9-28-21 Emerald Media - Week of Welcome

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SEPT. 28, 2021

Week of Welcome

THROUGH

COVID

UO clubs Mind the Gap, Forbidden Fruit and Camp Kesem agree they’re ready to put 18 months of Zoom meetings behind them. PG 18 NEWS

STUDENTS DISCUSS NICOTINE USE PG 3

OPINION

TIK TOK COULD BE USEFUL PG 8

A&C

HISPANIC AND LATINX HERITAGE MONTH MUSIC PG 17

SPORTS

RECENTLY DRAFTED NFL DUCKS PG 20

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The Art of the News Comics Journalism

On view from September 24, 2021 to January 16, 2022 The Art of the News is the first major retrospective devoted to the increasingly influential genre of visual narrative, comics journalism. The exhibition spotlights the groundbreaking work of author-artist Joe Sacco, a foundational figure in the field—and a graduate of the UO. Accompanying Sacco’s work are key pieces from an international group of artists who have developed comics journalism and are pushing the genre in new directions, including Gerardo Alba, Dan Archer, Thi Bui, Tracy Chahwan, Jesús Cossio, Sarah Glidden, Omar Khouri, Viktoria Lomasko, Sarah Mirk, Ben Passmore, Yazan al-Saadi, and Andy Warner.

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FREE FOR STUDENTS Curated by Katherine Kelp-Stebbins, Professor of Comic Studies, UO Department of English, in consultation with Ben Saunders, Professor of Comics Studies, UO Department of English.

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NEWS

UO STUDENTS DISCUSS NICOTINE

As the FDA reviews the possibility of banning certain tobacco products, some students deal with nicotine addiction.

BY SILAS SLOAN • TWITTER @SILASLOAN

(Eleanor Klock/Emerald)

Joseph Tafar, a senior at the University of Oregon, said he started vaping in eighth grade, but it didn’t become a regular habit until later in high school.

What started as just wanting to blow smoke out of his mouth turned into a way to cope with stress, he said.

“As my AP load and my coursework increased, I found release in vaping,” he said.

Tafar said his nicotine addiction made it easier for him to break other bad habits he picked up in high school.

Tafar isn’t alone. The National Institutes of Health reported that in 2019, 22% of college students said they had vaped nicotine in the last month, up from around 6% in 2017. From a casual “party puffer” or a vape cartridge-a-day user, most UO students know a user or are one themselves.

The high is not the only thing that draws students to nicotine; some users say it’s also a way to be social.

Matt Hall, a Ph.D. student at UO, said he started smoking cigarettes when he was 16 years old and bonded with fellow smokers at school.

“It was an easy way to make friends really quickly because I found all the smokers leave campus at lunchtime, and they all go hang out on the street,” Hall said.

Dr. Elliot Berkman, a psychology professor at UO, has researched nicotine cessation. He said while nicotine is a big factor in addiction, there is also a strong psychological factor that makes smoking and vaping addicting — and also difficult to quit.

“Cigarettes get embedded into our lives in different

ways,” Berkman said. “You're not only quitting the nicotine part, but you're also quitting those little breaks, those little habits and routines that are really built in.”

Those little breaks are what kept Hall hooked on cigarettes. He said taking a smoke break was an enjoyable way for him to kill a few minutes when he had free time.

“I learned to really enjoy those moments because it was a way to go outside, be mindful and just be there,” he said. “And, meanwhile, holding a cigarette.”

The vaping and e-cigarette industry is worth over $6 billion and is growing fast. The products are widely viewed as a safer nicotine inhalant alternative to traditional cigarettes, but they still contain potentially harmful chemicals. They have even been marketed and used as ways to wean off cigarettes.

The Food and Drug Administration issued marketing denial orders to over 946,000 electronic nicotine products in September 2020, making them harder to market and taking some products off the shelves entirely. The FDA stated these products “lacked sufficient evidence that they have a benefit to adult smokers.”

Berkman said these orders are a good development and will keep people healthy, but they aren’t enough to solve everything.

“The tobacco industry is incredibly creative,” he said.

“They've banned all kinds of things, and then the tobacco industry just comes up with something that's slightly

different that isn't technically covered in the ban.”

When it comes to quitting, Tafar said he hasn’t had any luck. He said he wants to quit, but he has a lot on his plate between school and work, and quitting isn’t at the top of his to-do list.

“It's never occurred to me as a dire priority yet,” he said.

“I've always had other stuff that needed to get done first.”

Hall, who is now 28, managed to quit. He said he hasn’t smoked regularly in six years. He credits his roommate for helping him quit.

As for those breaks outside, Hall said he doesn’t really miss them. He fills his time with work and playing video games for fun — which he joked may be its own addiction.

“If I'm doing work, and I need a break, then I'll just start playing a video game,” he said. “But then I'm just playing Stardew Valley for 12 hours, and I don't get any more work done.”

These alternative habits, or “nicotine replacements,” are the most effective ways to break addiction and improve health, Berkman said. He encourages students to take advantage of counseling services at UO, as well.

Berkman said UO students should quit using tobacco to not only better their own health, but the health of the university as a whole.

“I would just encourage students to think of quitting smoking as part of being a Duck,” he said. “It sounds a little cliche, but I would say that's something we all get on board with.”

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STRAY In the new adventure game “Stray,” you play as a stray cat navigating a dystopian world and seeking to reunite with his family by solving puzzles and platforming through a decaying city. The game is set to be released early 2022. - Lauren Leone

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SCHOOL STARTING

Eternal pandemic and looming economic collapse for society brings Eugene more freshmen and traffic. You may find such events worrying unless your grades depend on the existence of organized civilization and interaction with other students. - Porter Wheeler

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Season one of Bridgerton was an indecisive mess. There is every kind of romantic trope in this disembodied love story. A second season means more romantic cliches and relationships that ignore humanistic tendencies. - Beatrice Byrd

RAIN As students return to campus this fall, they will soon know the pain of walking through Memorial Quad mud and arriving at lectures in drownedrat fashion. When the skies aren’t clear, one thing is: Rain is decidedly not hot. - Cale Crueger

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ON THE COVER

There are a variety of clubs that students are free to join, giving an opportunity for people of similar interests to come together. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

Emerald Recommends

Overnight oats: a healthy and quick start to your day What happens when you combine oats, any type of milk and a whole bunch of toppings? You make quite possibly the easiest and most delicious to-go breakfast: overnight oats. Add chia seeds, fruit or your favorite yogurt. Switch whole milk for oat milk or almond milk. With the never-ending list of topping combinations, you can start every day of the week off with a new flavor fusion. - JAEL CALLOWAY

Kacey Musgraves digs deep in “Star-Crossed” I’m a self-help junkie who will devour any book on how to improve just about anything — but this is one that I’d truly recommend to anyone around my age. If you’ve ever felt that life after college is a mysterious abyss, “Rocket Years” is the guide you’ve been looking for. It walks you through several areas of life, like career, family (including marriage and parenthood) and hobbies, presenting big-picture data and amusing anecdotes to help you make decisions that could change your life. SARAH-MAE MCCULLOUGH

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OPINION

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF EAST 13TH AVENUE

Espresso Roma Cafe on 13th Street in Eugene, Ore. as seen on Sept. 24, 2021 (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald)

BY LAUREN LEONE When it comes to finding a quick meal within walking distance of UO’s campus, there aren’t many choices.

Let’s face it: Eugene is known more for its natural beauty and greenery and less for its downtown. With the campus’s closest restaurant strip being East 13th Avenue, I want to explain how to make the most of this underrated street with some of my favorite places to grab a bite.

Espresso Roma is the cafe for early risers and caffeine addicts. Just a few doors down from the Duck Store is Roma — my favorite cafe. With a full display of mouth-watering baked goods, there’s sure to be something for everyone in this coffee shop.

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Roma so amazing: it’s the cafe’s nature-filled backyard patio. I love to start my mornings by getting my favorite Roma panini, a caffeinated beverage and finding a seat on the patio to enjoy my breakfast with whatever book I’m reading. The environment gives a relaxing and productive start to the day, and I usually run into people I know since it’s right off campus!

One of the most popular restaurants with the most delicious menu is Caspian Mediterranean Cafe. This was the first restaurant I went to in Eugene and has since become one of my favorites. It offers a flavorful American Mediterranean menu that covers breakfast, lunch and dinner.

No matter what’s ordered, the staff are sure to pack the plate and give me my money’s worth. And, with Caspian doing dine-ins until midnight and takeout until 2 a.m., they’re great for those late-night meals. It’s also a place to grab a quick bit between classes — and an even better place to meet friends for dinner. Whether grabbing a bite for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I always enjoy the delicious meals from Caspian’s.

A quick walk down East 13th Avenue is Insomnia Cookies: perfect for night owls with a sweet tooth. With an everchanging cookie menu, there is sure to be a cookie for every craving. I highly recommend turning a cookie into a Cookie’wich — two cookies and an ice

cream center, creating the sandwich of all sandwiches. Beyond being delicious, Insomnia lives up to its name by being open until 1 a.m. While there, grab a Double Chocolate Mint or a Cereal N Milk cookie and thank me later!

There are so many unique places near campus to grab a bite, but only a few are as flavorful and consistent as these three. For all you freshmen experiencing Eugene for your first time, I encourage you to explore East 13th Avenue and see why these eateries are as loved as they are. For all the returning students, I hope by sharing my appreciation for these places, a new light can be shed on ways to value these UO hotspots!

ILLUSTRATION

13TH AVE. RESTAURANTS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EMERALD ILLUSTRATORS

THE DOUGH CO. (Lynette Slape/Emerald)

CASPIAN'S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE (Julia Stalnaker/Emerald)

ESPRESSO ROMA (Lynette Slape/Emerald)

DUCK SUSHI (Valery Tsai/Emerald)

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OPINION

TIKTOK COULD BE USEFUL The struggle to engage in Gen Z culture is becoming increasingly difficult. The current cause, and solution, lies in TikTok.

BY CALE CRUEGER TikTok, this year’s number one most downloaded app in the world, offers an online platform where its mass of users can collectively understand and define what it means to be popular today. Though the internet has long been a comedic and social source, the huge number of users on TikTok and the ability for anyone to go viral means online culture is mutating faster than ever. To an extent, it’s necessary to keep up with these changes in order to understand the app’s users and how to relate to them.

Consider TikTok today's Rosetta Stone; it offers insight into the constantly shifting language of internet humor, particularly that of Generation Z which is notorious for its absurd and often nihilistic jokes. The app proves useful in deciphering the conversational vocabulary used by Gen Z. Terms like “gaslight, gatekeep and girlboss” have flooded TikTok, which has satirized them into new meanings.

Much of students’ behavior seen on UO’s campus has likely been heavily influenced by the app’s many trends. Seemingly random

TikTok, a video-sharing social media app, is popular among teens and young adults. (Maddie Knight/Emerald)

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outbursts of peers declaring they want waffle fries or breaking into aggressive dance moves requires more than an hours-worth of weekly scrolling to understand.

TikTok has retained over 1 billion users in a virtual petri dish, with its subculture growing rapidly and pervasively. It’s less cesspool-ish — not for lack of waste, but for the often puzzling behavior brought upon outside observers. Those who are not active or avoid the app entirely may find themselves confused, as if they're missing out on inside jokes. For them, there is both good and bad news: They are missing out.

There are several pros to understanding what’s popular on TikTok — and, by extension, what’s popular amongst the 16-24 year olds that make up 60% of the app’s users in the United States. One is knowing who Doja Cat is and why her songs are playing in every house party and Uber right now. Another lies in marketing; advertising on TikTok has a mass-reach potential unlike any other app right now. With my limited understanding of the ominously secretive TikTok algorithm, I believe that relatively any TikTok has the ability to go viral. Obviously, the ones that cater to the Gen Z humor niche have a higher shot at success. For those in the marketing world, understanding the ins and outs of what makes a Gen Zerlaugh, like and listen is a coveted skill — especially as more and more businesses and celebrities join the app.

Many official school accounts have made their move to TikTok recently. The University of Oregon’s own beloved Ducks football team joined the app this September (@oregonfootball) and has already received over 90 thousand views on one of its posts. It’ll be interesting to see how the account’s media team participates in TikTok’s trends and how that participation is received by viewers.

There’s another, and perhaps more alluring, reward earned by engaging in the ever-changing TikTok culture: fame. TikTok creators like Charli and Dixie D'Amelio boast multi-million dollar net worths and receive invitations to exclusive events once held for top tier celebrities. Whether or not you believe (or care if) these TikTok stars' Met Gala invites were justified, the sheer influence and wealth they’ve obtained through an app is something to marvel at.

TikTok also plays a growing role in the music scene, with artists like threetime Grammy award winner Megan Thee Stallion rising to fame as users danced across the app to her songs. Undeniably, TikTok can change the lives of those who continuously create for and shape the culture that in turn promotes them.

The idea of TikTok implementing real life change is not entirely far-fetched.

Leftist rallying chants like “Eat the Rich” are common on TikTok; and, as we saw in Trumpian times, the right has its own catchy outcries (but, you know, racist).

Tax reform in America continues to be a debated topic, and I can only hope that the anti-billionaire side of TikTok takes their political activism beyond making jokes and songs about Jeff Bezos online.

Still, the power of any mobile fad is not without its limitations. I’ve written about the media's circle of life before — how one app’s demise simply leads to another’s rebirth (TikTok’s spiritual predecessor Vine can certainly attest to this).

So, while the inevitable end of TikTok may not be in sight yet, only time will tell if this app has lasting power — the power to truly influence the world for the better.

Marketers and influencers were quick to realize its potential. But, for now, the app sits alone on its social media throne, its mass reach and power virtually untapped.

As TikTok teeters between being yet another mobile time-sucker and a platform to create real life change, I debate whether or not to delete the app. I like being in the know, and I do learn about how people — often my age — think and feel. There's a lot to laugh at, but also a lot to relate to. Of course, the app also distracts me from people with real thoughts and feelings in my life. Writing this article alone caught me in several time lapses, as I set out to determine what the current culture growing in the TikTok-world was. After a lot of scrolling, I failed to see the benefits of something that disconnects someone from reality more than it connects them.

So, instead, I'll say this: TikTok is a tool better left in the shed, and I hope the dust collects and people forget about it sooner rather than later.

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PHOTO

BEST OF SUMMER

BY EMERALD PHOTO STAFF

Natalie Price displays one of her most recent and favorite art pieces. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

Jesse Brake, a member of the club who goes by the tag "Chapter XLVII", has been a member for over three years. A fighting game club, Eugene FGC, meets at Big City Gamin' on Wednesday nights, one of the thousands of clubs like it that meets across the country. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

Bryce Tucker (15) returns to the dugout after the inning ends.

The Eugene Emeralds suffered a major 10-2 defeat at the hands of the Everett AquaSox on Wednesday, July 7 at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

“Last year I started making masks. That’s pretty much all I did in 2020,” said vendor Linda Avalon Westbrook. “I spent hours a day trying to save the world one mask at a time.” Eugene Saturday Market and its vendors, who have faced the challenge of navigating the past year, as seen in Eugene, Ore. on September 11, 2021 (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald)

Natalie Price, a student business owner at the University of Oregon holds up one of her favorite pieces. She explains how she has always been inspired by botanica. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

Graffiti covers the windows outside of Taylor's Bar and Grill. Taylor's Bar and Grill, located directly off campus, was one of the most popular locations for students to meet, despite its controversies. Taylor's closed after its liquor license was revoked in 2020. (Will Geschke/Emerald) PA G E 1 2

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Madi (left), who goes by the tag "era", makes rapid inputs on their controller while competing against Bond, who goes by the tag "goldirocks", in a game of Guilty Gear: Strive. A fighting game club, Eugene FGC, meets at Big City Gamin' on Wednesday nights, one of the thousands of clubs like it that meets across the country.

PHOTO

The Oregon Duck joins the student section to cheer on the football team. The Oregon Ducks host Fresno State on September 4th, 2021, for game one of the 2021 season.

A trail leads towards Autzen Stadium in the Whilamut Natural Area, a subsection of Alton Baker Park in Eugene. Alton Baker Park is located along the Willamette river in Eugene. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

Ducks tight end Cooper Shults (45) kicks the ball into the air for a field goal. The Oregon Ducks host Fresno State on September 4th, 2021, for game one of the 2021 season. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

Larson picks apart a piece of dry ryegrass, a crop that has been greatly affected by the heat this summer. Oregon communities have had to adapt to the rising challenges the extreme drought has posed this summer. (Ian Enger/Emerald) Isaah Crocker (88) gestures to the crowd after the game ends. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Stony Brook Seawolves 48-7 on Saturday night, September 17, at Autzen Stadium. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

Ben Larson and his two brothers run My Brothers' Farm in the southern Willamette Valley. Oregon communities have had to adapt to the rising challenges the extreme drought has posed this summer. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

Edward Schiessl, the managing director of the Broadway Metro, poses inside one of the theaters. The Broadway Metro, located in downtown Eugene, is Eugene's last remaining independent theater. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

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9/23/21, 12:11 PM

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A&C

Celebrating

NATIONAL HISPANIC AND LATINX HERITAGE MONTH

with musical favorites BY: JOANNA GARCIA

From traditional icons to up-andcoming musicians, here are four mustlisten Latinx artists recommended by UO students.

The time has come to say "¡Musica maestro!" as the celebration of National Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month begins. To honor the month, the Emerald asked UO students to share their favorite Latinx artists. Responses included musical genres ranging from regional Mexican and punk rock to cumbia and bedroom pop.

Juan Gabriel The flamboyant Mexican singer-songwriter, popularly known for his theatrical performance style and hit songs about heartbreak and romance, such as "Amor Eterno" and "Te Lo Pido Por Favor," was someone that UO senior Isa Ramos always admired, they said.

"I think, for me, he is very representative of my familial ties," Ramos said. They said they remember their mother blasting his music every Sunday morning as they cleaned their apartment, as well as how their parents and grandmother saw him live in concert.

"He was a musician that both sides of my family just adored through and through," they said, smiling.

While Gabriel's music was a staple in Ramos' childhood, they said he meant a lot more to them as they got older — specifically when they had to move away from their home in Texas to Colorado.

"It was kind of like 'I'm going to a new environment, and I'm not going to have immediate access to my family,'" Ramos said. This influenced them to listen more seriously to his music and stay connected.

During his career, controversial rumors regarding Gabriel's sexuality came about. And, while they were never confirmed, they said they also consider the musician a queer icon.

Despite the controversy, Ramos said they recall many of his fans showing their support at the time of his death in 2016 and how he continues to be loved by them and their family.

(Grace Turchetto/Emerald)

"So many people, I think, at least of this identity, are aware of him and hopefully his impact," they said. "I just love that he's an artist that I can listen to with my family — and it will not be contested."

Kumbia Queers Hailing all the way from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the punk-rock and cumbia band was also recommended by Ramos.

They said they appreciate how the band was "able to queer [cumbia] that has this machosimoness within the lyrics," and admires the band’s willingness to be open and highlight significant issues.

For instance, their single "Mi Nombre Es Marilyn" was written for the Argentine film, “Marilyn” (2018), where teenager Marcos struggles to be accepted by his family because of his sexuality and his female alter ego, Marilyn.

When listening to the song, Ramos said it speaks volumes of the power and meaning a name has for someone like Marilyn, as well as for the LGBTQ community.

"The nature of the name, it's like you're telling the audience and yourself that 'Mi Nombre Es Marilyn’, or 'Is Marilyn,’" they said.

With the band simultaneously blending two different, yet upbeat music aesthetics, Ramos said their music best caters to when you want to dance or need a little push to get up and move.

Other songs of theirs to check out are "Mientes" and "Plantala."

The Marías Based in Los Angeles, the alternative and indie pop band was the first Latinx indie artist that came across UO junior Ashley Marshall's music radar.

"I discovered them through Omar Apollo," she said.

Apollo is another Latinx artist known for his work

within the R&B, soul and funk music genres. "I follow him on Instagram, and he kept posting about them.

And I decided to check them out."

Marshall said the band's music encouraged her to branch out to other types of music created by Latinx artists and hopes her peers will give them a listen as they continue to grow their platform. "[They] just performed for the first time on late night television in America, and I think that indicates how Latinx artists are able to enter the music scene in the States even when some of their songs are entirely in Spanish," she said. "It feels like a 'finally' moment."

So, if you're looking to play something while on a late night drive or want a chill evening with your friends, try out a couple of their songs like "Calling U Back" or "Cariño."

Victor Internet At just 20 years old, the bedroom pop and R&B artist has already gained a following and captured the hearts of his fans, one being UO junior Bryanda Quevedo.

His slower-paced, smooth songs like “Virgo” and “Reason” convey themes such as astrology and learning how to let someone go. These artistic choices are also what made him stand out as an artist for Quevedo, she said, along with being one of the few Latinx artists under the bedroom pop genre.

"By being a Latinx artist who's gaining a lot of recognition within the music scene is quite inspiring," she said. "I definitely would want him to gain more listeners than he has right now."

Quevedo also said the prominence of Latinx artists in the music industry could influence others to become more open to listening to Spanish music and allow the Latinx culture to be further represented.

"There's so many Latinx artists under every genre,” she said, “that there’s endless options of different Latinx artists to listen to.”

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COVER

CLUBS' PRIORITIESSHINE THROUGH PANDEMIC

“We kind of got condensed to our really committed core people,” Cole Jensen, co-director of Camp Kesem, said. “They did a lot because they were the ones that were going to be there regardless.”

BY SAMMY PIEROTTI • TWITTER @SAMMYPIEROTTI

Two representatives of the club, Mind the Gap, speak about how music should be inclusive no matter what one's looks or gender are. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

The pandemic has undoubtedly taken its toll on the clubs at UO. Organizations are strained, twisted, stretched thin, dealing with dwindling recruits and empty leadership positions. Some embraced the world of Zoom the best they could, while others took a year-long hiatus to focus on the other problems brought on by the pandemic. The 2020 school year created unique challenges for clubs and student life, and UO students buckled down to tackle them the best they could.

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when COVID hit,” Katie Leonard, the President and Business Manager of the acapella group Mind the Gap, said.

Mind the Gap had a trip to Boston planned before COVID hit the US because they were nominated for an acapella recording award through the International Championship of Collegiate Acapella, and Leonard vividly remembers discussing how the group might not be able to go at their last inperson practice. The group did not end up attending the ICCA’s that year.

Mind the Gap continued their practices during the pandemic via Zoom and even competed in the ICCAs last school year. “It was all virtual,” Leonard said. “All we had to do was submit a four-minute music video.” Although

that might sound like a small task, the technicalities of COVID made the music video hard to record. The singers socially distanced or virtually rehearsed, which Leonard called “a pain.”

“It’s just so hard to blend and match parts and rhythms,” Leonard said. “You would sing your part and then hear someone else's like a second behind.”

Although Mind the Gap struggled with the video, Leonard was quick to point out the silver linings. “If we got anything out of it, it was a lot of accountability for our own responsibilities in the group,” she said. “Our biggest accomplishment was definitely getting that music video done and submitting it, having something to show for the year.”

Leonard noticed a difference in how students are approaching clubs this school year. “People are tired, and you can just tell how nervous they are,” she said. “Everyone’s routines have changed so much, myself included, and trying to recover the sense of normalcy, especially in social gatherings, is really tough.”

Mind the Gap has been trying to recruit members and establish a routine again, while talking with the other acapella groups on campus to plan events in line with UO’s COVID guidelines. This year, Leonard hopes Mind the Gap can hold more accessible concerts, get back into recording and establish a presence in the community. “If anything, that’s

COVER the thing we’ve missed the most… that community connection,” she said.

Forbidden Fruit and forbidden meetings Forbidden Fruit, UO’s own Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadow Cast, faced similar performancebased problems as Mind the Gap. Because a shadow cast performs Rocky Horror live in front of the movie, Forbidden Fruit struggled to keep their club alive. “At the start of the pandemic, the club was kind of put on the back burner,” co-director of Laurel Sleeper, the Public Relations chair of Forbidden Fruit, said. Sleeper is a recent UO graduate who is also filling an advisor role until the club gets back on its feet. Forbidden Fruit decided not to have any meetings during the 2020 school year.

“That first summer of COVID we had Zoom meetings, and we talked about different options we could do like YouTube videos or stitching videos together or outside performances,” Sleeper said. “It was getting all the way into September and October, which is usually when our first shows happen, when we looked at the long list of ideas we had and decided this wasn’t our number one priority right now.”

Sleeper and the rest of Forbidden Fruit weighed out the pros and cons and decided that, with the uncertainty they faced regarding performing logistics and the mental strain the pandemic had put on them, it wasn’t worth it to continue Forbidden Fruit through COVID. “Something about our club is that we attract a lot of LGBT people,” Sleeper said. They explained that a lot of queer people find their college friends through Rocky and that the club is close because of long rehearsals and cast bonding. “I think it’s also important to acknowledge that being a queer-focused group, we have a history as a community with diseases that aren’t taken seriously and people die from them,” Sleeper said. “We’re not going to be the ones to say ‘Oh whatever it’ll blow over. Let's take our masks off and gather.’”

Forbidden Fruit is planning on doing shows this year, most likely with masks and in an outside venue. “If you know anything about Rocky Horror

shadow casts, it’s that performances happen in front of the movie, and screen accuracy is really important, which includes lip-syncing,” Sleeper said. They explained the cast will have to focus more on body language this year because viewers won’t be able to watch their mouths. Although the performances will be modified, Sleeper is excited to get Forbidden Fruit back on track this year.

“Having people who know each other and love each other and like to spend time together…. That’s really critical. It’s hard to replicate that when you just don’t interact [in person].”

Camp Kesem continues

Camp Kesem, a UO club that runs a summer camp for children with parents that are battling cancer, also struggled to abide by COVID guidelines. “Our big, yearly thing is a camp, or two Camp Kesem weeks of camp, over the summer,” co-director Cole Jensen said. “We had to remake all of our camp activities to somehow fit to be virtual.”

A normal session at Camp Kesem is a Monday to Saturday sleepaway experience. Campers partake in all the classic camp activities like games, arts and crafts and even canoeing on a nearby lake. “Obviously none of that really applies to Zoom,” Jensen said. “We’ve had to remake all of our games, and there’s no real outdoor activities, no sleepaway part which is obviously something the kids look forward to.”

The camp sent boxes of arts and crafts activities and simple games to campers for them to do during the Zoom sessions from home. Camp Kesem also continued doing call and response chants, and they tried to put together Zoom games for participants, but the camp hosts kids ranging from five to 18, so the age groups have different interests.

“The point of the camp is that these kids' parents have been going through a lot, they have a lot on their plate, and so to get a cost-free camp — we fundraise everything for them — their kids get a chance to get away,” Jensen said. “The parents get a little bit of free time; it’s obviously difficult to care for kids while you’re dealing with cancer.”

Although the kids couldn’t physically leave for camp these past two years, Jensen still thinks that camp brightened their summers.

“I think just being able to see each other's faces is really big, just to keep the continuity,” Jensen said. Some campers have been attending Camp Kesem for five to ten years, so it was crucial that they kept in touch with

their friends, even in the pandemic.

“I think not being able to totally be away, and not be totally independent, we weren’t able to deliver fully on that. But obviously there’s nothing we could really do,” Jensen said. Less than 10 members that run Camp Kesem have actually been to an in-person camp, which Jensen said is strange because the whole organization is built around in-person camp. This year the club is planning on a full, inperson camp set for summer 2022 and is hosting a one-day camp this fall.

Racing to Recover from COVID Despite the struggles and guideline changes that COVID has thrown their way, many clubs at UO persevered through the pandemic. There wasn’t a how-to or any leader telling clubs what choice was right; they all made their own decisions and faced COVID

the best they could. UO clubs reacted to COVID in different ways, but they’re all facing similar challenges at the start of the 2021 school year.

“We’re just trying to keep whatever scraps we can to still be a presence,” Sleeper said. “The movie came out in the 70s and for some reason this stupid tradition came alive. And so, weirdly enough, it’s something that we want to keep going.” Forbidden Fruit is getting back on its feet this year, much like Mind the Gap and Camp Kesem.

“I’ve learned that the community is a big part of any club or any organization,” Jensen said. “Having people who know each other and love each other and like to spend time together…. That’s really critical.

It’s hard to replicate that when you just don’t interact [in person].” This year, with the vaccine roll-out and a generally safer environment, UO students can look forward to more

COLE JENSEN

Campus is vibrant with students again. Groups of students walk around the EMU circle at the University of Oregon viewing all the different clubs campus has to offer. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

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SPORTS Ducks offensive lineman Penei Sewell (58) flexes in celebration. Oregon Ducks football takes on Utah for the Pac 12 Championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Dec. 6, 2019. (DL Young/Emerald)

An early season update on recently drafted

NFL DUCKS

Many former Ducks have already made large impacts on their respective NFL squads this young season. For Oregon, it’s a testament to their recruiting and development.

BY DANIEL FRIIS Ranked the fourth-highest recruiting class of 2021, Oregon has now cracked the top 10 three times in as many years, according to 247Sports.

There’s no better place to see the impact of Oregon’s recruiting than the field itself.

Through just four games, Oregon has already been forced to dig deep on its bench to replace the number of injuries sustained. The team still hasn’t skipped a beat, as they sit No. 3 in the country heading into October.

Another way to see the effect of Oregon’s recruiting is on the NFL gridiron. Many of the players recently drafted out of Oregon have already made an influence on their respective NFL teams through just two weeks. Here’s how some of the former Ducks are holding up.

Deommodore Lenoir Lenoir has made an instant impact playing defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers. After an impressive preseason where he recorded an interception in his first game, Lenoir got the starting nod in week one against the Detroit Lions.

In that 41-33 victory, Lenoir played all 90 defensive snaps — the most by any player that week. He also showed versatility by lining up on special teams.

Lenoir was thrown at just three times in those 90 snaps. Of those three passes, only one of them was completed for three yards. With eight tackles through two games and a banged-up 49ers defense, it’s hard to imagine Lenoir won’t see tons of reps in the San Francisco secondary for the rest of the year.

Juwan Johnson Since being drafted in 2020, Johnson has made the shift from wide receiver to tight end for the New Orleans Saints.

In his rookie season, while playing behind a plethora of talented skill players, Johnson hauled in just four passes for 39 yards. He teeter-tottered from the Saints practice squad to the 53-man roster all season without landing a steady role — until now.

Thanks to injuries and a few players finding new teams, Johnson has become a prominent target for the Saints in 2021. In fact, in their week one blowout over the Green Bay Packers, Johnson used his long and bulky frame to haul in two difficult touchdown passes. It’s apparent that he’s one of Saints quarterback Jameis Winston’s favorite red-zone targets early this season.

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looks to play heavily into the Saints 2021 game plan.

Jevon Holland Holland, one of the many Ducks to opt-out of the 2020 COVID-shortened season, has looked sharp in his limited opportunities thus far for the Miami Dolphins.

Unlike everyone on this list, Holland doesn’t start for his respective team. A big reason for this is because the Dolphins secondary is loaded with talent and is one of the best in the NFL. But one couldn’t tell by their week two 35-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

In the blowout loss, the 2021 second-round pick did a sufficient job by tackling three Bills and recovering a fumble. That increases his early-season total to five tackles. Through two weeks, Holland is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded defensive rookie with a mark of 85.2.

As Holland currently sits second on the depth chart with names surrounding him like Byron Jones, Xavien Howard and Jason McCourty, being a backup and learning from some of the league’s best may not be a bad thing.

Penei Sewell Sewell was another Duck to forgo the 2020 college season. But, entering 2021 as one of the highest-drafted Ducks in school history, he has surpassed all expectations for the Detroit Lions.

Sewell hasn’t allowed a sack playing left tackle since 2018. In the Lions’ week one loss to the 49ers, Sewell silenced former defensive rookie of the year Nick Bosa.

Bosa exposed most of the offensive tackles he lined up against in his first three seasons. But, in Sewell’s first career start, Bosa was neutralized — recording just four tackles.

Week two’s 35-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers was more of the same from Sewell. The Packers’ edge rushers did damage on Sewell, but he was impactful in the run blocking game as the Lions rushed for 108 yards.

Sewell has been one of the brightest spots for the Lions thus far and will look to build on his eye-opening start week by week.

While all four of these men have represented Oregon well, there’s more to come. A few Ducks currently sit high on many NFL draft boards like Kayvon Thibodeaux and CJ Verdell. These two, and many other Ducks, will look to improve their draft stock by the week as the Ducks look to win their first National Championship.

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