Construction continues on University of Oregon campus as state lawmakers recently approved funding for a new College and Careers building and two other major renovation projects set for 2016.

Lawmakers committed $37 million toward three large campus projects. This includes the construction of the brand new College and Careers building in the heart of campus, though it is unclear where, and major renovations to the outdated Klamath and Chapman halls.

The College and Careers building will house the College and Career Center along with the College of Arts and Sciences.

Despite being the largest college at the UO, with more than 60 percent of students enrolled in one of its 46 degree programs, the College of Arts and Sciences does not have a permanent home.

The new building is set to be 50,000 square feet and will contain both classroom and office space. With the majority of UO students’ majors pertaining to the College of Arts and Sciences, this will centralize various offices and many classes spread across campus. With a $17 million award for the $34.3 million cost of the new building, construction is set to begin in the summer of 2016.

“The College and Careers Building will be a centerpiece of campus where students connect in meaningful ways and prepare to make their mark on the world,” UO President Michael Schill said in a statement.

Additionally, the dated and historic Chapman and Klamath halls are set for renovation. $8.2 million was awarded for the $10.7 million Chapman Hall remodel, while another $12.4 million in bonds was awarded for the $18.7 million Klamath Hall fourth floor addition and renovation costs.

Chapman hall renovations are set to begin in 2015, while the Klamath Hall renovations are set for summer of 2016.

The new College and Careers building is estimated to be completed by late 2018.

Follow Shelby Chapman on twitter @ShelbyEm15

For some University of Oregon students, logging on to DuckWeb during the summer to view their next year’s financial aid award package brings relief. For many others, it can be a reminder of economic tension and struggle — even those with the most enviable scholarships and grants, like incoming UO sophomore Vanda Hunter.

As a Pathway Oregon student, recipient of the federal Pell Grant and Oregon resident, Hunter works as a part-time waitress at the Springfield Buffalo Wild Wings to cover the expenses that aren’t covered by her financial aid awards — mainly her living expenses and textbooks.

Hunter attests that economic issues and working part-time can greatly affect how and when students can focus on their academics.

“It was stressful balancing my hours at work and my class schedule freshman year,” she said.

Hunter’s situation isn’t unique, but at least she has Pathway Oregon: a promise made by the UO that academically qualified, Pell Grant-eligible Oregonians will have their tuition and fees fully covered by federal, state and university grants and scholarships for four years. But for out-of-state and middle income students who only have the Pell Grant to lean on, there is much less economic support.

“Unless they are in a specific financial aid program such as Pathway Oregon, Pell Grant students don’t really have the means to pay tuition,” said Jim Brooks, director of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.  “It leaves their financial budgets pretty tight, and I’m sure it impacts what they’re able to do socially and academically,” said Brooks.

In the U.S. Department of Education’s latest report of the Pell Grant program, it was revealed that for the 2013-2014 academic financial relief about 75 percent of the 8.6 million students who received the federal grant to attend college reported having no savings or other cash available. This compares to 60 percent of federal grant recipients five years prior.

The Pell Grant was implemented 50 years ago, when U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Higher Education Act of 1965 into law. This was a major part of the administration’s agenda to improve higher education in the U.S.

Presently, maximum Pell Grant awards top at $5,775 per school year, clearly not enough to cover the University of Oregon’s 2015-2016 in-state tuition cost of $10,287. Not to mention the University of Oregon’s $15,000 housing and living estimate.

“Ultimately, these students spend a lot of time emotionally and physically focusing on how to afford the cost of college. Even if a student takes out the full amount of loans, there are still a lot of expenses that remain in terms of housing, books, transportation and general living expenses,” said Grant Schoonover, interim director of the Pathway Oregon Program. “Costs have risen for both the cost of living and tuition, while over the years financial aid has generally decreased in amount or simply stayed the same. That dynamic is not going to change unless we are able to offer more financial aid or decrease the cost of attendance.”

University of Oregon students, faculty, staff and alumni got the chance to meet and greet the newest occupant of the president’s office in Johnson Hall.

Monday marked UO President Michael Schill’s first day in office. Schill spent time from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at a reception celebrating the start of his presidency.

Allen Hall was flooded with throngs of students, faculty and UO community members, all looking forward to meeting the new president. Schill excitedly met and spoke to many of the people in attendance from various parts of the University of Oregon community.

UO community members were ecstatic to meet Schill in person, and spoke excitedly about his first day on the job.

“There are a lot of issues on campus that I know he’s aware of, and I’m excited to see how he’s going to move forward,” said Shannon Rose, executive assistant and constituency manager of the UO Alumni Association.

“I was really excited to see his energy in person,” said James Chang, director of the Duck Career Network. “He seems so personable and so experienced in complex organizations. Coming from the alumni association, I’m excited to see how he will bring the community of both staff, students and alumni together.”

Many community members spoke highly of Schill’s outgoing personality and enthusiasm.

“He was very personable and I can see how he’s going to easily be able to connect with students and faculty,” said Erin Kopp. “My first impressions of him were very positive. I think he’s going to do really well here.”

Additionally, many UO community members were excited to see Schill interact with the community in person, and spoke of what they hoped to see from the new president.

“I am excited that he is trying to get a sense of the student body,” said Pam Palanuk, administrative director of academic affairs. “I hope he will have more face to face interactions and continue to attend events like this. I hope he will be decisive and give direction as well as involve himself at the UO, in the community and beyond.”

“It’s clear that he is passionate about being here. He is excited about the U of O,” University of Oregon Police Department Chief Carolyn McDermed said. “I can’t wait to get the opportunity to talk to him more. A good leader has a clear vision. He is someone who knows where he wants us to go and will lead us there.”

Taylor Dalton contributed to this story.

Today’s the big day. With the implementation of Measure 91, recreational use of marijuana is now legal in Oregon.

But Oregonians over the age of 21 will only tentatively be allowed to purchase recreational marijuana at existing medical marijuana dispensaries starting Oct. 1 This is in accordance with Senate Bill 460, which was approved June 30 by Oregon state senate. Recreational sales will be untaxed until the state implements the new sales taxation system in January 2016.

Eugene OG, located on Franklin Boulevard in Eugene, is the closest dispensary to the University of Oregon campus. We spoke to Lawrence Siskind, manager of Eugene OG, about how changing laws will affect the local dispensary.

Q: How does the July 1 date of the legalization of recreational marijuana immediately impact Eugene OG’s business?

A: Today it doesn’t affect the business that much at all. It may be a busier day, but we can still only sell to card holders today. In private, cardholders can give it to friends as long as they’re 21 or older. So it could lead to increased business on our part. Right now we have one cash register, and we’re getting two more for recreation. I predict that at that point there will be a big upswing in business.

Q: Once recreational marijuana is available to be sold in October, how do you think clients will change?

A: I don’t think the profile of our customers will change — except that there will probably be a lot more tourists. Currently, about half of our business comes from the university community, both professionals and students. The other half is from outside the university community. 

Q: How do you think this could impact the university community itself?

A: I’m not really aware of the amount of marijuana college students consume. My opinion is that people in the Eugene area who want marijuana can get it due to Eugene culture, and they have been able to access it for decades. I don’t think it will really change how much people consume, but rather it will change how they consume it, and where they purchase it. It’s a good thing because it will contribute to taxes and support the legal business community. It will also be healthier due to testing and therefore ultimately safer.

Q: Do you think there will be any negative aspects of the legalization of recreational marijuana, possibly within the partying community on campus?

A: The price will be a little higher, but that’s not necessarily a negative. For the most part I think it will be a positive thing. The products are safer, they’re tested, and there will be a general increase in education and safety.

Q: What are you looking forward to in the upcoming months? 

A: I’m looking forward to serving a broader array of people, and the broader community. To actually be in the community and accessible for everyone, and not just for medical cardholders, which was the intent when we started the business. It’s really exciting, and we’re looking forward to it.

In a recent study presented at the 2015 American Educational Research Association, researchers found that students in online classes have lower success rates than students in conventional face-to-face classes.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis, observed 217,000 students from the beginning of the 2008 academic year through the end of the 2012 academic year in the California community college system.

Researchers found that online classes are ultimately much less successful than those requiring physical presence.

In the study, 85 percent of students completed their face-to-face course, while a lower 79 percent of students completed their online course.

63 percent of students passed their face-to-face course, whereas 56 percent of students passed their online course.

Overall, the study revealed that if a student were to take a conventional face-to-face course, and take the same course online, the student would be 11 percent less likely to finish and pass the online version.

The Distance Education Program at the University of Oregon first offered courses online in the fall of 1996, and has seen steady growth in enrollment since.

During the 2012-2013 academic year (including, fall, winter and spring terms), approximately 4,000 students took a course online.

Despite passing and finishing statistics proving to be lower for students in online classes, some professors and students cite the many benefits of online education.

“In my experience, the findings are not representative of the classes I teach. Personally, I have been surprised to see how equivalent the outcomes were for face-to-face and online classes,” Angela Montague, an anthropology professor at the UO said. “In some cases students even do better, which I think has to do with the online discussion board in my classes where students have to post five times a term.”

Some students argue online classes can be more strenuous due to time management issues.

“I wouldn’t say that online classes are more difficult,” said Matt Thomas, a student at the UO. “But it’s much harder to manage your time in online courses because you have to be completely independent and manage deadlines.” 

“I can see how it would be hard to complete online classes if you’re taking a full course schedule. It makes it much easier to neglect the online classes,” said Sierra Dameron, another UO student. “For my online political science class, I would have done better if I took it face-to-face. The topic wasn’t hard, but the class didn’t have any deadlines, so it was harder for me to find the time to do the work.”

“I took a math class online when I was in college, and it was really difficult. I can see where a less motivated student would have dropped that class or fallen through the cracks,”  Montague said. 

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is one of the latest to announce his candidacy for the 2016 presidential election. A self-described Socialist, Sanders is making headlines with his more “radical” statements and initiatives than his big-name rival, Hillary Clinton.

Recently, Sanders proposed the “College for All Act”, an initiative that would eliminate undergraduate tuition costs at four year public colleges and universities.

Today, total tuition costs at public colleges and universities amount to about $70 billion dollars per year. Under the “College for All Act”, the federal government would cover 67 percent of national tuition costs, while individual states would be responsible for the remaining 33 percent of the cost.

Additionally, the bill would reform student loan interest rates. By restoring a formula that was in use until 2006, student loan interest rates would be nearly cut in half, dropping from 4.32 percent to just 2.32. In addition, the bill would ensure interest rates never rise above 8.25 percent.

“I support a number of proposals to make college more accessible and affordable for all Americans. Soaring student loan debt is impacting people’s ability to find a job, invest in a home, and contribute to the economy,” Congressman Peter DeFazio stated. “More than half of a million Oregonians of all ages are weighed down by student debt just because they want a better shot.”

The act would also expand the number of students and colleges that can offer part-time employment and participate in the federal work study program. Currently, the federal work study program receives less than $1 billion per year, and only serves about 700,000 students.

“I strongly support the overall goals of the legislation including free tuition at public universities, lower student loan interest rates and the ability to refinance those loans, expansion of work study, and simplification of applying for financial aid,” DeFazio said. “I have questions about the funding mechanisms in the bill, but I hope that by bringing these issues into the spotlight, we can build more momentum toward affordable higher education.”

If the “College for All Act” passes, students at Universities across the nation would be able to attend college for free. For the 2014-2015 school year at the University of Oregon, tuition costs were $9,918 for residents, and $30,888 for non-residents; a cost that many UO students argue is too high.

“I’m thinking about transferring, I feel that I’m overpaying for school and I don’t feel like I’m getting enough out of it,” Luke Lundstrom, a student at the UO and native Californian, said. “I also have three younger sisters who are next in line to go to college; so that’s always in the back of my mind, that my parents have to fund my sisters’ college education too.” 

“Tuition costs are too high, especially because I’m out of state.” Emilie Kemp, another UO student and native Californian, said. “It puts strain on my family economically, and I feel I can’t take many electives because I don’t want to waste time or money.”

While most students feel that they pay too much for college, some argue that the bill is unfeasible, as it would provide funding for students whose families can already afford to pay the tuition.

“It’s a good initiative, but I think that it’s a little overzealous. I don’t think it’s realistic to make four year public universities free. I think we should start smaller, with community colleges first,” Lundstrom said.

“I think it’s a little over-eager, but Sanders definitely has the right mindset,” Kemp said. “Education is really important and something we should focus on. College tuition absolutely needs to be more affordable.” 

Nineteen.

That’s where the University of Oregon ranks on the Princeton Review’s list of Top Twenty Party Schools of 2014. The UO has held a position on this list for the past two years.

But how much are college students really partying?

In a recent study conducted on more than 150,000 freshmen at 227 four-year colleges in the United States, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that freshmen college students of 2014 are partying less. Meaning, they are socializing and drinking less than students did a few decades ago.

The study found 33.5 percent of 2014 fall term freshmen college students reported that they “frequently” or “occasionally” drink beer, compared to the 74.2 percent of students who indicated they did the same in 1981.

Additionally, in 1987, 37.9 percent of incoming freshmen socialized at least 16 hours per week with friends, while 18.1 percent socialized for five hours or less. In fall of 2014, those figures were 18 and 38.8 percent respectively.

“I think that now students spend so much time on social media or watching Netflix that they end up having less time to socialize in person,” said freshman Bronwen Bowen Campbell. “I think students consider face-to-face socialization less valuable than they used to because you can easily contact anyone with social media and texting.”

Increased alcohol education could be attributed to this decrease, as well.

“There’s a lot more education on binge drinking and partying in both high school and college,” said Ruth Bichsel, director of the Substance Abuse Prevention Program at the UO. “Prevention strategies at universities and public schools are doing a much better job to educate students on drinking and its dangers. It’s been absolutely instrumental to bringing those numbers down.”

At the UO, incoming students are required to take an online alcohol abuse and sexual violence prevention class known as AlcoholEdu and Haven. Students cannot register for classes until they complete both programs.

“I think that universities are starting to realize the liability of allowing this culture to continue, based mainly on sexual assault and other liabilities that are bringing the problem to light,” said Bichsel. “Many schools are ‘cracking down’ on partying and excessive use of alcohol and drugs due to liability issues.”

While the UO still ranks on the Princeton Review’s list of top party schools in the nation, some students argue that the image of partying at the UO is disproportionate to the reality of drinking and partying on campus.

“I think that there’s certainly a party environment, but when we look at the statistics for our own university, it’s clear that most students do not ‘party’,” said freshman Alex Bellizzi. “I think the image of partying here on campus is much more inflated than it really is.”

“There’s an urgency to do something more worthwhile than just ‘party’,” said Bichsel. “When students socialize today they have a purpose and their time and money is more wisely spent. But there’s still work to do, clearly there’s still a problem with binge drinking and partying at the University of Oregon. We’ve got a long way to go.”

For students seeking support for alcohol and substance abuse, the UO provides a multitude of resources, including counseling support at the University Counseling and Testing Center.

Mikhail Sarenko believes hate speech is “a made up word.”

Many University of Oregon students disagreed. Sarenko and his associates from Campus Ministry USA–including Jed Smock, also known as “Brother Jed”–have been conducting what their website calls “confrontational evangelism” at UO since Monday. Though mostly ignored, the group did draw protesting from students on Thursday.

A small group of women, including the UO Bias Response Team, held signs in protest of the presence of Campus Ministry USA while dozens of students looked on. Some signs stated “You are loved the way you are” and “You’re not going to hell.”

There was some “light scuffling,” according to bystanders, and the University of Oregon Police Department came to the scene, but did not intervene.

Representatives from Campus Ministry USA carried signs saying “You Deserve Hell” and “Repent or Perish.” (Shelby Chapman/Emerald)

Maure Smith-Benanti is the coordinator of the Bias Response Team at the UO.

“They have a right to be here due to freedom of speech,” Smith-Benanti said. “The Bias Response Team believes the best way to respond to hate and offensive speech is with more speech. Additionally, the Bias Response Team believes in peaceful protest.”

Mikhail Sarenko, one of the representatives of Campus Ministry USA, held signs that stated “Be a Ho No Mo” and “Be a Homo No Mo.”

“I am here to preach God’s word and God wants me to preach that if students live in sin and die and sin they’ll go to hell,” said Sarenko. “I actually love these students and care for them. I don’t want them to go to hell.”

Emily Brown was one of the students holding a sign in protest.

“I think there’s a fine line between freedom of speech and hate speech,” said Brown. “This is the line.”

Sarenko thinks people like Brown are misusing the term “hate speech.”

“Anything people disagree with people call hate speech,” Sarenko said.

This is Campus Ministry USA’s third and final day at the UO. Their next destination is Oregon State University, then several colleges in California.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that students are frequently engaging in hookah smoking, but are highly unaware of the health risks involved in the activity.

The study, conducted at the University of South Florida, surveyed 478 graduate and undergraduate students. Of the group of students, 54.4 percent said they had smoked from a hookah pipe at least once in their life.

When students were asked about the harmfulness of hookah smoking, 74.6 percent indicated that hookah smoking is harmful for health. However, 12.8 percent reported they were unsure of the harmfulness while 12.6 percent believed that hookah smoking was harmless.

At 50.6 percent, the majority of participants also believed that cigarette smoking is more dangerous than hookah smoking.

To the contrary, hookah proves to have a greater negative impact on users’ health.

An average session of hookah use (about one hour) contains approximately 200 puffs of smoke, which exposes users to three to six fold higher levels of carbon monoxide and 46-fold higher levels of tar than that of a single cigarette.

On the whole, researchers argue that college students are not as educated on the dangers of hookah use as compared to their education of other tobacco products.

“Most anti-tobacco smoking campaigns are usually directed towards cigarettes.” said Drew Orlick, a freshman at the University of Oregon. “There’s barely any information about hookah, cigars, or other tobacco products, because cigarettes are the primary concern. They’re just a lot more common in day-to-day life.”

While anti-tobacco campaigns focus primarily on cigarettes, research suggests that hookah smoking (due to the higher levels of carbon monoxide and tar) poses a considerably greater health risk than cigarette smoking.

Increasing hookah use may also be contributed to students’ enjoyment of the social component of smoking, more so than the act itself.

“The social piece can really be tied to hookah bars and lounges,” said Paula Staight, director of Health Promotion at the UO. “There’s this whole marketing ploy focused around socialization. Students who are not 21 cannot go to a normal bar, but at 18 they can go to a hookah bar to get a similar experience”.

Beirut Hookah Lounge is a popular hookah lounge located in Portland, Oregon.

“Our customers are mainly college students,” said Rami Jouni, owner of Beirut. “It’s a place for them to socialize, do business, and meet new people in a safe and controlled environment.”

Experts argue that it’s not worth the health risk, and users should turn to other activities for socialization.

“There is no safe alternative to a nicotine product,” said Staight. “Instead, I would suggest activities that are healthy and social; such as fixing meals, exercising, or going to the movies as an alternative to smoking.”

For students who are seeking cessation support for tobacco use, the University of Oregon Health Center offers a multitude of resources, including free nicotine replacement gum and patches.

Our story on the cassette tape resurgence is here.

The Hardware:

Starting your own tape collection can be difficult if you don’t have the means to play the media. Finding a working, reliable cassette tape player can be a difficult task, but Hunter Moore, a veteran of cassette tape collecting, says the best place to start is your local record store.

“A lot of label websites and a lot of record shops around town will have information about where you can pick up a tape player, a Walkman or a boombox,” said Moore. “Record store clerks, pretentious as they can be, are often the most knowledgeable people when it comes to those sort of things. So don’t be scared of your local record store clerk.”

If you can’t find a quality used sound system, Urban Outfitters offers a boombox complete with a cassette player. You can also pick up various new models at Best Buy or Amazon for $30.

While cassette tapes are selling again commercially and classics are getting gobbled up by collectors, it’s unclear whether it’s a new trend or a passing fad. (Cole Elsasser/Emerald) Photo credit: Cole Elsasser

The Music:

Tapes might be coming back into vogue, but it can still be difficult to find used cassettes that were well cared for and still sound great. A good place to start is thrift shops around town, but specialty record stores may be your best bet.

“If you’re looking to start a tape collection, support your local businesses,” said Moore. “If you’re in Eugene, go to House of Records, go to Missing Time Records or visit some indie label websites.”

House of Records and Missing Time sell a variety of cassettes at a low cost. You can even find newer releases there, like Awolnation’s latest album Run or Muse’s Drones for less than their CD or LP counterparts.

The Maintenance:

Now that you’ve started your collection, let the good vibes and nostalgia wash over you. But play with caution, because tapes involve careful handling and active listening.

“Tapes are kind of easy to mess up or break,” said Moore. “But as long as you care for the stuff that you buy and like, it’s an inexpensive way to go about collecting. If you didn’t want to hop on the vinyl train, then cassettes are the way to go.”

Congratulations, you’ve started a tape collection. You’re a certified hipster.

Follow Shelby Chapman on Twitter @ShelbyEm15.