School is officially back in session and Eugene is once again filled with the spirit of students and campus activities. I was inspired to capture the heart and soul of Eugene in this issue of Duck Living and wanted to touch on topics that explore the unique nature of this college town we call home. From the rowdy and rambunctious house show scene to the second-hand fashion trends, Eugene is truly one of a kind.
Check out some thrifting tips and tricks, a guide to all things plant decor and where to shop, three easy and delicious recipes for students living in the dorms, a breakfast, lunch, and dinner guide, and a list of parks perfect for sunny days! Welcome back Ducks!
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The Daily Emerald is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald; the news organization was founded in 1900.
Smith
Written by Isabella Albin
Seasoning, seasoning, seasonings. I will always have a fridge full of condiments and a cabinet full of spices.
There is nothing like a good homemade meal, but the reality is, that may not always be achievable when you live in the dorms. This is when your favorite hot sauce or spice blend can save the day. With a little creativity, you can make an easy dorm meal. It may not be Mom’s Spaghetti, but you can create a new favorite. Here is a grocery list that you can use to make 3 simple customizable recipes!
With all these recipes grocery shopping might seem daunting and expensive. Fresh fruit and vegetables can often become pricey at the grocery store, but there are a couple of low-cost alternatives.
Farmers’ markets are often associated with high prices, however, there are a few ways to get fresh produce for reasonable prices. Spend time looking around and making note of the prices; this way you can find the most affordable stall for what you want. Keep in mind that prices are often per pound. When you buy food for yourself it is very unlikely that you are buying more than one pound at a time. Another great way to get produce is through the Student Sustainability Center. There are weekly produce drops where you can get seasonal produce for free. This year the produce drops will be at the EMU amphitheater from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays. With a little creativity, you’ll be able to make a new favorite meal!
Top ramen is like the friend you can go to with any prob lem – they are always there for you. If you ever start to feel like the classic ramen isn’t cutting it for you, here’s how to elevate your cup of noodles. Cook the ramen as instruct ed on the packaging. Add ½ tbsp of butter to the broth. When you add butter, it will thicken the broth and create a richer flavor. Simply add any desired toppings. Some of my favorite toppings are: nori, Sriracha, fried garlic, and bean sprouts. For a little extra protein add a hard boiled egg. If you want to do it up right and give it a restaurant look, transfer your ramen to a large bowl.
of pesto, about one tablespoon. Slice mozzarella and to mato then alternate on the toast. Finish your toast off with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
This is an easy on-the-go breakfast or snack that will keep you full and your wallet happy. I like to go a little crazy and make several servings in one container to last me the week! The key to this recipe is using a 1:1 ratio of oats and milk. For a single serving, I recommend ½ cup of each. Add chia seeds to the overnight oats for extra protein and a thicker texture. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Go crazy with toppings! I like to add bananas, peanut butter, jam, honey, and fresh fruit.
Eugene is a great place for the avid foodie, and if you venture slightly away from campus there are lots of new places to try.
This day offers a highlight of some of the best restaurants Eugene has to offer that don’t get enough hype!
To begin this tasty tour, start on Oak Street, right across from the Gordon Hotel. Jazzy Ladies is the perfect place for a savory or sweet breakfast experience, some of their most interesting menu highlights are the Elvis Waffle, Balinese Benedict, and Harissa Sweet Potato Hash. All menu items are gluten-free, and there are vegan and dairy-free options available. To drink, consider their passion fruit mimosa, or a latte with music note foam art. Their newly renovated location has more indoor and outdoor seating as well as a bar. If you’re coming on a weekend, make sure to make a reservation! At a higher price point, menu items range from $14-$23 for a meal (not including appetizers or drinks).
Writer’s Favorite: Mixed Berry Waffle- One large rectangular waffle served with fresh berry compote, whipped cream, and maple syrup.
Named after the Greek verb they say means to do something with soul, creativity, or love, Meraki is the most aesthetically pleasing coffee house in Eugene. You might opt for something a little out of the box with the turmeric latte or espresso granita. The most interesting latte flavors include lavender, cardamom, almond, Irish cream, and rose. Drink prices range from $3-$6.
Writer’s Favorite: London fog with soy- Earl gray tea with steamed soy milk and a pump of vanilla. The perfect calming fall drink to have in hand, and a great lower caffeine option if you’re avoiding coffee.
Located at the corner of 11th and Mill and decked with character, this taqueria is a must-stop in Eugene. For an appetizer, consider the house queso for Pandito Fries. Taco choices include braised beef, adobo chicken, carnitas, and veggie. This restaurant has mostly outdoor seating and is best visited on a nice day. Many menu items are gluten-free or vegetarian. For a weekend lunch, any house margarita will hit the spot. The price point for most items at this restaurant ranges from $9-$16 for a meal, excluding appetizers and drinks.
Writer’s Favorite: Braised Beef Bowl- Served with brown rice, braised beef, pickled vegetables and slaw, salsa, and queso fresco, and crema.
Located in the Whiteaker neighborhood, this hidden gem has authentic Thai food and a peaceful ambiance. Opt for stir-fries, soups, or noodles, and you won’t be disappointed. Beverage options include Thai iced tea, bubble tea, and a variety of mixed drinks. Popular menu items include red curry, pad thai, and tom yum soup. Most options can be made gluten-free and there are plenty of vegan options. The prices for dinner entrees range from $16-$20, but the servings are large.
Pad Him Ma Parn w/Tofu- A stir-fry with carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, onions, and cashews and chile. Tofu is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and every stir-fry is served with rice.
If you’re looking for a sweet treat, head to Oakway Center and you’ll smell the aroma of freshly made waffle cones. Salt and Straw is new to Eugene and has an assortment of interesting ice cream flavors including pear and blue cheese, arbequina olive oil, and strawberry honey balsamic w/ black pepper. A single scoop of ice-cream is $5.50.
Writer’s Favorite: Honey Lavender- This light purple ice-cream gets its floral flavor from the lavender and the honey lends its sweetness.
Decorating a new space is one of the best parts about moving. While you’re in school it can feel like you are constantly changing places. A great alternative to constantly putting up and taking down posters is to add some greenery to your space. Eugene has no shortage of amazing plant stores to find your next living piece of decor. Several factors go into where to buy, what to get, and how to pot. Luckily, there are several options that answer those questions.
Written by Isabella AlbinSnake plant - This recognizable plant is characterized by its contrasting shades of green and vertical sword-like leaves. This plant does best with indirect sunlight. This plant does well when you water irregularly.
Zanzibar Gem - The Zanzibar Gem has long dark emerald leaves that sprout up in clusters. This plant tolerates most types of lighting, drought resistant, and you only need to water it every two weeks.
Pothos - The pothos plant has little green and white waxy leaves. Pothos does well in low light conditions and semi-regular watering. Some varieties of this plant will grow vines and thrive in a hanging pot.
As the name suggests, Down to Earth is one of Eugene’s widely recognized nurseries. With a wide variety of indoor and outdoor plants, Down to Earth is a one-stop shop. The indoor plants are great for students looking to decorate their space. At Down to Earth, y be able to get quality plants for a great price. The bigger the plant, the more expensive; however most of the smaller and medium-sized plants will be around $5 to $25. Whether or not you get plants, at Down to Earth make sure to stop by for your soil. They are small bags of potting soil for small plants!
Fifth Street Public Market is home to many small businesses and Basic Botanist is a new addition. This small shop is packed full of plants. There is something for everyone – from newbies to collectors. With many low-maintenance options and friendly staff, you’ll find a plant that brightens up for room! Prices here start around ten dollars, however succulents and cacti are a little cheaper. Basic Botanist is also a great space to stop in and get expert advice!
Hirons is a cornucopia – if you need it, Hirons probably has it. It is easy to miss the plant selection, but this is a great place to start your collection and go work on your green thumb. There are several different succulents and cacti to choose from. These are very lowmaintenance plants that can add pops of color. Hirons also sells house plants, so keep an eye out for restocks!
Keeping a plant alive is hard work. Sometimes you forget to water or realize the plant isn’t getting enough light. As a student, you may not have the time or energy to deal with this. Artificial plants are a great alternative if you still want to bring some greenery to your home. You can get almost any plant imaginable from stores like Target and Ikea. Even better, they can be delivered to your doorstep. This is a great option for any budget! Small plants are sold for prices as low as two dollars!
Written by Sydney Johnson
Our small town of Eugene has a special draw. There’s something about the Willamette Valley that calls out to the artists, hippies, and hopeful students who wander the streets looking for trouble. The best kind of trouble can be found packed body-to-body in seemingly ordinary homes that are transformed by nightfall with the descent of some of Eugene’s most talented residents. House shows have been keeping the city’s blood pumping for years now. Candy Picnic, Grrl Band, Growing Pains, and countless other bands rise and fall through the scene. Some continue on after college to tour and release new albums. Some break apart and form into new projects again and again. However it may end, it all starts here. It’s the DIY, anti-frat party. Five bucks at the door and you enter into the turbulent energy that ranges from the intimate to the utterly chaotic.
This connection between the artist and audience is the real beauty of house shows. There is an understanding of symbiotic exchange as one side wouldn’t exist without the other. The houses are a promised land to showcase rising talents who might otherwise struggle to find ways to get their music heard.
“Due to the fact that we are still a newer band in the scene here, it’s exciting to continue to see the various people we bring to our crowds, the connections
we make with other local bands, and the opportunities that come with bookings,” said Grrl Band, comprised of Juliette Wheeler, Leah O’Brien, Kayla Krueger, Claudia Santino, Codi Farmer, and temporary member Owen Akiyama. Together, they form one of the most exciting new bands in Eugene.
The bands are also giving the audiences what they want - locally sourced live music. Fresh sound from people their own age, their friends, all along the cutting edge. You couldn’t ask for a better crowd really.
“I don’t think the Eugene scene is established in a set way,” said Growing Pains, a longstanding Eugene favorite, “There aren’t really
any set aesthetics that we feel like we need to follow. Because of that, I feel like there’s a lot of artistic purity.” The combination of bandmates Carl Taylor, Jack Havrilla, Kyle Kraft, and Kalia Storer make for a powerhouse of talent.
This open mindset is a necessary survival mechanism when navigating the house show scene. If you go in expecting a flawless performance, you’ll have little luck. Don’t expect bathrooms, drinking water, or a personal space bubble either. What you will find is raw talent and unfiltered expression, commodities that are much more alive and exciting. In their own space,
bands get to play on their own terms. They have the opportunity to perform for themselves and the audience only with no middle-man in the way. Ticketmaster can suck it.
While the ‘amateur’ nature of the venues does contribute to the chaos, it’s an essential attribute to maintaining their integrity. There is a genuine desire from everyone present to make the most of the night for whatever it has to offer. This freedom is the foundation that supports creative evolution.
“DIY shows are a great place for bands to share their music, and it’s always a learning experience for everyone involved,” said Candy Picnic.
Stella Parker, Chris Heer (Steel), Spencer Misfeldt, and Tristan Day have been mainstays in the house show rotation for three years now. They just released their fantastic debut album Circus Dog this past June. Give it a listen - then go see them and freak out because they’re just as good live.
The scene has grown up fast in the last few years. This is in spite of the difficulty of actually figuring out when, where and who is playing. Have fun scouring Instagram trying to find out who’s on tonight. Have even more fun trying to figure out where to go - you usually have to ask by private DM.
In spite of the low-key advertising, more and more newcomers crowd the doors looking for a spot in the space-limited venues. You’re bound to run into the regulars time and time again, as well as the quiet kid from your chem lab who’s now crowd-surfing at the center of the mosh pit. That’s the kind of magic that happens here. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never heard of the band before or if you’ve seen them dozens of times already - you know there’s probably no better place to be tonight.
Eugene is a beautiful place to spend time outside, and there are plenty of awesome parks all over town. If you’re looking for a place to go for a quiet walk, picnic at sunset, play games with friends, or chill outdoors, look no further than this list.
Located on the edge of campus by Prince Pucklers, this park is a wide open field great for games and picnics. Set in a neighborhood and surrounded by trees, this is a great basic park for everyday adventures.
On University street, this is a great all-pur pose park. There are lots of places to play sports like basketball and baseball. It’s an other place in Eugene with long-spanning fields for picnics, crafts, and games.
This newly renovated park is on the op posite side of the river from Alton Baker and can be found right behind the EWEB building. The best spot in Eugene to view the river includes lots of covered seating as well as a path for biking, walking, or running.
A bit further out from campus on Jefferson Street, this park is best visited during peak bloom in spring, but it continues to be populated by flowers all year. With over 4,500 roses, you can walk through the maintained paths as well as under canopies of flowers. This park is great at sunset if not just for the scenery but for the Instagram opportunities.
Located in the Fairmont neighborhood, the entire upper part of the park is a rhododendron garden, with twelve acres of different species of flower bushes. It also has swings, covered picnic tables, and hiking trails. It overlooks campus from multiple angles and has beautiful views of all of Eugene. While this park is great for hikes, runs, and scenery, it also offers spots for a weekend picnic brunch, hot girl walks, and photo opportunities.
The Mckenzie river runs right along this park, and there are multiple bike paths and running trails that extend for miles through Eugene. It is located right next to Autzen stadium and has a dog park and community garden. Although every student has memories of walking through this park on the way to games, it’s also a great place to visit sober!
In the day of fast fashion, greenwashing, and rapidly changing trends, people have grown more conscious about their carbon footprint in regard to their fashion choices.
Written by Lizzy LeeWith this skill, you can make any type of clothing that you want. You can alter your clothes, hem pant lines or even make clothes from scratch.
One way to recycle your old clothes is by donating or selling them. There are places that will buy certain pieces of clothing off of you. Some places in Eugene include Buffalo Exchange and Plato’s Closet. Keep in mind that the employees will select the pieces they think will sell in the store, so don’t be sad that they don’t take all of your clothes. You can also use the numerous apps that allow you to sell your clothes like Depop, Poshmark, and eBay.
When you don’t want to go through the hassle of selling your clothes, donating is also a great option. There are many donation centers that you can go to around Eugene, and where you can donate, you can shop.
This leads me to the main part of this article. Thrifting in Eugene. Nowadays, thrifting has become more popular, and there are many great benefits that come with thrifting. It reduces carbon emissions, you can find unique pieces and it’s affordable to name a few benefits.
Especially with college students, learning how to get the most out of their clothes and get the best deals on new clothes is helpful in the long run. Here are some ways that you can keep your emissions low without sacrificing your sense of style.
A fun way to freshen up your closet is by trading with friends and family. This is an easy and free way to get rid of old clothes and get new ones. Of course, this works best when your sizes and tastes align. But, it can also introduce you to different styles of clothing that you might’ve not thought of before. Take it from me, I never would have thought I’d like my mom’s cardigans.
If you are fortunate enough to know how to sew, tailoring your own clothes is a great way to be more eco-friendly. As a sewer myself, it is also really easy and fun to learn how to sew. There are many tutorials and websites that help beginners get started.
Here are a few thrift stores that you can check out in the Eugene area:
1149 Willamette St, Eugene, OR 97401
There are great deals to be found here. There are constant discounts, and the employees are very friendly and eager to help.
131 E 5th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
Buffalo has trendier clothes, and it is one of the thrift stores that will buy clothes from you. It is a bit on the pricier side, but it still is a place to check out for secondhand clothing.
132 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
Only found in Eugene. Contrary to the name, Eugene Jeans sells all types of clothing from jackets to dresses to pants.
685 E Broadway, Eugene, OR 97401
When all else fails, there’s always Good will. It is one of the biggest thrift store chains and donation centers, so there are a lot of clothes to look through.
26 E 17th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
I find Plato’s similar to Buffalo. It is just a tad bit more affordable with some good gems hidden in the racks. It also is a store that buys clothes from customers.
2167 W 11th Ave, Eugene, OR 9740
St. Vincent’s is a larger thrift store with a variety of clothes to choose from. It also has good discounts daily on top of already decent prices.
