” Two episodes of that and I'm radically pro-abortion.

Let's have more! But seriously, of course I believe a person should be entitled to navigate their own pregnancy. By normalizing not having babies, though, we empower women with the strength to choose abortion, childlessness or other life paths that society currently demeans and even institutionally prevents.

Offering enthusiastic support and comfort to those considering abortion could counteract the trauma fueled by pro-lifers.

Pushing for the accessibility and normalization of pregnancy alternatives like adoption and abortion are the antinatalists. Protestors last November wielded posters reading “Stop having kids” and

(Oscar Zurita/Emerald)

“Birth is an ability, not an obligation” across Agate Street. In Portland, an organization called Stop Having Kids funded three billboards this year with similar sentiments. The group describes itself as “unapologetically antinatalist” and seeks to normalize caring for already existing life in a world that is suffering.

Overpopulation and climate change are particularly hot topics here. A growing populationinduced influx of CO2 emissions is raising sea levels, depleting resources and displacing the masses. Some argue the problem’s roots lie less in overpopulation than overconsumption. To that, I argue humans would have more time and resources to practice sustainability if there weren't conflicting responsibilities, like, I don’t know, raising children.

Whatever way this issue is spun, I firmly believe there are too many people. Not because systemic change couldn't offer solutions, but because I don’t like people very much and would like there to be fewer of us.

Still, I must admit my convictions have faltered at times. I am an aunt to the two cutest nephews in the world. One has a big, infectious smile and squishy baby cheeks. The other, a goofball toddler, worships this cartoon Catboy. Call me a hypocrite, but I like these babies just fine.

As I pressed the deadline of this article, I began to wonder if it was really a hate for babies I’ve had all these years, or just a deep disdain for the state of the world and, at times, the people inside of it. Babies didn’t ask to be born, endure and bear witness to all this pain and hardship.

Birth rates in America have decreased by 20% since 2007, which many attribute to the economic burden of financially supporting a child. It’s becoming clear that having a baby should not, and can no longer, be a societal expectation. It’s time we all, baby-haters and havers alike, look into ourselves and the world around us and dedicate our time to changing it before bringing more people in.

Cale Crueger is a Daily Emerald opinion columnist. She is a junior studying public relations and political science. Cale writes to engage readers in the local issues and trends affecting campus and the Eugene community.

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COVER Members of Mind The Camp, an acapella group on campus.

(Courtesy of Cheng Lee)

STUDENT-LEAD ACAPELLA GROUPS THRIVING AGAIN ON CAMPUS From studio albums to live performances, here’s an inside look at student-led acapella groups on campus and their upcoming projects.

BY CELESTE GRIFFITHS

Released in 2012, “Pitch Perfect” was an unexpected hit that had us all snatching glasses out of cupboards to mimic Anna Kendrick as she casually belted the song “Cups (When I’m Gone).” The rivalry between the film’s collegiate acapella groups, The Barden Bellas and The Treblemakers, provided catchy mashups and Riff-Off rivalries that popularized acapella as a form of music-making in mainstream media.

The Bellas can thank the University of Oregon’s very own Divisi, the only all female-identifying acapella ensemble on campus, as they were the inspiration for the group. Before the creation of the movie, journalist Mickey Rapkin wrote the book “Pitch Perfect,” which follows Divisi and two other collegiate acapella groups during competition season in the mid 2000s.

Now, over 10 years after the movie’s initial release and the creation of the novel, student-led acapella is still thriving on the University of Oregon campus.

Three acapella ensembles with intricate histories on campus are bouncing back after the pandemic with projects like live performances and album releases in the works.

Divisi: Continuing to break ground for all femaleidentifying ensembles At their last Friday show of winter term at the Erb Memorial Union, Divisi delivered energy and confidence. Every week, the three acapella groups on campus gather and perform a set of songs they’ve been working on. During the rotation of Divisi’s set, each soloist stood in the center, flanked by the other members. Their standout performance was a rendition of the R&B tune “Hollow” by Kiah Victoria, featuring senior Gemma Williams as the soloist.

Divisi originated in 2000 and back in the day was called “Eight Women and a Beau Tie,” as they had a male-identifying beatboxer, according to an informational PDF Divisi created. After the group attended a competition where they were impressed by a female beatboxer, the group was collectively inspired to become an all-female ensemble and made it happen.

“This was my first time since freshman year of high school that I've worked with an all-female identifying ensemble,” sophomore Grace Trimble, who runs PA G E 1 0

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merch management and social media for the group, said. “It’s really cool to be surrounded by a lot of other, empowered women, empowering women. I feel like I've made a group of friends that are really supportive of me.”

Junior Emma Kuhn, one of the music co-directors of Divisi, explained how the group will take a moment to slow down if needed and re-center with one another through music-making.

“Sometimes in rehearsals we'll just turn off the lights, lay on the floor and sing one of our sad songs like ‘Hide and Seek’ by Imogen Heap,” Kuhn said.

“It's honestly a really healing experience, because sometimes it's a hard day for everyone and no one wants to sit and workshop rhythms or a certain section of a really happy song. Sometimes what we need is to just have music be our therapy for a little bit.”

In 2005, Divisi defied traditional expectations for female-identifying performers in the collegiate scene with their rendition of Usher’s hip-hop hit, “Yeah.” At the time, it was not common for female-identifying ensembles to challenge gender stereotypes with their song choice, outfit and choreography. Kuhn recounted how the members at the time slicked their hair back, donned their own ties and asserted their confidence while competing, which paid off.

Divisi flew to New York City to compete in the 2005 International Championship of Collegiate Acapella Finals — the same competition featured in Pitch Perfect.

Divisi finished in second place at the championship, shocking everyone, as they were expected to win, Kuhn said. One of the three judges ranked them last, which is one of the reasons the ICCAs now have five judges and the highest and lowest scores are dropped.

The alumni’s legacy of challenging gender norms has continued with the new generation of members.

“Whenever we perform, our uniforms are a huge part of the group,” Kuhn said. “We wear a pair of black dress pants, boot heels, a white button up and a red tie, which is a pretty androgynous kind of uniform, especially for an all women's acapella group.”

Though the group isn’t competing in the ICCA’s this year due to the pandemic, they have an upcoming project in the works — a 14 track studio album, set to release June 2022. The album features well known

hits including Euphoria’s “All For Us” and Lord Huron’s “The Night We Met.” On The Rocks: Prepping for performances this spring On The Rocks was established in 1999 by UO students Leo DaSilva and Peter Hollens. In 2010, the group went viral for their on-campus performance of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. Their intricate Gaga inspired choreography and fiery facial expressions brought the original video 11 million views.

The same year the video went viral, On The Rocks competed on season two of the NBC television show “The Sing Off” where acapella groups nationwide sang in the hopes of winning a cash prize and a recording contract. This opportunity boosted On The Rocks’ growing popularity.

Raul Patel, third year computer science major and the group’s music director, said he was initially interested in auditioning after watching some videos of On The Rocks online.

“I saw them making jokes while they were performing, and they had little [comedic] bits,” Patel said. “I think I connected with the way they interacted with one another, and it seemed obvious that the love of music was there. That's what got me to audition.”

This upcoming April, On the Rocks will perform for upwards of 1,500 audience members at the 18th annual West Coast HellaCappella Showcase at UC Davis. For all its members, this is their first time attending. Neal Bryan, UO junior and third year member, explained that they are taking three songs, which they have been rehearsing for months.

“We're blessed to have some really talented guys in the group. One of our members, Nate Rasmussen, arranged a version of ‘Get By’ by Still Woozy,” Bryan said. “We were all excited about it, so we’ve decided to bring that as our final song.”

Aside from live performances, the group has a wellestablished presence on music streaming platforms.

In 2020, On the Rocks released an 11 track album titled “Evergreen,” which both Patel and Davis were involved in. The album contains feel-good classics like “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra and “Easy” by the Commodores.

“The entire idea behind the album was conveying

COVER

p, Members of Mind The Cam pus . cam on p grou a pell aca an ) (Courtesy of Che ng Lee

Members of Mind The Camp, an acapella group on campus.

(Courtesy of Cheng Lee)

I think I connected with the way they interacted with one another, and it seemed obvious that the love of music was there. That's what got me to audition.’

-RAUL PATEL, On The Rocks' music director the idea of songs that never die, or songs that we feel have made enough of an impact that we think its legacy will last past its time,” Patel said.

Mind The Gap: Experimenting with musical arrangements Established in 2007, Mind the Gap is a mixed voice, gender-inclusive ensemble that competes around the country and even internationally. Though involvement in competitions has been delayed due to the pandemic, the group is still active in Eugene.

At the last acapella performance of the term at the EMU, Mind The Gap established a groove and gave the audience what they never knew they needed — an acapella arrangement of “Toxic” by Britney Spears.

Rami Holmes, already assistant music director, is a fresh recruit after just joining the group in fall 2021. Holmes began his involvement in acapella in high school and was initially drawn to it because it contrasts from other types of music-making.

“You're not only allowed to, but encouraged to interact with each other while you perform,” Holmes said. “You're all using the same instruments; you all know what each other is doing and how it's happening. There's a level of understanding and trust that we all have for each other, especially when we are a smaller group.”

Katie Leonard, a senior and the group’s president and business manager, said Mind The Gap enjoys experimenting with existing pieces that they perform, showcasing how acapella allows room for creativity.

“We have a couple staples in our repertoire that we just can't seem to get rid of, and we do like to play with them a little bit,” she said. “One song that we've been singing forever is called ‘Higher Love.’

For Halloween, we do ‘Minor Love’ and we sing the beginning in a minor key, which is always fun.”

Sometimes Mind The Gap does mashups, similar to the style of Pitch Perfect and the many pop medleys throughout the movie series. Holmes said mashups can make for “a nice little spicy arrangement” that can catch the audience off guard in a way that keeps them engaged.

However, Leonard and Holmes remind us that collegiate acapella is a commitment, and it takes effort to be able to whip out mashups from their back pockets to wow the audience. Unlike in “Pitch Perfect,” members of these campus groups don’t typically just burst into song, either.

“The one thing that always strikes me with any show that plays off of singing, is that they're able to just pick up a song like that, and it just always makes me laugh. They never get a pitch,” Leonard said. “But I think if they do get one thing, right, it's that, you know, music really does bring people together.”

Retuning in 2022 Both Divisi and Mind The Gap were initially set on competing in the ICCA’s this year, but members of both groups explained that they ultimately withdrew to take more time to strengthen their skill sets for competition.

Martina Hemstreet, sophomore and co-director of the group, said at the end of last year seven members departed from Divisi, leaving only two members remaining with pre-COVID experience in collegiate acapella competitions. She explained how integrating new recruits into the ensemble is a process that can’t afford to be rushed, especially for competition season.

“Once you find new people, it's such a small group

that you have to form those new connections and learn how to sing with each other. That's what we've really been doing this year,” Hemstreet said. “We're going into next year with almost the same amount of people we had this year, so it should be a lot more stable.”

Mind The Gap usually only holds auditions during fall and spring, but Holmes said this year they added an extra round of auditions to boost up their roster after they were left with only eight members after fall term. Leonard said the group rehearses around 8 hours a week, which doesn’t always mesh with college students’ schedules.

“We did hold auditions this winter as a special scenario, just because it's been really tricky to get membership up through COVID-19, because it is a big commitment,” Leonard said.

Usually there are more experienced members who act as mentors for newer recruits and lead the way. However, the pandemic has completely shaken up this routine, posing a challenge when it comes to competition.

“Right now we have two people in the group who have competed before, and they're both graduating.

So next year, we're going to be starting from scratch when it comes to collegiate level competition,” Holmes said. “That's going to be a unique challenge for us, but I'm looking forward to it. I think it's gonna be a fun journey to go on together.”

Neal Bryan explained that after On The Rocks’ fall auditions, the group was the largest it had ever been, at 17 members. Now at a solid 14, he’s looking forward to what the group will accomplish this spring.

“The turnaround is honestly pretty exciting, pretty entertaining to see just how fast and how ready these new guys are to learn the music,” Bryan said. “I'm really happy to see that the group is getting back on its feet and ready to go back out in the world.”

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OPINION (Julia Stalnaker/Emerald)

NELSON:

YOU ARE THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE It’s quite common for people to prioritize others’ issues before tackling their own, but we need to remind ourselves that we can’t benefit those around us until we help ourselves.

BY EMMA J NELSON • TWITTER @EMMAJMXLEAN

“You’re not the center of the universe.”

A phrase thrown about by others when they think you are attention-seeking or behaving selfishly.

There is some truth to this sentiment, as everyone faces issues and yours aren’t always going to be in the limelight. Nevertheless, the phrase reinforces the instinct to prioritize others’ needs over one’s own or bottle everything up because someone else spoke first.

My meditation instructor last term twisted the idea on its head by reminding the class that we weren’t just “the center of the universe”; we each are the universe in its entirety, put on the Earth to experience its own beauty. While that originally sounded a bit too preachy for me, I’ve been in a bit of a mental health slump as of recently, and I found this concept and other versions of it to be very helpful in keeping me going. I’ve always been the type of person who prioritizes others before myself, but the idea that my self-care could indirectly support those around me has been rather motivational.

Now that we’re stepping into spring term and the end of the school year is just 10 weeks away, I figure we should move self-care higher up the list of priorities. I’m not going to tell anyone how to care for themselves, as it looks different for everybody. For some it’s sleeping in late and for others it’s an early morning walk. As long as it feels good for you, it is self-care. What I will do, however, is justify why selfPA G E 1 2

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care should be on the top of your list.

Let’s start with solipsism, the philosophical theory that the self is the only thing one can be sure exists.

Truthfully, the intricacies of solipsism sound absurd to me; I don’t think that everything is gone once I leave a room. However, the concept as a whole does have some merit when it comes to tricking your own brain into prioritizing self-care.

There’s at least one thing, whether you’re conscious of it presently or not, that brings you joy in your current reality. If you’re the only truly existent being (you’re not; there are many other people that exist all around you), then this thing that brings you joy is a positive projection of yourself. If your family members, friends and peers are all a piece of your own mind, then the best way to care for them is to keep yourself healthy first and foremost.

So if the idea of prioritizing ourselves is that easy to justify, why is it so hard to follow through?

We often fall into these holes of procrastinating self-care because we forget that it’s supposed to be fun. You can’t force a certain activity to feel beneficial just because others find it fulfilling; for instance, running may help clear someone’s mind and prepare them for the day, but if you personally hate running, then it’s not the outlet for you.

That doesn’t mean you won’t find an outlet or that you should put off self-care entirely until you stumble

upon something others consider advantageous. It’s not about stepping out of your comfort zone; it’s about relishing in it. So read a book or take a nap or go on a run. Let the world fade away for a moment and settle into you. Come back to us later.

When you do return, remember how important you are to how the rest of society functions. One worn gear can slow the whole mechanism to a halt, so you should polish it regularly to prevent future stalls. I know that it can feel like you’re letting others down when you take a break or put something off because you can’t handle it at the moment, but I promise that those who care for you will want you to take care of yourself first.

So yeah, maybe you’re not the center of the universe.

But you are an integral part of it, and you need to take care of yourself if you wish to sustain it for others.

Emma J Nelson is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald.

She is a first year student studying journalism and creative writing. She can form an opinion on anything, but most passionately discusses queer and women’s issues.

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NEWS The Oregon Hillel house is located on 11th Avenue and Hilyard Street. (Dana Sparks/Emerald)

CITY OF EUGENE AND JEWISH COMMUNITY RESPOND TO ANTI-SEMITIC AND ANTI-TRANSGENDER FLYERS At least six Eugene community members reported receiving the flyers.

BY ALEXIS WEISEND• TWITTER @WEISEND_ALEXIS Several Eugene community members received anti-Semitic and anti-transgender flyers distributed to their homes in what the Jewish civil rights organization the Anti-Defamation League said is a nationwide effort.

Eugene’s human rights and equity analyst Fabio Andrade said at least six people reported receiving flyers to the Human Rights and Neighborhood Involvement office.

A statement from the ADL said the flyers included propaganda and hate speech falsely claiming Jewish people are responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a dangerous rhetoric reminiscent of Nazi propaganda blaming Jewish people for a typhoid outbreak during WWII, ADL said.

The flyers also include anti-transgender references, according to the city.

An extremist, anti-Semitic group has distributed the same flyers in Vancouver, Washington, and Austin, Texas, in addition to Eugene, ADL said.

Local newspapers and Jewish organizations have reported sightings of similar flyers in the Bay Area; Fairfax County and Vienna in Virginia; South Florida; Kenosha, Wisconsin and other communities.

“These messages are designed to divide our community, and they have no place here,” Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis said in a statement. “Hateful

messages violate everything our city stands for and all that we are working to be — a city that is safe and welcoming for everyone.”

Over 60% of religious-based hate crimes in America are directed against Jews despite our making up 2% of the population."

RABBI MEIR GOLDSTEIN Rabbi Meir Goldstein, a senior Jewish educator at Oregon Hillel, member of the Jewish Community Relations Council and lecturer at the University of Oregon, said he knew some of the people who received flyers.

He said the flyers are, sadly, not much of a surprise, and he has seen rising comfort with anti-Semitic

tropes on campus.

“Over 60% of religious-based hate crimes in America are directed against Jews despite our making up 2% of the population,” Goldstein said.

“Somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 to 9% or so of the undergrads here are Jewish-identifying students, many of whom have felt the need to hide their Judaism on campus in order to be fully accepted on campus.”

UO’s vice president for equity and inclusion Yvette Alex-Assensoh said DEI asked anti-Semitism to be incorporated into implicit bias training in October of last year and has engaged in outreach and other strategies to support the Jewish community on campus.

“We are on the frontlines of efforts to ensure proper institutional responses to all injustice on our campus, including anti-Semitism — in our dormitories, classrooms and other spaces,” Alex-Assensoh said.

Vinis said if the spread of hate speech rises to criminal activity, the situation will be investigated by police.

Hate speech can be reported to the Office of Human Rights and Neighborhood Involvement online by calling 541-682-5177 or by going in person to the office located at 101 West 10th Ave, Suite 119 from Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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A&C

BILLION NEW FRIENDS KOMBUCHA

Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday, the front door welcomes visitors. A Billion New Friends is a local Kombucha brewery on many local grocery store shelves. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

This local tap house offers fresh kombucha in a variety of flavors, now available all over Oregon.

BY MELVIN BRAVO

Imagine having a billion new friends. Not in a social media sort of way, but through drinking a beverage. These friends are carried in one bottle, one cup and all provide something different to your thirst quenching experience. In Eugene, A Billion New Friends (referring to the beneficial microbes in kombucha) has been making its own kombucha and giving you their fermented drinks with the same experience and ideas.

“BNF started in Eugene and in a closet,” said Kevin Warren, owner and fermenter of BNF. Before he got his license to open his own space, he was able to use a storage closet to let his batches ferment.

Warren would try out the kombucha products on people who ate at the restaurant where he worked and noticed how popular they were. Some friends pitched in and helped this line of homemade kombucha eventually evolve into Billion New Friends Kombucha, which Warren made and sold in Veneta, Oregon and then Eugene.

“You can brew this stuff in all different ways, and I wanted a product that supports many local farmers,” Warren said. Warren is originally from Florence but would come to Eugene to visit friends and work odd jobs. One friend that introduced him to the operations of kombuchas had started his own line in 2015 called Kore Kombucha. He showed him how to make the drink and encouraged him to start his own batch.

But what is kombucha? Kombucha is a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast or SCOBY. It is a beverage that carries lifeforms through fermentation and is believed to have health benefits such as probiotics, vitamins, polyphenols and essential minerals that help the stomach. It can be a refreshing drink with less sugar and a substitute beverage for coffee.

“It’s local, locally focused, and an amazing product,” David Priest, a close friend of Warren and

salesman in the company, said. Priest met Warren at a party that Warren was deejaying for at the time.

The two immediately hit it off and Priest hopped on board the kombucha family that Warren had created.

Priest is a jack of all trades who finds inspiration with the work at hand. He communicates and engages with people like a friend, as if he’s known you for a long time. He said he enjoys introducing this product to people who have never tried kombucha before and focuses on finding the right locations for the product, knowing where the kombucha will sell best. His work has him traveling throughout Oregon, finding clients and letting people try the product.

Priest said most of the ingredients are locally sourced, and the artwork on the bottles is done by local artists. Each bottle includes the fruit that’s in the drink and a leaf scale indicating how dry, sweet, mild or tart the drink is.

BNF also makes Jun kombucha, which is honey-based kombucha made with green tea.

Including ginger turmeric and raspberry reishi, the latter is made from an edible mushroom which is believed to have medical benefits that help with anti-inflammatories, damaged blood vessels and hormonal imbalances.

The location includes growler fill-ups, 32 and 64 ounces of kombucha, Jun and hemp-infused kombucha and yerba mate. They also sell 12 pack bottles of all of their flavors. Flavors like ginger mint citrus, blueberry, mango marigold, blackberry herb, grape lavender and my personal favorite, peach rose.

This seems to only be the beginning for BNF and what the company is doing with kombuchas. If you happen to be in west Eugene, check out their taproom and give the kombucha a try or, if you’re by the cold drink section at the store, be sure to look out for their bottles. Who couldn’t use a billion new friends in their lives?

A large mural located next to headquarters showcases what Kombucha looks like to those on the 'BNF' team. A Billion New Friends is a local Kombucha brewery on many local grocery store shelves. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

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