A student research group with the department of geography at the University of Oregon is using a small remote control flying robot to snap photos of rivers and mark how they change over time.

The River Group, or “River Rats,” works with members of the geography department on river restoration and is comprised of five active student members, Aaron Zettler-Mann, a UO student associate with River Rats, said. The unmanned aerial vehicle that the group uses takes still images of rivers throughout Oregon.

The photos from the UAV can be used to create 3D models of the area. The DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter is controlled similar to a toy remote control helicopter, Zettler-Mann said.

“It’s kind of video game-like, it’s entertaining,” Zettler-Mann said.

The UAV is the newest tool the River Group has to collect data from rivers. In addition to UAVs, the group uses rafts, painter’s poles and heli-kites for their various projects, Mark Fonstad, a group adviser, said.

UAV’s have replaced much of the work done by the balloon-like heli-kite, as it offers more control and is easier to use, but has not fully replaced it as the UAV has a battery life of only 15 minutes, Fonstad said.

The device is owned and operated for recreational purposes by Zettler-Mann who decided to purchase it to share collected data with the group until they had the resources to use one of their own. Zettler-Mann was surprised to find the $1,300 UAV at a local Best Buy.

3D topographical maps can be produced from video and photos collected from UAVs and heli-kites. These 3D models of rivers can be used to see how rivers change and develop over time and can run simulations on heavy rain and floods, Fonstad said. Such a feat has been made possible by software and computer advances.

“In the past it would have taken equipment that would have taken tens of thousands [of dollars] to do exactly that. Today we can do it for free, or almost free,” Fonstad said.

Using UAV’s has become a reality for the River Group and many research groups on campus. As they have become easier to control the technology has become cheaper over the years, Fonstad said. What was $10,000 five years ago is $1,000 today.

In addition to mapping out the landscape of rivers, the River Group also monitors the effects of dams and water quality on rivers.

To see UAVs in action, Aerial Technology International is hosting a demonstration Nov. 11 at the quad between Knight Library and Lillis on campus from 12 to 3 p.m. More information is located here.

The group has visited six rivers so far this year and has no plans of slowing down any time soon, Fonstad said.

“UAVs are amazing. They offer cheaper more efficient ways to conduct sensing in any type of sensing work,” Christina Shintani, a student member of the River Group, said.

Examples of the group’s work are located here.

A new schedule building tool called Schedule Builder is going to be added to DuckWeb Friday, Oct. 30 at eight a.m.

The tool allows students to create a schedule template for classes they wish to register for the following term. Students can also use the tool to block out time slots for other activities, according to a press release from the University of Oregon.

Schedule Builder can take a student’s desired courses  and produce a multitude of class schedule options. Students can block out time for extracurricular activities such as breaks, study time, jobs, and athletics so they don’t interfere with their classes.

The tool also can help maximize credit hours each term and can give students alternatives when a course is unavailable or full during term registration.

Students can demo the software from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the EMU the day it launches.

More information here.

Two suspects have been sentenced to the 2012 assault of two current UO members of the Track and Field team, according to a press release from Oregon State Police.

Hayden Ray Tabor(age 22) and Matthew Logan McKinney (age 22) plead guilty in a Douglas County Circuit Court to throwing a rock off the Isadore Road overpass at a car that injured UO student Molly Grabill(age 20) and Chris Brewer(age 19).

The baseball sized rock was thrown at the Grabill’s car as it drove down freeway the on November 26, 2012 at 10:40 p.m. As she began to lose control of the vehicle, Brewer took control of the wheel and was able to guide the car to a stop.

Grabill suffered facial injuries and was transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend in Springfield for treatment. Brewer was also transported to Sacred Heat for minor injuries relating to the crash. Grabill was released from the hospital after two days.

Tabor plead guilty to two counts of Assault in the 3^rd degree, two counts of Reckless Endangering, and Throwing an Object off an Overpass, and Criminal mischief in the 1^st degree. He was sentenced to three months of probation.

McKinney plead guilty to two counts of Assault in the 2^nd, 3rd, and 4^th degree, Reckless Endangering, Throwing an Object Off an Overpass and Criminal Mischief in the 1^st degree. He was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison.

A new app developed by the University of Oregon’s Center for Teaching and Learning plans to help students who struggle with measurement and data analysis.

The app is funded with the help of a $3 million National Science Fund grant.

It is part of a larger program being developed by CTL that will primarily provide elementary school teachers with a new tool in education, Chris Doabler an Assistant Researcher Professor and project lead, said.

“The whole goal is to set them (students) back on track for math success,” Doabler said.

The project, referred to as a math intervention, will contain ten weekly lessons and requires 30 minutes of instruction aimed at first and second grade students. These book lessons are used by teachers in addition to their standard daily lesson. The app, used by students on tablet computers, will help students organize data and display charts and graphs, Kathy Jungjohann, a Research Assistant, said.

“There’s a lot of like, stuff out there, apps and games and stuff out there, stuff you can do with technology that’s shinny and cool, but isn’t really educational,” Jungjohann said about other apps geared towards children.

The way math is taught in the core curriculum program today only addresses the needs of 80 to 90 percent of learners, Doabler said. The new intervention will help the 10 to 30 percent of students who struggle or are at risk at falling behind in math an focuses on statistics and data analysis.

“This, I believe, is a new area of research for students,” Doabler said.

The team of five core researchers on the project have currently developed one book lesson so far involving a statistical investigation, Jungjohann said. In the lesson, kids are taught to pose a question, make a plan to solve that question, collect data, represent the data, analyze data and finally answer their question. The app’s goal is to help kids learn vocab terms in addition to charting and graphing their collected data.

“[It’s] taking something that’s engaging and tricking them into doing math,” Nancy Nelson, Research Assistant Professor, said about the app.

The project is the third math intervention developed by CTL that involves a digital app. The last program, called Number Shire, focused on whole numbers and is what the idea for the new project stemmed off of, Nelson said.

The developmental phase for the project will take anywhere between 3 to 5 years. Once all the lessons are written, the program will be tested in 20 to 30 classrooms at each grade level in the local area and if successful, expanded to even more classrooms, Doabler said.

“We’re really committed to finding ways to support kids development in the area of mathematics so they can be successful,” Jungjohann said.

A shooting left one dead and three wounded after a confrontation between two groups of students in a parking lot at Northern Arizona University.  Steven Jones, an 18-year-old freshman at NAU, was taken into custody without incident, according to the New York Times.

Jones has been charged with first-degree murder and three felony counts of aggravated assault, according to the Washington Post.

The wounded students include Nicholas Prato, Nicholas Piring, and Kyle Zientek. Colin Brough, another student from NAU, was killed. All four victims were a part of the same fraternity, Delta Chi, and are being treated at Flagstaff Medical Center, according to the New York Times.

The incident occurred sometime after 1 a.m. and took place near Mountain View Hall on campus.

This is the second college campus shooting in eight days, with the last being the recent shooting at Umpqua Community College.

Umpqua Community College President Rita Cavin held a press conference on Oct. 5 to update the public on the university’s plans to move forward from the shooting that took place on campus last week.

The UCC campus re-opened today, but classes are not expected to resume until next week. Students are now able to return to their classrooms to collect what they left behind during the evacuation.

“I’m sure that we will be back and ready to be what we need to be by Monday. Maybe not by Tuesday, maybe not by Wednesday, but by Monday we’ll be ready to go,” Cavin said.

Dr. Christine Seals spoke on behalf of Umpqua Health Alliance, which is one of several groups that are involved in efforts to assist the community.  Seals said that one of her children is a student at UCC. Through the rest of this week, the organization will be providing services including meeting with individuals to talk over their reactions.

Support has come from all corners of the community. Cavins said that a group of the campus neighbors had arranged for therapy dogs to provide comfort for individuals.

Seals emphasized the need for the community to continue working together to heal.

“Alone, like a single pencil, we can be broken. Together, like a bunch of pencils, we are strong. Our student and faculty, today, are stronger as they come together and share,” she said.

Jan Woodcock, a UCC professor, also spoke of her experience during the shooting and delivered a message composed by UCC faculty to the community and the nine victims of the shooting.

“Your lives have gone far from our classrooms now, your names are known by millions, we celebrate the light you have brought to our world. As your dreams take flight with you now, know that they will also live on in us, and with all of those you love you. We carry you with us always, your facility,” Woodcock said.  

Students will plan a vigil to give time for the families of the victims to say goodbye, Carvin said.

Two Umpqua Community College shooting victims remain in critical condition and one is in stable condition, medical officials said during a press conference at Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend on Friday morning.

It is unknown when they will leave the hospital, but all three patients are expected to survive.

The three patients, all of whom are women, were transferred yesterday from Mercy Hospital via LifeFlight in Roseburg, said Riverbend trauma surgeon Dr. Scott Russi.

The first patient arived at 1 p.m. yesterday. A total of 63 medical personnel worked on the patients.

Although all patients are expected to survive, one patient with a gun shot wound to the head may not be able to speak or understand language, Russi said.

One of the patients who was shot in the spine and was awake upon arrival showed she was emotionally disturbed by the events that transpired, Russi said.

All three patients will receive psychological counseling for emotional trauma. The two patients in critical condition are still in the Intensive Care Unit. The patient in stable condition is now in the medical ward.

On Wednesday, Sept. 23 a party on University Street was dispersed by the Eugene Police Department. One University of Oregon student was arrested and three others were cited. Three students received a Minor in Possession.

The Friday before school starts marks the beginning of the Eugene Police Department (EPD) party patrols and increased lookout for alcohol and drug violations in the West and South Univeristy areas, according to a press release from the EPD.

This is the EPD’s response to the phenomenon known across campuses nationwide as the Red Zone. The Red Zone is a period of six to eight weeks at the start of the school year where there is an increased amount alcohol and sexual violations among students.

During this time, many students drink to excess, but hesitate to call for help if things get out of hand. What many don’t know is that in 2014, a new law known as Medical Amnesty was put into State Legislation to address this fear, Jenn Summers, the Director of Substance Abuse and Student Success at UO (SASS) explained. If you, or another individual seek medical attention for an alcohol related incident and are under the legal drinking age, you will not be charged for a Minor in Possession but are not exempt from any other laws. Summers hopes that the law will encourage more students to call 9-1-1 when they need to.

“If you even contemplate once, if it even enters your brain, do it,” Summers said.

Although the student conduct code at UO hasn’t been updated with procedure for the law, UOPD and school staff abide by Medical Amnesty. The law was only passed over a year and a half ago and is only in effect in seventeen states. The ASUO is currently attempting to change this and make it officially a part of school regulation, Helena Schlegel, ASUO President said.

The 2014 Clery Report, an annual report on security and safety compiled by the University of Oregon under the Clery Act, showed that In 2013, one third of liquor and drug violations recorded were reported during the Red Zone in the months of October and November, Kelly McIver, Communications Director and Public Information Officer for the University of Oregon Police Department said. Half of 2013’s recorded sex offenses also occurred during that same time frame.

The reasons for the crime increase in the students vary. Summers said these reasons include: students being in a new environment, being away from home for the first time and experimenting with drugs and alcohol.

The EPD put forward a substantial amount of effort to educate students on the dangers of binge drinking and prevent sexual assault, said Summers and Kerry Frazee, the Director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education at UO (SAPE).

“A lot of students have an expectation of what college is like and Jenn, myself, and many more in the division of student life are trying to combat that,” Frazee said.

Many students don’t seek help in cases of alcohol poisoning for either themselves or for others, out of fear of being written up for a minor in possession (MIP), said Summers.

In order to avoid drunk driving, for those who choose to drink during the Red Zone or anytime while around campus, Rideshare is an alternative that will take students home who are intoxicated, explained Kevin Dobyns, the Director of Finance for Safe Ride. This UO program is not however an alternative for a medical transport and will refer all those who seek medical attention to the University of Oregon Police Department (UOPD).

The UO has instituted many programs and policies in order to decrease alcohol related violations on campus. One program is the website, Alcohol.edu which all incoming freshman and transfer students are required to participate in. The purpose of the site is to educate students about the pros and cons of alcohol usage and how to help those who may be suffering from alcohol poisoning, explained Summers. The program is split into two parts. The first section takes place before school begins and the second is completed several weeks after the start of the term. This allows SASS to collect vast amounts of data from students.

The data collected from the Alcohol.edu has indicated a decrease of high risk drinkers on campus from 36 percent of first year students to 29 percent in 2014. Summers says that the site has played a major role in this decrease.

SAPE has a crisis intervention hotline which students can call for support and guidance for victims of sexual assault. 541-346-SAFE will get you in touch with counselors who can send a person to meet with survivors any time of the day within twenty minutes, something which Frazee says is rare but necessary for a university to have.

It doesn’t cost anything for a medical professional to come and examine you and they will determine on site whether or not you need to seek further medical attention at a hospital.

The UO also puts on an event where volunteers go door-to-door in the area around campus to welcome students to the community to discuss school policy and regulations. The event, known as UO Community Welcome, will take place Tuesday, Sept. 29, explained Sheryl Eyster the Associate Dean of Students in a press release.

“You want to make sure you’re meeting students where they’re at, on campus and in the surrounding area,” said Summers when referring to the UO Community Welcome.

The Red Zone is also a result of new students who are unaware of school policy. Students from other states or countries may not know school or state policies. This is why UO and the Dean of Students Office have programs in place relating to the Red Zone. One such program from SAPE aims to build off of what students learn during IntroDUCKtion and the freshman sexual assault education site Haven.

Get Explicit 101 is a new program to help reduce sexual violence during the Red Zone and on campus. The program holds a total of 80 workshops for the incoming freshman living in the residence halls which is required for them. Residence Hall Advisors will inform them which session they are to attend, Frazee said. The program will discuss healthy sexuality, boundaries, consent and the role of power and privilege in sexual violence.

“The most important thing is that we are wanting to make a safe and healthy environment and we want students to have a role in building the campus community,” Frazee said about the aims of the program.

For those incoming students this fall term during the Red Zone, Summers has some words of advice.

“Be safe. Know your rights and responsibilities, know the laws and always look out for your friend.”

Follow Eric Schucht on Twitter @EricSchucht

“Wait, you live there?”

“Yeah, what’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing man, except if totally sucks.”

“Well, I like it. I mean, it is my home.”

This is the jest of what happens whenever the whereabouts of my current residence pops up in a conversation. Bean East is one of several dorms on campus, but it gets a bad rap.

There are many stereotypes and connotations about living in this place, and I hope to dispel, or at least explain, some of them for the general audience. Some dorms on campus come with a stereotype. Barnhart is full of student athletes, while Global Scholars has all the smart rich kids.

Bean, or as some people call, “The Dirty Bean,” is perceived as run down, old and one of the worst places to live on campus. After living here for the entirety of my freshman year, I learned that while the rumors aren’t entirely true, there is a bit of truth to them.

Bean East is the conjoined twin of Bean West located on the eastern side of campus. Both are well known for being (or at least looking like) some of the oldest dorms on campus. And it doesn’t help that the brand new giant-mega dorm known as Global Scholars (GSH) is across the street, mocking us with their awesomeness.

GSH has more people, its own dining area with a café, a library with its own printer, countless study rooms, a giant room where they put on events and even have classes there and an elevator.

Once, I got the chance to go up into one of their student lounges that people use to study and it’s amazing. I’m not sure if someone left their X-Box there or if all of them come with one, but I am certainly jealous. Plus, they have a TV! My hall in Bean (Parsons) didn’t get a TV in our lounge until winter term. And when were finally were going to get one, they gave it to another hall last minute and we had to another hall and we had to wait another two weeks to get one.

It was like your parents got you a car for your birthday but then gave it to your neighbor instead.

Bean gets a bad rap for looking like a prison, and the similarities are uncanny. In both Beans, there is a central court yard, two outside metal gates, and several concrete walls, a creepy basement that connects the two, and the entire rectangular blocky shape of the buildings looks ominously like it’s trying to keep you trapped inside.

For a while there was a rumor going around that the guy who designed Bean also made prisons.

In addition to that notoriety, my hall of Parsons is a wellness hall and I have no idea what that means. In fact, no one knows what that means. People seem to think that we all exercise together or something. I actually heard a girl say that once.

And a part of me wishes that was true, that we all had some in common like fitness, but we’re just a bunch of regular college students. Everything you’d expect a college student to be doing has already been done here. So there’s nothing “well” about this place.

Even though I missed having a TV, the fact that we didn’t have one meant that everyone socialized and talked to each other instead. And not having food or a mail box wasn’t that bad.

For me, it gave me a chance to get out of my room and take a stroll around campus. Bean doesn’t have food and isn’t in the center of campus, so few people pass by here and it is relatively quiet (aside from the occasional drunken chanting on weekend nights).

Bean East may not be perfect, but for a time, it was my home. While the small dorm room I shared for eight months with a total stranger never truly felt like home, I treated it as such.

I respected it along with whoever shared it with me.  Dorm life was an interesting experience and while it wasn’t perfect, it was memorable. At the very least, it motivated me to study and to go get a decent apartment.

It’s not every day that you get kicked in the nuts by a priest, in fact, I think I’m one of a few that can say that. No, it wasn’t on purpose, nor the fact that he was a religious figure had anything to do with it. A coincidence I find amusing.  It happened back in fall term when I took a martial class. Being new to college, I wanted to take a class that was really out there for me, and Jeet Kune Do fit the bill.

JKD is a type of fighting heavily influenced by the philosophy of action star Bruce Lee. It isn’t like Judo or Taekwondo where there is a set of rules and participants can score points off of each. JKD is used strictly for self-defense with the main tactic used being thumbing the eye of the enemy, causing them to either lose their vision or attempt to block you.

It’s a natural response to protect your eye, so this action naturally creates an opening. At this point, you’re supposed to kick them in the genitals and this apparently is a weak spot for both girls and guys. You could also head butt, punch, or do all sorts of moves.

The class was small, about 14 total, and we met twice a week. As corny as this sounds, I actually gave nicknames to everyone there. I say them out loud, oh no. It was more of a game I used to preoccupy myself as we ran laps and did stretches for warm ups. Some of the ones I can still remember were: Yoga, a guy who was extraordinarily flexible, Tai Chi, a guy who always warmed himself up with monk like hand motions, and The Towel, a guy who brought a towel to every class to wipe off his sweat.

Overall, the class was very nice and friendly. Yoga, Olympia, Judo, Junior, The Gentleman (always dressed up for class) and The Thespian (guy who always made dramatic looking faces when throwing his punches) had all clearly done a fighting class before and made me feel very out of shape in comparison. Even though I was nowhere in their league, they were all helpful and gave me tips and pointers on how to throw a good punch or kick without becoming off balanced.

Most of the classes involved the teacher demonstrating a kick or punch and then us going off and attempting to replicate it. We would then pair up and practice on one another. Sometimes we would have boxing gloves and would jab at one another. Junior was so good that on many occasions he would punch my gloves right off my hands.

Each week we would focus on a different fighting technique. We did punching, kicking, head butting, tackling, staff and knife using. The knife unit was the best because we got to use wooden dowels as fake knifes and hit the other person on their boxing gloves. The guy I was matched with was clever and brought hockey gloves, which allowed him to switch which hand his dowel was in and got the upper hand.

Another fun story was this one time where we were practicing tackling and I was paired up with a giant. It was easy for him to bring me to the ground but the reverse was harder, not because he was a good two feet taller than me (although that did help) but because he was so sweaty.

I learned a lot in that class, like how to defend myself, how to get into a knife fight without getting cut, and how not to head butt. By the end of the term, no one in that class wanted to get into a real fight. Any way you looked at it, you were bound to get injured. JKD was a fun class and a great experience, I just hope that what I learned in this class, I’ll never have to use.