TUESDAY, JAN. 21, 2025
Athlete of the Week: Jackson Shelstad
Oregon’s burning budget
LOS ANGELES FIRES
The faces
behind the fire
With a large portion of out-of-state students coming from California, the Los Angeles fires are hitting remarkably close to home for many
By Aishiki Nag
Opinion Columnist
Gracie Berger, a sophomore at University of Oregon, received an update from her family on Jan. 7, saying that her home was under emergency evacuation orders due to the proximity of the Eaton Canyon fires in Altadena, California.
“Being in these classes, it felt like no one else even knew this was happening or had any idea… everyone was fine and I wasn’t fine. I was checking my family’s location. I was texting them and they weren’t responding, and it was nerve-wracking,” Berger said. “I didn’t know if they were okay, (and) I didn’t know if our house was okay.”
Berger’s family had left their house in Altadena to stay with her grandparents — whose house is close to the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena — there they received a second evacua-
tion order the very same night and had to flee again.
Berger’s father drove up to the evacuated neighborhood and put out some of the embers from the main fire, in an attempt to prevent further fires from igniting.
Berger recalled that her neighborhood had around 180 houses, of which 50 had burned down.
Her grandparent’s home was one of them. They had lost everything.
Berger received this news in the form of a text message from her sister during class.
“She’s (Berger’s grandmother) like a big sentimental person. All of the family things, photos and everything was in her house that burned … she’s being very strong about it, ” Berger said, recalling how her grandmother is currently handling the devastating news.
Eugene home prices expected to rise by 3% in 2025
By Stephanie Hensley City News Reporter
As the city of Eugene continues to grow, housing opportunities will remain a challenge for prospective residents in 2025. These challenges are part of a larger trend affecting housing markets nationwide, with rising mortgage rates and increasing demand for homes putting pressure on buyers and renters alike.
According to Houzeo, home prices in Eugene and Portland are expected to rise to 3.1% by the end of March. Over the past five years, Eugene’s housing prices have steadily increased as prices remain relatively high compared to historical costs. According to Redfin, July 2023 marked a peak in home sales, with the average home selling for $523,000. By November 2024, the median sale price was $510,000.
According to Realtor, national mortgage rates are expected to average at 6.3% through-
Continue story on page 8
ARTS & CULTURE
Eating with the Seasons: Winter Gardening in Eugene
By Fern Peva Arts & Culture Writer
Winter in Eugene brings unique challenges and opportunities for gardeners and farmers. As the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, plant growth slows, but there’s still a surprising variety of crops to harvest in winter. At GrassRoots Garden, a 2.5-acre plot in Eugene, volunteers and staff grow food year-round for Food for Lane County and local community members. Emily Johnson, assistant garden lead at GrassRoots, shared her experience with winter gardening and seasonal eating.
Outside the greenhouse, hardy crops such as
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Investigations: Students with disabilities struggle with accessibility options
Several students with disabilities shared their experiences at UO, sparking ADA concerns
By Ruby Duncan Investigative Reporter
The University of Oregon emphasizes their commitment to having a “diverse learning and working environment that is inclusive and accessible for everyone,” however some students with disabilities say the reality does not align.
Four students with varying disabilities told the Daily Emerald that campus accessibility is not what it advertises. They pointed to several alleged American with Disabilities Act issues throughout campus, from student housing evacuation plans to ramps.
Amidst TikTok ban, UO students react to the loss
A unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court today confirms the Jan. 19 ban of the Chinese company owned social media app TikTok
By Sasha Love and Bella Bishop Campus News Reporters
As TikTok’s imminent shutdown draws near, the Supreme Court ruling today confirmed the ban starting Jan. 19.
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According to the court order, unless TikTok is able to sell its platform and shift from Chinese-based ownership before Sunday, the unanimous decision will carry out a ban of the social media app.
The government deemed TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, a “threat to national security,” and Congress approved this ban.
“That divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary,” according to the court order.
Eugene’s DJ Scene
Dive into the creative and passionate energy of Eugene’s DJ community! From local sets to personal interviews, and even a hands-on lesson, this video captures how students are mixing music and expressing themselves.
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CAMPUS NEWS
UO issues statement to Southern California-based students regarding fires
In its message, UO gave resources for students affected by the local wildfires
By Angelina Handris Campus News Reporter
Amid the impact of the wildfires affecting parts of Southern California, the University of Oregon has reached out to students who are from Los Angeles County sending support and providing various resources to assist students in need.
Since the start of the fires on Jan. 7, more than 12,000 structures have been destroyed as of Jan. 17. The fires have claimed the lives of at least 27 people, as of Jan. 17, according to CBS News.
On Jan. 9, Dean of Students Jimmy Howard sent an email to students from LA County and other Southern California counties, expressing his sympathy and offering resources for mental health, academic and financial support.
According to UO Spokesperson Eric Howald, 3,276 students received the email, from ten counties including Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego.
“Being far from home during such events can be especially stressful and confusing. The team at the University Counseling Center are available to provide the support you need,” University Counseling Center, one of the resources provided in the email, wrote.
Isabella Thomas, a UO junior who received the email, said the email was a “nice” acknowledgment.
“(The email was) nothing groundbreaking that I would praise the school for just because I feel like it’s a given to send something like that,” Thomas said.
Freshman Natalie Rodriguez, another UO student who received the email, said she appre-
ciated the email despite not being personally affected by the fire.
“They were acknowledging what was happening back home and kind of saying that they’re sending their support, and I liked how they offered if I wanted to speak to somebody, that type of resource,” Rodriguez said.
Carys Zamudio, another first-year student, said she was surprised by the email.
“We’re (in Oregon) so I didn’t feel like there was necessarily like a reason for them to send it out, but it was nice that they did acknowledge what was going on because I know that a lot of families and a lot of people have been affected,” Zamudio said.
On Jan 12., the Associated Students at the University of Oregon posted a statement regarding the fires in an Instagram story.
“Our hearts are with you and your families as you navigate the challenges of the ongoing wildfires. We hope everyone is staying safe during this difficult time,” the statement read.
A link to a document containing resources was also provided below the statement.
ARTS & CULTURE
Eating with the Seasons: Winter Gardening in Eugene
Eugene’s winters create a unique environment for growing and harvesting crops. GrassRoots Garden Assistant Emily Johnson offers insight into the world of winter gardening in the Willamette Valley.
Continued from page 1
kale, collard greens, brussel sprouts, overwintering cabbage and parsnips thrive despite the cold.
“We also have some things that store well into winter, so we’re still eating winter squash we harvested in the fall,” Johnson said.
Eugene’s mild climate offers an advantage for overwintering crops. The region is known for its steady rain during the winter months.
“The growth of vegetables is more impacted by short days and colder temperatures than by the rain,” Johnson said. “Things aren’t growing very fast, but our mild winters allow us to grow more than we could in a climate with heavy snow.”
Johnson noted that areas with intense snow cover aren’t suitable for many of the crops that thrive year round in Eugene.
Despite the benefits of Eugene’s climate, managing excessive rain is key to success. “Our beds have good drainage, so we haven’t had issues,” Johnson said.
However, she pointed out that in areas with clay-heavy soil, root vegetables such as carrots, beets and potatoes can rot if the ground stays too wet.
Since its founding in 1991, GrassRoots Garden has built healthy, well-drained soil, allowing it to grow produce even during the wettest and coldest months.
For gardeners dealing with poor drainage, Johnson recommends harvesting root crops before winter unless they are grown in welldrained soil.
For those looking to eat seasonally, Johnson suggests using winter vegetables in simple, hearty meals.
“Making soup with a leek and carrot base is a great start, and you can add potatoes from the fall harvest,” Johnson said.
Greens like mustard greens, kale and collards also make great additions to soups and other warming dishes. Seasonal adaptations can be as simple as swapping out ingredients. For example, carrot soup can be made with parsnips, and a summer spinach salad can be transformed into a winter kale and chard salad topped with pomegranate seeds— another crop that thrives during the colder months.
Winter gardening in Eugene highlights both the resilience of seasonal produce and the creativity it inspires in the kitchen. By understanding the garden’s natural rhythms and embracing seasonal eating, gardeners and home cooks can savor the bounty of winter.
(Jordan Martin/ Emerald) GrassRoots Garden prepares for their upcoming Winter Harvest; their garden is apart of the Food For Lane County Gardens Program in Eugene on Jan.16, 2025
(Jordan Martin/ Emerald) GrassRoots Garden prepares for their upcoming Winter Harvest; their garden is apart of the Food For Lane County Gardens Program in Eugene on Jan. 16, 2025.
behind The faces
for me, I’m near all of this tragedy peripherally but I’m not experiencing it in the same way my friends are, but it feels like there’s not much I can do to help other than listening to them,” Yang
Yang said she also is doing what she can by donating to different Go-Fund-Mes for her friends and those who have been impacted.
Possible reasons behind the wildfires
The Los Angeles fires are being labeled as one of the “worst” catastrophes in the US, with the fires claiming at least 27 lives, destroying 12,000 structures, leaving thousands without power and preliminary projected damage costs of over $150 billion, as of Jan. 17.
The three most prominent fires within the region are the Palisades fire, which has burnt 23,713 acres, the Eaton fire, burning 14,117 acres and the Hurst fire, burning 799.
It’s hard to focus on school when I have friends from home texting me that their house burned down.“
- Penelope Burian UO Sophomore
Investigations are currently being conducted as to the causes of the different fires, but legal cases have been filed against Southern California Edison Company (SCE), an electric company, alleging its responsibility for the Eaton fire due to the negligence to de-energize, despite a red-flag
Multiple factors are making containment of the fires increasingly difficult. First and foremost, the Santa Ana winds have been spreading the wildfires on the hillsides, making initial preventative efforts minimal.
Southern California has a very particular type of fire ecology and ecosystem, and the overgeneralization of that ecology has often made fire responses
the fire
haphazard and ill-prepared. Chaparral biomes, characterized by shrublands and hot and dry summers, have crown fires, which burn intensely and infrequently every 30 to 150 years. Unlike forests, chaparral crown fires can’t be avoided through usual fire mitigation strategies.
The California Chaparral Institute notes that the attribution of forest fire preventative tactics, such as slash and burn techniques, have weakened the Chaparral ecosystem and made it prone to catching fire.
Climate change is an undeniable threat to the ecosystem, amplifying intense fires such as the ones currently raging.
Due to misaligned policies that don’t take into account Southern California’s natural ecosystem, fire-resistant native ecosystems have been slowly eroded and made the region more prone to devastating fires.
“There was a very serious understaffing of (first responders). I remember there being pretty sparse fire stations … there should be more in an area that’s so prone to fires,” Masha Petrova, an EMT student in Lane County, said after reflecting on her education in emergency services.
Petrova was a resident in the Palisades neighborhood and grew up attending Palisades High School, which was damaged in the Palisades fire. Although Petrova is training in Eugene, her family is located in Brentwood, a 10-minute drive from the fire line.
Due to the damage within the area, Petrova’s brother, who was attending Palisades High School, has been on an extended break; the damage within the area has made in-person learning inaccessible, and there have been talks of relocating students to nearby schools or continuing classes online until the end of the year.
“There have been wildfires in that area before that hadn’t been nearly as big and you know that it’s temporary, but this (fire) is larger than that, and it pauses life for a second … living in an area with wildfires and earthquakes (emergency kits) are something people should have but it’s often neglected,” Petrova said.
Petrova said the general preparedness skills of people are also limited; having bags of documents, medications, valuables and emergency supplies isn’t a common practice in many households, so sudden evacuation orders had left many without important items.
From afar, students give to those who have lost
Many non-profits, community-based organizations and good samaritans have gotten together to distribute resources to those who have been evacuated or have lost their belongings in the fire, giving those who have lost everything something to rebuild from.
Kat Hernandez, a senior, grew up in downtown LA. She said that she has family
members working in the valley between the Palisades fire and the Hurst fire and that some of them have to come back due to the physical pain they have felt from breathing in smoke.
Her friends have been heavily impacted by the fires, with many of them being evacuated. Without working generators or electricity, those being stuck in their homes unable to evacuate, and some with their houses completely burnt down.
“
Living in an area with wildfires and earthquakes, (emergency kits) are something people should have but it’s often neglected.“
Hernandez said, “Being in Oregon, and not being in LA, it’s been difficult. I’ve been reaching out (to my friends) saying I have all these extra clothes if you need them, (and) my family is there to support you.”
“We’re just offering as much help as we can, whether it be staying with us, a case of water, clothing. It’s all about community, we’re just supporting as much as we can right now,” Hernandez said.
Even though there are hundreds of miles between LA and Eugene, many students and community members are actively going through devastating losses, and being mindful of how to be supportive is important.
Oregon’s burning budget
As wildfires continue to worsen, Oregonians foot the bill for climate damages when large-scale polluters are to blame. It’s time to hold them accountable.
By Aishiki Nag Opinion Columnist
The 2024 wildfire season brought unprecedented damages within Oregon, raising the amount of money Oregonians are spending to battle changing climates.
A group of faculty members from the University of Oregon, Reed College and other renowned economists and policymakers created a nonpartisan organization called the Forum on Oregon Climate Economics (FORCE), where they issued their first study titled “The Economic Costs of Climate Change for Oregonians; A First Look.” The study examined the costs being faced by Oregonians due to the impacts of climate change.
The study estimated that the average Oregonian loses $3,900 annually due to climate costs.
The costs used for this study look at direct costs, opportunity costs from damaged land, indirect costs and risk versus expected values.
When looking at all the different variables, the staggering investment made out of pocket for average Oregonian families is only predicted to increase.
The change in the climate has led to severe heat waves, storms and floods, which, in turn, reduced labor productivity, added expenses in cooling costs and diminished property values within coastal communities.
The economic analysis doesn’t begin to cover the holistic damages done by wildfires, which range from damaged infrastructure within communities to personal losses and permanently damaging ecosystems.
Governor Kotek signed a bill approving the allocation of $218 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon State Fire Marshals during the special legislative session, with a gross estimate of the damages
from the 2024 wildfire season reaching over $350 million.
Additionally, in the Governor’s Recommended Budget (2025-27), Kotek advocates for an additional $130 million for the state’s wildfire readiness and a recommended $150 million directed directly towards state agencies to pay for wildfire suppression.
A practical and fiscally sustainable solution to holding those responsible for the conditions fueling the current wildfires is implementing a carbon tax; this would remove the financial burden from taxpayers to large-scale carbon polluters who are responsible.
In the past, many state legislators and climate policy groups have mentioned the implementation of a modest-priced carbon tax and estimated that this could generate up to $3 billion annually.
This could serve as the primary fund to pay for wildfire response, infrastructure initiatives and rehabilitation efforts and other state initiatives necessary to curb damages from climate change.
The concept of the carbon tax hasn’t been new to Oregon; however, the direct pricing on emissions (in other words, large industrial plants) would successfully raise the necessary funding, and critical exemptions on necessary market items would also reduce any constraints on consumers for necessary goods.
Although the carbon tax has faced considerable opposition from industrial lobbyists, it’s the only way to shift the economic responsibility onto the rightful polluters.
- Masha Petrova EMT student
Eugene home prices expected to rise by 3% in 2025
Housing opportunities will likely remain a challenge in 2025 for home buyers and renters in Eugene as the population and prices continue to increase
Continued from page 1
out 2025. Home prices across the nation are expected to rise 3.7% following last year’s rise of 4%.
Rising home and rental prices reflect broader national trends, but local factors in Eugene such as high demand and limited inventory may challenge potential homeowners and renters.
Daniel Gandee, a realtor with the Operative Group, believes that affordability will decline in 2025 due to multiple factors, including overpriced homes and a lack of opportunity for first-time buyers.
“What I’m seeing in the market right now is a higher level of people going to their family members and asking for assistance,” Gandee said. “There’s definitely a subgroup of people that are not that fortunate. They don’t have that opportunity and that’s a sad reality of where we are.”
Gandee’s advice to hopeful buyers in 2025 would be to follow through on their planning process before setting out to buy a home. He said that the first thing is making sure to sit down with a financial advisor or mortgage broker to lay everything out.
“Planning is key,” Gandee said. “So many people call me when they’re ready to see a home, but they’ve never had that planning phase or conversation upfront. So what happens is, they get the bad news while they’re looking at houses.”
For renters, many of which are college students, the cost of housing is no different than buying a home. According to
Zillow Rentals, prices rose by $205 from December 2024 with a median rental price of $1,800. With 479 rental properties currently available in Eugene, potential renters may have difficulties finding affordable living accommodations.
Caitlin Eby, a sophomore at the University of Oregon, currently lives on campus and has been looking for affordable rental units for the next academic year.
“I’m from a low-income family so I need to look for the cheapest apartment possible,” Eby said. “I think (Eugene) is trying to make (apartment complexes) student-friendly, but not student budget-friendly. They’re trying to get university students to live with them, but they’re still pricing it really high.”
Eby hopes to own her own home one day but admits that Eugene is not the ideal place to live.
“I don’t think it’s a Eugene-specific issue but it’s an Oregon in general issue,” Eby said. “Eugene is not a place I want to raise children in. It’s very dangerous and we have a lot of issues with wage disparity and a lot of people who are houseless. Everything is incredibly expensive.”
With limited housing and rising costs, Eugene residents may have to make difficult decisions on where and how they can afford to live. The unanswered question remains whether current efforts to address affordability and the housing supply will be enough to meet the growing demands.
Pre’s Rock: The memorial that honors a running legend
Steve Prefontaine, a legendary runner whose career was tragically cut short in 1975, left behind a lasting legacy in Eugene. His memorial has become an iconic place for local runners.
By Ceci Cronin City News Reporter
Late one night in 1975, a victorious runner returning from a celebration met an untimely end at 24 years old. After discovering a blood alcohol content of 0.16, investigators determined drunk driving was most likely the cause of the accident.
Nearly 50 years later, Steve Prefontaine’s running legacy continues to leave a lasting impact on the Eugene community.
Pre’s Rock lies on a turn in Skyline Boulevard, to commemorate the place where Prefontaine died. Now, Pre’s Rock has become a memorial site where runners from all over the world flock to and leave their own running memorabilia behind with the memory of Prefontaine. The tradition started when people began leaving their personal items at the rock immediately following his death, and in 1997, the city of Eugene established a plaque to honor his legacy.
Prefontaine was a renowned runner for the University of Oregon between 1969-1974. He set a multitude of records in the 1500m and 10,000m that granted him his reputation as one of the best collegiate runners in the nation. He also competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and was training for the 1976 Summer Olympics at the time of his death.
Tom Heinonen, a former UO Women’s Track and Field Coach beginning in 1975 and current UO Running Club coach, knew Prefontaine.
“It’s so public, and he’s such a huge personality. It sort of
goes together in a way,” Heinonen said.
Heinonen’s colleague and former Oregon State University Women’s Track and Cross Country coach Kelly Sullivan spent the majority of his childhood in a town on the Oregon coast very similar to the Coos Bay, the town Prefontaine was raised in. Sullivan describes Prefontaine’s hometown as somewhere you are raised to become a “survivalist.”
As a kid, this was even more true for Prefontaine growing up.
“He became so aggressive as a competitor because he found his voice through running. When he ran, people saw that he was somebody who wasn’t afraid of anything,” Sullivan said.
Prefontaine undoubtedly left a legacy in Eugene that has been inspiring runners for generations. Some question what could have been for Prefontaine, and what else he could’ve accomplished had he lived.
“You never got to see him in his life get old or fail at
things, or just live a life like everybody else, with ups and downs,” Heinonen said.
The symbol of Pre’s rock helps to continually engrain the significance of Prefontaine’s early death as well as the wonder of what he could have achieved.
“The rock is very inspiring because you see all the people who have given up their marathon bibs or medals to honor Prefontaine,” University Oregon student and runner Kelsey Eiesland said.
Runners look to the rock for hopes of a fraction of the strength and conviction that Prefontaine ran with.
“(It’s) that place (that) helps to carry on that feeling, understanding and myth,” Heinonen said.
(Molly McPherson/Emerald)
A real estate listing sign sits in the yard of a home in the Cal Young neighborhood of Eugene.
Crossword
Athlete of the Week: Shelstad
After heroic late-game buckets that helped the No. 13 Ducks win each of their last three games, Shelstad shined as athlete of the week
By Jack Lazarus Sports Associate Editor
The No. 13 Oregon men’s basketball squad is full of talent, which is why the Ducks secured late victories in each of the last three contests — an 83-79 victory over Maryland, a 73-71 win at Ohio State and a narrow 82-81 victory at Penn State.
The catalyst for each of those wins was Oregon’s incredible point guard Jackson Shelstad.
In both the Ohio State and Penn State games, Shelstad’s clutch buckets were the ones that put the Ducks ahead, and the sophomore led the game in scoring against Maryland with 23 points.
Shelstad averaged 21.3 points in the last three games while adding 4.3 assists per game. Shelstad posted a season-high in dimes at Penn State with eight.
The scoring becomes much more impressive when considering he tallied those numbers while maintaining over a 70% field goal percentage through each of the last three contests and over 60% from beyond the arc in the same stretch.
The Ducks secured their seventh quadrant one win of the season with their victory over the Nittany Lions, which is tied for the most in Division I with the No. 1 Auburn University Tigers.
Shelstad’s improvement on both ends allows Oregon to become more versatile
in the ways that the offense and defense are run. Shelstad is second on the team in both offensive and defensive win shares with 1.2 and 0.8, respectively — win shares calculate how many wins a player contributes with their offense or defense.
A lot of the issue that head coach Dana Altman ran into last season became that Shelstad wasn’t well-rounded enough as a player and opposing teams could easily exploit that. Now that Shelstad smoothed out those inefficiencies, the Ducks have one of the more potent attacks in the Big Ten on both sides of the ball.
As conference play hits full steam in the coming weeks, look out for Shelstad and the Ducks, who are just starting to hit their stride and hope to roll this into a successful March campaign. With the way Shelstad and his teammates are performing, that will become a legitimate possibility.
(RIGHT) Jackson Shelstad (3) celebrates a three-pointer. The Oregon Ducks mens basketball team took on the Oregon State Beavers on Nov. 21, 2024 in Gill Coliseum in Corvallis.
(Darby Winter/Emerald)
2025 Oregon Lacrosse Preview
Faces new and old spotlight a Ducks’ team kicking off its Big Ten tenure
By Joe Krasnowski Sports Reporter
The unknowing eye would think Oregon lacrosse has a BIG problem.
See, the Ducks are faced with about as unenviable a position as a high-level program with resources and money galore. About a month into Jessica Drummond’s head coaching career, the Oregon alum received news that the team would be entering the toughest lacrosse conference in the world.
Looking to build off an 8-7 (2-5 Pac-12) showing from a year ago, Drummond’s Ducks will now pack up across the country, taking on NCAA Tournament mainstays Maryland, Michigan and Penn State.
But as Drummond insists, the comparatively tame Ducks really aren’t that far away.
“It’s all things that we can control,” she said of the gap between the Ducks and the best the Big Ten has to offer in an interview at the end of last season.
Drummond’s program underwent significant change over the offseason with the departure of 11 stalwart seniors. With those departures came an influx of youth, with Drummond bringing in ten freshmen.
It won’t be all youth, though. Ushering in the team’s Big Ten era, her team will
also look to rely on returning seniors Anna Simmons and Rachel Pallo. Simmons is the team’s leading returning scorer with 34 goals a year ago, and Pallo was a solidifying force on the defensive end. Drummond will also look to sophomore Avery Young, who missed the end of the season due to injury, as a key defender.
Another notable addition for the Ducks comes in the form of Brianna Carrasquillo, who comes to Eugene as a graduate transfer from Yale.
Last year was largely looked upon as a rebuilding year. Now, as Drummond’s recruits and transfer-portal additions start to settle in, Oregon will be looking to make a big entrance in the Big Ten.
The Ducks start their season on Feb.7 against Butler University.
Editor’s Note: Carasquillo is an opinion columnist for the Daily Emerald, and was not involved in the production of this article.
