Almost 20,000 Portlanders gathered at the Moda Center for Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience Thursday night, including someone who was not as excited as she should have been: me.

I was a little underprepared and hadn’t heard any of his new stuff. Nor did I have very high expectations from him musically.

My love for JT peaked in 2006 when “What Goes Around Comes Around” was playing on the radio — granted it started in 2000 when N Sync released their album No Strings Attached. We had a good run, but my taste in music has since changed. Still, I was feeling nostalgic.

My mom and I showed up in our pink dresses ready to embrace our “basic” side, and “basic” it was: After standing in the drink line for ten minutes, I was informed by a very irritated bartender, “We’re out of cranberry juice.” I told him I was actually going to order an IPA, before quickly changing my mind. “Pineapple juice and vodka, please.”

I was ready to fulfill my preteen dream.

The arena went black, queuing screams from the audience that didn’t stop for the next couple hours. I didn’t think anything could be louder, until silhouettes of an orchestra projected on the stage as the instruments blared a dramatic buildup, the intro of his song “Pusher Love Girl.”

Then, the silhouette we’ve all been waiting for, nonchalantly rolling up the sleeves of his tux like 20,000 people weren’t watching him. If one thing’s for sure, Timberlake knows foreplay. He continued to tease us in shadow form for several minutes before making his grand entrance.

Lights and lasers beamed from the stage, flickering and dancing to the music, while creepy shadow figures moved across the backdrop, which resembled a puzzle of oversized pixels. There were dancers, backup singers and moving platforms on the stage. He continued to ask us to sing the chorus of songs I didn’t know.

From 300 feet away, I was unimpressed. I questioned whether it was really him up there. But not for long.

Timberlake prevailed, impressing and entrancing us with his performance. His vocals and dance moves were flawless, rich and sexy. He moonwalked, he rapped, he played the guitar and the piano. There were undertones of R&B, jazz, country, electronic. Songs that were new and old.

About halfway through the show, he serenaded us with his rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Heart Break Hotel” — a little tip of the hat to his hometown, Memphis. He nailed it.

I wondered out loud, “Justin, is there anything you can’t do?”

And as if we weren’t already hooked, his platform glided over everyone’s head, bringing him closer to those in the back. He spent a few minutes interacting with the audience, even buying someone a tequila shot before downing his own.

About 30 feet away from him at this point, I let myself go. I ditched my mom and ran to the front row with everyone else. I lost my voice. Even the guy next to me said, “Oh my god, he’s right there!!”

Overall, my expectations were exceeded. My love for Justin Timberlake has been restored and if it weren’t so overpriced, I would go again in a heartbeat.

Follow Andrea Harvey on Twitter @andrearharvey

Eugene’s Valley River Center mall is an ideal place to indulge in overpriced cinnamon rolls and retail therapy, to relieve the stress of school and immediately replace it with a large credit card bill. However, it’s the last place anyone expects to spot a celebrity. Until now.

Comedian and actor Kevin Hart will make an appearance at an exclusive free screening of his new movie The Wedding Ringer on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at Regal Valley River Center, according to Ashley Gabriel, the Northwest publicist for Screen Gems Films.

Tickets are available to University of Oregon students only (must bring student ID) and can be downloaded here. Unlike tickets, however, seats are limited and will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those who don’t have tickets are still invited to see Hart answer questions in a brief Q&A with the press.

“The football team, cheerleaders and Duck (Puddles) will all be there, so it should be a great event,” Gabriel said.

The Wedding Ringer, in a nutshell, is about a recently engaged groom named Doug Harris (Josh Gad), who doesn’t have a best man or any groomsmen to be in his wedding. Desperately wanting to impress the family of his bride Gretchen Palmer (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), he hires Jimmy Callahan (Hart), who owns a business, Best Man Inc., specializing in this very situation. Hilarity ensues as they attempt to pull off the big stunt, along with an unexpected budding “bromance.” Other lead actors include Alan Ritchson, Catherine Chen and Nicky Whelan.

This film was written by Jay Lavender and Jeremy Garelick. Garelick, who is known for co-writing and co-producing The Break Up in 2006, directed it. The Wedding Ringer will not be released to the general public until January 16, 2015.

Following Hart’s appearance at the screening, he will be performing in a comedy show at the Matthew Knight Arena at 8 p.m. that same evening. University and student tickets for the show are available for $28.50 online or at its ticket office on 1776 E. 13th Ave. Must have student ID.

Regal Valley River Center Stadium 15 & IMAX is located at 500 Valley River Center in Eugene, Oregon. The money that you will save on this free event might even buy you a Cinnabon and a beer at the theater. You’re welcome.

Once a month at Luckey’s bar, a 22-year-old drag queen performs at GLAM Night. She stands at about six feet, seven inches tall in her black stiletto ankle boots and handmade skin-tight black leotard, which is studded with iridescent rhinestones. Long curls fall from her blonde wig down to her waist. Her face is painted with heavy, dramatic makeup – high eyebrows arching above thick black lashes that contrast her piercing blue eyes.

The lights on the stage dim as the hostess announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, Rhea Della Vera!”

Rhea walks on stage, strikes several seductive poses, stroking the sides of her face, neck and body with her long, jeweled fingernails as the hypnotic beats of her song speed up. She struts into the crowd and extends an arm out to be handed crumpled dollar bills from hollering fans before prancing back on stage to finish her routine.

Stage makeup, flawlessly contouring imaginary curves, and the dim bar lights distract from the fact that merely three hours ago she was a he.

By day, Reyes Rivera is a recent college graduate who works as a delivery driver at Papa’s Pizza when he’s not spending time with his boyfriend at their small Eugene apartment.

Before running track at Lane Community College, Rivera lived most of his life in Riverside, California. He grew up with his two half sisters, who were very close to him, and later, three stepbrothers when his mother remarried.

Rivera and his sister used to sneak into gay bars in downtown L.A. to watch drag shows. There was one in particular he called VIP, where he said several drag queens from the popular reality TV show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, got their start. He often fantasized about being on stage instead of in the audience.

“I never in a million years thought I would be,” Rivera said through pursed lips as he applied bronzer beneath his cheekbones before his next show. “But lo and behold … I got the nerve to try it one time.”

The first time Rivera dressed in drag was his freshman year at LCC. He and a friend went to Luckey’s and approached the hostess, Diva, telling her he wanted to perform in her show. She looked him up and down and said, “We’ll talk.”

“I thought I looked fucking amazing, of course,” Rivera said. “I really looked like an 80-year-old woman.”

So he continued to practice on his own as a hobby. He quit running track to pursue dance instead, which he said improved his technique.

Most beginner drag queens are taught to perform and dress by “drag mothers,” who act as mentors. Rivera, however, said he taught himself through observation and YouTube tutorials.

Rivera pointed out that in the drag community, he’s seen as unique because of how advanced he is for such a young age and high-level of independence. Drag queens, for the most part, are competitive, and because Rivera likes to play by his own rules instead of following tradition, others often see him as a threat.

“I’m known as a bitch,” Rivera said. “But I don’t mind it because this bitch is going places.”

Rivera now performs in cities across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and California. One of his ultimate goals is to be a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. He thinks he could be an instant success for simply appearing on the show.

Rivera said a large part of his success is also due to his ability to make connections with people who host shows at other bars, as well as drag queens who he thinks have potential. He is in a travelling group called The Lipstick Divas, with Mark Harbaugh (known on stage as Nicky Serene) and Matt Brown (known on stage as Ivanaha Fusionn).

Brown said he and Rivera were “mean-mugging each other” when they first met in Portland. Like several others, Brown initially felt intimidated by Rivera. After starting conversation, however, they realized they had a lot in common and became friends almost instantly. They now call one another “drag sister,” meaning they host and perform together and always have each other’s back.

Rivera took Harbaugh, the third Lipstick Divas’ addition, under his wing when he won a drag competition that Rivera hosted, and from there he became Harbaugh’s “drag mother.”

“The people closest to her get to see her amazing warm heart,” Harbaugh said. “She always has a desire to help the new queens who she thinks deserve it, and gives opportunities that many performers may not get without her.”

A typically more timid guy, Rivera admits dressing in drag brings out a different side of him – one that’s confident and feisty, and largely the reason why he is so passionate and dedicated to pursuing it as a career.

“I don’t think I’m perfect – but I think I’m pretty damn close,” he said.

The fledgling drag scene at the University of Oregon still needs some work, but Elle Mallon, ASUO’s Gender and Sexuality Diversity Advocate, LGBTQA’s education coordinator and a drag enthusiast, said he would like to start planning more events for students that are accessible and alcohol-free.

“We live in a very complicated drag scene,” said Mallon. “On the one side, there’s a couple shows every week and some special events that happen every once in a while, and it’s amazing to live in a community where you can find that space, but on the other side, access is not universal.”

The LGBTQA hosts a student drag show once a year, usually during winter term. Mallon, however, would like for that to happen more often, in addition to all-ages events in the downtown area, so that drag enthusiasts of any age can experience this community that Mallon loves so much.

“There’s a lot of compassion in (Eugene’s) drag community, and a lot of people who genuinely care about each other,” Mallon said. “Those are the people I look up to. The ones who rock it on stage, and then use the power that gives them for good.”

Jarrod McClung, a senior majoring in social science, estimated that a fourth of their body is covered in tattoos. They eventually want that to be three-fourths. McClung has spent roughly $5,000 on tattoos so far. To McClung, the tattoos symbolize control over their body and mind.

“I guess the reason I get tattoos is it just feels weird to look down at my body and see bare skin,” said McClung. “It just doesn’t feel like myself. So when I get tattoos, I start to feel more like myself, happier.”

One of McClung’s most striking tattoos is a small, three-letter word on the front of their neck that reads, “fat.” McClung grew up overweight and hearing this word repeatedly took a toll on them. Whenever they overheard it in conversation, they thought they were talking about them. Getting it tattooed on their body was their way of taking back the word.

McClung says the only problem with their many tattoos was doing it as a business major. They said they received some flack in the business school for the lack of professionalism.

One thing McClung regrets was getting a tattoo impulsively. On average, they plan out their tattoos about a year in advance. However, McClung got a tattoo of Pac-Man on their hand with only a day’s consideration, and wished that they had thought it through a bit more beforehand.

“I look at my hands a lot, so I guess I would’ve wanted something better there,” McClung said.

Rachel Elliot, a senior family and human services major, has four tattoos on her back, three which act as memorials to people in her life who’ve passed away. She considers them her guardian angels.

“It’s just my way of saying they always have my back, they’re always with me,” Elliot said.

Elliot and McClung had similar advice to offer those who are new to the tattoo game: Get to know your artist. Knowing and trusting your tattoo artist means getting exactly what you want and then some.

McClung’s favorite tattoo shop is The Parlour downtown. McClung has also gone to High Priestess in the past, but said its tattoo artists tend to change more frequently, making it harder to get to know them and their individual skills.

Elliot and McClung also advise taking some time to consider what you really want your tattoo to be. Do your research. Think about the future implications of your tattoo. Think of how it will look when you’re old. Think about how it will look on your wedding day.

Prior to getting a tattoo, you’ll want to look at the artists’ portfolios to see what their style is. For example, McClung goes to different artists depending on what kind of tattoo they want. They go to a certain artist for 2-dimensional animated types of tattoos, another for more realistic looking ones and another for text. The artists usually encourage (if not require) you to make a consultation appointment first to discuss plans for your tattoo. After that, you’ll have to make another appointment or two to get the actual tattoo. So plan accordingly.

“Think about it quite a bit before you get a tattoo,” said Elliot. “Yes, you can get a tattoo removed, but it’s a more painful experience than getting a tattoo itself.”

Although piercings aren’t as permanent, you’ll still want to do thorough research before getting one done. The method of piercing and the instructions the piercer gives you to promote proper healing are all vital to quick healing, preventing infection and migration of the piercing. Don’t risk any of these things for a cheap piercing. It’s always a good idea to ask around before choosing a place. McClung, who has several body piercings, highly recommends High Priestess because it is sanitary and does everything by the book.

In Eugene, there are several spots to get tattoos and piercings, each offering different selections of artists and atmosphere. Prices vary from artist to artist when it comes to tattoos, usually depending on their experience. Typically, you can expect to pay somewhere around $80-$100 an hour. According to High Priestess employee Tania Reed, they charge a $60 deposit during your consultation appointment, which is also its minimum charge for a tattoo. (Spots that may heal differently, such as hands and feet, may be a minimum of $80.) As for piercings, the prices can be different depending on the type of piercing and the location, but they usually hover around $40 per piercing.

Here’s a list of piercing and tattoo parlors to check out in the area:

High Priestess
525 E 13th Ave.
541-343-3311

Black Lotus
1011 W 6th Ave.
541-434-8282

Eugene Tattoo and Body Piercing
539 E 11th Ave.
541-485-7109

Parlour Tattoo
1097 Willamette St.
541-345-6465

Tattoo by Design
671 Lincoln St.
541-485-5520

I woke up this morning at my own selfish leisure – well-rested and content. I wasn’t wondering what my dad was up to, or what grade my best friend received on her final exam yesterday. In fact, my concerns were skewed by trivial issues, like the mess in my room and the school assignments I’ve been putting off. I didn’t consider the well-being of my loved ones because I didn’t think it was relevant until I heard the news.

There was another school shooting, but this time in my hometown – Portland, Oregon.

Upon learning that the devastating event occurred at Reynolds High School, I could exhale a small sigh of relief. I don’t know anyone who attends that school. But nonetheless, this disturbed me. It was the third school shooting that I had heard of in the last month, and each one seemed to get closer to home. The proximity grabbed my attention, but my concerns were more deep-seated than safety.

Eyes glued to the screen, my mind was swarming with questions – each one more troubling than the next – as I streamed the live news coverage for nearly an hour. The anchor mentioned guns, security, damage control, times, dates, numbers. But one prevalent question was left unanswered.

I’m wondering why so many people – approximately 74 in the last two years – have attempted to kill their peers and their mentors: the ones that should be motivating them to wake up each day, to care about their future and essentially, to live. Why do they feel so alone, so betrayed and so angry at the world that they are compelled to get the worst kind of revenge? Why do they think this is their only way out? What went wrong?

Studies have been done on these shooters. Their mental issues and their motives vary, but a common trait is depression. Although I would never suggest sympathy for a murderer of any kind, I think it’s vital that we consider their lives before the shooting, then we can begin to solve the problem.

It’s not an accident. It’s an accumulation of daily neglect. It’s a toxic environment that we all have the potential to improve, and that can be as simple as a small change in your daily habits: taking an extra moment to ask a stranger how their day is going, offer help or say thank you. In the technology-based and materialistic era we live in today, too many people are starved of the personal interaction and attention they desperately need. This is where depression thrives.

I’ve experienced it before – like so many others my age – and it’s different than sadness because when you’re sad, you know it’s temporary, but when you’re depressed, you feel trapped. You feel as though you’re incapable of happiness. When left untreated, it can have a snowball effect. Imagine living a life like that – silently suffering with no one to turn to, repeatedly reminded of your pain, or mustering up the courage to ask for help, only to be shot down. Your confidence is so frail, motivation so eroded that even making an appointment with a therapist is too arduous to pursue. I was strong enough to seek help, but approximately 30,000 Americans each year suffer for too long.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people 15-24 years old. In 2010, depression became the number one disability in the world. It’s too common, and too dangerous to be overlooked.

Mentioning the statistics is eye opening, but futile – for the people who are experiencing depression, it isn’t some measurable number or something that can be adapted to. It’s their reality, their world and their being. They need your help, and the time to start helping isn’t tomorrow at your convenience, or when they start showing warning signs. Don’t wait until the third time you see them crying or the fourth day in a row they haven’t gotten out of bed. Don’t wait until a shooting happens. Start now.

So, in the hopes of advocating compassion, overcoming feelings of hopelessness and alienation, and therefor resisting the hateful violence that commonly results from it, set aside time today to make sure the people in your life know they’re not alone. Go the extra mile and call them, talk to them, hug them – don’t just tell them you care. Show them.

Resources for UO students:

Online informational resources

Health Center: 541-346-2770

Counseling Center: 541-346-3227

UO 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: 541-346-3227

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK  (1-800-273-8255)

A friend who cares: andreah@dailyemerald.com

Having heard about Diana Salazar, Evan Shenkin and Students Against Empire and Imperialism writing a letter asking President Gottfredson to oppose the U.S.-Israel Resolution that the ASUO Senate passed, I felt compelled to write this letter. First, to correct the obvious misinformation of the group name, Israel is neither an empire nor imperialist. To say otherwise completely ignores the historical roots that Jews have to that land, and suggests that the Jews came to that land as agents of a foreign power. They didn’t; they returned from countries around the world to seek national self-determination. Never, in the history of the world, has an autonomous Arab or Muslim state been where Israel is; the only autonomous states there, ever, have been Jewish states, three total. Now to modern times…

Let me ask you all which of these principles you agree with:

1. Equal rights for people regardless of sexual orientation?
2. Women are as entitled to every choice and opportunity as a man has?
3. Artists have a right to offend the sensibilities of their audience?
4. Politicians who have committed crimes should be prosecuted by the law?
5. Those accused of a crime have a right to an impartial judge, jury, and appeal?

If you’re like me, you support all those. I then do not understand how others can claim to support all those and be a supporter of social justice, yet speak against the one country in the Middle East that has applied those principles, consistently and ever more broadly: Israel. Now, Israel is not perfect, but I don’t judge a country by its supposed perfection, but by how it deals with its imperfections. If you look at Freedom House’s Freedom of the World Index, the ONLY free country in the Middle East is Israel; Israel is the only country there that respects political rights and civil liberties. Based on the rhetoric people like Evan Shenkin, Diana Salazar, and the rest of Students against Empire and Imperialism use, I’d never guess that.

I don’t get why people like them have complained exclusively, or even primarily, about Israel’s imperfections, and not the plethora of human rights violations that happen EVERYDAY in all the other Middle Eastern countries that are EXPONENTIALLY worse than everything happening in Israel? In Gaza, under Hamas, non-heterosexuals flee for their lives and end up safe in Tel Aviv. Hamas permits no dissent, no free speech, and no freedom of religion. What about the honor killings of women across the Middle East, especially in Egypt and Jordan? What about the prohibition in Jordan on Jews becoming citizens or owning land? What about Iran, where they hang non-heterosexuals? Or Pakistan, where Sikhs have been executed for not converting to Islam?

How can someone support an “apartheid education week” against Israel, without first having one for all the other Middle Eastern countries, starting with Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, women are relegated far below men, and people who advocate women working alongside men are subject to execution. Never mind how Saudi Arabia imprisons non-heterosexuals, and has special roads for “Muslims only.” It doesn’t even allow Jews to live there, own property, or even enter the country in most cases. The silence on all the other Middle Eastern countries by people like Salazar and Shenkin, and their constant attacking of Israel, is deafening. Their omission is deceptive.

They like to say that Israel is engaging in apartheid against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, but that is simply ridiculous. First, building a security barrier is not “apartheid”, unless you think separating terrorists from their targeted victims is apartheid. The barrier has greatly reduced terrorist attacks against Israel. Second, Israel doesn’t engage in apartheid against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, because they have no desire to be Israeli citizens. Israel recognizes the right of Palestinians to have a state of their own, all they’ve had to do is make peace with Israel. Whenever Israel has offered land for peace with the Palestinians, it’s received rocket attacks, in attempt to wipe out the Jewish population in the Middle East. You tell me who sounds apartheid.

The only explanations I can think of for their manic obsession to undermine Israel are (1) ignorance, (2) anti-Semitism, or (3) a belief that the only oppression that matters, no matter how small, is that by whites, and any oppression by non-whites, no matter how large, doesn’t matter. The one thing they all have in common: they make for terrible policy.

Ben Rudin, Esq.
Graduate of University of Oregon, and UO Law
Former ASUO Senator

Editor’s Note: If you would like to submit a guest viewpoint, please keep it under 750 words and email it to Emerald opinion editor Andrea Harvey at andreah@dailyemerald.com.

Having heard about Diana Salazar, Evan Shenkin and Students Against Empire and Imperialism writing a letter asking President Gottfredson to oppose the U.S.-Israel Resolution that the ASUO Senate passed, I felt compelled to write this letter. First, to correct the obvious misinformation of the group name, Israel is neither an empire nor imperialist. To say otherwise completely ignores the historical roots that Jews have to that land, and suggests that the Jews came to that land as agents of a foreign power. They didn’t; they returned from countries around the world to seek national self-determination. Never, in the history of the world, has an autonomous Arab or Muslim state been where Israel is; the only autonomous states there, ever, have been Jewish states, three total. Now to modern times…

Let me ask you all which of these principles you agree with:

1. Equal rights for people regardless of sexual orientation?
2. Women are as entitled to every choice and opportunity as a man has?
3. Artists have a right to offend the sensibilities of their audience?
4. Politicians who have committed crimes should be prosecuted by the law?
5. Those accused of a crime have a right to an impartial judge, jury, and appeal?

If you’re like me, you support all those. I then do not understand how others can claim to support all those and be a supporter of social justice, yet speak against the one country in the Middle East that has applied those principles, consistently and ever more broadly: Israel. Now, Israel is not perfect, but I don’t judge a country by its supposed perfection, but by how it deals with its imperfections. If you look at Freedom House’s Freedom of the World Index, the ONLY free country in the Middle East is Israel; Israel is the only country there that respects political rights and civil liberties. Based on the rhetoric people like Evan Shenkin, Diana Salazar, and the rest of Students against Empire and Imperialism use, I’d never guess that.

I don’t get why people like them have complained exclusively, or even primarily, about Israel’s imperfections, and not the plethora of human rights violations that happen EVERYDAY in all the other Middle Eastern countries that are EXPONENTIALLY worse than everything happening in Israel? In Gaza, under Hamas, non-heterosexuals flee for their lives and end up safe in Tel Aviv. Hamas permits no dissent, no free speech, and no freedom of religion. What about the honor killings of women across the Middle East, especially in Egypt and Jordan? What about the prohibition in Jordan on Jews becoming citizens or owning land? What about Iran, where they hang non-heterosexuals? Or Pakistan, where Sikhs have been executed for not converting to Islam?

How can someone support an “apartheid education week” against Israel, without first having one for all the other Middle Eastern countries, starting with Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, women are relegated far below men, and people who advocate women working alongside men are subject to execution. Never mind how Saudi Arabia imprisons non-heterosexuals, and has special roads for “Muslims only.” It doesn’t even allow Jews to live there, own property, or even enter the country in most cases. The silence on all the other Middle Eastern countries by people like Salazar and Shenkin, and their constant attacking of Israel, is deafening. Their omission is deceptive.

They like to say that Israel is engaging in apartheid against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, but that is simply ridiculous. First, building a security barrier is not “apartheid”, unless you think separating terrorists from their targeted victims is apartheid. The barrier has greatly reduced terrorist attacks against Israel. Second, Israel doesn’t engage in apartheid against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, because they have no desire to be Israeli citizens. Israel recognizes the right of Palestinians to have a state of their own, all they’ve had to do is make peace with Israel. Whenever Israel has offered land for peace with the Palestinians, it’s received rocket attacks, in attempt to wipe out the Jewish population in the Middle East. You tell me who sounds apartheid.

The only explanations I can think of for their manic obsession to undermine Israel are (1) ignorance, (2) anti-Semitism, or (3) a belief that the only oppression that matters, no matter how small, is that by whites, and any oppression by non-whites, no matter how large, doesn’t matter. The one thing they all have in common: they make for terrible policy.

Ben Rudin, Esq.
Graduate of University of Oregon, and UO Law
Former ASUO Senator

Editor’s Note: If you would like to submit a guest viewpoint, please keep it under 750 words and email it to Emerald opinion editor Andrea Harvey at andreah@dailyemerald.com.

Dear Emerald Editorial Board,

We are members of the Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team (SWAT), and we talk about sexual violence every day.

We are student leaders in sexual violence prevention and we receive consistent and intensive training around the issue of sexual assault. We found your article in last week’s Emerald, “Let’s End the Silence Now” to be invalidating not only to many forms of consensual sexual relationships, but also to SWAT’s central mission.

Stating that “having group sex with an intoxicated person is a moral crime” and “whether or not it was consensual does not change the fact that (this) is of the lowest character ever recorded by a UO athlete” is an invalidating moral judgment of sexual relationships, and it entirely misses the point of why these players’ alleged behavior was wrong. “Whether or not it was consensual” is actually the only thing that would make these players’ actions a sexual assault. Having intoxicated group sex is not wrong. Having non-consensual sex of any kind is.

It is also important to note that according to Oregon state law statute 163.315, consent cannot legally be given while “mentally incapacitated” — not intoxicated. The line between intoxication and incapacitation is different for everyone, but this line can be crossed. If you find intoxicated group sex to be a “moral crime” because you are under the impression that consent cannot be given when drunk, this is a misconception many students have. We hope that in the future you would look to leaders in sexual violence prevention on campus — such as SWAT — before publishing articles like this.

Additionally, we would like to express our anger over the publication of your and KWVA’s article interviewing the “self-proclaimed witness” at the party. Whether or not this person was at the party, this article seems to exist for no reason other than to discredit and cause people to question the survivor’s story. You quote this “witness” as saying, “I had spoken to her friends about that interaction. They gave their opinions on how she interacts with men typically and it mirrored what she was doing at the time.” The survivor’s behavior around men previous to the assault or even the next day does not “disrupt the evidence” given in the police report; it is completely irrelevant. In fact, using a person’s previous sexual attitudes or desires to determine the validity of their experience is the definition of slut-shaming.

In light of the recent attention this case has been given, we understand why you feel it is important to talk about sexual assault. However, directing focus on this particular case contributes to the likelihood that all attention to sexual assault on our campus will be lost once the case loses the limelight. It is ridiculous for the Emerald to assert that “somebody has to” talk about rape, as though there aren’t numerous campus organizations that do so every day. This is especially insulting considering Take Back the Night was just over two weeks ago. We would like to encourage you to cover more events like these, and get your information from credible sources when addressing issues as sensitive as sexual assault. With this email, we have included our script from SWAT’s performance at Take Back the Night, which addresses the rape culture which we all live in and contribute to. Rather than blaming administration, athletics or these individual players for the prevalence of sexual assault in our community, we must focus on the ways in which we can all change our behavior to create a safer campus.

Because you are such an active voice on campus and a primary source of information for many students, we would like to get on the same page. SWAT conducts educational workshops about sexual assault prevention and healthy sexual relationships, and we feel that this is something that may be appropriate for Emerald staff members if you continue write about these issues.

Sincerely,
Ruchi Mehta
Alexandrea Dionne
Lindsey Brown
Benjamin Davies
Emma Sharp
Emory Babb
Keaton Kell
Cassandra Smith
Brian Steveson
Ayasha Thurman
Patrick Verga
Leah Schluter
Nicholas Ian Rinehart
Whitney Logue
Sarah Nachbar

In light of the Emerald’s anti-sexual violence PSA released on May 12, we at the Siren Magazine, the only feminist publication on campus, feel the need to share our thoughts regarding the video and its implications.

Putting an end to sexual violence requires a radical rethinking of societal institutions and norms; it is not as simple as proclaiming, “Let’s all learn to respect each other,” and proceeding to dance in the streets, as the Emerald staff members do in the PSA. The portrayal of sexual violence as an issue capable of being remedied by little more than respect and positive attitudes is reductive — and rather insensitive. Sexual violence is nothing to dance about, to sing about, or to make more accessible through humor. It is a serious problem and should be treated as such. That said, we feel that this aspect of the video belittles the gravity of survivors’ situations, as well as the efforts of so many students and activists to bring an end to this epidemic.

In addition, we wholeheartedly object to the video’s final image, in which the words “EXPECT MORE” appear on the screen. This message implies that we, as survivors and potential victims, do not expect enough respect from our peers, when the real issue is that our peers, whether intentionally or not, are committing acts of sexual violence. One could hope for a mountain of respect from whomever they encounter, but expectations — as so many survivors know — have little to no effect on perpetrators who are determined to get their way. Essentially, the message encourages survivors and at-risk students to “expect more” respect, rather than encouraging potential perpetrators to give more respect, and this is a subtle form of victim-blaming — an issue that has been especially prominent during recent events.

We at the Siren and the Women’s Center understand that the PSA was conceived with the best intentions in mind. We appreciate your efforts to shed light on an important health issue, and we agree with your assertion that all students should be able to enjoy an environment free of sexual violence and harassment. That being said, we hope the Emerald will seek out and consider the input of Women’s Center staff in the publication’s next endeavor to focus on an issue like this.

In light of the Emerald’s anti-sexual violence PSA released on May 12, we at the Siren Magazine, the only feminist publication on campus, feel the need to share our thoughts regarding the video and its implications.

Putting an end to sexual violence requires a radical rethinking of societal institutions and norms; it is not as simple as proclaiming, “Let’s all learn to respect each other,” and proceeding to dance in the streets, as the Emerald staff members do in the PSA. The portrayal of sexual violence as an issue capable of being remedied by little more than respect and positive attitudes is reductive — and rather insensitive. Sexual violence is nothing to dance about, to sing about, or to make more accessible through humor. It is a serious problem and should be treated as such. That said, we feel that this aspect of the video belittles the gravity of survivors’ situations, as well as the efforts of so many students and activists to bring an end to this epidemic.

In addition, we wholeheartedly object to the video’s final image, in which the words “EXPECT MORE” appear on the screen. This message implies that we, as survivors and potential victims, do not expect enough respect from our peers, when the real issue is that our peers, whether intentionally or not, are committing acts of sexual violence. One could hope for a mountain of respect from whomever they encounter, but expectations — as so many survivors know — have little to no effect on perpetrators who are determined to get their way. Essentially, the message encourages survivors and at-risk students to “expect more” respect, rather than encouraging potential perpetrators to give more respect, and this is a subtle form of victim-blaming — an issue that has been especially prominent during recent events.

We at the Siren and the Women’s Center understand that the PSA was conceived with the best intentions in mind. We appreciate your efforts to shed light on an important health issue, and we agree with your assertion that all students should be able to enjoy an environment free of sexual violence and harassment. That being said, we hope the Emerald will seek out and consider the input of Women’s Center staff in the publication’s next endeavor to focus on an issue like this.