According to an update from UO Alerts, classes starting after 4 p.m. on Thursday Jan. 6 have been cancelled due to inclement weather.

The cancellations will be in effect until at least 10 a.m. tomorrow, Friday Jan. 7. A decision on afternoon classes and scheduled weekend events will be made on Friday as well.

Find out more about today’s snow here.

As sustainable options are increasingly becoming refined, projects around Eugene are taking place to evolve the practice of sustainability so it is practical and economical.

The Center for the Advancement of Sustainable Living, known as CASL, has been building a house for the last 10 years that will not only heat itself up with it’s highly insulated walls made partially with blue jeans, but it offers a perspective of what a sustainable low-impact house could be. The correct term for the house comes from a German derivation called Passive House.

“CASL is the quintessential example of everything that this realm of sustainability encompasses,”  said Molly Phenix, board director in charge of buildings and zero waste affairs for the Student Sustainability Coalition.

CASL can be found just off campus at 1801 Moss Street. The house was donated by University Housing in 2003 to a student’s thesis regarding sustainability. Since then the foundation, roof and walls, along with much more, have been completely remodeled in order to reduce the ecological footprint. Throughout the years standards have been raised and materials have improved, so aspects that have already been completed have had to be redone. This process is conducted completely by students.

“We have a lot of architecture students because it’s part of their classes, but we also get a lot of environmental studies majors and business majors too. We’re hoping to campaign to a larger variety of students this next year,” said Grace Bennett , student leader involved with CASL. “You don’t have to know about construction or architecture to help out.”

Saturday work sessions are from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the house. Some students are out there volunteering while others are doing their homework for the classes that directly involve the house. Courses such as green interior design and enclosure have a focus on CASL.

“It’s a really great, driven group of people that are involved with the project, and I think when the house is complete, it will serve as a model for universities across the nation, as well as demonstrate how much the students at the U of O care about the environment and about thinking about the future in the long term, not just the short term,” Phenix said.

Funding for this project comes from Student Sustainability Fund, outside grants, ASUO and donations.

When the house is completed, current student leaders will live there rent-free, leading tours and maintaining the house while being as economical as possible. The roof is made out of a metal which allows the water to drain off into a rain catcher without depositing any remnants. A 530 gallon water reservoir will collect the rain and eventually hook up to filters that will connect to the plumbing and be used for drinking water. It’s not enough to last a whole year but it will cut back on the water bill significantly.

Underneath Gerlinger Hall, in the dark concrete corridors there is a bright spot of enthusiasm and earthiness that can be found behind the desk.

Rodney Bloom was born and raised in New Jersey. He moved to Oregon in 2000 and has been working with the UO since May 2002. He is the Gerlinger Operations Coordinator here on campus, he but is known throughout Eugene as a prominent figure in the compost community.

“I became interested in composting in 1991 when my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, received a magazine about sustainable living. I flipped through it and found an article on vermicompost. I was excited about the idea and began experimenting with worms,” Bloom said.

Composting is a growing practice of controlled decomposition of organic matter by collecting it into a pile, which breaks down in variety of practices to create soil. This soil can be used to grow harvestable plants and then the cycle can be completed by composting those plants. Composting has become an economical choice of sustainable living. In Rodney’s words, the most simple explanation is “anything that is organic, which is anything that was once alive, can be composted.”

He has been involved with programs such as the Food Waste Diversion Program run by Food For Lane County. Every Saturday morning Rodney can be found in the back lot treating his vermicompost. Through this he has improved his technique and has been able to connect with other avid composters, including students here at UO that may have not even known his involvement in Gerlinger.

One of those students is UO graduate Shawn Anderson. He met Rodney through volunteering at Food for Lane County.

“I consider Rodney to be a friend and a first class human being,” he said.

Bloom even wrote Anderson a recommendation for the PeaceCorp.

“I ended up getting in and I thank him for it. He’s always helping others,” Anderson said.

Bloom hopes to spread awareness and information about the push for sustainability that will ultimately preserve our planet. He accomplishes this by public displays and remaining dynamic in the community.

In addition to Food for Lane County, Rodney is an active volunteer for the Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener Program. He conducts classes that train in-home composting and vermicomposting.

“Rodney is very enthusiastic and well spoken. He grasps the audience attention for the entire class. People often stay after and ask him questions,” said Christina Bixel, master gardener program coordinator at OSU.

Bloom also wants to encourage reform for landfills.

“Landfills were an important step, but poorly designed. This industry forced people to look for different solutions, which paved the road to compost,” he said.

Another major organization that Rodney is involved with is the Master Recycler Program where he holds demonstrations with samples.

“After a class with Rodney, people are inspired. He explains it in a way that creates confidence in people,” Master Recycler program coordinator Kelly Bell said. “He is one of our most popular presenters.”

Overall, Bloom hopes to encourage reform that will benefit every living thing.

“Why not manage our waste more responsibly and reap in the benefits? We have not explored the possibilities of organic matter. The possibilities are vast,” Bloom said.

University of Oregon architecture students displayed their designs of downtown plazas for Springfield in the lobby of the City Hall this Tuesday, Jan. 21.

In participation with the UO Sustainable City Year Program, these students are making an effort toward improving education, service, public outreach and research for the development of sustainable cities.

The city hired Crandall Arambula, a Portland-based urban design firm, to craft a strategic plan for the renovation.

The students worked within a budget for the last three months. They had to satisfy the City Council-approved Downtown District Urban Design Plan. This allowed them to be creative and constructed a strategy to revitalize the town.

The public, as well as Mayor of Springfield Christine Lundberg, attended the event and were very pleased with the designs that the students produced, according to an article by The Register-Guard. The city is currently focused on buying property downtown but could utilize some of the ideas for crosswalk treatments within nine months from now.

Follow Makensy Venneri on Twitter @makensyvenneri

It’s a tale as old as time: Concrete wall goes up, graffiti follows. But that particular form of artistic expression is often frowned upon. The city of Eugene has a solution, even if it has its critics.

Nick Woolley, local artist, installed a graffiti-free wall in 2008 where spray paint artists can display their work as a way of encouraging a legal outlet for this form of art. Eugene is becoming more accepting of street art. It’s easy to find a plethora of murals, performances and plenty of graffiti downtown.

Ty Warren, a University of Oregon art professor and former street artist, acknowledges the city’s effort to satisfy street artists.

“It’s great. I just think it could be improved. I worry about its effectiveness. It looks too much like an appeasement, not really a genuine gesture to street artists,” Warren said.

According to state law, unlawfully applying graffiti and unlawfully possessing graffiti implements are violations and punishable by a fine. Violations also require 100 hours of community service upon conviction. A person can also be charged with criminal mischief, which can be a misdemeanor or felony charge depending on the dollar amount of damage. These crimes are punishable with higher fines, up to $1,250 and possibly jail time of up to 30 days.

“There’s always going to be a group of people that wants to paint on something that isn’t theirs. They will search for something controversial to give the art more meaning,” said Clay Hurand, a UO freshman who has used the graffiti wall.

The wall is located off of Shelton McMurphey Boulevard, between Skinner’s Butte and the heart of downtown. This placement deems it accessible to both local residents and drive-by tourists.

“I think that it is a great idea for a city to offer that. At the same time stuff that is illegal will be more valuable than painting a wall that is for it,” Hurand said.

However, City of Eugene Maintenance worker Kevin Grabosky doesn’t believe the free wall has made a significant change in the amount illegal street art. According to him, 90 percent of the graffiti that the city addresses is gang related, which he doesn’t anticipate changing. He said the impact on the amount of artistic tagging hasn’t seen a significant change either.

“Honestly, I have not noticed it really changing a lot since that lot came in,” Grabosky said. “Kids are going to be out trying to put their tags on things … The (taggers) who come by once and try to put their art up, that might change as we go forward.”

The free wall may not satisfy every street artist, but students think it’s a good first step.

“I think it’s fantastic that I am seeing more interest in public art, but we need a bigger free wall out there as well as one here on campus,” Warren said

Memory and reaction games found online are being used daily and are designed to improve your brain in various tasks. University of Oregon psychologists are uncovering their true effects and authenticity. Elliot Berkman, a professor in the department of Psychology and lead author on a publication in the Journal of Neuroscience this Jan. 1, conducted a study around the changes in the brain when using training programs.

“With training, the brain actively became linked to specific cues that predicted when inhibitory control might be needed,” said Berkman. “This result is important because it explains how brain training improves performance on a given task — and also why the performance boost doesn’t generalize beyond that task.”

The study consisted of 60 participants, 27 males and 33 females, ranging from the ages of 18-30. Half of them were tested on their inhibitory control, a series of ‘stop’ and ‘go’ processes. The faster the response indicated a more efficient inhibitory control.

The participants took part in a three-phase study while having their neural activity monitored with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This captured changes in blood oxygen levels, during a stop-signal task. MRI screening was completed in UO’s Robert and Beverly Lewis Center for Neuroimaging.

The results to the fMRI showed that the three regions of the brain that regulate inhibitory control increased immediately before testing in the training group more than in the control group. This led the researchers to theorize that reducing distress and frustration during trials improved emotional regulation. These were substantial findings. However it leaves the challenge for future research to identify practices that could create longer lasting effects. This study furthers our understanding of inhibitory control.

Berkman’s co-authors  were Lauren E. Kahn and Junaid S. Merchant, doctoral students in psychology. Internal UO faculty research awards supported the project. Other studies exploring brain-training programs are being conducted by The Observer (UK), the Motley Fool and ABC News. The extended article and images can be found here.

Interested in participating in an intramural sport this winter?

All skill levels are welcomed to sign up for intramural sports through the University of Oregon Student Recreation Center as an individual player or gather up some friends and make a team. Leagues in basketball, dodgeball, floor hockey or climbing make up the winter schedule.

“Intramural sports are a great way to stay active while it’s cold outside,” said Chase Farrell, senior digital arts major who works at the marketing department at the recreation center.

The steps to get involved are simple and easy. First, create an IMLeagues account. From there you can sign up for a sport and find teammates. Once registered it is important that you or at least one of your teammates are present for the mandatory meeting before league play begins. The meeting for basketball will be held on Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. in the Gerlinger Annex, and dodgeball will be on Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. in rec center.

If you are looking to be involved in a weekend event, you can play in a six versus six volleyball tournament on Feb. 6. A variety of tournaments are offered this winter like indoor soccer, stadium football and badminton in singles and doubles.

For the first time, inner tube water polo will be offered. It’s a one-day seven versus seven tournament on March 8 with a $10 entry fee.

“It’s good to incorporate new sports to the usual schedule. It mixes it up and appeals to a wider range of athletes,” said Shawn Newton, assistant director of Intramural Sports.

“Battleship was a big success this past fall term and will probably return for the spring,” included Newton, who is always accepting and acknowledging feedback from students. You can suggest ideas of your own by emailing Shawn Newton, visiting Esslinger Hall or tweeting @uoimsports.

Deadlines and fees vary for each sport, with basketball requiring $60 per team and stadium football requiring $45 per team. Times and locations can be found on the rec website.

Each term offers a new bunch of leagues and tournaments that are season friendly so continue to check back at the beginning of the term for something that you’ve been interested in trying out. Sports and events are located on this page.

University of Oregon’s White Box visual laboratory is holding an exhibition curated by Meagan Atiyeh called about desire. The gallery opened on Dec. 5 and will complete its installment by Jan. 9.

Artwork done by Delaney Allen, Nancy Bulalacoa, Jacques Fiechemuller, Sally Haley (1908-2007), Tahni Holt, Kristan Kennedy, Isaac Layman, Storm Tharp and Terry Toedtemeier (1946-2008) will be on display for public viewing for free.  The mediums on display will be paintings, sculptures, videos and photography.

Atiyeh selected pieces with the emphasis on the relationship between viewers and fine art objects within the context of the gallery. Her focus is on how our initial experience with a work is connected to memory and how that memory breeds desire. White Box will host a public reception on Jan. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. and will include a talk by Atiyeh.

The event will end with a reception and conversation with the artists on Jan. 25  from 5 to 8 p.m. The gallery is located on 24 NW First  Ave., Portland, Ore., 97209.

The annual Campus Night Safety Walk will be Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., starting in the Ben Linder Room at the EMU.

UO staff, students and members of the campus are invited to join the walk around campus in the evening after dark to identify areas that could use improvement to offer the safest environment possible. Campus Operations then take suggestions and incorporates them into their annual plans and budget.

The event is co-sponsored by Campus Operations, Student Affairs, Enterprise Risk Services and the UOPD.

Tattoos are considered detrimental in some career paths. However, tattoos act as catalysts in other career paths. No federal law prohibits employers from making a hiring decision based on tattoos. 

Increasingly, tattoos are more than a fleeting decision. Tattoos can serve as a way to display art on the body, but can also express religious and spiritual significance.

University of Oregon student Ada Ball, a member of the Native American Student Union, has visible tattoos on her arms, legs and chin. All of which are markings that represent her history and the ancestry of her tribe.

“Discrimination against tattoos in the workplace is very outdated. I don’t anticipate being in a position where a future employer would judge my chin tattoo to the point where it would affect my chance of being hired because I only hope to work where I can represent myself as who I am,” Ball said.

Based on a Pew Research Study, 38 percent (4 in 10) members of Generation Next, ages 18-29, have at least one tattoo and half of those have two to five tattoos. This is more than any of the older generations. However, in the same study 70 percent of those with tattoos said their tattoos were hidden beneath clothing for job reasons.

“It depends on the type of job, some tattoos are real job-stoppers.” Said Etzel Leguizamon, tattoo artist at The Parlour Tattoo shop in downtown Eugene.

Leguizamon has been tattooing in Eugene for almost 5 years and believes Eugene is an artistic community where people are more open-minded when it comes to tattoos.

“I always discourage people to get hand, neck and face tattoos. Unless of course, they already have a sleeve and are confident in their careers,” he said.

For many freshman at the UO, getting a tattoo is akin to a right of passage. Freshman Tayler Wagner got her tattoo on Oct. 29. It is a Bible verse from Proverbs. The tattoo is on her ribs so she can cover it for a job. “I got my tattoo because I want to experience the college life, and I feel like part of the college life is getting a tattoo.”

“I also got it to rebel against my parents. It is like breaking away and being independent,” she said.

Even with an increase in people getting tattoos, there is still a demand for tattoo removal. The Patient’s Guide reported that the percentage of tattoo removal patients jumped 32 percent from 2011-2012, because having tattoos has affected their professional lives.

For others, the tattoos they bear are less important than the other ways they present themselves.

“My chin tattoo is a strong statement of who I am and the people I come from, but my actions are indicators of who I am too. And it’s in my actions and accomplishments so far that I hope people judge me from,” Ball said.

Yuliana Barrales contributed to this story.