Before the informational video that listed the rights and regulations of those present and the judge appeared, the court room was relaxed. While some members from the Campbell Club chatted, others were quiet. A man from the back of the room yelled out.

“Hey, was the party good?” The laughter was cut off when the man shouted again. “Ain’t nobody answer.”

“It was getting there,” somebody replied.

Earlier this afternoon, 14 attendees of last Friday’s Campbell Club party were arraigned in Eugene’s Municipal Court on charges that ranged from noise disturbances to interfering with a police officer and resisting arrest. Supporters of the arraigned also attended with the overall group filling nearly three-and-a-half rows.

Police initially responded to a noise complaint on Friday night, but officers were surrounded by a crowd of partygoers and unable to talk to any attendees when the crowd retreated into the house and wouldn’t come out until officers attained a warrant.

After obtaining a warrant, police ultimately used force to enter some of the rooms in the house. On Sunday, UO’s Student Insurgent posted images of the damage to the house.

Partygoers dodged the newly approved Social Host Ordinance (PDF), which won’t go into effect until March 2 and will be implemented a month later on April 2, according to The Register-Guard. Police arrested 23 individuals and held 14 at the Lane County Jail.

“We were concerned that if people went outside they would be cited by the police. We were worried that if we opened up the door for people to go outside the police would come in and search our house before the warrant was present,” said Campbell Club resident Lee Andres in an interview with KVAL. 

Pluto The Planet, a local band, was playing Friday night for a benefit for a campus organization, according to a tweet from the band and KVAL. The band later posted about the Eugene Police Department confiscating their instruments and will be on KVAL at 5 p.m. tonight.

If found guilty, the maximum penalty for those charged will be 30 days in jail and a $500 fine for noise disturbances, 100 days in jail and a $1000 fine for the charges of disorderly conduct or harassment, and a year in jail and a $5000 fine for the charges of interfering with a police officer or resisting an officer. Some are facing multiple charges.

Members of the Campbell Club did not wish to comment after the arraignment, but a resident said a press release will be sent out later tonight. Two members have also agreed to do interviews later this week.

Supporters plan to speak before the Eugene City Council on Monday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m., according to an email sent to the Emerald from a resident of the Campbell Club.

This is the year tuition equity passes. Or so many on the University of Oregon campus hope.

One student, Liz Avalos is especially hopeful after witnessing the overwhelming support for the bill at last Wednesday’s legislative hearing in Salem.

“It was just a mix of emotions because I have friends in similar situations,” said Avalos, MEChA’s internal director.

Avalos and a group of around 20 students from MECha, the Oregon Student Association and Oregon Students of Color Coalition attended the hearing. No one in the group testified, but went to show support and pass out tuition equity-themed valentines to representatives and senators.

If approved, the tuition equity bill will allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition as opposed to the international rates that are currently applied to them. In order to be eligible, students are required to have studied in the U.S. for at least five years, attended an Oregon high school for a minimum of three years, graduated and be actively working towards citizenship.

“Tuition equity is not a handout. The bill doesn’t qualify them for state or federal aid,” Avalos said.

Gabriella Morrongiello, an Oregon State University student from California, argued that approving the bill would result in a class-action lawsuit seeking compensation for nonresidents. Morrongiello said that the bill would cause a dramatic increase in the number of people enrolled in Oregon universities and that out-of-state students will be expected to shoulder costs. Those in opposition of the bill complained that they weren’t given enough time to speak.

“For her to say it’s not fair, she chose to go out of state,” said Avalos. “These (undocumented) students are choosing to go to university in their own home state.”

For those interested in attending the University of Oregon, this could make a difference of around $19,395 annually based on the estimated amounts of in-state and nonresident/international tuition for the 2012-13 school year that are listed on the financial aid and scholarships website.

“Every year it’s been getting closer and closer to being passed. This year it’ll be passed in the Senate and House. At least, we hope,” Avalos said.

According to The Oregonian, over 300 people attended the hearing, the majority being supporters of the bill. Avalos said that during the hearing, attendees were separated into different rooms so she didn’t realize how many people (predominantly students) had shown up until everyone went outside to take a group picture.

“Honestly, it should’ve been done 10 years ago. It’s important because right now we’re denying access to students to have a more formal education, and that shouldn’t be the case,” said ASUO senator Lamar Wise.

Wise, former ASUO president Sam Dotters-Katz and several groups including MEChA authored a tuition equity resolution that University Senate will likely vote on sometime this week. According to Wise, in addition to students, a number of faculty members and President Gottfredson are among tuition equity supporters.

“Many people look at tuition equity as granting a privilege to undocumented students. For me, these folks are our equals, so this is not an issue of granting a privilege, it’s about the fact that right now we are withholding a right. This is about equality,” said Dotters-Katz.

Other supporters at the hearing also highlighted the economic benefits of the bill. Betsy Earls, vice president and counsel of Associated Oregon Industries said that the bill would allow businesses to hire locals instead of relying on the out-of-state hiring some companies are currently doing.

“I think that the state of Oregon has already invested a lot of time and money into these students and we should continue with our investments so they can go to college, and after college they can continue to contribute to our society and our community, and the state of Oregon,” said Wise.

Avalos said that beyond economics, the issue isn’t about specific people, but rather a situation they happen to be in. She stressed that many of the students were brought to the U.S. at such a young age that this is the only life and culture they identify with.

“These kids know these country as their own. Just because they don’t have a birth certificate doesn’t make them different,” Avalos said.

Student loans – two ugly words that loom over many students as graduation draws nearer. For some, it makes focusing on anything other than finding jobs or internships nearly impossible, but junior Robert Pace and senior Charley DiBartolomeo have decided to focus less on loans and more on love.

Around a month ago, Pace proposed to DiBartolomeo. The pair had been dating for a year-and-a-half after initially bonding over a black cat named Jasper during an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship prayer meeting.

“I was more anxious (than nervous),” said Pace, on the time leading up to his proposal. “I don’t like hiding things from her – if it’s going to be a surprise I have to hide it, and she could tell I was hiding something so I was just happy to have everything out in the open.”

DiBartolomeo remembers feeling shocked, not because she didn’t want to get married, but because of the weight of what it meant for both of them. Soon after Pace graduates next June, the pair are expecting to tie the knot in Maui, a location chosen to limit the guest list to family and very close friends and because of the couple’s connection to it (Pace has visited before and DiBartolomeo is interested because of her love for marine biology).

“One of my friends took it kind of badly and she was like, ‘why are you engaged now? What’s the rush?’” DiBartolomeo said.

DiBartolomeo points out that there’s a difference between getting engaged and actually being married.

“Her argument was like, ‘if nothing’s going to change, why now?’ and if nothing’s going to change then why not now?’”

So far, the couple have their song and colors (a deep blue, a rich sage green, and gold) picked out, but are holding off on logistics until they visit DiBartolomeo’s sister in April.

“I think then when we’re with my family, we can really sit down and talk about budget, venue – my sister and my mom will just go crazy. I think that’ll be when we really start to plan it out more,” DiBartolomeo said.

Although neither are opting for total extravagance at their wedding, money is still a concern for DiBartolomeo who took out student loans to pay for school. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from a USA Today article from last June, tuition at colleges universities has risen by an average of 7.5 percent a year when inflation averaged 3.3 percent, making it increasingly difficult for students to get out of debt.

“He doesn’t have any student loans out so he’s not in debt. I am, and so the burden of that is lessened a little because we can share that and I really appreaciate that,” said DiBartolomeo. ”But I’m worried because I don’t want to take advantage of anyone. I know my parents want to totally support anything we want, but we both want to contribute to that.”

Despite DiBartolomeo’s concerns, the couple believes things will work out. Pace is currently looking for a job and DiBartolomeo is hoping to find a job in Eugene after graduating to save for their wedding.

“I’m not worried. I know God will provide, and as long as we’re together it doesn’t matter,” said Pace. “We’ll make money.”