When Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” flooded suburban televisions tuned to MTV in 1991, it symbolized a changing era for music. Clad in grungy flannel amidst a sea of carefully coiffed, pop-stylized “hair bands”, Kurt Cobain stood out like a sore thumb—and for good reason. While Nirvana may not have single handedly changed the landscape of popular music overnight, they certainly signaled a changing tide.

Alessia Cara is not Nirvana, not even close, and the sound of her newest album Know-It-All isn’t at all comparable to the “Seattle Sound” of the ’90s. But the dismissive nature of grunge that destroyed the opulence and excess of ’80s hair metal can be seen here. Cara’s bleak, self-reflective lyrics reflect the current state of the millennial condition and, with this, the changing tide of mainstream music in the 2010s.

This seems to be a common theme within the past five years—strong female musicians shining through a musical era dominated by the celebration of excess. Like Lorde’s Pure Heroine, Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die, or Halsey’s Badlands, Know-It-All works to dismiss the stereotypes associated with millennials and their Baby Boomer-labeled “non-problems”. It’s as if Cara is a more mainstream, less jaded, socially acceptable Lorde. Her lyrics are less cryptic and less complex, but her vocals are just as exceptional.

Know-It-All tells the inspiring story of a nineteen-year-old girl that caught her big break on YouTube, now struggling with coming into adulthood in the limelight. Such is the case on “Four Pink Walls,” a song inspired by her hometown bedroom, and “Seventeen” a lamentation about her failure to recognize the value of her parents’ advice as a teen.

Other cuts reflect a powerful feminist ideology that underlines the album as a whole. This is exemplified in “Scars To Your Beautiful”, a number that calls for recognition of inner beauty and the problematic nature of unattainable societal body ideals. As Cara stated about the track: “We are women. We are fighters, we are leaders, we are intelligent, kind, confident, and amazing. And fuck you.”

“Here” is certainly the best cut from Know-It-All. The R&B vibes are reminiscent of a mid-’90s TLC song. As an ode to the digital-age introverts in their teens and early twenties, Cara laments the existential void her peers fill with partying, drugs, and hook-ups—supposedly essential parts of millennial culture of which, frankly, Cara is uninterested in and would prefer to avoid.

Know-It-All should be admired in that it represents an era in which it’s now cool to rebel against what’s “cool.” Drugs, partying, and drinking to excess has become the norm. The definition of rebellion has fundamentally changed, as it is now to dismiss such themes. To Cara, Partying is uninteresting, wasteful, unsatisfying, and doesn’t fill that vast, omnipresent existential void we all often feel. Cara’s looking for something greater, and she inspires us to follow her lead.

Listen to “Here” by Alessia Cara below.

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15.

It’s been more than two years since Disclosure released their first album Settle in 2013. Since then, brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence have shot to stardom, their debut even scoring a Grammy nomination in 2014 for Best Dance/Electronica Album. They’ve launched the careers of music giants Sam Smith and AlunaGeorge with their sleeper hits “Latch” and “White Noise,” respectively. Renowned for an innovative sound that still draws from past eras of house and electronica, Disclosure set the bar for EDM in the 2010s.

Now, with their new album Caracal, it’s clear the brothers are less inspired, less innovative, and more formulaic. They stay true to their ’80s and ’90s house roots, but with a cleaner edge. Here, it’s clear that Disclosure is aiming for a few top 40 hits rather than experimenting. The album comes complete with a star-studded cast of some of the biggest names in today’s music; Sam Smith is back again, along with teenage New Zealander Lorde, The Weeknd, and others.

The album starts off with a slow burn rather than a bang. The first track, “Nocturnal” is a slow jam that creeps into a full-on banger. The Weeknd’s Michael Jackson-esque vocals purr over a beat that recalls the synth-pop vibes of the group’s first album, though safer and more deliberate.

The following track, “Omen,” is the perfect segue to change tone and pace. Smith’s atmospheric vocals stand out in the album. But it still leaves something to be desired. Their last collaboration “Latch” demanded to be heard, its unique tone and style standing out amid a sea of monotonous EDM. “Omen” is a blatant attempt to recreate the genius of the single that shot both parties to stardom, but it lacks the originality it needs.

By contrast, “Magnets” is one of the album’s standout singles. Lorde’s collaboration with the duo was a match made in heaven. Its uneasiness makes it intriguing and dynamic. Breathtaking lyrics like “Smoking sunset, off Mulholland” paint a picture of Los Angeles’ dismal hollowness and false opulence. And yet the song could still use a bit more. It’s just waiting for someone of the likes of Flume to get their hands on it and elevate it, as he did back in 2013 with his remix of Disclosure’s “You & Me”.

While the album boasts several big names, many of the tracks with vocals from the brothers themselves are more inspired. Such is the case on “Jaded,” with lead vocals provided by the younger of the two brothers, Howard Lawrence.

While Caracal may lack the inspiration and innovation of Disclosure’s first LP, it still upholds the sound and charisma of ’80s and ’90s house that they first aimed to capture.

Listen to “Jaded” by Disclosure below.

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15

When it comes to eating on campus, the number of dining options can be daunting. Whether you’re a freshman navigating college for the first time, or a senior who’s had Jimmy John’s for lunch a few too many times, dining in the campus residence halls is an appetizing and often convenient option. Use this guide to find some legendary tried and true favorites on campus.

DUX Bistro in LLC (Meerah Powell/Emerald)

DUX Bistro

Location: Living Learning Center-North

Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Price range: 1-5 points or $1.50-$5.95

What’s there: A build-your-own sandwich bar, salad bar and quick service café. The DUX Bistro is where you can get everything from sandwiches to espresso drinks.

Recommended dish: The chicken Caesar salad at the salad bar. At only three points for a half-salad, you get fresh lettuce, your choice of Italian or teriyaki chicken, croutons and Caesar dressing that’s to die for.

Common Grounds

Location: Hamilton Hall

Hours: Monday to Friday, 7 a.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.- 2 a.m.

Price Range: 1-4 points or $1.75-$5.95

What’s there: Soup, sandwiches, smoothies and espresso drinks. Common Grounds is one of the best places to grab coffee before an 8 a.m. class, or for post-party, weekend fourth meal at 2 a.m.

Recommended dish: The legendary artichoke dip. For three points, you get warm artichoke dip with a side of sourdough bread, perfect for a late-night study break.

Big Mouth Burrito

Location: Hamilton Hall

Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

Price range: 1-5 points or $1.90-$6.75

What’s there: Tacos, burritos, quesadillas and just about everything that goes with chips and salsa.

Recommended dish: Specialty nachos. For five points, you get an entire meal of build-your-own nachos piled high with delicious nacho cheese and a fountain drink.

Fire N’ Spice

Location: Hamilton Hall

Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Price range: 2-6 points

What’s there: A Mongolian grill stir-fry bar. Customize your dish with your choice of protein, vegetables, sauce, and rice or noodles, then watch as your creation is grilled before your eyes.

Recommended dish: Pad thai chicken stir-fry bowl. For 5 points, you get lo mein noodles, your choice of veggies and chicken grilled fresh to order and topped with spicy Pad Thai sauce.

Gastro Grill

Location: Hamilton Hall

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m daily

Price range:  2-4 points or $3.75-$7.75

What’s there: All-American diner-style food with everything from scrambled eggs to hamburgers and french fries.

Recommended dish: The fish and chip basket comes with deep-fried fish fillets and some of the best french fries you’ll ever eat for 3 points.

Carson Dining

Location: Carson Hall

Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Price range: 5-6 points or $9.25 to $10.95

What’s there: All-you-can-eat buffet with different items daily.

Recommended Dish: Late-night quesadillas, made with pepper jack cheese and grilled to perfection, are the perfect study break snack. Add Tapatio for maximum flavor.

Fresh Marketcafé in Global Scholars Hall (Meerah Powell/Emerald)

Fresh Marketcafé

Location: Global Scholars Hall

Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Price range: 1-5 points or $1.75-$5.95

What’s there: A quick-service café, sushi bar, pasta bar and deli-style case filled with everything from chicken strips to egg white sandwiches.

Recommended dish: Killer mac n’ Cheese at the pasta bar. Made fresh to order, add pesto to spice up the perfect cheesy comfort food.

Barnhart Dining

Location: Barnhart Hall

Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday; Dinner: 5 p.m.-8 p.m., daily; Brunch: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

Price Range: 1-6 points or $1.75-$10.95

What’s there: All-you-can-eat, buffet-style dining, quick-service café, grill and salad bar.

Recommended dish: All-you-can-eat Barnhart brunch. Despite its off-campus location, it’s worth the trek. For five points, you get access to an all-you-can-eat buffet — complete with eggs, waffles, french toast, pastries and more.

For students living off-campus and seeking a dining plan, check out the Ducks Dine On program.

**Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Emerald’s “Back to the Books” edition, which is currently available in locations throughout Eugene.**

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15

Flux Pavilion fans aren’t afraid to mosh.

Dubstep seems to have been sidelined in recent years by the more accessible EDM subgenres of dance and house that make for radio playable top 40 hits. But it’s clear that dubstep still has its niche — and masses of extremely loyal fans.

Flux Pavilion performed on Tuesday night (Sept. 15) at Eugene’s McDonald Theatre on Willamette Street with opening performances by Diskord and 12th Planet.

The night started promptly at 7 p.m., with Diskord opening to a rather small crowd of EDM enthusiasts. Energy was high and bass was deep, but the crowd got especially hyped with the introduction of 12th Planet. He hit all the right chords, giving his audience what they wanted and getting the crowd stoked for the main act.

Though once the act the fans had all been waiting for finally began, the party truly started. The lights promptly dimmed at half past ten, with a large screen simulating the experience of being sucked into a galaxy of laser lights, fog and deep bass. The room was suddenly packed nearly to capacity, and energy was higher than ever. When Flux (the stage moniker of English producer Joshua Kierkegaard G. Steele) finally appeared, the crowd deafeningly cheered as he announced his arrival.

And it was clear through the haze of fog and strobe lights what shot him to fame in the first place. Flux’s keen connection to the crowd was blatant and apparent throughout the set. He knew what the crowd wanted and he wasn’t afraid to provide, somehow never pandering to his audience. Flux kept the crowd on its toes, changing the atmosphere by constantly switching up the tempo and tone.

He brought his A-game, even providing vocals to preface his famed “I Can’t Stop,” a single off of his 2010 EP, Lines in Wax. Listeners may recall the song from a campaign-spreading scene towards the end of the now-infamous Kony 2012 video.

Of course, strobe and laser light effects are essential for any EDM show. Although the effects during the performance were noticeably less dramatic than those for bigger artists, they were rather impressive for the fairly small venue.

While it was not an entirely sold-out performance, Flux certainly drew a large crowd to McDonald – and an interesting one at that. As expected, a sea of millennials — decked in metallic spandex, glitter, crop tops, bro tanks and every shade of neon imaginable — flooded the floor, eager to dance and enjoy the music. Of course, no true raver is without glow sticks and arm candy, both of which were common accessories among the crowd.

And while the importance of music is central to EDM culture, the sense of community that occurs at an event is arguably even more impactful. Unlike at an indie-rock or mainstream pop concert, EDM concert-goers really interact with each other. They dance together, pass along homemade bracelets and help each other escape the occasional (but often inevitable) mosh pits. It’s a community unlike any other, and it only occurs at shows like these.

If you missed the show, you can still catch Flux Pavilion, 12th Planet, and Diskord tonight (Sept. 17) at Portland’s Roseland Theater.

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15

The University of Oregon College of Education recently received $11.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences.

The grants, finalized as of July 1, are set to fund five separate research efforts for a variety of grade levels, economic backgrounds and mental abilities.

Paths 2 the Future — an experimental, girls-only high school curriculum — and READY for WAGES — intended to help youths transition out of the juvenile justice system — were awarded the largest sums from the grants, receiving a collective $7 million (split evenly between the two programs) in funds.

The Paths 2 the Future project will be led by principal investigator Lauren Lindstrom.

“This curriculum is different because it is exclusive for girls,” Lindstrom said. “It includes sections about gender issues and disability and promotes discussion about what the limitations are for women.”

The curriculum will cover four core issues, including self-awareness and self-determination, disability awareness, gender roles and college and career planning.

“Often, people assume these girls can’t go to college or work in certain careers when they actually can,” Lindstrom said. “I think there’s still an inherent bias about girls and about disabilities; and, because of this, girls are rather limited in certain ways.”

The study will be conducted over four years and will include the participation of over 500 girls in 28 Oregon schools.

“We hope that we are able to extend beyond our state borders and take it to a couple of other states,” said Cindy Post, a project coordinator and research member of UO Secondary Special Education and Transition research work group, via email. “I don’t believe that there is a state out there that wouldn’t want to improve the education and career outcomes for young high school girls.”

The female-only curriculum stood out despite fierce competition for funding, and its distinction made it one of Lindstrom’s biggest research grant awards to date.

“I am very excited to have received this grant,” Lindstrom said. “The Paths 2 the Future curriculum is unique, since we are focusing on issues of gender equity and also disability advocacy, so it is very gratifying to have federal support to pursue this work across Oregon.”

READY for WAGES (Research on Employment of Adjudicated Youth through Working at Gaining Employment Social Skills Curriculum) will be conducted over the course of four years in Oregon, Maryland and New Mexico. The program will test the effectiveness of an alternative school curriculum for youths transitioning out of the juvenile justice system.

“When I worked as a teacher in alternative education, I became really familiar with kids ​involved in the juvenile justice system​, and I saw that they needed further support,” said principal investigator Deanne Unruh. “This study is really about developing interventions that are focused in on yo​ung offenders​ and creating strategies for how they can reenter the community​ and be successful in both further school completion and ongoing employment.”

The curriculum seeks to improve employment prospects by targeting four core workplace skills: self regulation, teamwork, communication and problem solving. Lessons are focused on maintaining long-term employment, rather than simply “getting a job.”

Unruh said she and her research team found that employment or enrollment in classes often supports former juvenile inmates’ chances of staying on track and avoiding repeated incarcerations. She hopes that the results will legitimize the curriculum and that it will be implemented in the future.

“My hope ​at the end of this grant​ is that we will have a shelf-ready curriculum based on employability and social skills for young offenders, with ​evidence​ of ​positive​ results,” Unruh said. ​“Our prior work has​ developed ​this curriculum, ​and​ with this grant, we will be able to test it and see if it truly works.”

Follow Shelby Chapman on twitter @ShelbyEm15

Even though We Are Your Friends grossed a measly $1.8 million in its opening weekend (one of the worst opening weekends of all time), it’s not the worst movie ever made. It may not even be the worst movie of the summer.

WAYF, which came out on Aug. 28, tells the story of Cole Carter (played by Zac Efron), a 23-year-old DJ who’s trying to make it in the electronic dance music scene. By chance, he meets James Reed (Wes Bentley), a washed-up DJ and producer who carelessly plays top-40 hits at local clubs. Cole befriends James, along with his much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski). James soon becomes Cole’s mentor, teaching him about the importance of originality and developing an authentic sound.

WAYF is a weak movie that you’ve seen a thousand times before. It takes zero chances in its story; it’s a standard, underdog coming-of-age tale that never surprises or challenges its audience. This time, the only difference is the backdrop – the EDM scene in southern California.

And that is, arguably, the reason WAYF bombed at the box office. It doesn’t succeed to attract EDM fanatics, or the masses of college students it hoped to pull. For EDM enthusiasts, Carter’s simplified explanation of EDM production as “all you need is a laptop, some talent and one track” is downright insulting to the craft. Worse yet, the music itself throughout the entirety of the film is aggressively average.

Additionally, the vast majority of characters are simply not interesting. Carter and his friends view themselves as unfortunate kids who deserve better. Really, their problem is that they fail to recognize the immense privilege they have as wealthy middle class American males in the San Fernando Valley.

But while WAYF glosses over the accuracy of EDM production and fails to create interesting characters, it is an enjoyable movie. Bentley’s character is by far one of the best parts of the film. His difficult past, innovative nature, revered-yet-wasted talent and alcoholism make him a fascinating mess. It’s a shame the film doesn’t pay more attention to him.

In terms of aesthetics, WAYF looks fantastic. Its warm tones and frequent establishing shots accurately portray the bleak, sun-baked desert and oppressive heat of the San Fernando Valley. It’s a bit like Spring Breakers in that it’s a beautiful mess, both with directors that had very specific visions that just didn’t come to fruition.

If anything, WAYF is an incredibly interesting portrayal of millennial culture. An endless party of sex, drugs and pounding music with characters that incessantly pity themselves, even though they have the ability to change every aspect of their lives. And while WAYF seems to celebrate party culture (with Cole and Sophie even falling for each other while on ecstasy at a music festival), it makes sure to hit you over the head with its condemnation of it.

While WAYF may not be the best movie of the summer, it may be one of the most enjoyable. It feels like a non-stop college rager, for better or for worse. And if you ignore the inaccuracy of EDM culture and the unoriginal plot, you’ll leave the theater bobbing your head and wondering where the closest party is.

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15

Ariana Grande fans are not just middle school girls. At least, that was one of the first things I noticed as I approached the near capacity-filled Moda Center in Portland Aug. 4 — with my 12-year-old sister in tow.

People of all ages, male and female, were clad in cat ears and tour t-shirts eager to see the top-40 artist up close and in person. And while I was fairly lost in a sea shimmery pink lip gloss and sickly sweet perfume, I still found myself just as excited to see the singer as the preteen and teenage girls around me that idolized her.

After Prince Royce amped up the crowd, Grande exploded onto stage moments later with her mega-hit “Bang Bang.” Sporting her signature half ponytail; Grande was clad in a skin-tight black leotard, clear plastic skirt, black thigh-high Louboutin stilettos and, of course, a pair of personalized cat ears.

Ariana Grande performed on Friday, Sept. 5 in Portland’s Moda Center. (Shelby Chapman / Emerald).

And while Grande expressed that she was fairly ill via Twitter, her voice was as strong as ever. The pint-sized pop star hit all the high notes, energetically performed complicated dance moves and giggled while exclaiming to her fans how excited she was to be there. The only noticeable difference was the lack of costume changes and the dark gray hoodie she wore to stay warm.

Because — ill or not — if Ariana Grande’s going to be on stage, she’s going to put on a show. Within the first third of the performance, she descended upon the stage on a cotton candy-esque cloud, reminiscent of a Katy Perry music video circa 2010. And later, a large chandelier straight out of The Great Gatsby appeared, complete with a small army of backup dancers in flapper attire.

Of course, no headlining tour is complete without sparkling fireworks and misty fog, both of which were in heavy use for the duration of the show. Much of the setlist consisted from cuts her 2014 album My Everything, including everything from the upbeat yet somber “One Last Time” to the soft crooning of “Love Me Harder.”

Ariana Grande preforms the track “Pink Champagne” at the Moda Center in Portland on Sept. 4, 2015. (Shelby Chapman/Emerald)

Grande even surprised the crowd with a few of her oldest songs. Late in the set Grande sang “Pink Champagne,” a bubbly number that she recorded at age 17 and later shared via YouTube back in 2013.

Grande ended the concert with her girl-power anthems “Break Free” and “Problem.” When someone threw a rainbow flag onstage as she sang, Grande immediately picked it up and waved it with pride. As glittering confetti showered the crowd, Grande thanked her fans for making her feel better despite her illness.

While it can be easy to draw comparisons to other pop stars of the ’90s and early ’00s, it’s clear that Grande has a style and flair that is all her own. I can assure you that beneath all those chestnut extensions and black winged eyeliner, there really is just a normal girl with an abundance of sheer, raw talent.

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15.

Students and faculty can expect the early morning soundtrack of birds chirping and the jarring sounds of heavy construction work for several more years.

Lawmakers recently committed $37 million toward three large campus projects. This includes the construction of a new College and Careers building in the heart of campus, and major renovations to the outdated Klamath and Chapman halls.

Though the location of the College and Careers building has not been finalized, the structure will be home to the College and Career Center along with the College of Arts and Sciences. With more than sixty percent of students enrolled in a degree program within the CAS, many UO students will benefit from the creation of the 50,000 square feet of new classrooms and office space.

“Personally, I’m looking forward to learning how academic spaces catalyze inspiration and collaboration, and working to plan this building with the people who will inhabit those spaces and make them their own,” said Associate Dean for Undergrad Education at CAS Ian McNeely via email.

With a $17 million award toward the $34.3 million cost of the new building, construction is set to begin in the summer of 2016.

Additionally, the dated and historic Chapman Hall was awarded $8.2 million toward the $10.7 million cost of a thorough remodel. Home to the Robert D. Clark Honors College, the building was formerly the site of the UO bookstore. Due to this history, the building can be difficult to navigate and lacks an internal staircase connecting all floors.

The renovation will fortify the building for seismic activity and renovate its interior to modern standards and levels of technology.

“This is a beautiful building, but it is critical that we modernize it and take care of the deferred maintenance and overdue seismic upgrade issues,” said Honors College Director of Development Jennifer Parker via email.

Construction will also provide more immediate benefits for students, including the creation of a permanent thesis defense room, along with a hearth and lounge.

“The Clark Honors College is growing and we want to meet the needs of our current and incoming students,” said Parker.

Chapman Hall renovations are set to begin in late 2015.

A short walk down 13th Avenue, chemistry majors can look forward to the $12.4 million in bonds that was awarded toward the $18.7 million Klamath Hall renovation.

The construction will address safety issues pertaining to the outdated synthetic chemistry labs on the third floor of Klamath Hall and the fourth floor of Onyx Bridge. A fourth floor will also be added for office space that was formerly housed on the third floor; while the third floor will be gutted and rebuilt into efficient wet lab space.

Mike Haley is the former department head of chemistry and biochemistry at the UO. Haley wrote the proposal for Klamath’s renovation roughly 16 months ago, and is eager for the space to be overhauled.

“In the past, we have lost graduate students and a potential faculty member to other schools due to our outdated labs,” said Haley. “This will allow us to recruit and retain top students and faculty.”

Haley cited the importance of state-of-the-art labs in providing a productive work environment.

“It shouldn’t matter what a lab looks like, but the reality is that if you’re in a shiny new lab you’re going to like coming to work every day, and you’re absolutely going to increase productivity as a whole,” said Haley.

As for what he’s looking forward to in the future, Haley spoke of the potential growth within the department as a whole.

“For the next couple years I look forward to seeing the building,” said Haley. “I look forward to moving in to the labs and seeing how things take off with hiring faculty and graduate students.”

Construction on Klamath Hall is set to begin in the summer of 2016.

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15.

The Class of 2019 has flooded the University of Oregon campus this past month, with the final IntroDUCKtion sessions coming to a close the first week of August.

A few things have changed since the IntroDUCKtion sessions of past, one of them being in response to the recent outbreak of meningitis. Freshman now have the option to receive the vaccine at orientation, and parents are able to discuss campus health with professionals.

IntroDUCKtion is the UO’s orientation program for incoming freshman — 4,071 students are expected to join the university this fall. The orientation sessions are two day events jam packed with tours, seminars, advising appointments and registration sessions.

The Emerald caught up with a few incoming students and orientation representatives (clad in neon green Nike polos) during the July 23-24 session of IntroDUCKtion to see how the events were unfolding.

“It’s crazy how much IntroDUCKtion has changed since I was a freshman, But it’s definitely been for the better,” said Hunter Dotson, an orientation leader and UO junior.

“My favorite part so far has been the ice breakers,” said Olivia Balderas, an incoming freshman.

Daniel Kamin echoed Balderas’ sentiment. “My favorite part about IntroDUCKtion so far has been meeting new people,” said Kamin. “The SOS [student orientation staff] staff is really great this year too, they’ve been amazing,”

Another change to this year’s IntroDUCKtion sessions is the implementation of the new Schedule Builder program. Designed for freshman registration; students select which classes they desire and which times during the week they wish to have free. Schedule Builder then generates dozens of different schedules with these preferences. When a schedule the student likes is selected, the student clicks the option “Send to Shopping Cart” where classes are sent to DuckWeb to be registered automatically.

While Schedule Builder may provide a more streamlined registration experience, is is not without its hiccups, often going offline for long periods of time. Additionally, as freshman almost exclusively use Schedule Builder, they do not learn to navigate DuckWeb on their own, which may be problematic during future registration dates.

Changes aside, while staff and incoming students frequently speak excitedly of orientation, current UO students may recall the stress that often accompanies the overwhelming amount of information supplied throughout the course of the session.

Daisy Ahlstone is a First Year Programs representative and Freshman Interest Group assistant. Ahlstone works in the Registration Room during day two of IntroDUCKtion, assisting freshman with the complications that may arise when using DuckWeb and Schedule Builder.

“Since registration is often one of the last things they do, I feel like by the time students get to the reg room they’re often fairly stressed and have a hard time finding classes. Others have pretty solid plans, and just need a little help with navigation,” said Ahlstone.

But even with its issues, Ahlstone cites the reward of helping students register for college courses for the very first time.

“I really love when a student finds a class they didn’t even know was available to them. When they find something that piques their interest, and they get really excited about it. It’s just awesome,” Ahlstone said.

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15. 

Three hours and roughly 3,000 miles separated the University of Oregon from the moment and place that Obergefell v. Hodges case was decided. But as Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the majority opinion, he was also citing the research and information gathered a group of historians — one of them a UO professor, Ellen Herman.

The decision from the Obergefell case requires all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and to recognize same-sex marriages.

“I am thrilled to have played even a small role in this historic Supreme Court decision, which continues the long-term project of expanding our understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the meanings of equality and freedom,” Ellen Herman wrote in an email to the Emerald. She’s a United States history professor, and played a part in filing the amicus brief referenced in the conclusion of the case.

An amicus brief is essentially a document put together by individuals or groups that are intended to educate the court on a disputed matter. Herman and 20 other historians of law and marriage filed a brief titled the “Brief of Historians of Marriage and the American Historical Association as Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioners.”

The brief addressed whether the 14th Amendment requires a state to license and recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex.

Herman’s been at it for a while, too. She and her team began filing briefs in a number of same-sex marriage cases for use in federal courts after Proposition 8 prohibited same-sex marriages in 2008. The team’s leader and Harvard history professor Nancy Cott gave testimony in the 2010 case that dissolved the proposition.

Herman cited Cott’s leadership in creating and filing the brief, and her testimony as large factors in the final ruling.

“I am incredibly pleased and gratified that the Court really paid attention to what the historians had to say,” wrote Cott in an email to the Emerald.

Justice Kennedy cited the brief because it explored the roots of how marriage is defined in the U.S.. He claimed that, historically, married couples have been considered to be unified but defined by the notion of the male’s supremacy.

“It is unusual for the Supreme Court to take historical research so seriously. The fact that the justices did so in this case is deeply gratifying to historians,” Herman said. “It also suggests how heavily the opponents of marriage equality rested their case on a view of marriage—as unchanging and oriented toward procreation- that has been thoroughly discredited.”

Sophomore Lilly Loftin was excited to hear that a UO professor had an influence in the landmark ruling. But while she’s “ecstatic” about the decision for the case, she admits that the work is not over.

“We have a long way to go, but this is a great milestone that should be celebrated with lots of wedding cake,” Loftin said with a wide smile.

Herman noted the changing environment of the state of democracy and marriage equality in the United States, and has high hopes for the future.

“The majority opinion in the Obergefell case renews my hope for this country’s expanding democracy and shows that scholarship can make a huge difference,” wrote Herman.