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MARCH 31, 2022 Week of Welcome

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TO PEE

OR NOT TO PEE?

UO TRANS AND NONBINARY STUDENTS ON THE ACCESSIBILITY — OR LACK THEREOF — OF GENDER-NEUTRAL RESTROOMS ON CAMPUS.

NEWS

A&C

OPINION

SPORTS

PRACTICES FOR STUDENT WORKERS' THE PRICE OF BEING SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW: OPINIONS ON HOUSING PG 5 SHARING PRONOUNS PG 6 SUSTAINABLE PG 9 WIDE RECEIVER PG 15 T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 3 1 , 2 0 2 2

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University

Health Services

Visit the Duck Nest Wellness Center in the EMU! and Remotely at https://health.uoregon.edu/ducknest

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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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BEST PLACE FOR CANNABIS ON CAMPUS

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Special Sections Editor 2021-22

NEWS 959 Franklin is an apartment building located on Franklin Blvd. in Eugene. High-rise apartment buildings close to campus, like the Franklin buildings, are more expensive and ornate than student employees say they can comfortably afford. (Summer Surgent-Gough/Emerald)

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STUDENT WORKERS' OPINIONS: OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING DOESN’T MEET NEEDS

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Students with on-campus jobs prefer housing that’s close to campus, and they don’t care about bells and whistles, but finding options to fit these needs is a struggle. BY ABBY SOURWINE

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ON THE COVER

In Lawrence Hall, the restrooms are plentiful but the existence of the all-gender restroom is none. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

The University of Oregon employs 4,947 undergraduate student employees, and apart from resident assistants and first-year students who are required to, few of them live on-campus. According to the U.S. News and World Report, 83% of UO students live off-campus, while only 17% live in collegeowned, -operated or -affiliated housing. Affordable student housing is hard to find nationwide, but the issue is on the rise in Eugene, as new apartment buildings near campus charge up to $1,800/month for a single-bedroom apartment and the student population reaches record-highs each year, with the exception of 2020. At UO, student jobs pay $11.25–$16+ per hour, according to UO’s student jobs website. Even working students say that finding a place that’s close enough to get to work and class without being too expensive is a difficult game. “You have places that are super far from campus that are nice and at a pretty good price, or anything that's close to campus is super run down and you’re constantly calling the maintenance people,” UO junior Sarah-Anne Bedrosian, who works at Hiron’s, said. Nearby student housing can offer luxury amenities to match the high price tag, but students don’t always seek the luxury.

The two newest apartment buildings on Franklin Blvd. feature rooftop pools and private study lounges. Bedrosian said they only really need a washer and dryer as far as amenities are concerned. The least expensive one-bedroom apartment at Union on Broadway costs $1,650/month and Identity Eugene costs $1,799/month, according to their websites, though studios start closer to $1,400/month for each. Location is a key point across the board, but students know they can get a more affordable place outside of the immediate area. UO junior Ella Meloy works in the EMU and lives in a five-person house near campus but is moving to a space farther away from UO and adding a roommate to save on rent. She pays about $700/month now. Another junior, Chloe Miller, works in the EMU, as well. She lives with three roommates in a townhouse close to campus, but plans to move farther away next year because her rent would increase several thousand dollars. “My place I'm living in right now is increasing the rent by so much money next term, and nothing is different,” she said. “They haven't done any remodels or anything.” The median rent for a one-bedroom

apartment in Eugene is $995/month, according to rental marketplace Zumper. Ella Wrather, a UO junior from Arizona, lives on campus as a resident assistant in part because room and board is included in RAs’ compensation. “The housing that does exist is very exclusive in how it's priced, and you get very little for your money,” she said, “As an out-of-state student, I'm already paying enough, so I'd rather get free housing here.” UO junior Rory Sweeney works 25 hours per week in a UO dining hall to afford her two-bedroom apartment at 13th and Olive. Even with a steady job and support from her parents, Sweeney said she won’t go over $740/month for housing. Miller said she wishes there was some form of rent control in Eugene. “Maybe there's some way that they would keep the price the same for a certain amount of years so people aren't forced out every term,” she said. Meloy said that if housing options near the university were affordable and realistic in their offerings, it would benefit the whole Eugene community, not just students. “I would just like a place that I can afford and that has like the most basic of necessities,” Wrather said. “I really don't feel like students are asking for a lot.” T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 3 1 , 2 0 2 2

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A&C

PROMOTING

BEST PRACTICES FOR

PRONOUN SHARING

Pronoun sharing in the classroom is an important tool to prevent misgendering and microaggressions — but it can also create discomfort for some trans and non-binary students. BY EVAN REYNOLDS • TWITTER @_EVANREYNOLDS

(Mia McCall/Emerald)

In recent years, pronoun sharing has become a staple of everyday life for UO students. Whether it’s part of a “get to know you” activity on the first day of classes, an email signature or a Zoom screen name, normalizing pronouns can minimize the misgendering of students by their professors and peers while also fostering a more inclusive environment. Being misgendered can have long-term mental health consequences. A 2014 study found that people who were regularly misgendered experienced heightened anxiety and stigmatization, lower self-esteem and a sense of devalidation when it came to their own identity — especially in the case of trans and non-binary respondents. “Being misgendered takes you out of the learning environment,” Dr. Andrea Herrera, a UO professor of sociology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said. “It can feel uncomfortable, jarring, disorienting and overall it adds an unfortunate additional burden for the person being misgendered that is probably invisible to everybody else in the classroom.” In spite of these negative outcomes, compulsory pronoun sharing can prove harmful in other ways. While cisgender students might generally feel more comfortable publicly sharing their pronouns, the process for trans and non-binary students can involve outing themselves in unfamiliar settings. A 2015 survey found that 24% of genderqueer students on college campuses reported feeling unsafe or experiencing mistreatment in an academic environment on the basis of their gender identity. This number may have fluctuated in the years since, but there is still likely a large number of students who don’t feel comfortable publicly disclosing their pronouns. For Caryn Zaner, a psychologist with UO Counseling Services specializing in work with queer students, the question of pronoun sharing is incredibly complex. “As far as required pronoun sharing, my take is don’t. Don’t do that,” Zaner said. “It is an incredibly complex issue, and queer, trans, non-binary people are not a monolith. Students I have worked with are out in some settings and not in others because safety is such a concern.” Rather than outright enforcing pronoun sharing, Zaner believes professors should foster an environment of safety in the classroom that encourages students to share their own pronouns, while also meeting students where they are at an individual level. PA G E 6

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“I think having one-on-one conversations discussing how you’d like to be referred to is the best path to move forward,” Zaner said. Herrera questioned why gender is assumed to be an immutable characteristic for so many when compared to other identity categories. They noted that, while many queer students feel their gender identity is important, other people simply don’t have a set or important gender identity. “There has been an increasing medicalization of gender, and with that comes the idea that we can discover our true genders through medicine and science and that leads to a want to categorize people into boxes,” Herrera said. “But then what are the pros and cons of having gender be so central to our senses of self in the first place?” As a professor, Herrera’s policy attempts to be collaborative with their students. They allow pronoun sharing to be optional and also have students fill out a sheet that Herrera reviews before the second day of class. This allows them to keep a list of students’ names, pronouns and whether they are comfortable using said pronouns or being called on and referred to in class. “I want (cisgender) teachers to have these same conversations. Talk about these issues! Demystifying the process is good for the students’ comfort level and the teachers’ as well,” Herrera said. Zaner encouraged genderqueer students to feel validated in their own identities, regardless of how they choose to express them. “Internalized cis-sexism is very real, and I fully encourage people to feel empowered to do what is necessary to remain safe and be their authentic self,” Zaner said. “No one is owed your performance of gender. Share it with the people who care about you.” Queer people in need of mental health support have access to a number of resources: The Trevor Project (1-866-488-7386) focuses on crisis counseling and suicide prevention efforts for queer youth. The Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860) is a peer support network and crisis hotline operated by trans and non-binary people to support trans and non-binary people. UO students specifically are also encouraged to reach out to Gender Support Services at UO Counseling Services, which offers general mental health support and helps students receive letters in support of gender-affirming medical care.

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OPINION Recycling cardboard reduces pollution from production of new materials. Recycling and composting are simple ways to live sustainably. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

THE PRICE OF BEING SUSTAINABLE IS TOO HIGH

Byrd: The price of sustainability needs to drop in order to become more effective. BY BEATRICE BYRD Hope for a more eco-friendly future has started to make its way into our society. We need to care for our world, and that necessity grows quickly and steadily with time. Although the push for sustainability is gaining valuable momentum, affordability of the movement is equally vital. We must answer the questions about sustainability’s affordability so that it can be an action that reaches past socioeconomic status; it must have universal availability to be successful. Currently, prices for sustainable options remain high. For example, a sustainable fork in place of a plastic fork may be in high demand, but the sustainable option takes more time and resources to make. Environmentally friendly alternatives are only accessible for those who can afford them. While this issue remains national, individuals at UO help to explain what actions can be made locally in response. The way companies market and design their sustainable products comes down to one key component: communication to the public about these environmentally friendly products and listening to the needs of the consumers. Communication about the environment is a requirement for the future of our climate. Hollie Smith, assistant professor of science and environmental communication, emphasizes the importance of listening when connecting through communication.

“I think the biggest thing is focusing on not just speaking but also listening. That is one of the most important elements of communication, and unfortunately it is often overlooked,” Smith said. Smith also thinks sustainability should be more affordable for everyone. Smith thinks “many choices dealing with environmental sustainability and new technology are for people who come from a place where you have the option to make those decisions. They can choose different behaviors and afford to adopt new technology.” Electric vehicles, for example, while beneficial to environmental sustainability, are not affordable. Corporations offer these kinds of solutions, but they fail to acknowledge the inaccessibility of their technologies. “It is really important that we examine how we’re offering some of these options and how we’re talking about it,” Smith said. She thinks these offerings are out of reach for many individuals, and that we need to start addressing key barriers to start unpacking issues to make affordable sustainability a reality. While there are many eco-friendly alternatives for everyday products, they fail to listen to individual's needs. Our ecosystem is perpetually shared by all people. Wealth segregating the accessibility of products and technologies ignores the fundamental characteristic of environments: community. Every

individual should be given the opportunity to care for their planet, regardless of class differences. Excessive pressure on personal choice is a repeated problem of corporate responsibility, especially in terms of the environment. It is only through policy support and policy change that communities can advance past individual options. Incentivizing communities and policies will remain the key to approaching future environmental issues. There needs to be an emphasis on affordable sustainable options. Conversations about how to incentivize and disincentivize certain options are vital to developing sustainability in an equitable, educated and responsive way. Communities crave the opportunity for a choice; it’s a choice that defends the future of our ecosystem, and it should be offered to all individuals — regardless of wealth or status. Beatrice Byrd is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald. She is a first year student studying journalism at UO. She believes in the power of fair and educated opinions that come from a desire to help strengthen communities.

HOT OR NOT HOT: HIRONS

Name another store where you can pick up a cowboy hat, plunger, finger trap toy, candle, lace gloves and Pedialyte in one trip. They won’t even ask why you put them in that order. - Braydon Iverson

HOT: SPRINGTIME

Guys, it’s springtime! It’s literally hot out now! No more long-sleeved shirts for me! Yessiree! Finally the only time of the year when Oregon doesn’t feel like Oregon and instead feels more like Maryland or Virginia. - Ian Proctor

MEH: THE OSCARS

NOT: STEALING TEXTBOOKS

MEH: GRUBHUB ON CAMPUS

NOT: HUMIDITY

I will admit, watching Will Smith slap Chris Rock was unexpected and provided good news. But it also took away from some of the amazing award winners including the first deaf man and open queer woman of color. - Caitlin Tapia The access to dorm cuisine via GrubHub has been incredibly convenient this term, especially with the fluctuating COVID cases. However, the sheer number of hand cramps I’ve developed from those paper bags can not be excused. - Emma J Nelson

I know getting the required texts for a new class can be difficult and expensive, but please don’t visit websites, like Libgen or Sci-Hub, which let you download textbooks for free. - Porter Wheeler There’s a reason (or several) we don’t live in Florida, and I for one am tired of arriving at my classes looking like my hobby is sticking forks into outlets. Definitely the worst way to make an impression. - Sadie Tresnit

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COVER

TO PEE OR NOT TO PEE?: LOCATING GENDER-NEUTRAL RESTROOMS ON CAMPUS BY LEO BAUDHUIN • TWITTER @NOTALEOBUTLEO

“It's kind of frustrating that… nonbinary or trans people have to use a map to find a bathroom that they could use,” UO student and education and activism coordinator at the LGBTQA3 Matthew Hampton said. The map on the second floor of Lawrence Hall at the University of Oregon displays a men’s restroom and an all-gender restroom across the hall from the window at room 277. In reality, the window sits across from a men’s restroom, a women’s restroom and a railing overlooking the first floor. Although UO’s interactive all-gender restroom map reflects that reality, it has its own inconsistencies, with some all-gender restrooms missing from the map and some depicted on the map even though they don’t actually exist. That, coupled with the fact that many UO academic buildings only have one all-gender restroom, poses issues for transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming students. “More often than not, I've given up looking for a gender neutral bathroom,” Matthew Hampton, a UO student and the education and activism coordinator at the LGBTQA3, said, “and I resort to using the men's restroom, crossing my fingers that no one’s in there.” But not every trans or nonbinary student feels comfortable using a gendered restroom and hoping for the best. According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey — a survey of almost 28,000 trans individuals

in the United States — 59% of respondents “avoided using a public restroom in the past year because they were afraid of confrontations or other problems they might experience.” 8% reported experiencing a urinary tract infection, kidney infection or other kidney-related problem in the past year due to avoiding public restrooms. The survey also found that 9% of respondents reported “that someone denied them access to a restroom in the past year” and that 12% were verbally harassed, 1% were physically attacked and 1% were sexually assaulted when accessing a restroom. Beyond threats of violence, trans and nonbinary individuals can experience dysphoria when they’re forced to use a restroom that doesn’t align with their gender or feel unsafe if they don’t “pass” as the gender of the restroom they’re in. “Gender-inclusive fully-accessible restrooms meet a critical need for a range of individuals with diverse access and safety concerns,” UO spokesperson Saul Hubbard wrote in a statement to the Emerald. These include including trans and nonbinary individuals, families with young children and people who have

attendants or mobility constraints. Hubbard said there are over 250 gender-neutral restrooms on campus. On-campus advocacy Students and faculty have been asking for more gender inclusive restrooms on campus since 2003, according to Laura King, the student resource coordinator for UO’s LGBT Education and Support Services. The ASUO senate passed a resolution to create more gender-accessible restrooms on campus in October 2014. The UO faculty Senate passed its own resolution in February 2015, with the support of groups including ASUO, the LGBTQ Alliance, LGBTESS and the gender-neutral Greek life group Theta Pi Sigma. The document largely mimicked the text of the ASUO resolution. “Many of the buildings, including the one we're in right now, don't have gender inclusive bathrooms,” then-ASUO gender and sexuality advocate Elle Mallon said at the 2015 faculty Senate meeting.

Lawrence Hall is home to the College of Design on campus. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

Lawrence Hall has several restrooms on each of its floors. However, there is only one accessible gender-neutral restroom on the first two floors. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

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COVER Lawrence, the building Mallon was speaking from, now has six gender-neutral restrooms, although all but one are on the third and fourth floors, where fewer large classes are held. The lack of accessible restrooms means that trans students often have to leave the building their class is in to find an accessible restroom, Mallon said. “For example, I have an hour long lecture in McKenzie,” they said, “and I have a terrible time not using the bathroom at least every half hour or so. But if I have to leave that class, the nearest bathroom that I can feel safe entering is all the way over in Deady.” Deady — now renamed to University Hall — is two buildings over from McKenzie Hall. “If there's an hour-long lecture, and you have to go two buildings down to find a bathroom, you probably just missed at least a quarter of the instruction time for that class period,” Mallon said. McKenzie now has one gender-neutral restroom on the first floor and two on the fourth floor, which is primarily a lab space. Mallon said gender-neutral restrooms are especially important given that UO markets itself as an inclusive campus for LGBTQ students. “I think it's really reasonable for a university that says that it wants to make people feel safe on our campus to actually do the things that make people feel safe on our campus,” she said. The ASUO and faculty Senate resolutions asked UO “to create a gender-inclusive restroom in every building,” convert all gendered single-stall restrooms with a locking front door to gender-neutral restrooms and provide printed instructions to a nearby allgender restroom on every restroom door. The resolutions also stated that UO should “support its transgender and gender nonconforming students by maintaining an updated map of gender-inclusive restrooms on its campus.” Both ASUO and UO Senate resolutions serve as formalized statements of support for a given issue and do not bind UO administration to any concrete actions. Still, UO announced it would convert between 115 and 140 single-user restrooms to genderneutral restrooms by fall 2015. Former LGBTESS director Maure Smith-Benanti said that queer and trans students had been working to convert single-user restrooms to gender-neutral restrooms before the UO Senate resolution. “But once that resolution passed,” she said, “it moved much, much faster than anything had ever moved.” Max Jensen worked on creating gender-inclusive restroom maps with the LGBTQA3 and LGBTESS. Students would go out in little groups, he said, and locate both gender-neutral restrooms and single-user restrooms that could be converted. “The buildings weren't made for queer and trans students,” Jensen said, “and that was expressed through just a fucking little sign on the bathroom.” Hubbard said UO created a map of the genderinclusive restrooms on campus during the 2015-16 academic year and launched it in fall of 2016. “I thought I had died and gone to heaven,” SmithBenanti said. “I was so excited about that option.” Smith-Benanti said prior to the interactive allgender map, the LGBTESS had an online list of gender-neutral restrooms on campus. “The fact that nobody would ever have to come to the queer and trans office to find out where they could go to the bathroom was amazing to me,” she said. The map meant people could “preserve privacy” around their identities and still access restrooms that were affirming to them. Current-day conundrums Hampton said she regularly refers to the allgender restroom map when students come into the

(Lynette Slape/Emerald)

LGBTQA3 office and ask about where they can find gender-neutral restrooms. “It's kind of frustrating that for cisgender people who can feel comfortable using a gendered restroom, they can just find one when they see ‘restroom,’” Hampton said. “Like, that's what it means. And then nonbinary or trans people have to use a map to find a bathroom that they could use.” And the map isn’t perfect. Places on the map that are labeled as all-gender restrooms — including one of the two on the second floor of Johnson Hall and one

“My experience in gender neutral bathrooms has, unfortunately, been that I haven't really had direct access to a lot of them in a lot of the buildings that I've been in.” SOFIA BAJENARU UO Student

on the third floor of Anstett Hall — don’t actually exist. In 2019, UO updated its building code to require that every new building contains at least one genderneutral restroom — and ideally one on each floor. Newer buildings, like Unthank Hall and Knight Campus, have gender-neutral restrooms, but none are identified on the map. Hubbard said a team of UO students annually visit the gender-neutral restrooms on campus as part of a larger survey. However, the COVID-19 pandemic means that students didn’t review the map in 2020 or 2021. Hubbard said restrooms in buildings like Unthank and Knight Campus will be included in the map’s update this fall. Other restrooms are labeled as all-gender restrooms but require a key to enter, like those on the third floor of the EMU, in the basement of Knight Library and two restrooms near the soccer field inside the basement of the Student Recreation Center. The

In the Erb Memorial Union, there are several options for all-inclusive restrooms. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

gender-inclusive restroom on the first floor of Knight Library closes at 5 p.m. on weekdays and is locked on weekends, despite the library being open until midnight Monday through Thursday, open until 7 p.m. on Friday and open on the weekends. “My experience in gender-neutral bathrooms has, unfortunately, been that I haven't really had direct access to a lot of them in a lot of the buildings that I've been in,” UO student Sofia Bajenaru said. Bajenaru said they know most buildings do have gender-neutral restrooms and that buildings like the EMU are especially accessible to trans and nonbinary students. The five gender-inclusive restrooms that students and faculty can access without a key in the EMU includes a multi-stall restroom across the hall from the LGBTQA3 room. As an environmental studies major, Bajenaru said they spend a lot of time in Columbia Hall. They know there’s a gender-neutral restroom on the second floor, but most of their classes are in the basement. “That's not super convenient to get to when I'm just trying to hop out of class really quick, and I don't want to leave for a long period of time,” they said. Bajenaru said they generally use whichever restroom is closest to where they are; they’re jumping out to use the restroom rather than to cut class. “I’ve accepted that, in most buildings, I'm not going to be able to go to a bathroom that is catered toward my identity,” they said, especially when they’re trying to find a restroom that’s close to their classroom. Simon Scannell, a UO student and the education coordinator at LGBTESS said he’ll use a genderinclusive restroom if it’s there, but if not, he’s fine using a men’s room. And his experience accessing gender-neutral restrooms has been pretty smooth. Most of his in-person classes have been located near a gender-inclusive restroom, he said. “Our bodies have biological needs,” Smith-Benanti said. “That's why public restrooms exist in the first place. That's why drinking fountains exist in the first place.” She said it’s important that an institution provides for those needs in its community. “Being able to provide a space that is affirming and planned for is a signal to people who are on a campus that we have anticipated you,” she said. “And that is the next level when you're talking about inclusion.”

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OPINION

IT’S SIMPLE.

STOP TORTURING CHILDREN

Aghel: ABA therapy is archaic, ineffective and abusive. It’s time we move past it. BY PARSA AGHEL • TWITTER @PARSALONA1 Over three decades ago, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child mandated that “the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.” The United States, signing onto this, vowed to fight child torture and endorsed protecting children from any act that is harmful to their “health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.” Conveniently, no U.S. president has brought the mandate before Congress to ratify it into law. In our nation, the rights of children are an empty promise. Despite helping shape the language surrounding the international agreement, child torture persists in our country in many forms. Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy is one of them. ABA therapy is advertised as a program that helps those with autism spectrum disorder develop social “skills” by rewarding “good” behavior and moving away from “poor” behavior. According to Elizabeth Devita-Raeburn for Spectrum News, certain behaviors, determined to be indicators of ASD, are punished with “sensory punishment” like bad smells and tasting foul substances. At its most extreme, therapists administer electric shocks. If that sounds familiar, it’s because ABA is based on the same principles as the archaic conversion therapy used against the LGBTQ+ community. And the University of Oregon practices it. Advertised on its own page in the college of education’s HEDCO clinic, the university provides appointments, recommending the therapy’s use in the first 100 days of child diagnosis. In many cases, ABA therapy punishes autistic children for their own helpful responses to painful stimuli. Many with ASD learn helpful behaviors on their own, like stimming and avoiding eye contact, which alleviates stress in certain situations. When doing so, Aileen Herlinda Sandoval-Norton’s research proves that they are protecting themselves from physiological pain and harmful sensory hyperactivity. PA G E 1 2

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ABA therapy punishes biological solutions for pain with more pain. ABA’s principle is clear: behaviors that neurotypical individuals do not like are not valid. They are to be punished. The forms of “aversion therapy” embraced by ABA cause children to suffer needlessly. Clinical studies reveal that this archaic treatment doesn’t even work. Just this year, a group of neuropsychologists at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology reviewed ABA literature to determine its long-term efficacy. They found that previous studies of ABA interventions did “not present any neuroscientific research” regarding its effectiveness. Most damning, they found that ABA therapy has never been shown to be “even slightly efficacious” for nonverbal Autism populations. In fact, in most cases, ABA makes conditions worse. A 2018 study looked at ABA therapy through a revolutionary new lens: actually consulting those it purports to treat. Instead of documenting its successes, the study found a clear connection between early ABA intervention and posttraumatic stress symptoms in hundreds of autistic children. Nearly half suffered from PTSD’s most extreme severity level. Autism awareness organizations are quick to point out how bullied autistic children are at higher risk of suicide. They neglect to mention that their solution, ABA therapy, is essentially based on the premise of bullying autistic children out of “undesirable” behaviors. A 2021 study confirms this, highlighting that treatments based on the principles of ABA drastically increase rates of depression, anxiety and suicide in its recipients. Studies celebrating ABA’s success collapse when interrogating their definition of success. Their rhetoric more often than not contains the word “normal.” Indeed, parents cherish their ASDidentifying child’s ability to live a normal life. Those who lived through ABA treatment disagree. Reid, who underwent full-time therapy from ages 2 to 5, argues

that success means hiding who they are. Autism treatment’s largest organizations confirm this. Not a single public proponent’s definition of ABA remotely mentions autistic people’s emotions or well-being. Put this way, ABA therapy is not a subtle breach of the U.N. convention on the rights of the child. Every principle of the therapy is a direct violation of children’s rights. ABA therapy is child torture. In the long run, ending the use of a treatment consistent with child torture is only the start. It is time to move toward treatments that help autistic and neurodivergent children navigate a neurotypical world. It should be neurotypical people’s responsibility to accommodate a diverse world, not neurodivergent children’s burden. Despite ABA therapy’s popularity, non-torturous and effective treatments for children with ASD exist. Many treatments have good intentions and positive outcomes. Occupational therapy, for example, helps neurodivergent individuals learn to do day to day tasks on their own. Speech Therapy works by encouraging children to enhance both their verbal and non-verbal communication. That should be our focus, UO included. In a world not built for autistic and neurodivergent children, it is essential to adhere to the children’s rights standard by considering their best interests. That means helping them embrace themselves, not torturing them for being themselves.

Parsa Aghel is a columnist at the Emerald’s opinion desk. He brings a critical lens to power structures and is an advocate for human rights. Follow his Twitter @parsalona1.

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SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW

SPORTS

WIDE RECIEVER

Budding youth movement poised to drive the Ducks’ wide receiver corps. BY AARON HEISEN

Ducks wide receiver Kris Hutson (14) rises from a kneel after the Ducks rushed the field for the 124th Ducks vs Beavers football game. The University of Oregon Ducks hosted and defeated the Oregon State Beavers 38-29, claiming the Pac-12 North champions title. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

“Let the kids play.” Coach: Junior Adams What started out as a Major League Baseball marketing slogan turned Adams coached Los Angeles Rams into former UO football coach Mario receiver Cooper Kupp at Eastern Cristobal’s philosophy. Washington in 2013. Adams received At the start of the 2021 season, high praise from the Super Bowl Cristobal featured a slew of veteran champion Kupp. talent at wide receiver, including “I really believe that one day Johnny Johnson III, Jaylon Redd and he’s going to coach at the highest Mycah Pittman. By the end of the level,” Kupp said of Adams in a 2019 year, the torch was transferred to Kris interview with the Seattle Times. “He’s Hutson, Troy Franklin and Dont’e that talented. He’s that good. He’s that Thornton. knowledgeable. I know the direction With the former trio either injured or that his career is going.” declared to transfer Hutson, Franklin and Thornton started the Alamo Bowl. Figurehead player: Kris Hutson The Ducks lost to Oklahoma 47-32, but each receiver found the end zone. Hutson played in each of the Ducks Thornton led the way with 90 yards, 14 games last season. He led all of and Hutson racked up a team-high six their returning receivers with 31 catches. receptions, 419 yards and Spring practice two touchdowns. His provides a chance stats were impressive, for the current but his inexperience was sophomores, along apparent. with redshirt junior Coach Cristobal “He’s that talented. He’s that Isaah Crocker and scolded Hutson for good. He’s that knowledgeable. UCLA transfer over-celebrating a first I know the direction that his Chase Cota to build down as the first half career is going.” a rapport with clock ran out against COOPER KUPP LA Rams receiver on coach the quarterbacks the Arizona Wildcats, Junior Adams. and separate costing the Ducks themselves as a field goal. Hutson starters. dropped passes and Like most Ducks teams of the lost two fumbles — one coming recent past, depth is a luxury at wide against UCLA and the other in the receiver. red zone against Cal — that almost cost the Ducks two wins. Biggest storyline: youth He continued to remain on the field because he was one of The three presumed starters at the the Ducks' best run-blockers at position are all sophomores: Franklin the position and outworked his and Thornton will line up on the position-mates in practices. Hutson’s outside with Hutson assuming the slot had growing pains. Now it’s time to position. Sophomore Seven McGee show that his game has improved also has a chance to make noise at the from them. slot position if he chooses to stay at Check out the feature on Kris receiver instead of running back. Hutson from earlier this season. Youth can be a crutch, but that’s the furthest thing from what it is for X-Factor/player to watch: Dont’e Oregon. In a season of retooling the Thornton team with sophomore quarterback Ty Thompson, first-year coach Dan Thornton has the best big play Lanning, offensive coordinator Kenny ability of any of the Ducks receivers. Dillingham and wide receivers coach He showcased that when he turned Junior Adams, youth provides a Thompson’s 20 yard throw into a 60 chance to grow together. yard touchdown for his first collegiate Young receivers carry a chip on score. The Ducks will need those big their shoulder. Expectations are lower plays from Thornton to come more than past seasons, but the receivers consistently throughout the season to are ready to break out. propel their offense. T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 3 1 , 2 0 2 2

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SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW:

DEFENSIVE

LINE

Brandon Dorlus has ascended to the face of the Oregon defensive line. BY DYLAN CONWAY

Ducks defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus (3) dodges one player while Arizona Wildcat Paiton Fears (74) reaches out for the tackle. The Oregon Ducks crush the Arizona Wildcats 41-19 in game four of the 2021 season. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)

On April 28, Ducks football fans will be locked into the NFL draft to see where and when Kayvon Thibodeaux will get drafted. Thibodeaux's arrival to the NFL is exciting, but his departure from Oregon raises questions about its defensive line. The good news is that outside of Thibodeaux, the defensive line showed flashes and was always consistent last year. The Ducks will have plenty of returning starters to the defensive line in 2022 as well as experienced transfers and talented recruits. Defensive-minded head coach Dan Lanning will also be a great new voice for the defensive line. At Georgia, Lanning loved to confuse offenses by using certain schemes, which he’ll look to convert over to Oregon’s line. These strategies stem from the defensive line being the focal point of Lanning’s defenses. His primary goal is to stop the run, which his Bulldogs excelled at last year, finishing No. 2 in the nation by allowing fewer than 80 rushing yards a game. The problem for Lanning is that defensive line talent isn’t necessarily flourishing out west. Recruiting for this position may be a challenge, but Lanning fortunately has great returning talent for 2022. Brandon Dorlus is one returning player who made a huge impact in the 2021 season. Dorlus had seven PA G E 1 6

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tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, becoming one of the most consistent rushers for the Ducks all year. He was also frequently touted for the plays he made which didn’t show up in the stat sheet. Dorlus’ talent and versatility suit Lanning’s past schemes at Georgia. His ability to line up on the outside and in the middle will fit right into Lanning’s tendencies to trick offenes through rush angles.

He is one of the top defensive line coaches in the country, and he has a tremendous track record both in recruiting and player development." DAN LANNING on Tony Tuioti joining the Oregon team.

Another player to look out for on Oregon’s defensive line is Washington transfer Sam Taimani. With two years of collegiate experience, the 6-foot-

2, 330 pound defensive tackle will be a candidate to split reps with a returning player or even steal a starting role. Taimani’s power stood out on the Huskies, as he was often double-teamed. He should be a great piece to tie up the run defense, which the Ducks showed improvement on last year. The voice inside the defensive line room in 2022 will be newly hired defensive line coach Tony Tuioti. “I am thrilled to have Tony Tuioti joining us here at Oregon,” Lanning said. “He is one of the top defensive line coaches in the country, and he has a tremendous track record both in recruiting and player development.” Tuioti has extensive coaching experience including tenures at Nebraska, California, Hawaii and Michigan. He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015. While he was at Nebraska in 2020, Tuioti’s line allowed 4.17 yards per rush and 4.16 in 2021. His recruiting skills will also help the Ducks, as he assisted the Huskers to a top-25 recruiting class in 2021. For the first time in three years, there will be no Thibodeaux to highlight on Oregon’s defensive line, but with Lanning’s defensive schemes and many returning starters, the Ducks’ line should continue to be a strong suit in 2022.

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