A tree that toppled onto Fenton Hall last Thursday was removed by Sperry Tree Care on Saturday.

The crew loaded their equipment into the area around 6 a.m. and began work on the tree around 10 a.m. They cut the tree in half and lifted the upper section above the building, allowing the bottom half to fall safely. The pieces were removed by noon.

Harsh winds toppled the tree into Fenton Hall at 1 a.m. on Thursday. The tree is reportedly around 100 years old.

The wood from the tree can be reclaimed for future projects. Anyone can request a piece of it from the university.

“Any tree that falls on campus, a part or all of it is used in future projects,” saidLaura McGinnis, University of Oregon communications specialist, said. In the past, students in the Architecture and Allied Arts school have reclaimed fallen trees and turned them into various projects, including some of the benches around campus.

Siyuan Zhao, former architecture student at the University of Oregon, was taken into custody on Dec. 5 after she stabbed a woman at an art exhibit in Miami.  The victim, Shin Seo Young, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Earlier that evening, Zhao had allegedly followed Young around an art exhibit at Miami Beach Convention Center. When Young confronted her, Zhao stabbed her repeatedly in the arms and neck with an X-Acto knife. Neither of the women knew each other before the incident, but Zhao told police that she “had to watch [Young] bleed.” Witnesses of the stabbing originally thought the attack was staged as a part of the exhibit.

Zhao was charged with attempted murder and was forced to surrender her passport. She is being held at Miami-Dade county jail, where her bail is set at $25,000.

Follow Noah McGraw on Twitter: @mcnoahmcgraw. 

Last week, the University of Oregon Police Department sent out two campus crime alerts: One for aggravated assault, one for armed robbery.

These crime alerts and advisory warnings students receive from the UOPD only show a glimpse of criminal activity on campus each week. The Emerald gathered data on all crimes reported to the UOPD between Nov. 24, 2014 and Nov. 24, 2015: A year at UO in crime.

Here’s our map of that data.

Two individuals reported being robbed at gunpoint in the campus area this morning, within 20 minutes of each other. Both incidents happened around 5 a.m. Police are still looking for suspects. Considering the similarities in crimes and appearance, police assume the crimes share a common suspect. They are also considering that the crimes may be related to similar incidents that happened in Portland

At 4:45 a.m., a man was standing on the corner of 20th and Patterson talking on his cell phone. A black male, mid-20s, wearing all black clothing approached the man and demanded he turn over his phone. The man refused, at which point the suspect pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. The man gave the suspect his phone and other valuables. The suspect ordered him to turn down an alley and run, and the man complied. When he stopped running and looked back, the suspect had disappeared.

EPD investigated the area with officers and search dogs, but were unable to locate the suspect.

At 5:05 a.m., a woman near the Delta Delta Delta sorority house reported a similar crime. A black male in all black clothing had approached her with a gun and demanded her phone and valuables. Once he had the items he fled the scene.

EPD investigated the first incident, while UOPD investigated the second. After recognizing the similarities in crimes, the two departments exchanged information and are now assisting each other in the investigation.

“Due to the proximity and the timing it would seem likely that it is the same suspect,” Lieutenant Carolyn Mason said. “The method of operation, MO, is similar, the demand for the cell phone is similar.”

EPD noticed a tweet from the Portland Police Bureau that mentioned a series of cell phone robberies committed in Portland a few days ago. They are considering the possibility that the crimes are related, but they have not yet contacted the Portland Police.

Mason said the crimes are new for Eugene, but that cell phone thefts are common in big cities. EPD and UOPD warn people in the campus area to be aware of their surroundings and to call one of the departments if they have any information.

“I would definitely encourage folks to be aware of their surroundings and, especially if it’s dark out, to maybe be inside or a in secure place,” Mason said.

The suspect was described as a black male, around age 20, presumably a college student, Mason said. He was wearing black pants and a black hoodie, with a black puffy vest over it.

Two insurance brokers are arguing in court over who was at fault, if anyone, for a failed insurance policy University of Oregon bought. The policy covered coaches’ bonuses if the Oregon Ducks played exceptionally well in the 2012-2013 season. The Ducks had a good season, but the insurance didn’t pay out.

In 2012, UO signed a contract with Chip Kelly and his coaching staff, stating that the coaches would receive bonuses if the team did well in the upcoming season. The coaches would receive the maximum bonus if the Ducks won the BCS National Championship and had a fantastic regular season. They would receive smaller bonuses for a less fantastic season.

In July of 2012, the university was negotiating an insurance policy with Delaware-based insurance broker Marsh U.S. Consumer that would pay these bonuses. Marsh, however, was not the university’s default insurance provider, so UO was forced to renegotiate the contract through their official insurance broker, Arthur J. Gallagher and Risk Management Services, Inc.

Monica Drummer was the AJG agent that renegotiated the contract. To avoid starting from scratch, she communicated with Marsh to try and settle the same contract.

The renegotiations were rushed. It was early September, and the Ducks had already played one game, beating Arkansas State 57-34 at Autzen Stadium.

During the negotiations the university noticed that the insurance agreement appeared to only pay out if the team received the maximum bonus. The university asked Drummer about the specifics, and she replied that the university would be reimbursed for smaller bonuses, not just the maximum. At least, she said, that’s what Marsh told her.

The Ducks had a great season, with only an overtime loss to Stanford keeping them from the Championship. They beat Kansas State 35-17 at the Fiesta Bowl and ended the season ranked fifth in the nation. Altogether, the coaches received $687,965.74 in bonuses.

The insurance didn’t pay for it. According to the contract, the university’s early suspicions were right: Insurance would only pay for the maximum bonuses possible.

“The bonuses were paid out of the athletic department budget,” Laura McGinnis, a UO representative, said. The university otherwise declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

UO sued Drummer and her employer AJG in Jan. 2015 , stating, “As a result of Drummer’s representations, the University agreed to the contract and was subsequently bound to an insurance policy that failed to cover the lesser performance bonuses,” according to court documents.

In response, Drummer and AJG brought in a third party complaint, alleging that they committed no wrong. If wrong was committed, they said, it was the original insurance broker, Marsh, that mislead the university.

“Any damages and harm to [UO] ought to be discharged by the Third-Party Defendant Marsh as its conduct was the active and primary cause of the damages and harm, if any,” they said in court documents.

Marsh responded, denying all claims. UO is now waiting for the courts to decide who will be the defendant.

Others are not so sure the fault lies with the insurance companies. “Why would the university do this, and then not even read the contract?” economics professor and University Senate Vice President Bill Harbaugh said.

The trial is in the district court of Oregon. Judge Ann Aiken is presiding over the case. Currently, Marsh is still part of the lawsuit, although some of Drummer’s claims have been dismissed.

Members of the University of Oregon community gathered in the Erb Memorial Union today for a Unity Vigil, showing support for victims of violence across the world. UO’s Division of Equity and Inclusion organized the vigil, during which speakers focused on the importance of fostering solidarity in a diverse community.

President Michael Schill listed the recent cities that have been victims of terrorist attacks. Addressing the ballroom of over a hundred people, Schill said, “This list is getting longer and longer; what is happening?” Returning to the theme of solidarity in trying times, Schill asked UO members “not to retreat into fear, bias or xenophobia.”

“Knowledge can be the antidote for fear,” Schill said.

Vice President Yvette Alex-Assensoh asked everyone to turn to the person sitting next to them and introduce themselves. The ballroom filled with chatter that quickly rose to laughter. A few people hugged.

“Who is our neighbor?” Alex-Assensoh asked. “Philosophically, in terms of faith.” She asked the university community to be open to each other’s ideas.

Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy couldn’t be at the event, so Alex-Assensoh read a letter she wrote to the community.

“Historically, we’re not a diverse community,” Piercy acknowledged, “but I hope the tide is changing. Eugene will embrace the victims of war.” Piercy has previously showed her support for accepting Syrian refugees to Eugene.

Seven speakers from the UO academic community gave brief comments, many asking the audience not to make generalizations based on religion.

“We need to recognize the difference between a religious organization and a political one,” UO student Drew Williams said in his speech. Dennis Galvin, the vice provost for international affairs, gave the same speech in Arabic, French and then English. Angela Jaya, a professor of international studies, asked the audience to keep in mind that a majority of terrorist attacks have been in Muslim countries against Muslims, not against western ideology.

“Darkness has no physical properties. It is the absence of light,” professor Ibrahim Gassama said. “So, too, is terror. It is a reaction.” Gassama asked the audience to believe that love will conquer hate.

Members of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities each took a turn to speak and share a hymn. Haythem Abo-Adel, the president of the Muslim Student Association, spoke first.

“I’m not here to justify Islam,” Abo-Adel said after thanking the community. “There is nothing wrong with Islam. We condemn, as human beings, all terrorist attacks, not as Muslims.” He led the auditorium through a prayer and a selection from the Qur’an.

Jewish and Christian leaders also gave their support, and each lead the auditorium in a song. The night ended with the audience on their feet, joined together in a rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!” the crowd sang. “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

Follow Noah McGraw’s live coverage of the University of Oregon’s unity vigil.

For more information from the university on the event go here.

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During fall term, the sun sets around 5 p.m. every day, and many students make their daily walks home in darkness. Lights provide a certain level of security in some areas, but the University of Oregon wants to make sure students feel safe, and know where the safest areas to walk are.

Just as the sun was setting, eleven people gathered in Friendly Hall at 5 p.m. for the annual Campus Night Walk on Thursday, Nov. 12, during which students and staff had the opportunity to give feedback to campus electricians about unsafe areas to improve for pedestrians.

According to the UOPD, campus operations staff then prioritizes the suggestions and finds the money to complete as many of them as possible.

Electrical supervisor Rob Berg led the meeting, and revealed that there are designated walking paths that are specially lit for late night safety that are all wheelchair accessible and specially maintained during ice storms, which surprised many of the meeting attendees.

“I’m a junior, and I’ve never seen this,” one student said.

Attendees discussed how to make that information more public and voiced other concerns. For example, some areas of campus are not well lit, even on the designated walking paths.

“One of the biggest light concerns I saw was the walk from Lawrence and Allen toward Fenton,” Berg said.

Berg recently replaced the old lights on the path with new Light Emitting Diode bulbs, or LEDs, that now illuminate the area with bright, white light.

Berg has slowly been replacing all of the old high pressure sodium lights on campus with LEDs. The high pressure sodiums are easily recognized by their yellow light. LEDs and metal halide bulbs emit white light.

As the group observed the path from Allen Hall to Fenton, attendants marveled at how well the new LEDs illuminated the area as they walked.

Berg also said he’s replacing the high pressure sodiums first “so we can get all of campus to one color.”

“When you look at the old ones you’ll see light coming out of the top,” Berg said. “The new ones are black on top so you get the night sky.”

Berg said the UO has spent $60,000 on new lights and light poles this year.

The group moved on to a problem area near Collier House, then surveyed a very dark area near the Pioneer Mother by Gerlinger Hall. However, Berg said that this area is off the designated walking path, and it is therefore not considered a priority to improve by campus operations.

The walk ended quickly, around 6 p.m. By that time, it was already pitch black outside.

The new Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Complex will cost Phil Knight $19.2 million, according to a building permit application the University of Oregon filed Tuesday, the Register Guard reports.

UO Athletics announced The Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Complex in September. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the project on Sept. 10.

The building is a modification of the Casanova Athletic Center, located next to Autzen Stadium. The building will be dedicated to combining sports and science. Some planned facilities that officials have released are 3-D imaging equipment, neurocognitive equipment for studying head injuries and sleeping pods for athletes to take 20 minute naps in.

Phil Knight and his wife Penny are paying for the entire project.

Robin Jaqua, a philanthropist and University of Oregon donor, died Sunday, Nov. 9, at age 94. The cause of death was not given.

Jaqua and her husband, John Jaqua, supported many university projects throughout the years. The couple donated to the Law School, the Knight Library, the Natural and Cultural History Museum, and many others. Several buildings on campus bear the family name. The John E. Jaqua Law Library and the Jaqua athletic center are both named after John, who died in 2009. Robin founded the Robin Jaqua Archetypal Library in the College of Education.

The couple have been longtime residents of Oregon and supporters of the university. Moving to Oregon in the 1940s, Robin Jaqua studied counselling at UO, eventually obtaining a master’s degree in 1971 and a doctorate in 1975.

She was an internationally recognized Jungian analyst, which contributed to her founding of the Archetypal Library.

UO has said a memorial is being planned.