4-1-21 Emerald Media - Week of Welcome

APRIL 1, 2021

Week of Welcome

Emerald Media

This novel features queer romance in a sci-fi setting.

resistance reading These three Eugene social justice-focused book clubs are taking a stand and advocating for social change, one chapter at a time.

NEWS

GE VACCINE ELIGIBILITY PG 2

A&C

SPORTS

‘ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE’ PG 7

BASEBALL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE PG 10

OPINION

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NEWS

GEs ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINES WITH OTHER FACULTY AND STAFF IN LATE APRIL No later than April 12, UO faculty, staff and GEs can start scheduling vaccination appointments at Autzen Stadium.

BY KAT WINELAND

VOL. 122, ISSUE NO. 42

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GEs will be included in UO vaccination efforts from April 21-29, but some GEs may qualify as frontline workers, making them eligible for vaccinations after April 5.

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ON THE COVER

Ben Brock, an outreach oordinator for TransPonder, holds up a young adult novel by local author Rosiee Thor.

TransPonder, a local nonprofit organization in Eugene, Ore., hosts weekly book club meetings that focus on trans and gender-diverse literature.

(Summer Surgent-Gough/ Emerald)

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Graduate Employees will be included in the 1B phase of vaccine rollout in University of Oregon clinics starting the last week of April, along with higher education faculty and staff. UO President Michael Schill announced the decision in a campus-wide email in early March, when he released more information on his plan for a full return to UO campus for fall 2021.

Rhiannon Lindgren, vice president of organizing for the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, said the union had no prior knowledge of their inclusion in the 1B phase of vaccinations, and she found out the same way everyone else did.

Lindgren said there was some followup with the UO administration to see if GEs count as educators in that email. UO counts the GE job as 49% educator and 51% student so as to not qualify for employee benefits, Lingren said. This led to confusion amongst the GEs as to whether they would qualify for vaccination as students or as educators. After confirmation from UO administration, GEs learned they would be included with faculty and staff and will receive an email no later than April 12 to schedule an appointment. Some GEs may qualify as frontline workers if they work in person, making them eligible for vaccination after April 5.

UO vaccinations clinics will operate on weekdays during business hours from April 21 to 29 at Autzen Stadium, according to UO’s vaccination website. Employees being vaccinated will be able to walk, bike or drive through

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to receive their doses. Second doses will be administered from May 12 to 20 on weekdays.

While vaccines should mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as the UO community returns to inperson classes, some still have doubts about the safety of completely returning.

Lindgren voiced her worries about UO’s case management after the vaccine becomes available to all people over the age of 16 in Oregon after May 1. She said she is concerned that UO will not make the vaccine mandatory for students and faculty returning to campus — and that the safety measures for faculty and staff will not extend past students getting vaccinated.

UO spokesperson Saul Hubbard wrote in a statement that GEs have always been in the sequencing plans for vaccination plans, along with other employees who teach or work or support students. Hubbard also said that vaccine clinics will include all UO employee groups.

Additionally, Hubbard said UO has taken actions to maintain the physical safety of campus buildings.

Hubbard said the UO has reconfigured offices, classrooms and common spaces to enable physical distancing, maintaining an enhanced cleaning schedule for common spaces and even adjusting air handling systems to reduce contaminants where possible in all buildings.

In terms of additional safety measures for the fall, Hubbard said UO is working with local health authorities and will release information as it becomes available.

Around OR REGIONAL AND STATE NEWS BEND COFFEE SHOP FINED OVER ALLEGED COVID-19 VIOLATIONS: Kevista Coffee in Bend has accumulated over $27K in fines after violating standards meant to protect employees. After multiple complaints, an OSHA inspection found that Kevista allowed indoor dining on Dec. 3 despite a state order limiting indoor capacity to zero. This is the largest fine levied against any Oregon restaurant over COVID-19 violations. The shop’s owners plan to appeal these fines, KTVZ-TV reported.

– ERYN McGUIRE NO. 3 OREGON SOFTBALL PREPARES FOR RIVAL OREGON STATE: After defeating Loyola Marymount on Saturday, March 27, 6-0, the Oregon softball team will face their rivals, Oregon State, in a four-game series in Corvallis. The Ducks are on a 16-game winning streak and took down the Beavers in their only matchup this season, 14-5. Alyssa Brito leads the team with nine home runs to go along with a .418 batting average.

– AARON HEISEN

(Ian Enger/Emerald)

JELLO ART SHOW: The Maude Kerns Art Center is hosting a show dedicated entirely to Jello art.

Community members can bring in their own Jello art to be displayed in the one-day exhibit. The display will be on view from 1 to 5 p.m. on April 3 and submissions will be accepted until the exhibit opens. The show features a Zoom performance from Eugene’s Radar Angels.

– GRACE MURRAY

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NEWS

BARRIERS FOR WOMEN IN STEM

PERSIST IN ACADEMIA, UO PROFESSOR SAYS UO computer science professor Brittany Erickson said while colleges have made noticeable efforts to improve diversity in STEM, barriers still make it difficult for women to get their voices heard.

BY COLE SINANIAN • TWITTER @COLERS928

(Courtesy of Tara Nye)

(Courtesy of Brittany Erikson)

Like many universities around the country, the University of Oregon intensified its efforts to increase diversity among faculty and students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics departments in recent years. However, assistant professor of computer and information science Brittany Erickson said administrators still have a long way to go before the university achieves true equity.

Erickson received her Ph.D. in mathematics from University of California, Santa Barbara in 2010 and worked at Stanford University, San Diego State University and Portland State University. She said that, from her perspective, UO is “pretty average” when it comes to working to increase women’s representation in STEM. “I think a lot of universities want to do better,” she said, “and the UO is no exception, but we’re not there. Everyone, on average, is doing poorly.”

Erickson said that while hiring more women faculty like herself is a good start, the problem’s deep roots in society means there is only so much that administrators can do.

For example, the university can only hire women who apply for positions, and if the applicant pool is mostly men, it’s less likely that a woman will get the job.

According to Catalyst, a nonprofit working to increase women’s workplace inclusion, women held only about 35% of all STEM Ph.D.s in the U.S. in 2018. In 2019, women held about 26% of computer science and mathematics jobs in the U.S. Erickson thinks one of the reasons for the lack of women applying for STEM jobs is the absence of women scientists being portrayed in the media, perpetuating the stereotype of some professions as “men’s work.”

A 2017 study published by the Pew Research Center found a wide variation in women’s representation among different STEM fields. Women make up 96% of speech language pathologists and 95% of dental hygienists in the U.S., but only 8% of mechanical engineers. In computer science, a relatively new and fast-growing STEM job sector, women’s representation decreased from 32% in 1990 to about 25% in 2017.

According to a study published in 2017 by the National Science Foundation, Women of Color are even less represented in some STEM fields than their White counterparts. The study found that White women make up 18% of science and engineering jobs, compared to 6.5% for Asian women and about 2% for Black and Hispanic women.

“There’s this notion that in certain fields, you have to be a particular type of person to pursue them,” she said. “And that notion is reinforced in movies and TV. You don’t see a large swath of actors that can play a computer science professor — it’s like, one type of person.”

Erickson said the lack of female role models that young women have to look up to at the beginning of their careers may also reinforce gender stereotypes in STEM. She said that in all her years of school, she never had a female advisor. Only now as a professor at UO does she have a woman faculty mentor to look up to and help guide her teaching and research.

“I think having a supportive advisor in general is helpful,” Erickson said. “If you were a college or high school student and you saw more female computer science professionals, I certainly think that would help

change our picture of computer science.”

Erickson said that the vast majority of her experiences with male teachers and coworkers throughout her career have been positive. However, she said that the competitive nature of her field led a handful of her past colleagues to try to hinder her success to promote their own, and that, unfortunately, the bad experiences she had tend to stand out in her mind.

She recalled an incident earlier in her career when she invited a male colleague to come to the university she was working at to conduct some research in her department.

She paid for his travel expenses using her own research money, and when he gave a talk to the department, after which he thanked his research collaborators for inviting him to come work at the university, he failed to mention Erickson. She said he mentioned nearly all of his colleagues except for her — the one who invited him in the first place and paid for his trip.

Incidents like these are not uncommon for women in STEM, Erickson said. According to a 2018 report published in the Harvard Business Review, more than 80% of women working in STEM fields said that their contributions in the workplace were often overlooked or ignored.

She said that in her career, this has taken the form of being named last in research papers in which she was a major contributor. Usually, she said that the first author, who contributes the most to the paper, decides what order to rank the remaining authors based on how much work each contributed to the final publication. The first few authors often receive the most visibility, and, in Erickson’s experience, she said that if she does not vigorously advocate for herself, she is often listed last by default.

Tara Nye, a second-year Ph.D. student who studies seismology in the Department of Earth Sciences, said that while there’s still room for improvement, her experience as a woman in STEM at UO has been far more positive than her undergraduate geology studies at Brigham Young University.

During her time at BYU, there was only one woman faculty member in her department, and the rest were mostly older White men, she said.

“Here at the University of Oregon there’s a larger acceptance of women,” she said. “A lot of my advisors are women, and a lot of the younger faculty members are women as well. There’s a lot more representation here versus what I’ve been around in the past.”

With demand for STEM labor expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades, Erickson said she believes it’s important that all types of people have access to the opportunities that a career in science and technology can provide.

“We live in a technological age, where knowing things like computer science opens up doors in terms of careers and income,” she said. “So it needs to be more inclusive.”

Nye agreed and added that a diverse range of people can bring new ideas to the conversation that a homogeneous labor force could never provide.

“If everyone comes from the exact same background and has the same mindset, then I feel like they’ll tend to approach problems in the same way,” Nye said. “It’s important to have diversity because people from different backgrounds can bring so much more to the table.”

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A&C

‘ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE’ IS WORTH THE (RE)WATCH DC delivers to fans of the franchise.

BY SAM ANTHONY “Zack Snyder” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

The thought of sitting through a four-hour DC movie is daunting for even the most serious of superhero fans, given the mediocre track record the franchise sports when it comes to the big screen.

When Joss Whedon took over as director of the original “Justice League” after Zack Snyder, the director of DC movies such as “Batman v Superman” and “Man of Steel,” stepped down to deal with a family tragedy, the movie — for lack of a more civil description — turned into an absolute disaster.

Whedon, best known for directing “The Avengers” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” tried to give “Justice League” a Marvel vibe, adding in quirky dialogue, banter and an oversimplified happy ending. The result was a plot that felt like a half-baked, hollow imitation of the formula that has made Marvel movies so successful.

Fans of DC were understandably disappointed, and on the second anniversary of the original “Justice League,” Twitter exploded with the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. What seemed like an impossibility became reality thanks to fan pressure, and work on the final version of the Snyder cut began in earnest.

Warner Bros’ decision to release their entire slate of 2021 movies directly to HBO Max gave Snyder a unique opportunity. While the re-release of “Justice League” in theaters would likely have never gotten the green light (especially given its four-hour runtime), the ability to stream it directly to HBO Max during a

pandemic made it a financially viable undertaking.

So, how did the movie turn out?

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” while not perfect, was ultimately a success beyond anything most DC fans could have expected.

Despite the increased run time of over two hours from the original, the movie never lulls unnecessarily or slows down long enough for you to lose interest.

While it may not be great for people who aren’t fans of superhero movies or are easily distracted, for superhero fans the neverending plot actually feels like a good thing.

Snyder’s cut takes out the quirkiness Whedon added in and instead uses the extra runtime to expand on characters’ backstories, weaving a much darker and more complex world than the original.

Shockingly enough, only 4 minutes of footage in the movie was newly shot, with the vast amount of time and money spent on Snyder’s cut going to editing and special effects. It’s a bit disconcerting that such a good movie was left on the cutting room floor, making you wonder just how many bad movies over the years were a few creative differences away from being great.

After watching Snyder’s cut it becomes clear where Whedon’s went wrong, and Snyder took the exact steps needed to correct the movie and really bring his vision to light. Better fight scenes, more complete

characters, a sinister villain and a story darker than anything Marvel has tried all work to set Snyder’s cut apart from the original.

The movie isn’t without flaws, however. It’s clear that Snyder’s vision of the superheroes doesn’t fully line up with the comic books or that of most fans, which can be a bit unsettling if you think there’s a “right” way for certain heroes to act. In addition, Batman’s suit looks like it walked straight off the set of a 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, which makes it hard to take him seriously throughout the movie.

Nevertheless, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” was met with almost universal approval from critics, at least in comparison to the original.

Unfortunately for fans of the “Justice League” movies, after Whedon’s movie flopped in 2017 Warner Bros. announced that there wouldn’t be any sequels in the near future and seem to be sticking to that as far as the “Snyderverse” goes as well.

Snyder said that there were originally supposed to be two sequels to his cut of the movie, but that Warner Bros. hasn’t expressed interest in turning his cut into canon or continuing the series.

With that being said, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” wasn’t supposed to ever see the light of day either, but fan pressure can make great things happen. It remains to be seen whether that same pressure could persuade Warner Bros. sometime in the future.

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COVER

ACTIVISM IS FINDING A PAGE IN THESE BOOK CLUBS Book clubs are functioning as a platform for readers to amplify their voices on social justice issues.

BY MIA RYDER-MARKS • TWITTER @MIARYDERMARKS With every point of conversation, protest and injustice that was unpacked, explored and re-surfaced these past few years, individuals have learned new methods for advocating and educating themselves on social issues impacting our world — whether that be joining picket lines, speaking up on social media or opening up a book.

Book clubs are the centerpiece for communities gathering together, reading a good book and learning from one another. It is a plus when they provide a space for thoughtful discussions on social justice issues and activism. These three local book clubs take a deeper look into racial justice, gender issues, LGBTQIA+ representation and much more.

Bibliofemmes In early 2017, just after former President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Kristine Chadwick, a founding member of the South Willamette Valley Chapter of the National Organization for Women, had a growing appetite to expand her awareness of feminism. A book club seemed to be the perfect recipe to take a deeper dive into women’s issues with other feminists, and thus the Bibliofemmes book club was baked. The group reads literature of all genres with a focus on women’s issues and feminism.

The club took a bit of a hiatus during the pandemic. Since December, the group has dived headfirst into dissecting books such as “Hood Feminism” by Mikki Kendall, “The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi and “Educated” by Tara Westover. Group member Susan Wigget said the discussion around “Hood Feminism” was enlightening, and the participants discussed mainstream feminism from multiple perspectives.

Wigget said, “Bibliofemmes has impacted me because it’s wonderful to socialize with a group of feminists. It’s an accepting group. It’s also insightful to hear their perspectives.” Wigget calls the discussions “consciousness raising sessions,” as the group’s conversations tend to raise people’s PA G E 8

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awareness on social justice issues, and oftentimes she is influenced to do outside research on topics touched on during the book club.

The group meets monthly; at the start of each meeting members check in with one another before jumping straight into a round table discussion answering the questions like, “How did this book hit you and what was the major impact of the book?”

Chadwick said. Then the group has the opportunity to have an active and open discussion about feminist issues, connections to current events or to mention a certain theme, plotline or character that was a page-turner.

After every discussion, Chadwick said she hopes participants leave with a well-rounded perspective on issues facing women globally, “from people identifying as women, within the United States, from all different backgrounds and cultures, and understand what are the issues that face us in trying to achieve equality.”

Sit Down & Speak Up Midge Greentree, a teacher, started the Sit Down and Speak Up book club to discuss the books she was reading. After no luck in her small, rural town, Greentree relocated the book club to Eugene to try to meet with more “progressive readers.” The group soon blossomed in size, and members would meet at a local coffee shop, sipping their respective drinks and dissecting books of all genres that centered around the human condition and social justice.

Since the pandemic began, the group migrated to coffee over a digital screen, but Greentree said to Emerald staff in an email, “our online discussions continue to offer meaningful insights through varying perspectives, but we all look forward to the days ahead when we can connect in person. There’s something to be said about sharing the same space with others. It’s intimate and inclusive, and I think it invites us to share even more. “ The book club exists to create opportunities for compassionate conversations about various social

justice topics. Greentree said the group reads and discusses books to broaden their perspectives and deepen their understanding of the human condition. Participants explore books taken from historical accounts to present-day views found in fiction and nonfiction— each book selected by the club centers around human rights, progressivism and human kindness.

Gail Pearlman, a member of the book club, likes how the club exposes her “to reactions to the same book that were different from my reactions.

The group recently read “Kindred” by Octavia Butler, and Pearlman said, “It did a good job showing the horrors of slavery by contrasting present and past.” But another member thought that the book was poorly written which gave her another point-of-view to think on.

The round-table style discussions mimic the club’s name — participants sit down and speak up. The conversations lend the time and space for group members to share their diverse, critical and intimate takeaways. “In short, we read books with topics and themes that are worth thinking about and talking about in order to better understand ourselves and, in turn, others,” Greentree said.

“This is what reading does for us. It changes us.”

TransPonder The TransPonder book club is an extension of TransPonder, a grassroots nonprofit based in Eugene that is completely transgenderled and founded and provides support, resources and education to transgender and allied community members. A product of the pandemic, the book club has provided a space for Eugene community members to meet and share thoughts about LGBTQIA+ literature and representation.

“I think everyone has a personal reason which draws them to our book club, but I can safely say that we all really enjoy reading and discussing literature,” Ben Brock, social media coordinator for TransPonder, said to Daily Emerald in an email.

The club flip-flops from fiction

to nonfiction, and the TransPonder participants talk about “nearly everything,” Brock said. Every Tuesday, the discussion topics focus primarily on the books, trans/gender diverse media issues and the good and bad of representation. But there is also room to delve into each other’s experiences, how a book impacted a participant and even what’s going on with their personal life.

The group’s mission is to read literature “by trans/gender diverse people, for trans/gender diverse people and about trans/gender diverse people,” Brock said. It’s to highlight these types of stories in the media and society. From “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas to “Redefining Realness” by Janet Mock, the group strives to find books by nonbinary authors, and that highlight gender diversity within their plot lines, authors and points of discussion.

For Karon Barter, the book club feels like a group of friends meeting up once a week and is a transformative part of their self-discovery journey.

“There’s real value in having a safe space where you don’t have to worry about people criticizing you for thinking or wondering something,” Barter said. “I guess it boils down to it’s not safe to have all these discussions with everybody, and so here’s a safe place where it’s okay to have them.”

All and all, the TransPonder book club is not only a way for participants to add a few new authors and titles to their bookshelves on trans/gender issues — it’s a place of belonging.

“My goal with our book club is to create the possibility of a space where you can have a deeper connection to our community,” Brock said, “and that by the end of every book club meeting you will feel that you are not alone.”

One of the best things about books is their ability to help readers empower themselves and others with their content. These three book clubs show that no matter their size or the monthly book, collective discussions are functioning as a tool to transform the way communities discuss and advocate for social justice — and it starts with page one.

COVER

Ben Brock, an outreach coordinator for TransPonder, shows off the lending library in the TransPonder office. TransPonder, a local nonprofit organization in Eugene, Ore., hosts weekly book club meetings that focus on trans and gender-diverse literature. (Summer Surgent-Gough/Emerald)

Ben Brock displays a few books that were recently discussed by the book club that he leads. TransPonder, a local nonprofit organization in Eugene, Ore., hosts weekly book club meetings that focus on trans and gender-diverse literature. (Summer Surgent-Gough/Emerald)

The TransPonder office has a lending library and other resources for trans and gender-diverse community members and their allies. TransPonder, a local nonprofit organization in Eugene, Ore., hosts weekly book club meetings that focus on trans and gender-diverse literature. (Summer Surgent-Gough/Emerald) T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 1 , 2 0 2 1

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SPORTS

Ducks outfielder Tanner Smith (31) is ready at home base for an incoming pitch from Seattle.

Oregon Ducks baseball takes on the Seattle University RedHawks at PK Park in Eugene, Ore., on Feb. 28, 2021. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

OREGON BASEBALL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE IN WASIKOWSKI’S FIRST FULL SEASON COVID-19 put Mark Wasikowski’s championship aspirations on pause, but now the Ducks are on a roll to begin his first full season as head coach.

BY CHRIS BROUILETTE • TWITTER @CBROUEMERALD In the coaching profession, continuity is rare.

With a carousel of openings each offseason, coaches often relocate multiple times over the course of a career before finding a long-term position. It’s something Oregon baseball head coach Mark Wasikowski is no stranger to.

After winning a championship as a player at Pepperdine University, the California native held assistant coaching gigs at Pepperdine, Southeast Missouri State, Florida, Arizona and Oregon. He then became a head coach for the first time at Purdue in 2016.

Wasikowski hopes to make his second stint at Oregon a permanent one.

“This program started with a dream and a vision … and it has yet to be accomplished,” Wasikowski said. “It’s time to fulfill the dream.”

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by COVID-19 after 15 games, the Ducks’ skipper had the rest of 2020 to meditate on his plans for the program moving forward, and how he wanted to approach 2021.

“As a staff we challenged our players to come back and be a top three player in the conference at their position,” Wasikowski said. “That’s been an area of emphasis for us.”

The Ducks are ranked No. 19 by Baseball America and hold a record of 12-6 with series wins against No. 15 UC Santa Barbara, No. 17 Oregon State and Arizona State.

Standout performers include Aaron Zavala, Kenyon Yovan and Cullen Kafka, who rank in the top five of the conference in batting average, home runs and strikeouts, respectively.

The season is still young, but the early success is something to build on as Oregon aims to become a nationally recognized baseball program.

Wasikowski pointed to Oregon’s

track and field program as a model for what’s achievable at Oregon.

“They just won their 32nd national championship … that’s the model of excellence around here, so we are shooting for that,” Wasikowski said.

“Thirty-two championships is not what I’m saying, one would be great, but creating the culture. How are they going to handle expectations and success? I’m thrilled to be able to get a chance to discuss things like this with [the team].”

Since the baseball program was reintroduced in 2009, Oregon has made the postseason five times including an appearance in the Super Regionals in 2012, Wasikowski’s first season as an assistant.

The last time Oregon appeared in the College World Series was 1954.

A trip to the World Series is the goal, and if Wasikowski can take the Ducks to Omaha, he will cement himself in the history of Oregon baseball. His former coach and mentor Andy Lopez

thinks Wasikowski is capable of taking Oregon to that level.

“He has a real good sense of that final balance of being loose, but being ready,” Lopez said. “It is a tightrope, and I think Waz understands that very, very well. He is going to be in a situation where he has a chance to wake up every day with the thought of getting to Omaha.”

The Ducks are gaining momentum as they approach the midpoint of the season, and they have a chance to prove themselves in conference play. With the long-term goal of the postseason always in the back of their minds, the Ducks prefer to focus on winning each day.

“The Omaha goal is always going to be there,” Wasikowski said. “But, when we start focusing on that telescope mentality of what’s down the road … I think that just adds a lot to the plate that [the team] doesn’t need. Right now, we are trying to keep it as simple as what’s in front of us.”

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SPORTS

MY EXPERIENCE REPORTING AT THE NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT

BY CARLY EBISUYA • TWITTER @CARLYEBISUYA After nine days in San Antonio, Texas, I collected four different face masks.

Grey, white, black and blue; all branded with slightly different versions of the NCAA Women’s Tournament logo.

Instead of t-shirts, foam fingers and NCAA memorabilia sold in the arena, people asked where I received the face masks, as if they were a rare collectible item that people sought after. I never thought that somebody would ask me that question, ever.

For me, the face masks symbolized a dream — covering my first NCAA women’s basketball tournament — and my role in the first-ever socially distanced NCAA Tournament “bubble.”

As I walked up to the Alamodome in the heart of downtown San Antonio, my temperature was taken, my bags checked and I entered through the media gate.

As tip off neared, in the back of my head I pictured thousands of basketball fans pouring through the Alamodome doors, sporting their team’s colors, chanting, cheering. I envisioned the electrifying atmosphere that typically encapsulates March Madness. Less than 3,000 people in total, many of them players’ family members, attended this year’s games.

In a normal year, college basketball fans enjoy watching games from different arenas across the nation to witness the grand spectacle. This season, all 64 teams were confined to one city and played in five different arenas, all in the greater San Antonio area.

Two weeks before thousands of players, coaches and staff flocked to San Antonio, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott declared the state “open 100%” and issued an executive order to lift all business capacity restrictions and roll back the statewide mask mandate.

This was alarming news for the NCAA and anybody participating in the tournament, including myself. To be frank, I was quite nervous traveling to Texas due to the no-mask rule and the increasing rise of anti-Asian hate crimes occurring across the nation.

But this was my dream, and I wasn’t going to let anyone or anything take my experience away from me.

After Oregon’s season ended with a loss to Louisville in the Sweet 16, I reviewed my live tweets and game notes, and worked to finalize my pieces.

It was radio silence all around me.

After the teams cleared the floor, I was reminded that this tournament was unlike any other. The music stopped, the video board blacked out and the “Sweet 16” inscription on the court was immediately replaced by “Elite Eight.”

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No press box, no paper game notes and the empty media seats surrounding me reminded me of the many media members who covered this tournament virtually.

This experience, although vastly different from prior tournament years, afforded me opportunities I’d never receive during a normal NCAA Tournament.

There was a long, black curtain that separated the north and south courts in the Alamodome. After the Oregon-Louisville game, I couldn’t help hearing the 3,200 roaring fans on the other side of the curtain. Overlooking a sea of orange and red in the stands, I witnessed a historic upset between No. 6 Texas and No. 2 Maryland.

A whole other world, it seemed like, just on the other side of a curtain.

I witnessed great basketball being played by the best teams in the nation — from upsets to comeback victories — all in one place. For that, I am forever grateful. I witnessed a movement that was started by one viral TikTok, posted by Oregon’s Sedona Prince, that began a conversation of disparities between the women’s and men’s NCAA tournaments. I witnessed her exposure of the stark differences in weight room facilities turn into the NCAA later committing to real, sustained change within its institutionalized system.

“It’s amazing that now I have such a big platform and I’m able to inspire and help so many people and bring attention to my sport because that’s what it deserves,” Prince said.

Thanks to Prince, the inequities between men’s and women’s sports that have been frequently dismissed and overlooked will seldom be ignored again.

I realized that this tournament was much bigger than basketball.

The outrage that occurred against the NCAA, from Prince and many other athletes, touched a nerve with every woman in athletics who felt lesser than their male counterparts.

Covering my first NCAA tournament in a pandemic was a blessing in disguise. Aside from top-notch play on the court, history was being made.

Institutions are finally being held accountable. Female athletes are defending their truths and exposing the long-standing disparities. More conversations are happening. More people than ever are engaging with female sports.

When I put on those face masks now, I’ll remember not only Oregon’s basketball journey, but seeing the future of female sports in great hands for the years to come.

OPINION

THE FUTURE OF GREEK LIFE

BY BELLA ZUROWSKI AND PARSA AGHEL

Greek life has long been a subject of debate. While most acknowledge the historic abuses the system has allowed, there is disagreement about how best to remedy systemic issues. Some say reform can bring about a more equitable Greek life, while others believe the only answer is to dismantle fraternities and sororities.

ZUROWSKI: REFORMATION, NOT ABOLITION Greek life offers so much to students. Chapter houses become a home away from home and members become like family. Greek life offers students a community that supports, encourages and challenges them throughout their college career and after.

A lot of challenges have arisen for me during my college experience that would have looked drastically different without my sorority sisters. My sorority provides me with love, grace and support throughout the ups and downs. The point of Greek life is to provide a loving community that supports students through all that comes with being in college.

Greek life also supports the community by mandating that members perform community service and chapters sponsor a nonprofit organization. Each chapter holds philanthropic events every year to raise funds for their chosen nonprofit.

It’s no secret that Greek life has been and continues to be problematic. It has a deep and ugly history of elitism, racism and sexism. However, many fraternities and sororities recognize their place in perpetuating these ills. They’ve therefore committed to fixing the broken system by updating

regulations at the chapter and national levels.

I believe that any indvidual organization that ignores their part in perpertuating discrimination and refuses to fix it now must be abolished, but Greek life as a whole is not beyond redemption; it isn’t perfect, but most chapters are committed to fix what is unjust and discriminatory to continue building communities for students based on shared values of respect, friendship and philanthropic service.

Bella Zurowski is an opinion columnist at the Emerald. She writes about body image, sex and relationships, and how to tackle the challenging parts of college. Follow her Twitter @bellazurowski

AGHEL: WE NO LONGER NEED GREEK LIFE We must remember what Greek life was born out of; it was an institution designed for White males to lavishly party while institutionalizing systemic advantages in higher education.

Predicated on Black exclusion, White men were able to socially and economically benefit and protect this legacy as rich alumni.

Today, regardless of fraternity or sorority — though we should acknowledge that the issues of sexism and abuse are far less prevalent in sororities — the institutionalization of privilege persists. Of course, we all know that Greek life does philanthropy, but no one joins Greek life to volunteer — there are better ways to do that. They join for the camaraderie and the revelry. While inside they are brotherhoods and sisterhoods, there are certain barriers that prevent many from participating.

People of Color and those who cannot afford the astronomic costs are generally unable to participate.

If we acknowledge these foundational issues, then the institution has no place on campus. Sexual assault, hazing and overdoses continue to plague Greek life despite the small slaps on the wrist universities administer. These unlimited

instances of abuse belie Greek pledges to remedy systemic problems.

Of course, there is a need for groups and events outside of campus for students to engage and participate in — that is a part of the college experience. But that no longer needs to be Greek life. It could be a more inclusive and accessible design that is not rooted in oppression. Other schools have begun the process of abolishing and replacing Greek life. It’s time we do so too.

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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OPINION

UO NEEDS A SERVICE ANIMAL CLUB Calloway: UO should create a group for students with service animals. This group would add to the inclusivity that should reach all students and the community that should be felt by everyone.

BY JAEL CALLOWAY • TWITTER @JAEL_CALLOWAY Service animals are a critical part of some individuals’ lives. These animals are always on alert to provide the safest environment for their owners. With the steps that UO is taking to increase inclusivity on campus, UO should consider creating a group intended to help students with service animals connect with one another.

The feeling of community should be felt by all students, and this would provide that feeling to another group of students.

UO has been doing well with expanding their inclusivity. In early February, UO alumni discussed fostering Black sororities and fraternities. UO has moved its African American Lectures Series from in-person to virtual so students and faculty can still attend. There are programs for veterans, the LGBTQ community and intercultural mentoring. But, there’s always room for more groups that welcome different groups of students.

UO allows certain service animals on campus and in the dorms under the Americans with Disabilities Act. These include service dogs and, in some cases, miniature horses.

According to the ADA, service animals help with many tasks, including assisting an individual during a seizure, reminding an individual to take medication and preventing their owners with psychiatric and neurological disabilities from making impulsive or destructive behaviors.

In an environment as large and crowded as UO’s campus can be, anxiety and stress aren’t uncommon feelings. But these feelings can magnify when they’re matched with a medical condition. These animals are providing a necessary sense of safety and protection.

Going to college can be especially challenging. It’s a major life change that requires students to leave their homes and, sometimes, their home state. Some come to college with a group of friends, some with just one or two and others arrive knowing no one. Though, no matter how many people you know, walking into the next stage of your life can be beyond stressful. We all want to feel like we belong — like we made the right decision.

UO recognizes how difficult living in a new environment can be. UO’s firstyear interest groups, or FIGs, were made to combat loneliness and increase interconnectivity between first-year students. FIG themes include: art of storytelling, becoming human, breaking barriers, culture in review, going green, path to global citizenship and science and society. Each theme includes courses students can take together. The courses range from edible activism to remixing media, critiquing culture to human hierarchies. By bringing together students with the same interests, FIGs create a community that creates a sense of belonging.

If UO can intentionally create a welcoming community for students interested in storytelling or environmental activism, why not students who use service animals as well? And, of course these students could still join a FIG about storytelling or environmental activism, but creating a new group would provide more opportunities for service animal handlers to connect.

So why not create a group specifically for students who need service animals?

These animals play a crucial role in their owners’ lives. Students who need service

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

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animals should feel comfortable and welcomed in the UO community. Having a group for these students would benefit their time here, as well as providing some comfort in a community with students who may share similar experiences.

It can be a safe place where students can discuss their experiences and how their service animal helps them. A place where they feel comfortable letting loose and knowing that they’re talking to other students who can relate on a personal level.

College is supposed to be the place where students get an education and start their careers. But it’s also a place that shapes us as students and as individuals.

When there’s a lack of belonging, depression and anxiety shoot up. Our ability to connect with others suffers. And it’s harder to want to reach out when individuals feel uncomfortable or singled-out in their environment. I personally don’t need a service animal, but I still want inclusivity to reach every student — because all students deserve to feel like they belong.

(Makena Hervey/Emerald)

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