Lillian Huebner came to the University of Oregon from Missouri to pursue an education in the Robert D. Clark Honors College.

But that dream didn’t last longer than a year. Huebner paid for school without assistance. After three terms at UO, the money ran out.

“I very much grew up in a family that it’s expected that once you turn 18, you’re on your own,” Huebner said. “I graduated high school, I got into college, I left — now all of this is my problem.”

Instead of continuing into sophomore year, Huebner moved out of the residence halls and into a friend’s house. For a while, Huebner slept on the floor on a makeshift pile of pillows and couch cushions that served as a bed.

Huebner now works at Safeway and is trying to gain enough money to pay off academic debt and re-enroll at UO.

Huebner is not alone in struggling to get an education. In 2014, half of UO’s graduating class had debt of their own.

Their average debt: $24,508.

It will only go up from here. Next year, tuition and fees will rise 3.8 percent for Oregon residents and 3.7 percent for nonresident students — up to $10,288.50 for residents and $32,023.50 for nonresidents.

UO sophomores Elle Sullivan and Zach Wright also work hard to pay for their education.

Originally from Carmel, Indiana, Sullivan came to the UO for the wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. Last year, she was enrolled in the UO as a Clark Honors College student majoring in journalism and marine biology. Sullivan’s passion for marine biology and nature grew as she explored Oregon’s forests, rivers and coastline, and she decided to work toward Oregon residency.

Sullivan pays for her living expenses and tuition with minimal help from her parents, and struggles to make ends meet throughout the process of obtaining residency, working three jobs and taking classes at the UO and Lane Community College.

Wright works at Carson dining hall about 15 hours a week and is taking a slightly lighter course load of 12 credits to accommodate his work schedule and commitment to extracurriculars like the UO a cappella group Mind the Gap.

Wright is a first-generation college student relying on student loans and scholarships to make ends meet. The hardest part of paying for school for Wright is the impending debt that will follow his education.

“It all will come crashing down if I don’t succeed and that’s stressful,” Wright said. “But at the same time I know that if I stress out about it I’m going to do worse than if I keep on going.”

To read more about Sullivan, Wright and Huebner and see the real-life cost of student loans, check out our latest E1 project here.

Sidney Anthony “Tony” Nelson III was remembered as a caring, compassionate friend and brother as hundreds of students gathered to celebrate his life and legacy. Originally from Englewood, California, the University of Oregon freshman passed away on May 31 after drowning at Wildwood Falls.

Since his death, there has been an outpouring of support for his family, including a GoFundMe fundraiser that has raised over $9,000 in two days – well more than the original goal of $8,000.

The vigil held in Nelson’s honor began at 7 p.m. Thursday in the EMU Amphitheater. Students passed around candles and pins with blue and red beads – Nelson’s favorite colors. Some members of the crowd were dressed formally in black, others wore sweaters and shirts emblazoned with the name of their fraternity or sorority.

Javier Cruz-Contreras spoke of his best friend, saying whether you knew Nelson for one hour or one week, “he was always there for you” and he inspired everyone he met.

In an interview with The Emerald, Cruz-Contreras recalled Nelson’s talent and passion for web development.

“I remember one day he just sat here and worked on a web page,” Cruz-Contreras said. “We went to bed, we woke up in the morning and he was still doing it.”

Cruz-Contreras and his roommates considered Nelson their sixth roommate, and have dedicated a place in their apartment for memories of Nelson, such as clothes he left behind and cards from friends.

During the vigil, Cruz-Contreras introduced four songs, one of which was written and produced by Nelson. Nelson was a talented classical pianist and produced original music that he shared on his SoundCloud account. The song “Fantasies” played over the speakers as students in the crowd listened silently. At the end of the song, one student shouted, “That was beautiful!”

As the vigil continued, many students shared memories of Nelson. Some students who knew Nelson in high school referred to him as Sidney, others called him Tony, but all of them spoke of his kindness, his selflessness and his endless positivity.

One of Nelson’s best friends, and Cruz-Contreras’ roommate, Luca Aldag, hopes that Nelson will remain in everyone’s hearts.

“I hope people try to do better and achieve their own dreams in their life, because Tony never got a chance to,” Aldag said.”We’re all here now, we’re all living for Tony.”

Later Aldag read a letter from the Nelson family, thanking Nelson’s friends and community for their support.

“We have many happy memories of Tony,” the letter read. “We will work hard to remember the way he lived, not the way he left. We pray that you will do the same.”

Cruz-Contreras and Aldag were some of the students who were with Nelson the day he died, and the Nelson family addressed part of their letter to them.

“To the friends who were there at his last moments, thank you for all that you did to try to save Tony. Please do not relive that moment for the rest of your life. Hold your heads up high and go forward.”

UO freshman Elise Maclean spoke briefly alongside three of her friends, recalling how friendly and outgoing Nelson was, and how much he will be missed by all who knew him.

“He was just one of those people that… he could only talk to you once and he’d remember you,” Maclean said.

“He’ll always be my best friend and I love him so much,” Maclean said tearfully. “We’re gonna miss him.”

Follow Francesca Fontana on Twitter @francescamarief

“Sidney Anthony “Tony” Nelson III, a son, brother, friend and musical prodigy unexpectedly lost his life on May 31, 2015 in a drowning accident,” the description of the page reads.

“Tony was greatly loved by his family, church, alma mater and friends at the University of Oregon where he was a freshman studying Computer Science.”

A GoFundMe fundraiser was created on June 3 to support Sidney “Tony” Anthony Nelson III’s family. Nelson, former UO student, recently passed away in an accident at Wildwood Falls on May 31.

The fundraiser is accepting donations to help Nelson’s family cover “unexpected expenses” and help with funding a memorial service.

The fundraiser has raised $5,690 of its $8,000 goal, and 83 people have donated within ten hours. Donations have ranged from $5 to $1000, and many donors have left comments wishing the family well.

Follow Francesca Fontana on Twitter @francescamarief

Sidney Anthony “Tony” Nelson III, a University of Oregon freshman, died May 31 while at Wildwood Falls with friends. Nelson was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Nelson’s friends remember him as eclectic and always making others smile.

“Even though he connected with people in different ways, he gave that same positive energy and he transcended any type of label you could put on him,” said Javier Cruz-Contreras, one of Nelson’s best friends. “He was one-of-a-kind.”

Elise Maclean, another of Nelson’s friends, agreed.

“You touched the lives of every single person you knew, even the people that you only talked to once,” Maclean said. “Your smile made everyone else smile, too.”

Maclean recalls spending late night hours on a bench outside her dorm room talking with Nelson, who never took off a bracelet that she made him.

Nelson was a multitalented computer science major interested in web development who also produced his own music and played the piano. Nelson also lived on campus at the UO, in Carson Hall.

According to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Nelson jumped from the top of Wildwood Falls and never resurfaced.

“Our hearts go out to Mr. Nelson’s family and the community who is grieving over this tremendous loss,” Police Sgt. Carrie Carver said in a statement to The Emerald.

The dean of students also gave a statement, saying: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Tony Nelson over the weekend. His tragic and unexpected death will have a deep impact on our campus community. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.”

The UO chapter of Phi Delta Theta released a statement to the Emerald, saying, “Tony exemplified the qualities and values of our fraternity chapter and was a loyal friend to everyone. He could always make you laugh no matter what the situation and his loss is tragic.”

Since the accident, there have been counselors available to support students who live in Carson and a vigil has been planned to remember and celebrate Nelson’s life. Cruz-Contreras said the outpouring of support from the UO community is indicative of how loved Nelson was.

“That’s another thing that shows you how much Tony had an impact,” Cruz-Contreras said. “Everyone wants to help and everyone wants to be involved and remember Tony.”

“You could find a way to connect with Tony, and now Tony is finding a way to connect everyone here… We know that he’s still in our minds and in our hearts.”

A vigil to celebrate the life of Nelson will be held June 4 at 7 p.m. in the EMU Amphitheater. A GoFundMe was created on June 3 by Nelson’s family to fund his memorial service.

Follow Francesca Fontana on Twitter @francescamarief

University of Oregon undergraduate Sidney “Tony” Anthony Nelson III drowned on May 31 at Wildwood Falls. According to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Nelson jumped from the waterfall and never resurfaced, and had been underwater for at least five minutes at the time of the dispatch.

“Our hearts go out to Mr. Nelson’s family and the community who is grieving over this tremendous loss,” Sgt. Carrie Carver said.

Originally from California, Nelson was a freshman computer science major at the UO and member of Phi Delta Theta.

On June 1, the University of Oregon Phi Delta Theta chapter released the following statement to The Emerald:

Phi Delta Theta at the University of Oregon is tremendously sad to have heard the news that our brother, Tony Nelson, passed away yesterday afternoon. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends and ask that everyone support them during this time. Tony exemplified the qualities and values of our fraternity chapter and was a loyal friend to everyone. He could always make you laugh no matter what the situation and his loss is tragic. There will be a vigil later in the week and details of the event will be routed through Phi Delta Theta’s Social Media page.

According to the Fraternity and Sorority Life Facebook page, a vigil to celebrate Nelson’s life is planned for Thursday June 4 at 7 p.m. at the EMU Amphitheater.

Dean of Students Paul Shang said, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Tony Nelson over the weekend. His tragic and unexpected death will have a deep impact on our campus community. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.”

More to come.

According to KEZI, the University of Oregon Foundation is ending negotiations to purchase waterfront property with Eugene Water and Electric Board.  The project was estimated to cost the UO Foundation between $200 and $250 million.

Though the UO is no longer funding the project, the city of Eugene plans to develop a park on the property. The EWEB announced that although they are disappointed with the decision, they “remain optimistic.”

University of Oregon Foundation chief investment officer Jay Namyet released a statement saying the foundation “identified known risks that will take years to resolve,” resulting in the ending of the negotiations.

According to KEZI, the University of Oregon Foundation is ending negotiations to purchase waterfront property with Eugene Water and Electric Board.  The project was estimated to cost the UO Foundation between $200 and $250 million.

Though the UO is no longer funding the project, the city of Eugene plans to develop a park on the property. The EWEB announced that although they are disappointed with the decision, they “remain optimistic.”

University of Oregon Foundation chief investment officer Jay Namyet released a statement saying the foundation “identified known risks that will take years to resolve,” resulting in the ending of the negotiations.

Amy Krol is a University of Oregon alumna who talks about student debt through the group Oregon Student Debtors, a Facebook group for local students facing debt from student loans to find support and advice from other students. Here’s what she said about the growing issue of debt of today’s college students:

So you are a UO grad. What did you study?

International studies and romance languages. I officially graduated in March 2014 and walked in June. I did four years and two terms, so five years.

How did you pay for your education?

I have paid for my education through working during summers and also having a part-time job during school. My parents have helped me when they can, and I’ve had scholarships, but the majority is through student debt.

How much debt are you facing?

About $35,000.

Did you have friends with debt as well? How did they deal with it?

Yeah, definitely. I have friends that have student debt, I have friends that have full-ride scholarships, I have friends who don’t have student debt and who have friends who are paying for their education. But for me, this issue is generational. Whether you didn’t ever have a chance to go to college or whether your parents paid for college or whether you’re 30 grand in debt or 100 grand in debt, we’re all in this together. We’re connected to one another even in regards to our debt.

Was there a moment before graduating when you realized that your debt was a reality?

The reality of paying my debt really happened when I graduated. When I got the notifications, it became real. Right now, I don’t make enough money to pay my debt back, so it’s on hold for a year.

How did your passion for this issue fuel Oregon Student Debtors?

When I was graduating, I really wanted there to be a collectivity of us to be together on this issue and fight it together, and at that moment, something that I thought of was Facebook and organizing people with social media.

It’s about sharing information and having a place to go on the Internet. I would like for it to be more than that and be a place where people can create events and meet up personally.

The other part, besides sharing information, is to organize around student debt. The message really is that we are 40 milion student debtors and we have a lot of power. Imagine if we stopped paying our debt all at once, you know?

As a graduate facing student debt, do you have any advice for current students who are paying for their education?

I would tell them that they are paying for school, and they signed their name whether they want to go back on it or not, so make it worth it. If you feel like you need to drop out of school and pursue something else, and it’s not working for you, go do it. If you need to finish school and get a certain degree, go and do it. Get your bang for your buck and follow your heart and your passions, whether that’s 18th century literature or a Spanish degree.

Follow Francesca Fontana on Twitter @francescamarief

*Trigger Warning: this article describes details of sexual assault that might be triggering.* 

“There’s so many days I wish that I could just peel off all my skin so I couldn’t feel them on me.”

Brenda Tracy, the survivor of an alleged gang rape that occurred 16 years ago in Corvallis, spoke at the University of Oregon Thursday to speak out against sexual assault. Tracy told her story to members of the UO community gathered in the Knight Law School in order to humanize the issue of rape on college campuses.

Tracy’s visit was sponsored by the the UO Senate Intercollegiate Athletics Committee. Before Tracy spoke, Kurt Krueger, chair of the University of Oregon Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, addressed the audience.

“Sexual assault is endemic on campuses across the United States, and it is also unfortunately endemic here at the University of Oregon,” Krueger said.

As she recounted the events of her assault 16 years ago, Tracy spoke of her previous assaults from ages two to five and at nine years old before being sexually assaulted as a single mother in her early twenties.

After accompanying a friend to an apartment in Corvallis in 1998, Tracy was allegedly gang-raped by four men, two of whom were OSU football players. Tears rolled down Tracy’s cheeks as she recalled the assault, while several members of the audience wiped away their own.

When she woke up the morning after the assault, she had food crumbs and a used condom stuck to her body, gum in her hair.

“I can’t remember another time in my life when I felt so disgusting,” Tracy said.

What followed that night was a long road filled with depression and fear. Tracy had resolved to kill herself after she had completed a rape kit. But her interactions with her nurse Jenny, Jenenne Stanley, gave her the hope and motivation to continue living and to eventually become a nurse herself.

Tracy later dropped the charges against her perpetrators after she watched her support from her family and friends dwindle and received anonymous death threats. Still hoping to see justice, Tracy contacted OSU to find what had happened to the perpetrators beyond the one-game suspension she had read about at the time.

After going to school as a single mom, Tracy is now a registered nurse. She was successful, “on the outside,” Tracy said. In her day-to-day life, Tracy still struggled with PTSD.

“I hid from this monster of my rape for 16 years,” Tracy said.

Eventually, she could not hide anymore.

Tracy’s story resurfaced last year when John Canzano of The Oregonian wrote a series of columns about her assault after she reached out to him and decided to share her story.

A major part of that story, Tracy says, is institutional betrayal – a phrase coined by UO psychology professor Jennifer Freyd.

Last year, Tracy called OSU, looking for answers about what had happened when she reported her rape to the school. Getting answers wasn’t easy. She faced pushback when she first asked for records. Eventually, an investigation by The Oregonian and internal review by OSU discovered that the school never responded to Tracy after she reported the assault. The OSU students that attacked her were suspended from one football game. They served 25 hours of community service.

“Not only was I raped, but then all these people conspired against me because they decided that money and reputation and football was more important than my life,” Tracy said. “And that’s disgusting.”

OSU president Dr. Edward Ray publicly apologized to Tracy and has involved her in combatting sexual assault at OSU. She plans on speaking with OSU’s athletic teams and fraternity and sorority life groups in the fall. She hopes to get involved at UO as well.

During her talk, Tracy spoke of the countersuit that was made, and later dropped, by the UO against the survivor of alleged sexual assault, saying that there have been “grave mistakes” made by the UO.

“I feel really honored to be here on this campus for a couple reasons,” Tracy said. “One, because institutional betrayal has been going on on this campus.”

Tracy also gave credit to Freyd for her work regarding sexual assault and for coining the phrase “institutional betrayal.” For Tracy, the fact that Freyd gave her a label that described her experience was helpful in dealing with what had happened to her.

“When system betrays you in that way, it makes you question your worth,” Tracy said.

Since sharing her story in November, Tracy has been actively working on legislation to help survivors of assault. On Thursday, she described three bills currently in the works: HB 3476 would create confidential assault responders on college campuses, SB 759 would require colleges to providing easily-read information to survivors regarding their rights and the sexual assault reporting process, and HB 2317 would extending the statute of limitations to prosecute rape from six years to 12 years.

During the Q&A portion of the event, one graduate student expressed frustration as she has worked to try and create change on the UO campus.

“There are tons of people who are fighting to do the right thing and some of them are in this room, and who’s not here is the interim president, I don’t see the provost, I don’t see the dean of students,” she said.

“It’s hard for me not to feel hopeless,” the graduate student added.

Tracy’s response: “Please don’t give up.”

“I testify constantly to pass this legislation, I’m already working on legistlation for next year,” Tracy said. “I plan to do this for the rest of my life.”

Follow Francesca Fontana on Twitter @francescamarief

This Thursday, sexual assault survivor Brenda Tracy will be speaking in room 142 of the Knight Law Center at 3:30 p.m.

In 1998, she was allegedly gang-raped by two Oregon State football players as well as two other men. The Oregonian’s John Canzano chronicled her story in a series of columns last year that brought her struggle as a sexual assault survivor to light. Tracy now speaks speaks about sexual violence on college campuses.

Tracy’s visit is sponsored by the UO Senate Intercollegiate Athletics Committee. The event is free and is open to the public.

Follow Francesca Fontana on Twitter @francescamarief