The Associated Students of the University of Oregon Senate passed a resolution in October opposing Measure 105, which would remove limits on the resources that state and local law enforcement agencies can use for finding and arresting people whose only suspected crime is violating federal immigration law.

The resolution contends Measure 105 would violate an ASUO Senate resolution from Nov. 2017 that declared the University of Oregon to be a sanctuary campus. It also stated that the measure would instill fear in the thousands of international students and students of color at UO and therefore disrupt their learning environment.

UO students Yomaira Tarula and Hector Gonzalez brought the resolution to the Senate on behalf of M.E.Ch.A. — el Movimiento Estudiantil de Chicanos Aztlán — a student organization that “seeks to provide a feeling of community and security, while increasing the recruitment and retention of Oregon Chicanos in higher education,” according to its website.

Tarula said she knew M.E.Ch.A should do something to oppose Measure 105 and that the Senate’s sanctuary campus resolution provided an entryway for them to receive support from the university.

“I know that us young people really have the power to change a lot for our futures,” said Tarula. “So I was really just trying to think and organize how I can bring that power on campus since we have a huge population of young people that can vote.”

Tarula and Gonzalez first brought a draft of the resolution to ASUO senator Andrea Castillo, who was an intern for M.E.Ch.A last year and served as the Senate sponsor for the resolution. Castillo then worked with fellow senators Montse Mendez and Lupe Partida to prepare the resolution for presentation to the Senate, which unanimously passed it at their meeting on Oct. 24.

“The university Senate said that we are a sanctuary campus,” said Castillo. “So when it came to Measure 105, it was really important for students to be able to come to Senate to say, regardless of what happens, we need to know that you all don’t support taking away that sanctuary state law.”

M.E.Ch.A. invited about 30 UO students whose wellbeing is threatened by the passage of Measure 105 to the Senate meeting. Some of these students carried signs with messages, such as “Immigrants are America” and “No one is illegal. Everyone is equal,” and others spoke to the Senate about how the measure will affect them.

One student stated, “This isn’t a political issue, this is a humanitarian one,” before describing how her father was arrested and forced to stay in an ICE detention office in Washington, even though he had his green card on him. Other students talked about the fear they would experience if Oregon was no longer a sanctuary state, with one student saying, “We don’t want to remain silent, because silence is violence.”

Castillo said she wasn’t aware of the number of students M.E.Ch.A had invited to the meeting and that she was impressed by the large turnout.

“It was really amazing for me to be able to see how many people were willing to be vulnerable, even though they shouldn’t have had to put themselves in a vulnerable position,” she said.

In addition to the Senate’s approval, M.E.Ch.A’s resolution received endorsements from 21 other student groups at UO who represent various minority and international students.

Tarula said that she reached out to these students and student groups because she felt it was important to include other voices in the opposition to Measure 105. She also hoped that the resolution and the work of M.E.Ch.A would encourage more students to take an active role in opposing the measure.

“We’re really trying to empower students to be aware of the issue and do work around it — whether that’s phone banking, canvassing and voting especially,” said Tarula. “I just want to encourage students to really stay informed on issues that don’t directly affect you but affect the rest of the Oregon community. A lot of these ballot measures will affect vulnerable populations who are sometimes unable to vote, so if you have the privilege, use it.”

The post ASUO passes resolution opposing Measure 105 appeared first on Emerald Media.

U.S. political parties outside of Democrat and Republican are marginal with regard to news coverage and representation in national politics; however, some politicians from these parties do hold seats in congress and have major voices in local or regional decisions.

The Emerald has compiled a set of descriptions for non-major parties voters may see in this year’s election.

Constitution Party of Oregon

The Constitution Party positions itself as a Christian political party and nominates candidates who pledge to defend its three principles: one, that God is the ultimate “king, lawgiver and judge of mankind” whose word must be heeded. Two, both church and state must defend and support the institution of “family.” And three, civil government must protect freedom of conscience, private property and “innocent human life from conception to natural death.” The party also believes in restricting federal government powers to only what is granted in the Constitution.

Independent Party of Oregon

The Independent Party bases its platform on the beliefs that the current government is not accountable to ordinary citizens and that politics have become too partisan and corrupted by special interests. It claims to nominate candidates who have the “backing and trust of their local communities.” Some of its platform policies include opposition to inefficient government spending, increasing transparency in the way government operates and spends money, environmental protection from “all types of insult” and improving job training opportunities and education.

Libertarian Party of Oregon

The Libertarian Party claims to be a centrist political party that believes in the “social freedoms espoused by liberals and the economic freedoms espoused by conservatives.” It advocates for policies that limit government’s ability to increase either its spending or its control over social choices that people make. It believes that government is needed in the policing of unwanted force against individuals but that otherwise people should be free in how they live their lives provided that they “do not infringe upon others’ freedom in doing so.”

Pacific Green Party of Oregon

The Pacific Green Party describes itself as a political organization working to support a society based on principles of “peace, sustainability, social and economic justice and grassroots democracy.” Its platform policies aim to establish a “green economy for the 99 percent.” These policies include changing Oregon voting to a ranked choice system like that in Maine, supporting rent control and living wages based on local housing costs, and creating an economy focused on repairing infrastructure and decreasing use of fossil fuels and chemicals.

Oregon Progressive Party

The Progressive Party claims to fight for “economic justice, human rights, environmental protection, and grassroots democracy.” It opposes such things as the influence of large campaign donations in politics, funding for wars and “Wall Street bailouts” and free trade agreements that they feel benefit corporations at the expense of the public. It supports a “Medicare for All” healthcare system, equal rights for all people, tax reform that benefits the middle class, a $15 minimum wage and action to prevent air pollution and climate change.

Working Families Party of Oregon

The Working Families Party states that it aims to build an Oregon “that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and well connected.” It claims to vigorously fight voter suppression and the influence of money in politics. It supports unions and fair working conditions, healthcare for all, more funding for public education and no tuition fees at institutes of higher education, reforming the immigration and criminal justice systems, a state bank that can help small businesses and family farms, and increased taxes for corporations and wealthy individuals.

The above information comes from official party statements in the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet, which can be accessed at https://sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/current-election.aspx

The post The Non-Democrat/Republican Parties on the Ballot appeared first on Emerald Media.

The University of Oregon’s Students for Choice group is hosting a rally on campus against recent Supreme Court appointee Brett Kavanaugh.

The rally is taking place in the EMU amphitheater and will conclude at 6 p.m.

In the event description, the group stated their purpose for holding the rally: “We are standing together to show our community that we are outraged and will not allow this to happen again.”

Sophie Bange, a junior and media studies major at UO, spoke at the rally earlier today.

“We have a duty as human beings to dismantle the systems of power which allow sexual violence to happen and to be unchecked,” said Bange. “We have to channel this anger, and turn it into drive – drive to create and share resources for survivors, and to foster prevention efforts. We need to teach people not to be rapists. If the most powerful people in this country won’t do anything about it, then we have to.”

The post Breaking: Students for choice host rally against Brett Kavanaugh appeared first on Emerald Media.

One evening in late September, a man driving near Junction City, Oregon, was pulled over by a state trooper for committing a traffic violation and shortly thereafter was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants. He was then taken about 15 miles south to the Lane County Corrections Division, where he would await the arrival of officer Adam Lillengreen, a certified drug recognition expert with the University of Oregon Police Department.

Because breathalyzers can only detect the presence of alcohol, police departments nationwide rely on these experts to discern what other drugs might be impairing someone suspected of a DUII.

“When a person is arrested for DUII in non-alcohol or low-alcohol cases, a DRE is called in to conduct a drug influence evaluation,” said Travis Cooper, a DRE with the Eugene Police Department. “This is a 12-step process which includes more field sobriety tests, an interview, a taking of vital signs, pupil measurements and reaction, among other things.”

In order to get his certification as a DRE, Lillengreen had to complete over 100 hours of training and then pass an eight-hour final examination. He is one of only 18 in Lane County, which has a far greater demand for drug evaluations than these officers can keep up with.

“Statewide, and specific to Lane County, we do have difficulty keeping up with the requests,” said Evan Sether, the Oregon DRE state coordinator. “Between normal calls for service, time off, personal days off, etc., there are just not enough DREs to handle every request that comes in across the state.”

Although Lillengreen is a UOPD officer, he estimates that about 85 percent of his drug evaluations are performed on people other than UO students.

The Evaluation

When Lillengreen arrived at the Lane County Corrections Division, he first met with the arresting officer, Heather West with Oregon State Police, who explained that she arrested the suspect because of his sweating, fidgeting, stiff posture, sunken eyes and for being “overly talkative but kind of slow processing things.” Lillengreen then entered the room where the suspect, a man named Chris, was waiting for the drug evaluation.

Lillengreen began by introducing himself and explaining what he would be doing during the evaluation. He also offered Chris some advice.

“The best advice I can give you is to tell the truth always,” Lillengreen told Chris prior to asking about his background, as well as asking some questions to test his cognition.

While Lillengreen was checking the man’s pulse, Chris was able to accurately recall the date, the time and the product of 36 times 2. “That would be 72,” Chris said after a few moments of calculation.

Lillengreen then performed a series of coordination tests, beginning with tossing a small box back and forth with Chris, followed by using a flashlight pen to track abnormalities in his eye movements.

Up next was the Modified Romberg Balance test, in which Chris stood heel to heel, arms at his side, head tilted back and eyes closed. “After 30 seconds has passed, lower your head and open your eyes,” said Lillengreen.

Chris was able to maintain his balance, but his eyes were rapidly fluttering, and he opened them after only 19 seconds.

Chris’s performance on the remaining coordination tests didn’t appear to concern Lillengreen, but a high blood pressure reading of 150 over 108 got the officer’s attention. When asked questions about his blood pressure, Chris provided a winding explanation that raised Lillengreen’s suspicions.

“I just want to reiterate – don’t lie to me,” said the officer.

The pupilometer test was also problematic for Chris. Lillengreen taped a glow in the dark star to the wall before closing the door and flipping the light switch off. After waiting two minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dark, Chris was then told to stare at the star while Lillengreen shined a small flashlight in his eyes and measured his pupil size, which contracted only slightly in response to the light.

Lillengreen concluded his examination by asking questions about Chris’s drug consumption. Chris denied having ever been a drug user and insisted that he was completely sober, but Lillengreen had a different assessment.

Based on Chris’s high blood pressure, rigid posture, rapid eye fluctuations and “way above average” pupil dilation, Lillengreen said that he was making the “call” that Chris was under the influence of a central nervous system stimulant, which can include drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines.

“I’m not on anything,” said Chris. “I want to do a blood and urine test. I want to prove I’m not on anything.”

But according to Lillengreen, Oregon State Police doesn’t take blood samples for suspected DUIIs, and it will take a minimum of six months for the urine sample to be analyzed.

Lillengreen also said he takes into account the “totality of the situation” when writing his report, meaning that he can include more subjective evidence like Chris’s nervousness and the way in which Chris denied using drugs. Sometimes he will change his final evaluation after reviewing all the evidence and realizing that he based his conclusion too much on one thing.

After being led to a portable toilet in the parking lot to provide a urine sample, Chris was issued a citation for DUII by his arresting officer and released. Lillengreen said that even if Chris’s urine sample doesn’t test positive for any substances, the district attorney’s office could still file criminal charges based on the drug evaluation.

The post How local police test for non-alcohol DUIIs appeared first on Emerald Media.

The Chilling Effect

It’s been five years since Pooria Manoochehri immigrated to the U.S. — and five years since he’s seen his parents. Like most university students, Manoochehri would like to head home for a few weeks during winter break, but that option isn’t available to him.

He said that he feels like there is a hole in his heart caused by the separation from his family, and that he struggles to remember the feeling of being with them.

“The sad part is when you forget that feeling,” Manoochehri said. “Retrieving that feeling — that happens the moment you see them. You understand what you’ve been missing for a long time.”

Manoochehri is pursuing his third master’s degree at the University of Oregon and works as a graduate employee in UO’s Division of Equity and Inclusion. He is also from Iran, which is one of the countries subject to the Trump administration’s executive order commonly referred to as the “travel ban.”

Pooria Manoochehri is a graduate employee in UO’s Division of Equity and Inclusion. He was born in Tehran, Iran and immigrated to America in 2013 to begin graduate studies at UO. Manoochehri says he hasn’t seen his family since immigrating and fears that he wouldn’t be able to return to America if he visited them in Iran. (Sarah Northrop/Emerald)

The executive order forbids nationals from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen from entering the U.S.

According to Dennis Galvan, UO vice provost for International Affairs, there are approximately three to four dozen students at the UO from these countries.

The level of travel restrictions varies for each country on the list, ranging from banning all nationals — as is the case for North Korea and Syria — to only banning certain members of government, as is the case for Venezuela.

Although the ban is aimed at barring entry for people the Trump administration deems security threats, it often prevents travel to and from the U.S. for people who pose no threat, including some students, according to Galvan.

“The actual impact of the legally, narrowly constructed ban is one thing, and the chilling effect is another thing,” said Galvan. “With the chilling effect, we have this thing where consular officials — people who issue visas at embassies worldwide — are told to be extra cautious and exercise more scrutiny. And then we have students from non-travel ban countries who are being denied visas for reasons we don’t really have any clue about.”

Galvan says the extra scrutiny from consular officials causes long visa delays for students who have been accepted into American schools, regardless of the country they’re from.

“That’s happening more than it used to, and we’re seeing a few students, after they get into this delayed processing, being denied a visa,” he said.

Galvan explained that UO’s Office of International Affairs has limited abilities to help students experiencing visa problems in other countries, and that the consular officials who review applications may deny them for reasons that aren’t clear. In these cases, UO can contact Oregon congressional members who can then lobby State Department officials to help approve a student’s visa application.

UO also created the Travel Ban Student Relief Fund to provide assistance to those “who demonstrate financial need based on impacts caused by the executive order.”  

Building a Bridge

Manoochehri fears that if he were to visit his family in Iran, he wouldn’t be able to get the student visa necessary to return. And if his parents tried to visit him, they would have to go through an arduous and expensive tourist visa application that could also end in denial, as some of his friends are painfully aware.

“I have a friend who got married without his parents being here and a friend who gave birth to her child without their parents present,” Manoochehri said. “These are things that nobody wants to miss, and it’s heartbreaking for people to be put in these positions.”

To alleviate the pain of being separated from his parents, Manoochehri tries to focus on completing his studies and gaining employment sponsorship for either a green card or work visa, which he hopes may one day lead to U.S. citizenship.

“There’s a lot of logic like — in the future I can be a bridge for them to come over here and live a better life,” he said.

But this path toward citizenship is a lengthy and uncertain process, which leaves Manoochehri in a difficult situation; he doesn’t know if all his time and effort will eventually allow him to reunite with his parents in the U.S.

“I wish it wasn’t me deciding between staying because, for five years, I’ve tried and tried hard, and built this life that I have,” he said. “It’s a huge decision.”

A Controversial Order

On Jan. 27, 2017, President Donald Trump issued the first version of the travel ban, officially titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.”

The ban prompted numerous lawsuits that challenged its constitutionality, based on litigants’ beliefs that it targeted Muslims.

In a UO press release published two days later, UO President Michael Schill condemned the travel ban and offered support to students.

“If you feel vulnerable and unwanted because of the U.S. president’s actions, please know that you are welcome and appreciated at the UO,” Schill wrote.

Manoochehri said he has felt welcome for most of his time at UO, but that he and his friends have experienced incidents of racism since the travel ban was issued.

While on campus this September, Manoochehri was headed to his last class of the day when an elderly man passed by and asked, “When are you guys going to go home?” Manoochehri told him, “Well, at 5 p.m.,” and the man replied, “Well I hope Trump sends you sooner than that.”

To which Manoochehri said, “Well I hope Trump talks to my teacher and she releases us sooner. That would be fantastic.”

Although he responded to the remarks with humor, Manoochehri was still hurt by the interaction.

“It’s not cool – you feel alienated in a second,” he said. “It washes away all the good things you see in this city and especially on campus, and you face the reality that’s out there.”

After months of protests, continued legal challenges in appellate courts and subsequent modifications to the travel ban, the Supreme Court allowed the executive order to go into full effect on Dec. 4, 2017, and upheld it in a 5-4 ruling on June 26 of this year.

Some UO students agree with the Supreme Court’s decision.

At a meeting of UO’s College Republicans, a few group members weighed in on the travel ban and its effects on international students. While they did express sympathy toward students who are struggling to immigrate to the U.S., they said they felt the travel ban is a justified security measure.

“I do think that the travel ban is a great tool for national security,” said Michael Kraan, the group’s treasurer. “It allows us to screen people who are coming to this country better, and it’s really hard to vet people from war-torn countries like Syria. I’m sure that there probably are some good students from those countries that get caught up in the process, but that’s kind of the price you have to pay for security.”

The Price

The U.S. remains the top destination country for international students, with a total enrollment of about 1.1 million, but an Institute of International Education survey of 522 higher education institutions showed a nearly 7 percent decline in international student enrollment in fall 2017.

Compared to 2016, when international enrollment decreased 3.3 percent from the prior year, survey participants were more likely to attribute declines in enrollment to “visa delays and denials, the costs of U.S. higher education and the U.S. social and political climate.”

At UO, 2,303 international students are enrolled for the 2018 fall term, a decrease of about 15 percent from a year ago.

(Regan Nelson/Emerald)

Galvan said there are multiple factors for decreases in international enrollment, including a strong U.S. dollar and slow economic growth in China, where a majority of UO international students are from. But he added that it still “stands to reason that U.S. immigration policy is part of it.”

While international students add billions of dollars each year to the U.S. economy, they can also receive significant investments from state and federal governments.

Manoochehri said that he has never paid tuition at UO due to scholarships and his graduate employee positions.

“This is an investment that the university, the state and the government in general have made on me studying and becoming a professional,” said Manoochehri. “And this travel ban and the whole drama it’s bringing, it makes me want to just leave this country.”

He noted that this sentiment is shared by many other international students he has spoken with.

“It’s not only me,” said Manoochehri. “It’s all the other people that are getting degrees here that are thinking about leaving because of a sort of betrayal feeling — like I came here, I’m paying taxes, I’m trying to become a professional, and I hope to get a job, and give back. And why would you want to deny one of my human rights to be with my family?”

The post A Broken Bridge: How the travel ban is affecting international students appeared first on Emerald Media.

Tip Whip, a ridesharing service that caters to college students, plans to begin operating
at the University of Oregon by the time fall classes start on Sept. 24.

Unlike other ridesharing services such as Lyft and Uber, Tip Whip is intended to only be used by college students. To begin using either the passenger or driver app, users must register their account with a .edu college email address.

Tip Whip’s payment system is also unique among ridesharing services. Rather than
being charged fares for rides, passengers set tip amounts for drivers who can
then choose whether or not to accept the pickup request.

In recognition of the strong demand for ridesharing services in the area, the Eugene City Council voted in April to amend transportation regulations that had long kept Lyft and Uber from operating in Eugene. Both companies started services in Eugene this week, with Lyft launching yesterday, Sept. 5 followed by Uber’s launch today.

Tip Whip CEO Spencer Wood said that he doesn’t believe his company will encounter the same problems faced by other ridesharing services because Tip Whip drivers do not collect fares and it has a history of successful operations at other universities. He also said that Tip Whip has not contacted city officials or applied for a transportation network license to operate in Eugene.

“As of right now we haven’t had any regulation problems at any of our universities,” said Wood. “If the city feels like we’re not following their rules and regulations they will contact us.”

The Emerald contacted the city of Eugene’s business license program to clarify how regulations might affect Tip Whip. A city official stated that regardless of how payments are collected from passengers, a company operating as a transportation network would need to acquire a license or face up to $2,000 in fines per day.

The official also stated that drivers of public passenger vehicles must be at least 21 years old, which prevents most undergraduate students from driving for Tip Whip or any transportation network company in Eugene.

UO spokesperson Tobin Klinger said he is unaware of any contact between Tip Whip and UO, but that the university is open to working with them.

“We’re currently connected with Uber to identify pick-up locations and would certainly be willing to work with other ride-share programs,” said Klinger.

Wood started Tip Whip in January 2014 at the University of Maine, where he had graduated from the previous year. Over the past two years the company has expanded to campuses around the U.S., and UO is the first college on the west coast it plans to operate at.

The post A ridesharing service for college students says it’s coming to UO appeared first on Emerald Media.

Update at 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5: Lyft announced that it will be launching services in Eugene today at 10 a.m., according to a press release from the ridesharing company. The press release stated that Lyft partnered with the University of Oregon athletics department and Oregon IMG Sports Marketing to arrange for The Duck to take the inaugural ride from the Eugene Hilton to Autzen Stadium.

—

The popular ridesharing service Lyft filed an application on Friday afternoon for an operating license with the city of Eugene.

The Register-Guard first reported the news on Monday.

According to the report from the Register-Guard, Lyft had recently indicated they were not planning on launching services in Eugene but quickly changed course following the announcement that their ridesharing competitor Uber would begin operating in Eugene on Sept. 6.

This will mark the first time Lyft has offered services in Eugene after years of being deterred by city regulations it deemed too burdensome. Earlier this year, the Eugene City Council voted to amend these regulations to make them more suitable for ridesharing services.

Todd Kelsay, Lyft’s Pacific Northwest general manager, issued the following press statement about Lyft’s arrival to Eugene.

“Eugene is the largest city in Oregon without ridesharing,” Kelsay wrote. “With school starting up again, Lyft is working closely with the City to bring ridesharing to Eugene so that people can get where they need to go more easily, drivers can enjoy more earning opportunities, and local businesses can benefit from increased economic activity.”

Lyft has not yet announced a day they plan to start services in Eugene and their application with the city is still being reviewed for approval.

In the meantime, drivers interested in working for Lyft can attend on-boarding sessions this week at the Eugene Hilton, located at 66 E 6th Ave. The sessions will be held this Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mechanics will also be at these sessions to perform free vehicle inspections for potential drivers. More information about becoming a Lyft driver is available here.

To commemorate its Eugene launch, Lyft is offering the promotional code LYFTEUG to all new and existing Lyft users. The code gives users a $5 discount on three rides and will be redeemable as soon as Lyft starts services in Eugene.

The post [Updated] Lyft to launch services in Eugene today appeared first on Emerald Media.

At the age of 22, comedian and Eugene native Max Brockmann began performing stand up comedy as a way to overcome social anxiety and depression. He was also dealing with an ongoing struggle with substance abuse problems, which continued for several years before he made a commitment to change and received some importance advice from people in the recovery community. 

“About six years into doing comedy I decided to attempt to stay sober, and I was advised to keep a sobriety journal of my experience,” said Brockmann. “I started writing in both my joke journal and my sobriety journal, until they both eventually started to bleed together.”

In June, Brockmann released his first stand up album, “Normal Within Reason,” which primarily features material that emerged from his blended joke and sobriety journals. That same month, he also started a stand up comedy show called “Sober Thoughts – A Recovery Showcase.”

“My goal was to start a monthly comedy show at a comedy venue targeted for people in recovery,” said Brockmann. “That way people in recovery would have the option to go to a traditional comedy show that they could feel comfortable at.”

Eugene stand up comedian Max Brockmann performs at Capital City Theater in Salem, Oregon. Brockmann is hosting “Sober Thoughts – A Recovery Showcase” this Friday night at The Drake Bar in downtown Eugene. (Courtesy of Chad Johnson)

Brockmann will be hosting the third edition of Sober Thoughts this Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Drake Bar in downtown Eugene. The show will be headlined by comedian Darin Thompson of Salem, and will also feature Eugene comedian Mike McGowan.

Thompson met Brockmann several years ago at Oregon’s Funniest Comedian Competition, and the two have been friends ever since.

“He is a great guy and a super funny comedian,” said Thompson. “He asked me if I would do the sober show a couple months ago and I gladly said yes.”

Thompson, who recently performed at a state prison as well as the Carson Nugget casino in Nevada, has found that substance abuse issues are a common and unfortunate reality for many comedians. Observing his peers go through these struggles has motivated him to stay on a different path.

“I have always done comedy sober, and feel sad when I see other comedians with so much skill and talent trade it all in for their addiction,” said Thompson. “I think seeing this story happening over and over again has strengthened my conviction to stay sober.”

Brockmann acknowledged that while addiction is a serious issue, Sober Thoughts is meant to be more of a “way for people who suffer from it to laugh at and about it than a serious look at it.” He also said he was very pleased with the responses to the first two shows, and urged anyone who’s interested to attend.

“The best part of putting this show on so far has been meeting people who share the same issues,” said Brockmann. “Recovery is inherently a group social activity, which is not so far off from live comedy. Anyone is welcome to come watch sober thoughts, sober or not.”

The Drake Bar is located at 77 W. Broadway Ave. in downtown Eugene and is open every day from 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. For information about other upcoming stand up comedy shows in the area, check the Eugene Comedy Scene Facebook page.

The post ‘Sober Thoughts’ – local stand up comedians find humor in staying sober; this Friday at The Drake Bar appeared first on Emerald Media.

With wildfires now burning throughout much of southern Oregon and the western U.S., the threat of smoke-filled air will be looming over Lane County in the days and weeks to come.

Smoke-filled air poses a health threat due to the fine particulate matter it contains, which according to the Environmental Protection Agency can cause health problems such as irritated eyes, reduced lung functioning, bronchitis and exacerbation of cardiovascular or respiratory disorders. Populations who are especially vulnerable to smoke exposure include children, pregnant women and the elderly.

One of the simplest ways people can prevent some of these health risks is by wearing a respirator mask. However, there are many different types of respirator masks suited for different purposes and improper wearing of the masks can drastically reduce the protection they provide.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a federal agency within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommends using respirators that are classified as N95 level or higher. “N95” refers to the filter class of the respirator, with 95 indicating that the respirator will filter out at least 95 percent of airborne particles. More detailed information about NIOSH and the different classifications of respirators can be found here.

N95 respirators are widely available for purchase online as well as at pharmacies, general stores such as Fred Meyer and home improvement stores such as True Value. Because local supplies of respirator masks may quickly run out in the event of intense smoke penetration, it’s advisable to purchase them in advance of such an event.

To ensure proper wearing of masks, consult this pictorial guide created by NIOSH. Common mistakes include putting masks on upside down and not checking to make sure there is a proper seal around your airways.

Although respirator masks can be used more than once, the stress placed on the masks by reuse can cause their safety performance to decrease over time. One study found that more than five uses of certain N95 respirators resulted in impaired fits for the masks, thereby leaving the wearer more exposed to harmful elements.  

The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency website provides up-to-date information on the county’s air quality. Additionally, the Real-Time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon is a multi-layered map with information about ongoing wildfires, road closures, shelters and much more.

The post How to limit exposure to wildfire smoke this summer appeared first on Emerald Media.

Game Pub in downtown Eugene will once again be hosting Nerd Art Night this Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

Nerd Art Night, which Game Pub hosts once every two months, features pop culture artwork and jewelry made by local artists and is part of Eugene’s monthly First Friday ArtWalk. 

Tommy Harbour is one of the local artists whose work will be featured, and he’s also responsible for organizing Nerd Art Night.

“The event is to feature local arts that focus on pop culture as the mainstay of their work,” Harbour said. “I try to find artists that add their unique voice to the event both in style and how they present their work.” 

Artwork by Tommy Harbour, organizer of Nerd Art Night at Game Pub.

Other local artists to be featured include Harbour’s wife, Kelli Harbour-Byers, Jesse Tannehill, The Steel Web, Stuck on Pop Culture, Karrashi Art and Kylea Phillips. 

Because Game Pub also serves alcohol, Nerd Art Night will be restricted to those 21 and older. Drink specials will include $4 Jameson, $4 Fireball, and $5 Jaegerbombs. 

DJ Cheezus will be playing music throughout the event, and guests are welcome to play for free any of the arcade and video games available at Game Pub. Past Nerd Art Nights have also featured cosplay contests, and although there won’t be a contest at this Friday’s event, some guests may still choose to dress up.

Game Pub is located at 881 Willamette St. and is open every day from 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Game Pub in Downtown Eugene (Dana Sparks/Emerald)

The post Nerd Art Night returns to Game Pub in downtown Eugene this Friday appeared first on Emerald Media.