As women trickled into the fourth meeting of UO Women and Film, founder and President Danielle LeBlanc mingled with club members and made sure all the materials were prepped and ready to go. The room was buzzing as women introduced themselves to those they hadn’t met and embraced others they already knew.

UO Women and Film is a student organization within University Film Organization (UFO) that aims to provide further education on the ins-and-outs of filmmaking. Attendance at meetings ranges from 25 to 45 women. Immense value is placed on creating camaraderie and solidarity between the women in the Cinema Studies program and allowing a safe space for technical training. Their mission statement centers around equality and artistic development — it was recently updated to be more inclusive towards all gender identities and can be found on their Facebook page.

LeBlanc was first inspired to start the organization when she noticed sexism taking place within the Cinema Studies major, as well as in related extracurriculars. She learned that her sister was involved in Women and Minorities in Engineering at Oregon State University and decided to structure the UO club in a similar way.

After drafting the outline for the organization and putting together curriculum, LeBlanc reached out to some key women she already knew to help her with the launch. They made a facebook group and garnered roughly 80 members before the first meeting, which took place on Jan. 17, 2018. “I want to make sure we touch on every little piece of filmmaking, so someone feels a connection to what we’re talking about,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc prioritized mentorship early on in UO Women and Film’s development. “I knew I wanted [mentorship] to be a really important part of the organization. Partly because I think that is something I really needed when I was a freshman,” she said. “I think I would be a lot further if I had someone to look up to, and someone who was encouraging me and giving me tips.”

There are around 10 mentors, each specializing on a specific portion of film — directing, producing, screenwriting, editing, photography/cinematography, documentary filmmaking, acting, film journalism and art and set design — and providing expertise to mentees who are hoping to pursue the same concentration.

The first segment of club meetings consists of a “share your experience” time where women are free to share an experience they recently endured where they were the victim of sexism. The rest of the group is then able to respond with encouragement, understanding and tips for navigating a similar scenario should it happen again. “There is not just one solution for any set of experiences, so its finding the best one, and I think [‘share your experience’ time] is a great exercise to do that,” LeBlanc said.

Club members recall classes in which they were one of five women out of around 20 students. Being a minority sometimes leaves women feeling undervalued and overlooked within classes. LeBlanc is fully capable and competent, but she has been around men who monopolize the camera equipment during group projects and act as though she is unable to operate the machinery correctly.

“As someone who is new to viewing movies, it can be kind of intimidating,” said junior Olivia Bowman. “This club has made it a lot easier.”

Following the first segment, meetings carry on with a warm-up and teaching activity to give members practice in a technical area of film. Each week, a different topic is chosen and released on the Facebook group so that women can attend based on whether or not they desire more training in that area.

Most recently, the warm-up consisted of members pairing up and sharing a pivotal moment in their lives. Then, one member of each pair repeated the other’s story to the group. The exercise was meant to depict the relationship between a director and a screenwriter — the director is responsible for accurately portraying the script written by the screenwriter.

For the main activity, LeBlanc passed out a short story titled “Whatever Happened to Interracial Love” by Kathleen Collins and required members to get into groups of three and draft a shot list of a chosen scene. “They take words and make them come to life,” LeBlanc said.

Aside from the teaching elements of UO Women and Film, members also benefit by getting to be a part of a welcoming and authentic community. Regular meetings are biweekly, but on the off-week, movie nights are held at one of the members’ apartment. The group watches films directed by women and alternates between light-hearted films and ones that are critically acclaimed. LeBlanc said she can clearly tell the difference in the portrayal of female characters when movies are directed by men. “Women are way more real and flawed when they’re written by women,” she said. “Men either put women on a pedestal or dehumanize them entirely.”

In the future, the group is looking forward to having Michael Aronson, head of the Cinema Studies department, sit in on one of their meetings. The organization is designed for women, but members are planning to host a conjoined event where men of the Cinema Studies club are welcome to attend and participate in a constructive group discussion. Senior English major Delane Cunningham defined the group as being “pro-women” as opposed to “anti-men.”

“We, and Danielle, have created a space where we feel safe and comfortable and welcome and appreciated in ways that sometimes aren’t encouraged in more public spaces,” Cunningham said.

LeBlanc is also requesting funding from the ASUO Surplus in an effort to provide more wholesome meetings and events for the group. Other women who are interested in the organization are welcome and encouraged to attend biweekly meetings at 6:30 p.m. in Straub Hall 254.

“Having a support system automatically gives women an advantage, because we have a resource to get advice and to feel better about what we have to offer,” LeBlanc said.

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As a young kid, Eugene native Mat Kearney would ditch his seat in McArthur Court just as the final buzzer was about to sound. With the ball in the air on the last shot, the musician-to-be found himself sneaking past the University of Oregon security guards and preparing to charge the court after almost every game.

Most spectators dreamed of an autograph from UO basketball players — maybe a jersey. But Kearney was only after one thing: Terrell Brandon’s sweaty wristband. “We didn’t have pro sports in Eugene, so as a kid all my heroes were Duck athletes,” he said.

Three decades later, Kearney has moved from Eugene to Nashville and shifted his focus to his career in music—right now, rehearsals are dominating his schedule. Though the long hours spent putting together a live show are his least favorite part of doing music, Kearney said he’s gotten over the hump and is excited to see the end result. “It’s a nerve-wracking, but fun journey to go on—from having no set, to building the set, when you start to see it take shape,” he said.

Most of the Ducks know Kearney from Autzen stadium. His song, Coming Home, plays between the first and second quarter of Oregon football games and leaves the student section beaming with pride. Both the lyrics and the accompanying music video were produced on a whim and created specifically for the Ducks, “…Kind of a happy accident for me to be apart of it,” Kearney said.

Kearney’s new album, “Crazytalk”, boasts a loud and vibrant cover, Kearney is up close and center against a hot pink backdrop wearing a red hat and button down shirt; the color pallette was chosen by Kearney himself, and inspired by a Nike ad for women’s shoes. “It clashes in a way that has a lot of energy,” he said. The full album has yet to be released, but the available five-song sample is already being recognized for its unique sound. “For me it was kind of a return to the Nashville influence songwriting,” Kearney said, “Just really classic, well crafted songs, but put to kind of modern tropical house electronic influences.”

The glossy track “Kings & Queens” is a personal favorite of Kearney’s. Written alongside Judah of Judah and the Lion, the lyrics came as a result of a conversation about worldview—an attempt to decipher what each of them truly need in life. “I’m really proud of it,” Kearney said.

On Feb.23, the singer-songwriter will return to his home state to perform his new album at McDonald Theatre in downtown Eugene. Tickets are already sold-out, but can be found on third-party sites such as Craigslist.

Kearney regards Eugene as the perfect place to grow up — progressive, but also small-town-esque. “It feels connected to the world in a really beautiful way,” Kearney said. Growing up, his family had season tickets for basketball. Oregon sports were not to be taken lightly. Kearney remembers meeting Derek Loville, someone he idolized in elementary school. “The Ducks were like, the biggest thing to me.” said Kearney.

Kearny said his he’s already planned out his homecoming. Once in Eugene, he will head straight to Sabai, his old soccer coach’s restaurant. Next on his typical Eugene route is The Broadway Wine Merchants — a case of delicious Oregon Pinot is a must. Also on the docket would be Cafe Yumm!, a local cuisine Nashville can’t compete with; and of course, Kearney can’t visit his hometown without checking out all the newest coffee shops.

Despite his success in the music industry, talking to Mat Kearney isn’t intimidating in the slightest. In a career where arrogance and self-centeredness soar, he displays humility. As a sixth-generation Oregonian, he doesn’t shy away from admitting that he misses the Pacific Northwest.

“It really is deep in my blood,” Kearney said.

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It’s here: February 14th has made its dreaded return. Couples are sprouting like flowers in the Spring, and girls everywhere are preparing to DTR (define the relationship) with their significant other—most of whom are blissfully unaware that they are about to be hit with this fateful discussion. All the singles out there, however, are simultaneously trying to escape the onslaught of all things pink, red and heart shaped. Some might choose to champion the singleness and celebrate with a group of friends and a big bottle of wine, while others prefer to crawl into bed and hibernate for the full 24 hours. If you find yourself tempted towards the latter, here are 5 romantic comedies that’ll keep you laughing amidst the tear soaked tissues.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is sure to leave a lasting impression, thanks in part to its clever plot line. Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson star in this brilliantly twisted story in which Benjamin Barry (McConaughey), a bachelor who makes a bet with his buddies, is trying tirelessly to keep a girlfriend for 10 days. Andie Anderson (Hudson), a columnist, is determinedly attempting to do the opposite. Witty and classic, this movie will make your chin hit the floor, and give you some great ideas if you find yourself caught in an unsatisfactory love affair.

Friends With Benefits

What could be more relevant right now than Justin Timberlake? This 2011 film is quite casual and embarrassingly predictable, yet fabulous nonetheless. Mila Kunis, who plays Justin Timberlake’s friend-but-not-for-long, is every guy’s dream girl. She and Timberlake attempt the always-failed relationship that is “just sex.” Of course, they soon come to realize that “just sex” isn’t enough, which sends them down a spiral of complications that are all too relatable to the typical college student.

Crazy Stupid Love

Valentines Day would be even more lame than it already is without a sliver of the beauty that is Ryan Gosling. As the charming player who knows everything about women, Gosling takes Steve Carell, a recently divorced and rather pathetic middle-aged man, under his wing for some serious coaching and an impressive wardrobe makeover. If you’re looking to get back in the game, watch this movie to steal some shallow pointers and see the everybody-knows-everybody ending. Always remember: be better than The Gap. Oh, and make sure to give anyone named David Lindhagen a nice punch in the face.

Can’t Buy Me Love

For all you Grey’s Anatomy lovers out there, this movie brings you Patrick Dempsey circa 1987. He is young, nerdy and on another level of attractiveness. When the hottest girl in school spills red wine on her mom’s pantsuit, Ronald Miller (Dempsey) finds himself willing to loan her $2,000 to buy a replacement outfit. But there’s a catch, Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) has to act as though Ronald is her new boyfriend—this relationship will get him popularity for sure. This movie is wrought with ‘80s style and slang, the perfect love story for your Valentines Day.

Valentines Day

Another movie featuring too many stars to count; most notably Taylor Swift, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Bradley Cooper and Jamie Foxx. The title speaks for itself, introducing viewers to a story that follows many singles and couples alike during their Valentines Day activities. With a little something for everyone, this movie won’t leave you disappointed—except that if you’re a straight woman. You’ll most likely be raising your fist at the fact that screenwriters chose to make Bradley Cooper gay (what a sick joke).

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On Jan. 7, 2018, Oprah Winfrey stood among Hollywood’s elite at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards and delivered a speech that had her audience, both in attendance and watching at home, nodding and applauding in solidarity. She communicated hope, leadership and fearless pursuit toward a brighter tomorrow for women all over the globe.

Though the 75th annual celebration of film and television took place a world away from the rainy city of Eugene, Oregon, there is as much resilience and dedication and power within the borders of this college-town as in cities like Los Angeles. Among our own community, there are ambitious women taking action to create a society and a system where women no longer have to use hashtags to share their stories. No matter how influential or powerful or ordinary, women deserve to be celebrated. 

Sarah Jester, assistant director for career advising at the Lundquist College of Business. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

From adolescence to adulthood, young girls are flooded with information about who they are and how they are to operate. University of Oregon sophomore Taia Lucas believes that not all of this influence is negative. Her favorite part of being a woman is living on the receiving end of a multitude of empowering messages. “From childhood, we were always told you can do anything, you can be anything, you can be the scientist,” Lucas said. She says she presumes that the inspiring words being spoken to her and other women alike are ones not as commonly communicated among men.

Sarah Jester, assistant director for career advising at the Lundquist College of Business, is a voice in the UO community trying to impart the same encouragement to female students that Lucas remembers hearing. She acknowledges the internal report done by Hewlett Packard that states that men apply for a job when they meet only 60 percent of the qualifications, whereas women apply only if they meet 100 percent of them. “My job is to then help women say, ‘No, go for it. You should go for it because you are enough,’” Jester said.

Of the many reasons to celebrate and be proud of womanhood, Jester is thankful for the friendships she has developed. “We share each other’s lives and are very embedded in each other’s lives and I love that,” she said. “It feels like I have a community with my girl friends that I don’t think my husband has with his guy friends.” Jester attributes these close relationships to a heightened willingness to be vulnerable, and the opportunity for girl friends to genuinely see and support each other in a way unique to them.

Jester notices that it appears to be easier for women to be loving, authentic and nurturing than it may be for a man. She appreciates the space she has to share those emotions freely. As a self-proclaimed gatherer of people, Jester sees her role as a woman as a chance to bring people together in celebration, in mourning and in life. “And in my job,” she said, “I think my role is to support and empower other women and educate men on how to do that as well.”

Like Oprah, there are plenty of women in the spotlight standing tall and leading the charge towards equality with grace and valiance. “When I was younger I used to love Shirley Temple and Marilyn Monroe,” Lucas said. She marveled at their confidence and impact, noting that Temple held a government position, something she thought to be very admirable.

At the end of the day, Jester defines a strong woman as someone who holds herself high, while doing everything in her power to lift up other women around her. “In middle school, it was a battlefield of mean girls and mean-spirited things between women,” she said. “As I’ve gotten older, when I think about powerful women, it’s women who lift other women up and are accepting of whatever it means for you to be a woman and not be judgemental.”

Watch Oprah’s speech below:

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Going home for the holidays encompasses a lot more than themed dishware and a meal around the table with relatives you barely know. In fact, the holiday season can give the term family a whole new meaning. With every passing year, the traditional nuclear family is becoming an ancient phenomenon, and the mixed, unconventional household is taking its seat as the new normal.

Either way, whether your family is big or small, typical or atypical, whether it consists of blood relatives or the best of friends, this season is the time to overindulge on staple recipes and enjoy the company of people dearest to you. To find out how and with whom the Ducks celebrate, the Emerald roamed the EMU and offered students who were willing to chat a quick break from studying.

Lola Butcher

Junior and public relations major Lola Butcher considers her family decent sized. “For Thanksgiving, we usually spend it with my Mom, and then do something super random with my Dad,” she said.

As the middle child, Butcher sits between her older brother, who is her go-to for advice, and her younger brother — labeled the spaz. “I’m very sarcastic, so hopefully I’m funny to a lot of my family members,” she said.

Butcher called Seattle’s grunge scene the real deal and a way of connecting with her family. She laughed as she remembered rocking out to Led Zeppelin and Nirvana in the back seat of her Dad’s convertible. “He’s just kind of a crazy dude so it’s a lot of fun to hang out with him and jam out to music,” she said.

Lola Butcher, a student at the University of Oregon. Nov. 15, 2017. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

Butcher gushed about her mom’s cooking. “My mom, she’s ugh, she’s just an amazing cook. She makes green bean casserole, oh my goodness,” Butcher said.  Her biological family won’t be the only ones enjoying the breadcrumb-topped dish. “We’ll always bring in a couple extra people that aren’t going home,” she said. Whether friends from school or from the local Seattle area, Butcher’s family welcomes others who might not have a place to spend Thanksgiving. “It’s just a holiday that brings everyone together,” she said.

Monica Chao and Noam Fein

Quirky couple, Monica Chao and Noam Fine, were enjoying a moment in-between classes at a table for two by the print shop in the EMU. Chao, a sophomore studying business and economics, and her boyfriend Fein, an undecided sophomore, planned to spend Thanksgiving at Chao’s house in Portland.

Despite the fact that Fein is close to his own family, he said that being at Chao’s house is a whole different experience. “I have five family members, [but] she has like 200, so it’s just insane,” he said.  “I can’t even explain it. I think the biggest thing is [that] they are a sensitive community…there are always a group of people in her house and they’re always doing something.”

Chao elaborated and said she lives in a cul de sac with each house belonging to a family member. “The entire street is my cousins,” she said. 

Monica Chao and Noam Fien, students at the University of Oregon. Nov. 15, 2017. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

Holiday traditions aren’t customary in Chao’s house; however, whenever a sibling graduates high school, the others gift the graduate with a Build-A-Bear. Chao appreciates the sentiment and plans to continue the habit until her youngest sister finishes high school.

Chao’s mom is credited with cooking some stellar Pho, a Vietnamese dish consisting of broth, herbs, rice noodles and meat. “It’s really good too, her food is really good,” Fein agreed.

Keith Hayataka, Kevin Jong and Matthew Medved

Freshmen Keith Hayataka, Kevin Jong and Matthew Medved were quite the entertainers as they sat at a picnic table outside the EMU.

The rowdy boys joked about family pranks and reminisced about some situations that easily walked the line between funny and cruel. “I threw salt in my sister’s eyes before. I thought it was sugar,” Jong said. Hayataka quickly challenged Jong’s story with his own tale of his twin brother spraying Clorox in his eyes. “Yeah, everyone started freaking out, they had to grab me and hold me under the water to rinse out my eyeballs,” he said.

Medved appreciates the fact that his family instilled in him the value of following your dreams. The other guys harped on him for being cliche.  “I think they always tell me to keep going and keep pushing forward and keep doing what you love and good things will come out of that,” he said.

Jong considers himself the funny one within his family, while Hayataka identified as the stressful one. Medved had a little more to say. “I feel like I’m kind of like the anchor in the family. I feel like I keep everyone sane,” he said. 

The luxury of home-cooked meals has become much more meaningful as these freshmen have been enduring the University of Oregon residence halls. Jong mentioned he was especially excited about authentic Korean food, something he hasn’t had in months. Make no mistake that the guys have no part in the Thanksgiving cooking process — culinary art is not their forte. “I cooked super watery macaroni once, if that counts,” Jong said.

There was no question about the favorite dish of the holiday. “Mashed potatoes,” they all said in unison. Jong is excited to sleep in his own bed and have space to actually move around in his room, opposed to the dorms. He’s also looking forward to seeing his dog, a Cocker Spaniel so cute it had him reaching for his phone to present videos as evidence.

Thanksgiving brings people together and allows time to take a step back and appreciate the lovely parts of life that are often neglected. Butcher is thankful for good health in the midst of a family line that contains a history of cancer, while Chao appreciates being alive at all, noting that she had issues with her lungs as a baby.

No matter the circumstance, take some time this week to write a list of things to be thankful for and share it with those you call family. The key to having a rich and fulfilling holiday season just might be unplugging your laptop, setting down your phone and looking away from the Cyber Monday deals. “It’s all about the love,” Butcher said.

The post Look a little deeper: Who are Ducks calling family this holiday season? appeared first on Emerald Media.

At some point in their life, people usually stop being scared of monsters under the bed and start to fear things like failure, sickness and isolation. College campuses are hotbeds for fear — students are working under pressure and are unsure of whether or not their effort will pay off post-graduation. It’s not just academics, either. Living independently and being in a new environment can also be scary. The Emerald checked in with University of Oregon students to find out how the Ducks are affected by fear — and how they fight back.  

Hannah Oakley

Hannah Oakley, senior, at the University of Oregon, majoring in Public Relations. Nov. 14, 2017. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

The Emerald found senior public relations major Hannah Oakley hunched over on a bench outside of Lillis working diligently on her homework. Thankfully, the sun wasn’t being shy, and there was a mellow heat warming the quad.

An early run-in with fear found eight-year-old Oakley at a Girl Scout parade, where she lost her mom. “I thought I found her, but it was actually someone else’s mom and then I started crying even more,” she said.

Oakley didn’t hide the fact that she used to be a lot more fearful as a child. She even went so far as to advocate against going to Hawaii. Few people would willingly give up such a trip, but when she was young Oakley was desperate to escape her family’s vacation. “I was always terrified of volcanoes,” she said, “I cried the whole way, I was like, ‘No there is a volcano that’s going to explode.’”

According to Oakley, fear of the unknown is a major feeling among students. In situations where she is feeling anxious or fearful, she considers it helpful to count five things that she can see, touch, hear, etc. “It just kind of grounds me and brings me back,” she said.

Oakley also believes there is such thing as a healthy dose of fear: “If it pushes you to do something that you didn’t think you would do and everything turns out to be okay, then it’s beneficial,” she said.

Brogan Bracelin

Senior Brogan Bracelin said he was scared of a lot of things as a child, although he noted that they were mostly irrational. Nowadays, he doesn’t label himself as a fearful person but instead sees fear as a motivator to keep up with his responsibilities. “I wouldn’t want to not have fear that’s for certain. It keeps you safe a lot of the time… you know like having a safety net if you’re going to be out at night,” Bracelin said.

Brogan Bracelin, senior at the University of Oregon, studying English. Nov. 14, 2017. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

Even though Bracelin likes a world with an underlying level of fear, he acknowledges that it can definitely hinder daily life. “It can get paralyzing where you end up doing nothing because you’re afraid of what might happen. But you really have to get past that to address the issues anyway,” Bracelin said. He isn’t exempt from these feelings himself. He said fear affects him often. “Social things are difficult a lot of the time, just talking to people,” Bracelin said.

Although he suggests going through the possible outcomes of a situation as a way to combat fear, Bracelin said it is important to be careful about not over analyzing too much, otherwise, it is possible to end up right back where you started.

“I notice that a lot of people, especially with the future like we’ve mentioned, a lot of people are really afraid of what’s going on in general with politics and just general life,” he said. “I mean, you keep hearing about school shootings and things like that, there is definitely a lot to be afraid of.”

Norah Haughian

Monsters weren’t a thing to joke about for sophomore Norah Haughian — she said that as a child whenever trying to keep warm under a blanket she had to be sure to tuck the material under her feet in an effort to avoid losing her toes to make believe creatures. “When you’re a kid, you’re just told that there are monsters everywhere and you’re like ‘Okay, that sounds reasonable,’” she said. 

Norah Haughian, sophmore, majoring in Journalism at the University of Oregon. Nov. 14, 2017. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

Most of her day-to-day fear stems from the toil of time management. As a member of 3 different clubs, a sorority sister and an employee, Haughian doesn’t have a lot of free time.

Haughian notices a growing fear of being alone among fellow students and friends. “Even if you have 20 minutes to spare people are like, ‘is anyone on campus, does anyone want to get food?’” She believes that all our lives we are conditioned and taught to surround ourselves with people, therefore causing alone time to be seen as lame or wrong.

Connor Bartlik

As a scary movie fan, sophomore Connor Bartlik prefers films that are more realistic. “I really like the quality of the Conjuring series but those weren’t — I feel like those were too reliant on jump scares, so I feel like that detracted from it a little bit,” he said.

Connor Bartlik, sophomore, majoring in Human Physiology at the University of Oregon. Nov. 15, 2017. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

When Bartlik really starts to feel a rising sense of fear, he said he tends to shut down as opposed to becoming loud and emotional.

Thinking of his worst nightmare caused Bartlik to pause as a wave of seriousness washed over his face, “Not knowing when my family or other loved ones are in danger and I can’t do anything about it,” he said.

Living in downtown Eugene presented Bartlik with a considerable amount of nerves when it came to safety. At one point, he heard noises coming from the first floor and went downstairs to investigate. He was expecting an intruder, although the sounds turned out to be coming from a roommate. As a result of similar situations, Bartlik has developed a cautionary habit. “I sleep with a baseball bat by my bedside,” he said.

Fear is real and present and can tend to be a loud voice in college students’ heads. Whether being affected by fear on a large or small scale, Haughian likes to be told: “Breathe. Take a second, it’s all going to be okay.”

The post Look a little deeper: University of Oregon students talk about fear appeared first on Emerald Media.

At the same time that self-reflection can be liberating and encouraging, it can also be ugly and overwhelming. Peeling back the layers of our lives isn’t always glamorous, but it is often constructive and necessary and can open up space for growth.

In a spirit of self-reflection, the Emerald took to the streets of Eugene to take a deeper look into how students perceive themselves and how they experience joy.

(Left to right): Madison Sharp and Waileia Botelho, sophomores, are both UO students from Hawaii. (Sarah Northrop/Emerald)

Waileia Botelho and Madison Sharp

Sophomores Waileia Botelho and Madison Sharp were standing on the sidewalk outside of Johnson Hall enjoying local cuisine from the ASUO Street Faire. Botelho and Sharp, who both moved from Hawaii to Oregon, acknowledged the stark cultural differences they’ve experienced. For them, adjusting to the noticeable lack of diversity was challenging.

“I would say that I am contradictory,” Botelho said when describing herself. 

The Emerald asked the two women to remember a time, whether it be long ago or recently when they were proud of themselves. After a moment of silence, Botelho proudly mentioned the volunteer work she does at the University of Oregon. Currently, Botelho is assisting SAS, Sexual Assault Services, to ensure a safer environment for students on campus both physically and emotionally, and to provide care for those affected by sexual assault.

Cahill Shpall

Cahill Shpall, a senior at the UO studying Biocultural Anthropology, said that he first came to the university because he saw a Youtube video of campus and decided to take a leap of faith. He moved to Eugene without knowing anyone who lived here or what he wanted to study.

“[I am] very emotional, but I am aware of myself. I can be a little much. I can come off pretty heavy,” he said. “I am a dichotomy between very friendly and sometimes kind of off-putting. I meditate at least, I try to do 20 minutes every day.”

Shpall wore a blue and white checkered flannel with a Carhartt vest zipped almost to the top. As he spoke, he adjusted his hat and rested his hands on the camera case that was draped over his shoulder — while making sure not to drop the ice cream cone he was holding. As Shpal talked leisurely, the ice cream started to melt.

Cahill Shpall, senior, lights up when talking about his horseback riding experiences. (Sarah Northrop/Emerald)

“I have this habit of doing things that I don’t think I’m going to do,” he said. “Before I knew it, I had like 4 campus jobs.” Shpall learned just how important it is to be able to manage time efficiently by working all over campus — in labs, as a grader, and as a UO ambassador.

Beyond academics, lab work and over-excited parents on campus tours, Shpall said nothing gives him more joy than horseback riding. “I learned how to ride a horse before I learned how to ride a bike,” he said.

On a recent birthday Shpall took his favorite horse, a Norwegian Fjord named Thumper, and rode to a nearby river where he went fishing all day. “I had this surreal moment where I was like, ‘What is my life right now?’” He compared the moment to a scene in the movie, “Dancing With Wolves,” where the main character courageously rides a horse across a battlefield while extending his arms out from his sides and tilting his head towards the sky.

Isaiah Daniels

A far cry from Shpal’s outgoing nature, Isaiah Daniels is a freshman at Lane Community College who describes himself as quiet and reserved, though willing to talk if someone engages him. He jokingly said that his favorite thing about himself is his height. “In high school, I was one of the tall guys, but now that I’m here, I’m one of the mid-to-tall guys,” Daniels said.

Daniels was cautious during the conversation at first; however, he had no shortage of words when asked what makes him feel alive. “Recently, it was bridge jumping,” he said. “Me and my friends went up to Moulton Falls in Battle Ground, Washington. We heard stories about people jumping off this bridge 60 feet above the river.”

He said the three seconds he spent in the air were some of the scariest, and as he got closer to the water he thought he was going to die. “Well, I didn’t have time to think, I was screaming,” he said. 

Looking deeper within ourselves might bring up a lot of junk that we’d rather not deal with, but it can also reveal some of the best feelings and moments of our lives; ones of pride and joy and fulfillment. “It’s really good to do check ins with yourself,” Shpal said.

He stayed standing where he was and attempted to salvage what was left of his beloved ice cream cone. 

Isaiah Daniels, a Lane Community College freshman, describes himself as a “listener,” but also enjoys thrill-seeking activities like diving from heights. (Sarah Northrop/Emerald)

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In any elementary school, the over-involved, clingy parents are easy to spot. They’re signing up for the PTA, organizing a fundraiser of some sort, or notifying everyone of their child’s serious nut allergy. Pirriwee Public School is riddled with such parents; however, amid affluence, entitlement and tightly-held secrets, what was once typical schoolyard drama has turned into a devastating murder.

“Big Little Lies,” written by Australian author Liane Moriarty, is a tragic story from the very beginning, revealing that just about everyone in Pirriwee Beach is somehow tangled up in a crime.

Jane and 5-year-old Ziggy are new to town and brought their mysterious past with them. Jane is a single mom trying to juggle her freelance bookkeeping job and be an involved presence at her son’s school. When she is at the school, she’s the target of insensitive comments from snooty parents — all of whom assume she’s a nanny because of her young age.
Madeline is type-A, queen of gossip and bold with her backtalk. She’s fierce, but has a total soft side, and has taken Jane under her wing. Madeline ruthlessly prods into Jane’s past and delights in making sure she’s up to speed on the happenings in their quaint beach town. Of course she does all of this while trying to avoid her ex-husband and his new, all-natural, yogi wife, Bonnie; they have a daughter in the same class as her daughter Chloe.

Celeste is envied more than anyone else in Pirriwee Beach. Her husband is the kind of handsome that is only seen in movies, and his wallet holds more power than the queen. Celeste herself is as beautiful as they get, even as she wrangles two twin boys. The other parents know that Celeste often seems a little distracted and absent in social situations, but what they don’t know is that she is a victim of domestic abuse — her picture-perfect life isn’t as glamorous as it seems.

These three women are best friends and each other’s support system. Unfortunately, they are at the center of the twisted tragedy: the murder.

At the end of every chapter Moriarty includes interview-style excerpts from interrogations that the police department conducted while attempting to get to the bottom of the situation. They are ridiculous and hilarious and infuriating all at the same time; major and minor characters alike disclose information that is over-dramatized and completely irrelevant to the closure of the case, leaving readers greatly entertained, yet increasingly unsure of the real events .

Moriarty keeps readers in the dark for most of the book — it isn’t until the very end that what happened on that fateful night, and who was directly affected, is revealed. Some might find it annoying, but for those who can appreciate the vague tone, it is brilliantly written. Tackling big issues and leaving readers laughing along the way is no easy task; however, Moriarty found a way to strike a chord with readers across the board. Whether readers are parents of young children or at the least were once a young child, “Big Little Lies” is relatable.

Witty, scary and unpredictable, “Big Little Lies” is a book that won’t disappoint.

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Few storybook romances begin with a couple streaking across a bridge in the middle of the night, but Luke Hellwege and Jaime McNamara’s meeting was divine intervention. Hundreds of trips to Disneyland, a spontaneous Vegas wedding, multiple moves and lots of tattoos later, the Hellweges marriage is anything but boring. With their 15th wedding anniversary approaching, they took some time to reminisce and give the Emerald an inside scoop on how they’ve made their atypical relationship work.

Luke, Jaime and their friends decided to streak across a Fullerton, California, bridge to say farewell before it was demolished in 2000. The two had mutual friends that planned the trek, but its impact changed the pair’s lives forever. “For me it was love at first sight, and for her, I had to convince her for about two years to like me back,” Luke said.

As students at Hope International University in Fullerton at the time, Disneyland was as close to them as Gateway Mall is to the University of Oregon. Even better, season passes were a whopping $99 for the entire year. “Every night we’d be like, ‘alright let’s go to disneyland for a couple hours,’ and that’s where we’d hang out with people,” Luke said.

On their way to visit family in Pacific City, Oregon, the couple made a quick stop at the Cape Kiwanda sand dunes. Luke proposed to Jaime by singing her a song he wrote about their relationship. He also made her unwrap a duct-taped box with five other duct-taped boxes packed inside of that one — it eventually led to an empty final box. Jaime said she had no clue about Luke’s intention to propose that day, although she was aware of his duct tape obsession.

“I thought that was the end, and then I thought he was giving me flip flops because I love flip flops,” Jaime said. Unfortunately Jaime didn’t find her beloved flip flops inside the shoe-box-sized present: “It was empty and I was like, ‘this is stupid’ and I was really annoyed, so I went to look at him to get mad at him. In that moment, he got down on his knee in front of me and asked me to be his wife.”

A fiance beats flip flops any day.

Luke and Jaime got engaged in August 2002, and started to plan a beautiful wedding on the beach in Santa Barbara. By February, the couple realized how expensive their special day would be. They were tired of waiting.

“It just felt like a legality to wait until May. Why not just do it now? We’re ready,” Jaime said. They gave their close friends and family two weeks notice and flew to Las Vegas to elope.

Jaime and Luke Hellwege at their wedding in Las Vegas in 2002. (Courtesy of the Hellweges)

One month later, Luke joined the military and shipped out for boot camp. “I didn’t have a great job and we were out of college, and I was like, ‘I need to do something to provide for my family.’ It was shortly after Sept. 11 and I was feeling very patriotic,” he said.

Following boot camp, Luke went to medical training in San Antonio; however, despite being married, Luke and Jaime weren’t allowed to live together during their time there. Luke said his commander told him, “If we wanted you to have a wife, we would have issued you one.”

Shortly thereafter, Luke went to work in the Demilitarized Zone, (DMZ, the border of North and South Korea) for sixteen months. Jaime was only allowed to be there for a month of the total time, so the couple entered a season of long-distance marriage. Cell phones were not as advanced as they are now: “No texting, no Skype — we had to learn how to communicate at 16 hours time difference,” Luke said. “It’s not something I would suggest doing. I mean, this is where faith comes in, but really, without Jesus neither one of us would have made it through.”

Both Luke and Jaime described the toll separation took on their relationship. “We had both been so independent that it was almost like we were frustrated that we were in each other’s lives again,” Jaime said. “We had to re-learn how to be a couple and live together and communicate in person.”

It took about a year before the Hellweges were comfortable with ordinary married life.

“We fell out of ‘like,’ if you will. We had to become friends again,” Luke said. “And that’s made us strong since then because we know how to make each other happy, and we know what each other needs. We know how to enjoy each other again and it’s been beneficial for 14 and a half years now.”

Jaime values Luke’s honesty — even when it is tough to hear. She appreciates his unwavering devotion to her, though she says there have been times she doesn’t deserve it.

“He has loved me through some really hard things in my journey through life and loved me enough to stay committed to me when it would have been really easy to walk away,” Jaime said. “I didn’t deal well with him going into the Army so he stuck by me and has continued to just love me more than I even thought I deserved … I get to see a piece of God’s grace for us through [Luke’s] grace for me.”

Jaime and Luke Hellwege in 2016. (Courtesy of the Hellweges)

Despite saying the sentiment is cheesy and cliche, Luke acknowledges that Jaime truly does make him a better person.

“I love how kind and compassionate she is and just how genuine she is with people. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like Jaime,” Luke said. “I love how nice she is to people because I’m not always the kindest … And I think she’s hot, so that helps.”

The couple doesn’t take themselves very seriously, but they certainly don’t mess around when it comes to the vow of marriage. On their wedding day, Jaime’s father told Luke that love is a commitment, not a feeling. “In our society, love is so disposable,” Luke said. He described how couples are no longer willing to stick it out when things get hard, so the couple promised to not contribute to the country’s rising divorce rates.

The Hellweges have lived together and separately all over the globe. Their marriage map is a little hard to follow — so hang on tight:

“We got married, lived in Arizona,” Luke began. “I went to Oklahoma for boot camp; [Jaime] was in Colorado at that time. We lived in San Antonio together. We were in Korea together briefly — I was there for longer. When she wasn’t there, she was in Colorado. When I got out of the Army we lived in Colorado for a year. From Colorado we lived in Portland for a year. From Portland we lived back in Colorado — different part of the state, but for about six years. Then we went to Washington state, like Eastern Washington for two years. Back in Colorado again for three years. We briefly went to California. Her dad passed away and so we went out there. She was there for a year — again we had separation. She was there for six months without me, and then I was there for six months with her before we moved up here.”

By now, the couple has mastered packing light.

Luke and Jaime moved to Eugene in September, 2016 and are now ready to settle down and make Track Town, USA their permanent home. Luke works for a worldwide ministry called Young Life where he acts as the Eugene-area college director. Jaime is also a volunteer leader for Young Life.

They decided they didn’t want to have children so they could act as parents to those who don’t come from a healthy home. “We wouldn’t be able to do Young Life or ministry the way that we would want to with having a child,” Luke said. “So it’s not even like my vocation, but it’s our life. It’s how we live our life and we do it together.”

The Hellweges marriage has not been conventional by any means. Like many couples, they have endured hardship and had their relationship tested many times. Yet they continue to honor their vows of marriage and are in love — as well as in ‘like’ because they value an emphasis on friendship first. If they ever retire from Young Life, they plan to become cast members at Disneyland or Disneyworld. But their dreams for the rest of marriage basically all boil down to a simple mantra: “We want more tattoos.”

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W. Kamau Bell has a lot to say. Take the title of his new book for example (it’s a mouthful): “The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6′ 4″, African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama’s Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian.” Bell, who is also the host of CNN’s “United Shades of America,” has been promoting his book on a tour around the country.

After an early flight from Chicago to Los Angeles and a long photoshoot, Bell spoke with the Emerald on the phone about the power of humor and his interviews with white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan.

“The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell” explores many of his life experiences with racism, marriage and comedy. He shares about his family and praises his mother for the way she raised him. When speaking to his own children about mature issues, he said that he does what his mom did with him — he puts things in words they can understand. “You want to reward your kids for curiosity,” he said.

Despite being a multi-talented comedian, Bell is still a family man.“I just have to make sure when I‘m doing the work I feel good about it and that when I come home I’m present with my family,” he said.

On “United Shades of America,” Bell goes places that aren’t necessarily inviting to people of color. Season two of the docuseries premiered on CNN on April 30. This season finds Bell documenting issues such as immigration, gun control and violence in Chicago. He also sits down with Richard Spencer, the president of the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist think tank.

As a comedian, Bell uses humor to break the ice and provide comfort during the tensest of interviews. “I feel like people don’t understand this, but humor is power,” Bell said. “So if you make somebody laugh, you are connecting with them. You’re saying, ‘I understand what you’re saying. That doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with you, but I understand what you’re saying.’ You’re seeing somebody in a new way.”

Bell said that using humor puts people in a different place than expected: “they’re not focused on that unique situation — they’re just focused on their laughter.”

The most notable of Bell’s interviews occurred during the pilot episode of “United Shades,” when he visited rural Kentucky to speak with an Imperial Wizard of the KKK and watch another active KKK group burn a cross.

“They had certainly never done that kind of thing with somebody like me before. There was just sort of a casual racism to it,” Bell said. “Like they didn’t call me the N-word. That’s just their life.”

“They had pride, and I think everybody should have pride in what they are and where they come from,” Bell continued. “But their pride had been twisted by a very dark corner of this country’s history and I’m like, ‘I wish you had something else to have pride about than this.’”

After challenging interviews, Bell said he unwinds with emotional eating, a couple drinks and a phone call to his family. He is very aware of the emotional toll some interviews take on him and admits that, “When it’s over, you just want to do whatever you can to let it go.” He makes sure to eat healthy and get enough sleep, which he says can be a challenge considering the late nights and early mornings that filming demands.

In regard to America’s current political climate, Bell is striving to improve the dialogue about discrimination. He said his hope is that, “the work that I’m doing, work with my friends and work that people I admire are doing corrects the path that we are on right now.”

As a father of two young girls, Bell’s work as a socio-political comedian, television host and author holds extra weight. Bell’s daughters are 5 and 2 now, but when they are adults he wants them to be able to say, “That was weird when America did that,” about Trump’s election.

From his podcast about Denzel Washington to his stand-up comedy and TV show, Bell has always been passionate about his work to make a societal impact. “United Shades” may have been nominated for an Emmy, but Bell’s pride remains with his family.

“I was doing this before I had kids but when you have kids you just start to take everything more seriously. Comedian is what I do, but Dad is what I am.”

Kamau Bell will perform at the Hult Center at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 19. Tickets range from $28.50-71.50 and can be found here for his stand-up comedy show.

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