The Erb Memorial Union will be closed for construction Aug. 5 through Aug. 16. During that time, access to the building is limited to those who work in the building. 

Construction will focus on heavy demolition at the Fishbowl terrace and ballroom terrace, both located along University Street.

The area around the Fishbowl will smell strongly of tar and asphalt for much of August due to the construction. The Fishbowl Terrace will be roofed and waterproofed starting on Aug. 10 and last about a week. After the Fishbowl, roofing on the the ballroom terrace will continue until Aug. 28.

The Holden Leadership Center on the first floor of the building will be inaccessible Aug. 5 through Aug. 8.

Follow Noah McGraw on Twitter: @mcnoahmcgraw. 

On July 15, four printers around the University of Oregon were hacked. For several minutes, they could do nothing but print ink-heavy images featuring the Muslim declaration of faith, the Shahada.

The same day, a hacker who identified themselves as “Le Pink,” took responsibility for the attack on Twitter:

Another 4 Xerox machines are now RIP at @Univ_Of_Oregon Including the deans office. Enjoy. pic.twitter.com/0kfIMdEVXU

— Le Pink (@evilbypink) July 16, 2015

The damage caused by Le Pink (@evilbypink) was relatively minor. He put the targeted printers out of commission for a while and wasted some paper and toner.

“The act is somewhat analogous to tagging a building with graffiti, except with even lower impact,” said Nancy Novitski, a representative from UO’s Information Technology Department department.

The printers were fixed quickly, and given “new, secure passwords.” From the looks of the Le Pink’s Twitter account, UO wasn’t the only target.

He or she claims responsibility for printer attacks at least four other universities all across the country, including Alaska.

Will Laney, the chief information security officer for the university, wasn’t worried about the attack.

“It happens, and we deal with it,” Laney said.

Laney is sure the hacker was simply looking for printers whose passwords were still factory default. Emerald reporter Noah McGraw contacted Le Pink through Twitter to discover the reason for the printer attacks.

@evilbypink I represent the UO’s campus newspaper, the Emerald. Care to comment on your attack on the printers? Namely, why? PM this account — Noah McGraw (@uoemeraldout) July 22, 2015

Le Pink responded. The following image is a screenshot of the direct messages sent to McGraw over Twitter:

Direct messages sent by “Le Pink,” a hacker that targeted UO printers in July. (Noah McGraw/Emerald)

The Emerald was not able to confirm whether the hacker was actually a member of Anonymous, a global assembly of computer hackers with very secretive membership.

While this incidence of a digital security bypass didn’t cause significant damage, it does raise questions about the security of data at the university.

“We get probed, as does everyone on the internet, thousands of times a day,” said Laney.

Probes are looking for holes in security. The university is a target for any hackers looking for research, personally identifiable information and Social Security numbers. Laney said that switching from using SSNs to DuckID numbers significantly helped to keep that data secure.

When Laney was hired at the UO last November, he was shocked to see that the university did not have a digital security policy — a set of interdepartmental policies and procedures regarding cyber security. His first step in securing the university was designing and implementing such a policy — which was signed by former UO President Scott Coltrane earlier this year.

The university has been hit with viruses before, primarily through email. The virus Shellshock affected many computers across the country when it came out. Four months ago, infected .zip files were sent to many UO webmail accounts, spreading the “Flashback” virus, which specifically targets iMacs.

Part of the responsibility of securing data depends on students. Laney strongly encourages everyone to keep their programs up to date, be cautious about what emails they open, and keep passwords secure and varied. Realizing that private information is at risk is a major part of prevention.

“Just have a little more awareness about security,” Laney said.

“I hate to sound paranoid,” he said, “but I’m paid to be paranoid.”

Note: This story is unrelated to the UOPD’s arrest of a man who claimed he was carrying a gun at Knight Library early Tuesday afternoon.

If you’re subscribed to the UO Alerts messaging system and curious about the flurry of notifications you received Tuesday morning, here’s what happened:

At 7:22 a.m., the University of Oregon Police received a report of a man wearing hospital scrubs and carrying a rifle near Autzen Stadium from a member of the UO’s athletic staff. UOPD alerted Eugene Police and both departments drove to the area.

Email and texts were sent out to everyone subscribed to UO Alerts at 7:33a.m., and again at 7:40a.m., warning them to stay out of the area.

It was around this time that police located a man wearing scrubs and holding an umbrella. He was searched for weapons and determined to pose no threat.

Another alert was sent at 7:46 a.m. giving the all clear.

Despite the mix-up, UOPD still recommends reporting all suspicious activities on university property: 541-346-2919.

A concrete saw struck a gas mainline during construction at the intersection of 17th and Orchard Street, causing a natural gas leak. Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded with three fire trucks at 12:56 p.m. UOPD blocked off Orchard Street between 15th and 19th Avenue between 1 p.m. and 2:10 p.m. All residents in the area were evacuated.

The gas line has been clamped, but is not fixed, yet. UOPD and EMS have left the scene, but the intersection of Orchard and 17th is still closed while construction crews work to patch the line. The gas has been turned off.

The mainline shut off valve was located under concrete, so the construction crew cut out part of the street to access it. Because of this, gas was released for over an hour. The smell of gas hung heavy in the air near the construction site.

EMS has tested the air in the surrounding areas and determined that no residual gas is left. Their only concern is that the gas may have drifted into homes with open windows. Notes were left on the doors of residents who weren’t home notifying them of the leak.

If residents in the neighborhood have any concerns they are asked to contact Eugene EMS or Northwest Natural.

The first week of summer’s second term was quiet, with only four crimes reported near the heart of campus. Two bike thefts were reported, both near Pacific Hall. There was also one incident of Criminal Mischief at Hendricks Hall and a Theft at Straub Hall.

The other eight incidents were off or at the edge of campus. Three crimes were reported near Matthew Knight Arena on Wednesday, the night Motley Crue played the arena, including two counts of Criminal Trespass, one involving Resisting Arrest.

The remaining crimes were at the far edges of campus. Here is a breakdown of all the crimes reported:

Criminal Mischief: 4

Unlawful possession of a controlled substance: 1

Bicycle Theft: 2

Criminal Trespass: 1

Theft: 2

Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Trespass: 1

Harassment: 1

The University of Oregon Foundation announced today that the university received $214.2 million in donations and pledges for 2015 — an 86 percent increase from last year, according to a statement released on Around the O.

The surge in donations was attributed to a growth in donor turnout, and the “second highest annual total” in UO history.

Around $163.3 million, or 76 percent of the donations, will go toward academics. This percentage is almost unchanged from how last year’s donation pot was divided (in 2014, 77 percent of donations were directed to academics.)

But these numbers are just a fraction of what the UO hopes to raise by the year 2018. Last October, the university announced a $2 billion fundraising campaign during an invite-only function at Hayward Field.  When the news was made public, it had already raised about $700 million toward its goal.

Along with the raised funds, a state endowment of $17 million will be used to build a new College and Carriers Building on campus, which will house the College of Arts and Sciences. Funds have also been approved for a new women’s softball stadium and an obesity research and prevention program.

Follow Noah McGraw on Twitter: @mcnoahmcgraw. 

Dahlia Bazzaz contributed to this story. 

On June 22, Daniel Eubank couldn’t sleep.

Across the street from his home, about 100 feet from his window, construction for a new stop on the West Eugene EmX bus line had begun. A long ditch was being dug where the corner of West 6th Avenue and Polk Street used to be. Close to the intersection, B & G Automotive is decorated with “NO Build” signs protesting the expansion.

A continuous “very loud, whining screech,” along with truck backup alarms and occasional bangs kept Eubank up for most of that night. The next morning he contacted Lane Transit District to ask about noise mitigation strategies.

He did not receive a response until June 29, when an LTD representative offered to loan him an air conditioner to reduce outside noise.

“The offer did not apply to the other families in my neighborhood,” Eubank said. “Some much closer to the construction site.” He turned down the offer, hoping for a more permanent solution, one that involved official mitigation strategies proposed by the Federal Transit Administration.

Long before construction crews were drilling close to the Eubank household, residents have demonstrated considerable pushback against LTD’s westward expansion of its rapid bus line, which was approved by the Eugene City Council in fall 2012. They opposed the expansion for various reasons, including disrupting businesses in the area, costing too much and the fact that several bus lines already run on the planned route.

Our Money Our Transit (OMOT), a group opposed to the expansion, filed a lawsuit against the city of Eugene that was rejected by a judge in July 2014.

According to the environmental assessment of the expansion project, compiled by the FTA and USDOT in July 2012, when LTD receives specific complaints from residents about construction noise, the contractor could be required to put one of several mitigation strategies in place. These include relocating equipment, rescheduling construction or placing acoustic barriers around construction sites. When nighttime construction ended on June 9, none of these mitigation strategies had been adopted.

“It is noisy, there’s no doubt about that,” said Andy Vobora, a representative from LTD. But as to a noise reduction strategy, “there really isn’t [one],” said Vobora. “We have to stay below standards, which I understand to be pretty high in Eugene.”

Because 6th Avenue is a state freight route, LTD had no option about working at night. It was required, according to Vobora. Contractors prefer working at night because there is less traffic, and it allows them to “move through there as quickly as possible,” said Vobora.

Construction noise between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. is prohibited by section 6.750d of the city code, but because the work is contracted through the city of Eugene, EmX is exempt from most regulations. ODOT is not currently aware of any code violations by LTD.

Noise hasn’t been the only issue that construction in the area has posed. Bob Machione, a representative for OMOT, said an apartment on West 6th Avenue experienced separated sewer pipes due to vibrations caused by construction.

LTD is still on “phase one” of the expansion, which spans West 6th and 7th Avenues from Charnelton to Garfield Street. They are just starting outreach to businesses west of Garfield, notifying them of upcoming construction noise. The project is expected to be completed by 2017.

In the morning following a sleepless night, a letter arrived in Eubank’s mailbox informing him of nighttime construction that would occur near his home. Inside: two free bus passes.

“I’m not against EmX expansion,” Eubank said. “I’m not even against working at night.”

Eubank just wants the residents of Eugene to be heard. “Some token would make me feel better,” he said. “More than some free bus passes.”

On June 22, Daniel Eubank couldn’t sleep.

Across the street from his home, about 100 feet from his window, construction for a new stop on the West Eugene EmX bus line had begun. A long ditch was being dug where the corner of West 6th Avenue and Polk Street used to be. Close to the intersection, B & G Automotive is decorated with “NO Build” signs protesting the expansion.

A continuous “very loud, whining screech,” along with truck backup alarms and occasional bangs, kept Eubank up for most of that night. The next morning he contacted Lane Transit District to ask about noise mitigation strategies.

He did not receive a response until June 29, when an LTD representative offered to loan him an air conditioner to reduce outside noise.

“The offer did not apply to the other families in my neighborhood,” Eubank said, “some much closer to the construction site.” He turned down the offer, hoping for a more permanent solution, one that involved official mitigation strategies proposed by the Federal Transit Administration.

Long before construction crews were drilling close to the Eubank household, residents have demonstrated considerable pushback against LTD’s westward extension of its rapid bus line, which was approved by the Eugene City Council in fall 2012. They opposed the extension for various reasons, including disrupting businesses in the area, costing too much and the fact that several bus lines already run on the planned route.

Our Money Our Transit (OMOT), a group opposed to the extension, filed a lawsuit against the city of Eugene that was rejected by a judge in July 2014.

According to the environmental assessment of the expansion project, compiled by the FTA in July 2012, when LTD receives specific complaints from residents about construction noise, the contractor could be required to put one of several mitigation strategies in place. These include relocating equipment, rescheduling construction or placing acoustic barriers around construction sites. When nighttime construction ended on June 9, none of these mitigation strategies had been adopted.

“It is noisy, there’s no doubt about that,” said Andy Vobora, director of customer services and planning for LTD. But as to a noise reduction strategy, “there really isn’t [one],” said Vobora. “We have to stay below standards, which I understand to be pretty high in Eugene.”

Because 6th Avenue is a state freight route, LTD had no option about working at night. It was required, according to Vobora. Contractors prefer working at night because there is less traffic, and it allows them to “move through there as quickly as possible,” said Vobora.

Construction noise between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. is prohibited by section 6.750d of the city code, but because the work is contracted through the City of Eugene, EmX is exempt from most regulations. The Oregon Department of Transportation is not currently aware of any code violations by LTD.

Noise hasn’t been the only issue that construction in the area has posed. Bob Machione, a representative for OMOT, said an apartment on West 6th Avenue experienced separated sewer pipes due to vibrations caused by construction.

LTD is still on “phase one” of the extension, which spans West 6th and 7th Avenues from Charnelton to Garfield Street. They are just starting outreach to businesses west of Garfield, notifying them of upcoming construction noise. The project is expected to be completed by fall 2017.

In the morning following a sleepless night, a letter arrived in Eubank’s mailbox informing him of nighttime construction that would occur near his home. Inside: two free bus passes.

“I’m not against EmX expansion,” Eubank said. “I’m not even against working at night.”

Eubank just wants the residents of Eugene to be heard.

“Some token would make me feel better,” he said. “More than some free bus passes.”

Researchers at the University of Oregon are attempting to track the genes that control how humans act as consumers. However, the study has a long road ahead. In fact, the main subjects of current experiments are not people, but microscopic nematodes, called Caenorhabditis elegans. Scientists hope that by mapping the decision making of these worms they can pinpoint the gene responsible for economic choices.

Shawn Lockery, a professor of biology at the University of Oregon and the project’s principal investigator, hopes the project will help scientists understand the human brain better. Because of the complexity of the human decision making process, the study cannot immediately start with people.

Besides being complex, humans are considered irrational consumers in economic terms. When repeatedly given choices between two products, people often choose options that, in the long run, show no logical preference economically. This makes studying the genes responsible very difficult.

That’s where the worms come in. The worm being studied, C. elegans, has only 302 neurons that control its entire body and thought process, compared to the 100 billion thought to be in the human brain. The worm has “one of the smallest brains known to science,” said Lockery. Since C elegans’ nervous systems are so simple, it has been completely mapped out.

The basic process of the experiment involves locking worms into a device developed by Lockery Labs and giving them two food options, one mediocre and one good in terms of nutritional value. Researchers then change the cost of each food for the worm. Cost for C. elegans comes in the form of energy it takes to consume the food. By charting the worm’s food choices at different costs, researchers can determine whether the worm is acting rationally. These behavioral experiments “allow you to treat the worm like a consumer,” Lockery said.

Lockery’s lab has found that a normal worm, without any genetic manipulation, behaves more rationally than a human. Now the lab is attempting to pinpoint the gene responsible.

This process involves inhibiting, or turning off, different neurons until the one responsible for decision making is found. The researchers are looking for a gene that, when inhibited, affects the worm’s choices, but doesn’t affect its individual responses to food. This phase of the project is in progress. Lockery Labs is currently building equipment to test thousands of worms a day to find this gene.

The hope is that once the gene is found in C. elegans its counterpart can be located in humans. “Roughly speaking,” said Lockery, “half the genes in C. elegans have a counterpart in humans that do essentially the same thing.”

Once the gene is located in humans, Lockery believes it will help us understand more about our own thought processes, and will aid in the treatment of neurological diseases. Diseases like Alzheimer’s often affect the decision making process. The discovery of behavior related genes puts scientists one step closer to untangling the complex web that is the irrational human mind.

“I enjoy it when science shows how humans aren’t that special,” said Abe Katzen, referring to the superior economic rationality C. elegans has over humans. Katzen is a biology graduate student in UO’s Institute of Neuroscience and a researcher on the project.

Lockery Labs hopes to publish many papers over the next several years as their research progresses. Lockery thinks they are about half way through the data collection for their first paper. He believes the project, once completed, will provide new insights into the process of animal and human behavior.

Within the next 100 years, a 9.0 earthquake will hit the Pacific Northwest, destroying buildings and bridges, disrupting plumbing and cutting electricity. FEMA estimates the damage in the U.S. will be $60 billion. Major cities including Eugene, Portland and Seattle will likely have no electricity or running water for several months. It will be one of the biggest natural disasters in U.S. history, and Eugene is not ready for it.

The Cascadia fault, the origin of the earthquake, runs from Canada down to Northern California, several miles west of the coast. Tension has been building along the fault since 1700, the last time the fault caused an earthquake. We are currently in the recurrence window, meaning the earthquake could happen at any time.

The Cascadia earthquake is estimated at 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale. This scale is logarithmic, meaning one step up on the scale is exponentially more powerful. To put that in context, this earthquake will release over 1,000 times more energy than the recent Nepal earthquakes, which stayed around 7.8.

Building codes in the western U.S. did not begin to take major earthquakes into consideration until the 1970s, when seismic codes became standard. Many buildings built before then are considered at risk of collapsing during the earthquake. The University of Oregon has been taking steps to minimize the impact of the earthquake on campus. Many buildings are being renovated to increase their stability.

“The University of Oregon has been working on seismically upgrading buildings for several years,” said Krista Dillon, Assistant Director of University of Oregon Emergency Management and Continuity, in an email. Allen, Fenton, Anstedt and Peterson Halls have all undergone upgrades. Straub Hall is the most recent in the series of renovations, according to Dillon.

Straub Hall, built in 1928, has been undergoing construction since July 2013. The project plan is to “implement seismic upgrades,” as well as replace basic utilities because “current building systems — power, data, HVAC, plumbing, etc. — are woefully outdated and inefficient.” The seismic upgrades phase of the project accounts for $271,038.13 of the total $22,319,000 funds, $9,000,000 of which come from within the university.

Researchers at UO have been looking for another way to prepare for the earthquake: predicting it before it happens. Doug Toomey, geology professor at UO, has been working with the state government to implement an earthquake early warning system. The system would give Eugene two minutes of notice before the earthquake strikes. Portland will have three minutes and Seattle will have five.

Toomey leads the Cascadia Initiative, a four year, $30 million project funded by the National Science Foundation. It features a network of arrays detecting plate movement all across the Pacific Northwest. In June 2014, Toomey spoke to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources to ask for $670,000 for additional sensors. The project was approved and is in the governor’s budget.

Toomey believes awareness of the earthquake among government officials is increasing. “Both federal and state policy makers are keenly aware that we live in earthquake country and need to be prepared,” he said in an email.

UO will continue to prepare on campus. Emergency Management and Continuity will be working on a post-disaster recovery plan for campus in the next year or so, Dillon said.

A major factor in preventing damage and loss of life is public awareness.

“Public awareness is a huge factor when it comes to earthquakes,” Dillon said. “The unique thing about a university related to awareness is that we have people coming from all over the country and all over the world who may be unaware of the earthquake risks in Oregon.”

UOEMC suggests keeping a supply of water, non-perishable foods and cash in your home in case of an earthquake. Dillon also suggested having a bicycle, because public transportation may not be operating and roads may be too damaged to drive.