Every Wednesday, student organizations line up to make financial requests to the ASUO Senate. Specifically, they request funds from the budget surplus to pay for an event or keynote speaker they want to invite. University of Oregon College Republicans Media/PR/Webmaster McKenna Sjoden says, “The most frustrating organization on this campus is ASUO.”

Sjoden continues, “Their bias towards left-leaning groups does not go unnoticed, and obtaining funds for anything is impossible for groups like College Republicans and Turning Point USA.” At first, this seemed a little far-fetched, but then I heard about a more recent incident.

On January 31, 2018, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) President Khang Ngo approached the ASUO Senate for funding. TPUSA was requesting $3,000 to host former 2016 Libertarian Presidential Primary Candidate Austin Petersen as a keynote speaker. According to the Senate Minutes, Petersen was invited to “talk about free speech, free markets, free things” and to “bring a more diversity to thought to campus.”

TPUSA’s request

Ngo describes TPUSA as “a non-partisan group on campus, believing in free markets and free speech.” According to the national website, its “mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.” Due to its 501(c)3 status, the IRS’s definition of such confirms it is nonpartisan.

Regarding funding an event where Austin Petersen, who is now running for US Senate in Missouri, would be the keynote speaker, External ASUO Vice President Vickie Gimm said, “ASUO cannot fund political campaigns, or candidates, if you look at GTN pg. 80, etc.” According to the Senate Minutes, “Gimm recited the definition that cannot fund political campaigns, or support that.” Gimm also excoriated Ngo’s description of the organization, claiming that TPUSA wasn’t nonpartisan.

Challenge and denial from ASUO

Senator Alex Pear (Seat 4 – EMU Board) asked Ngo, “The speaker is running for senate in Missouri, how will a candidate from Missouri benefits students from the UO?” Additionally, the Green Tape Notebook (GTN) goes against her claim in stating that “Fees may be used to promote appearances and discussions between several candidates for public office, in order to increase student knowledge of issues and candidates.” Pear’s question as well as the GTN proves Gimm’s assertion was baseless.

The Senate Minutes stated that the “leadership advisor” reiterated that ASUO funding was possible since Petersen, not his campaign, would be paid for his appearance. There is nothing in the GTN that states Petersen himself couldn’t be paid; it clearly reads, “No incidental fees may be spent to support the campaign.”

It is no surprise that the ASUO Senate voted unanimously to “exhaust the speakers list” as well as to “table this request indefinitely.” Senator Pear’s reason was that TPUSA needed to fundraise from more sources.

Senator Pear never stated how much TPUSA needed to raise, making it unclear why she made such an argument. The Senate Minutes leaves one to speculate that Pear had no rationale for it other than to prevent a Libertarian from speaking on campus.

ASUO approved a left-leaning speaker

When asked about the denial, TPUSA Vice President and political science major at UO Michael Kraan described Petersen as “a pro-LGBT conservative.” He also mentioned that LGBTQA3 was approved for $34,000 — more than 11 times the amount requested by TPUSA — to host transgender former Army private Chelsea Manning. According to the Senate Minutes from November 29, 2017, Kraan’s statement was not only true, the Vote Tracker confirmed that the $34,000 was unanimously approved.

The Senate Minutes show that the request was made by the current ASUO Organizing Director and soon to be External VP Ivan Chen, who is listed on OrgSync as one of the Presidents of LGBTQA3. No questions challenging Chen were asked. In fact, Senator Pear seconded the motion to approve the request. Chen gave an exhaustive plan with $6,000 of fundraising. Regardless, the fact remains that LGBTQA3 was approved to receive $34,000 for its partisan speaker at the Hult Center.

Manning filed to run in the Maryland Democratic Primary for US Senate on January 13, 2018, just weeks before Ngo was ridiculed by External VP Gimm for partisanship. It’s important to note that the $34,000 was returned due to an action of Manning’s that LGBTQA3 disapproved of in the same meeting that TPUSA was denied. In other words, Senator Pear’s harsh scrutiny was unmerited since it obviously wasn’t due to a lack of funding.

ASUO needs to remain unbiased

If the ASUO wants to truly serve the entire student body, it first needs to allow free speech to all of its student groups. It is reprehensible to think that the same people who would march and likely organize a walkout in support of free speech would deny funding to a student organization for attempting to exercise its free speech, especially since they disagree politically. A biased student government does not deserve to be in power.

Conservative students at the UO are already marginalized enough by the unfair enforcement of university policies by its administrators. It’s time for the university to accept and serve all students, not just those that votes the same way. Soon to be ASUO President Maria Gallegos also voted to deny funding from TPUSA. Gallegos should take this opportunity after taking office to extend an olive branch in espousing a mutual respect for diversity of thought.

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On a campus as liberal as the University of Oregon, it can be tough to be in a political minority. But are students with conservative views actually marginalized on campus? Some students don’t seem to think so. However, there is more than enough evidence showing that they are.

Do conservative students really face discrimination on campus?

Late last month, a column was published in the Daily Emerald entitled ‘The false narrative of the conservative minority.’ Shortly after, conservative opinion site National Review picked up the column. “While it would be technically accurate to say that conservatives are a minority on, for example, the University of Oregon campus, this narrative is often accompanied with words like ‘discrimination’ and ‘oppression.’ What these people really mean to imply is that they are marginalized,” writes Marks, author of the column. Understandably, people with a conservative mindset didn’t receive this well.

Marks continues, “By referring to themselves as minorities and taking the language reserved for marginalized communities, conservatives are drawing attention away from communities who actually experience discrimination, or prejudiced treatment, and oppression, or ‘unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power.’” It is important to note that Marks does not believe that all republicans are the same. That being said, I’d like to shed a little light on some of the things conservatives experience. You be the judge on whether it’s discriminatory or not.

Some students feel intimidated on campus

In my conversations around campus, I’ve spoken with students who haven’t felt free to express their views when the discourse gets political. McKenna Sjoden, a freshman in the Lundquist College of Business and Media/PR/Webmaster for UO College Republicans, is one of these students.

“I often find myself writing from a liberal perspective in fear of getting a lower grade if I wrote how I actually felt,” Sjoden said. “When people find out I’m republican, they act as if they are astonished we even exist on this campus. The university focuses so much on diversity of skin color and culture, that they neglect the value of diversity of thought.” Despite these feelings, Sjoden said she feels generally safe on campus as a conservative and praised the university for keeping protests from getting too out of hand.

Quinn Milionis, UOCR President and studying computer science and economics, feels comfortable offering his opinion in class. “I’ve had GEs disregard conservative positions. Some have been thankful that I’ve spoken up in class, and said they’re happy to have an outspoken conservative because it is so rare,” Milionis said.

“There are radical students who would be happy to see my organization kicked off campus, but in my experience these students are few. Most people simply roll their eyes and walk on. But if one student stops, or even takes a moment to consider that we are rational, just like themselves, then I consider that a victory.” Milionis said that he would like to see more conservative ideas taught in the classroom such as Austrian economic theory in the economics department.

Tabling can be rough at UO

Hannah Ford, a freshman at UO, said, “Usually, the worst that happens tabeling is we get stink eyes, and middle fingers. These individuals didn’t want to have a civil discussion with us; they wanted to berate us. One of them was quite threatening and I wanted him to leave. But I was not in control of the situation so I couldn’t tell him that. It left me with that nasty, sick feeling in your stomach.” Ford said she thought that maybe she would be less likely to be attacked like this because she’s a woman.

In my experience at the table, there have been many students who tell us they’re happy we’re here, but they won’t attend our meetings or be public about their beliefs due to wanting to keep their relationships with others — in some cases, romantic relationships — intact.

When I was tabling for UOCR last year, a group of students came up to the table and called us white supremacists. A friend of mine and I explained that not only were we not white supremacists, we weren’t really even white. We both had one white parent, but my friend’s other parent was Middle Eastern and my other parent is Hispanic. Instantly, we were called liars and angrily harassed for having pale skin. I was further harassed when I had small bout of anxiety due to feeling threatened by the aggression of these students. Although a report was made to the university, it has not been addressed.

UO needs more balanced speakers

Milionis said the university should “bring or encourage and/or fund right-wing groups to bring conservative speakers” as well as “host debates between intellectual on both sides of divisive issues.” This isn’t an unreasonable request. UO often hosts seminars with guest speakers on liberal topics. Why doesn’t the university or its departments host more conservative speakers as well?

In 2016, YAL hosted Milo Yiannopoulos for an interview and Q&A session at UO. UO should host more events like this and not leave it up to student organizations to do all the work, and to give broader political understanding and discourse. For now, the University of Oregon College Republicans and UO College Democrats will be holding their own panel debate on May 23 at 6:00 pm in Straub 145.

President Schill doesn’t serve all students

Between students feeling uncomfortable with expressing themselves in class out of fear of students being bullied for their views, the UO has failed at making all students feel welcome.

President Michael Schill has been known to comfort liberal students when something upsets them. For instance, on November 15, 2016, President Schill wrote an email to the UO community about President Donald Trump’s election. “Indeed, the current political climate and its aftermath have left many members of our community concerned and upset,” writes Schill. “Efforts to divide us based upon the color of our skin, our nationality, our immigration status, our abilities, our diversity of thought, our gender, or our sexual orientation must be called out and stopped.”

He claimed that “every person in this university is important and valued.” When I’m being harassed for my diversity of thought and the color of my skin not matching someone else’s stereotypical imagination of how I should look and vote, I do not feel important nor do I feel valued.

President Schill wants division based on these things to be “called out and stopped?” Why didn’t he say anything to conservative students when there was a mass protest on the night of the election? I received several messages from friends living on campus, telling me that they were scared and they didn’t vote for Trump. They told me not to wear my Trump shirt out of fear that something might happen to me.

Does this sound like a campus where diversity of thought is truly valued, especially when President Schill’s silence about a protest that frightened others who voted similarly is so deafening?

Currently, there are no visible efforts for more conservative speakers to be hosted on campus. There are never any emails from residence life coordinators about the safety of a conservative student when political tensions are high. It’s one thing to write an email and include phrases such as “diversity of thought” to appear inclusive. But if President Schill truly believes in diversity of thought, he would show more support for conservative students too.

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Over the past few years, I’ve heard several students talk highly about their decision to come to the University of Oregon. Many take advantage of the lower cost of living while others receive scholarships and come for a change of scenery. Sadly, I’ve also heard of students who just couldn’t handle the red state they grew up in and were so happy to be in a “blue” state. The only problem is that Oregon isn’t as blue as the media make it seem.

Most counties are red

During the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton only won 8 out of 36 counties in Oregon. Sure, that’s where the populace was. But we need to take into consideration that democrats don’t make up even half of the registered voters in the state. According to the Secretary of State, about 36 percent of all registered voters in Oregon are registered as democrats. The second largest voting population came up as non-affiliated, just under 31 percent of registered voters. Republicans make up a little under 21 percent of Oregon’s registered voters. While some may see this as a confirmation of the state’s left-leaning tendencies, there’s much more to the story than meets the eye.

Taking a look at the 2016 presidential election map for Oregon shows just how scattered republican voters are. Perhaps the most profound part of this map is how Oregon is viewed as a liberal utopia, but only one out of 36 counties is actually solid blue — Multnomah County. 10 percent of Oregon’s voters are registered democrats and are registered to vote in Multnomah County.

Oregon’s underfunded education

Last year, Oregon ranked 48th in the nation for high school graduation rates. Since 1990, Oregon has seen a dramatic divestment from public school funding. This is partially thanks to Measure 5, which put a constitutional limit on property taxes for the state and dedicated them to education and non-school government operations. Interestingly enough, public education funding was transferred from local to state responsibility. The idea was to help the rural parts of Oregon — namely Eastern Oregon — get more funding to provide a better education to the state as a whole. At the time, it was a great idea, and it worked for some parts of Oregon.

Public college and university funding are also state responsibilities. Since Measure 5 was passed, the University of Oregon has seemingly received less state funding. On top of this, Oregon lawmakers haven’t been very successful in attempts to reform PERS, the public retirement system.

Even current Governor Kate Brown didn’t follow the will of the voters, who overwhelmingly passed Measure 98 in 2016 with 66 percent of the vote. Governor Brown’s budget for the 2017–2019 biennium underfunded Measure 98, which allotted more Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes and funding for dropout prevention for high schools. This move is surprising, considering that most Oregon democrats would expect such behavior from a republican governor.

Oregon’s interesting priorities

Democrats usually tout how they fight for the little guy and want to tax the rich so they can help those in need. In Oregon, the same is said but not exactly demonstrated. Not only is education underfunded in order to pay for OHP, Oregon’s government has a history of taxing everyone, and letting the rich and wealthy get away with lower business taxes.

Just take a look at Measure 101 from this past January. We voted on whether we wanted to have our health insurance taxed in order to pay for OHP. Of course, voters who didn’t read the text of the bill were told that they were voting on a tax that would affect big corporations in the insurance industry — a lie by omission that wound up passing the voters.

Another way Oregon’s elected officials swayed voters was through emotional manipulation, scaring the voters into approving Measure 101 in fear of closing down the state mental hospital and 350,000 Oregonians losing healthcare, neither of which were actually valid.

Governor Kate Brown signed a bill that would tax small businesses at a higher rate and called a special session to extend a business tax break. This matters because Oregon’s businesses wouldn’t get to enjoy the federal tax breaks signed by President Trump. In addition, the special session is an offering of a tax break to sole proprietorships — a type of business that is usually run and owned by one person. This means that any other small businesses will not get to enjoy a tax break that may allow them to reinvest into their business, allowing for local economies to benefit as well.

People should be aware of what they’re moving into and what they may or may not be voting to keep in place. Oregon has a lot of stubborn voters that won’t vote for anyone without a ‘D’ next to their name, so people believe that the state won’t be turning red anytime soon. Historically, Oregon has only been blue for between 40 and 50 years. It’s time to give someone else a chance.

If you need to register to vote, change your party or update, you can do so online, by mail and in the DMV. The last day to do this is April 29 before the 2018 Oregon Primary Election.

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It’s that time of year again at the University of Oregon. The Candidate Town Hall Debate for this year’s ASUO election featured two slates: United UO and Ducks Together. Polls open on Duckweb on Monday, April 9 at 9 a.m. and results will be published on Thursday, April 12 at 6 p.m. While both slates have many similarities, there are a few key differences that swayed my support toward United UO.

United UO isn’t the Status Quo

The first key difference is that none of United UO’s candidates currently hold an ASUO office position; Ducks Together does. Maria Gallegos — currently sitting in Seat 13 in the Senate and running for ASUO President — touted the experience of her and her running mate for internal ASUO VP, Imani Dorsey, several times throughout the debate. It should also be noted that the external ASUO VP candidate for Ducks Together, Ivan Chen, is currently the ASUO organizing director.

ASUO town hall debate. (Adam Eberhardt/Emerald)

Jacob Faatz, ASUO presidential candidate with United UO, doesn’t have ASUO experience. Neither does Karishma Shah, ASUO VP candidate with United UO. It doesn’t take experience to come up with good ideas, such as additional lighting either on or near campus to improve safety. That being said, Faatz isn’t without political experience. He has internship experience with Senator Ron Wyden’s field office, which he brought up in an effort to show that he has transferable skills that would help him serve our campus. When he brought this experience up, Gallegos mocked him, saying she wasn’t running for a position with the City of Eugene.

United UO Wants to Keep You Safe

As previously mentioned, Faatz wants more lighting to provide safer routes for students. On the other hand, Ducks Together brushed off this idea, asserting that the crimes were mostly off campus. This commentary disregards student safety, especially considering the close proximity of the crimes to campus. Notably, one of the crimes that recently occurred on March 17 was not even one block away from campus. Before the crime was reported, I drove around most of the streets that border our campus. What I saw were several minimally lit streets; it was barely safe for a car. When I decided to go for a walk along these streets, I stumbled along some of the uneven sidewalk due to a lack of lighting.

One of the worst areas for lighting was around the East Campus Houses and 19th and Alder, both just down the street from the site of the sexual assault on March 17. When asked how she would handle the allocation of ASUO funds, Gallegos said that campus was “already lit and super expensive to change. … that, to me, is wasteful.”

Faatz stated he wanted to work with the City of Eugene, pointing out that UO students are a major economic resource for the city. Last month, I made the same suggestions as Faatz regarding lighting and working with the City of Eugene. In regards to the university’s Title IX policies, Faatz made the distinctions that “they’re not policies; they’re called guidelines.” He wants to work with the university to turn these guidelines into structured policies.

United UO Wants to Get Things Done

When asked by a student during open questions how each slate will accomplish their goals, as these positions are only one year long, United UO pointed out that it wants to focus on safety, parking and housing. It wants to help students push back against housing companies that take gross advantage of students.

When it comes to parking, United UO wants to work with the university to improve parking conditions because students shouldn’t have to rely on the local bus system. This is extremely important when students have exams and study late at night. The bus system stops operating before the Knight Library closes at 2 a.m., and students aren’t able to park on campus past midnight. This creates a dangerous situation where students may be walking alone at night.

Ducks Together slate members (from left to right) Imani Dorsey and Maria Gallegos speak at town hall debate. (Frankie Benitez/Emerald)

Ducks Together’s answer made me uneasy. In short, they implied that the nine-month academic year was short and not everything can get done. The slate stated that it wanted to “plant seeds,” adding that the administration “takes advantage” of the annual turnover due to the nature of the ASUO executive offices. United UO fired at Ducks Together by stating, “We will do more than advocate; we will act.”

Both slates talked a great deal about diversity, but little about intellectual diversity. For many on campus, this is an important aspect due to the nature of their unpopular views. Students with such views have told the Daily Emerald they have been harassed for them. Luckily, these students can rest easy knowing that there is a slate that I feel would be more likely to protect them if this continued.

While Faatz sided with the students when asked about UO President Michael Schill’s New York Times column, he also said that “opposing views should be respected” and that we shouldn’t “scream and yell” at those we disagree with. As a student who has been harassed for having opposing views, I would feel safer on campus with Jacob Faatz as ASUO President. It takes a lot of patience, respect and self control to be such a person. That is far more valuable than being an insider with experience and having little to show for it.

Students Need to Consider Their Priorities

It’s time for students at the University of Oregon to make a decision –– one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you are still unsure about which of the two slates to vote for, I urge you not to shrug this off. While a school election might sound silly to make such a big deal of, it just might be the difference between being safe on campus and not. At the very least, we should consider our priorities and choose which slate appeals to us best. I value safety for every student, regardless of race, color, gender, preference or affiliation. That’s why I firmly believe that United UO is the slate to vote for this year.

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Spring term is upon us at the University of Oregon! For many students, spring can be distracting. The weather is warming up and some are starting to burn out. Luckily, there’s a way to keep ourselves focused and maintain, if not improve, our grades. Before getting too far ahead of ourselves, it’s important to understand two things: 1. This schedule doesn’t cost anything extra. 2. It takes real effort. This method is a way of micromanaging your personal schedule to give it structure.

This way of scheduling is modeled after the schedule Mormon missionaries follow for two years. The beauty of it is that it can be tailored to anyone’s schedule, but I have found that it works especially well for college students. In a nutshell, it acts like a budget for the time you spend while you’re awake. For simplicity, it can be made into a generalized list of how your day should go.

1) Wake up, exercise and get ready for the day

Typically, you want to wake up three and a half hours before you have to leave for work or your first class. Do some easy, but meaningful exercise for 30 minutes. You could do cardio, strength training or a combination of the two on different days. The reason why missionaries exercise in the morning is two-fold: not only does it get you energized, but it makes sure you get at least a little exercise if you don’t workout at all. If I lived in the residence halls, I would take full advantage of the Rec center, if it’s available during your exercise time.

Getting ready for the day should take no longer than an hour. This includes breakfast. If you live off campus and you have roommates, it’s worth noting that missionaries often have one person making breakfast while the other one hops in the shower. Of course, whoever doesn’t cook does the dishes.

2) Personal study and academic study

This is where waking up three and a half hours before class starts to come together. Once you’ve had breakfast and are ready for the day, you should take two hours to study. The first hour of study is personal study, which should be a book that you want to read and isn’t related to any classes you’re currently enrolled in. This hour of study will invigorate your mind and get you ready to think a little clearer.

The second hour of study could be called “academic study,” where you could do your assigned reading that you usually don’t. If you do the readings and get caught up, you could use this time for homework. Of course, you could always give yourself a couple hours here and there in your weekly schedule to do homework.

3) Lunch

Take a full hour for lunch, even if you aren’t eating the entire time. Use the entire time to clear your head and just relax. Silly as it may sound, doing something this simple may help you feel less stress throughout your day. The afternoon may be taken up by classes. If not, consider scheduling some time for homework. This will help you later in the evening.

4) Afternoon dead space, dinner and bedtime

Some days will have this dead space in our schedules in the afternoon. Most of us justify doing nothing during this time by telling ourselves that we’ve earned some time to rest. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of having that rest time throughout entire days, if possible. If you have several hours between your classes, consider scheduling time for homework for the next class. This gives you more time to yourself in the evenings to relax. The same rules for lunch apply to dinner –– one hour of personal time to relax.

Generally, you should go to bed 16 hours after you wake up. So if you wake up at 6:30 a.m., lights out should be at 10:30 p.m. An hour and a half before your bedtime, you should take 30 minutes to plan the next day. This might sound a little basic, but 30 minutes can feel like a short amount of time when you start thinking about what’s due tomorrow, what you’re going to study and what you’re going to do to be productive in case of dead space.

The last hour of your day should be spent getting ready for bed. It’s important to follow this closely; don’t go to bed early or late. Take the hour to brush your teeth, change into nightwear and to give yourself some you time. Think about your personal life and maybe even think about home a little if you’re from out of town. It’s important to do this for several reasons, but perhaps one of the most important reasons is so you don’t get homesick. Trust me –– it can happen to anyone.

Preparation Day

You need to plan time to tidy your living space, do your laundry and maybe go grocery shopping. The easiest way to do this is to take an entire day where you have nothing going on aside from the morning and nighttime routines and just get it all done, like the weekend. It may seem daunting at first, but you can get to the point where you’re having a hard time finding things to clean.

Once everything is done, just relax and do whatever you’d like until dinner. You should schedule some extra study time or attend a club starting after dinner until it’s time to plan for tomorrow. This is very important because it helps build a mindset of continuous productivity. If you take the time to just relax and never get anything else done, then you will subconsciously slip into thinking it’s okay to flounder on other parts of your schedule.

Bottom Line

In the long run, this is nothing more than a time budget with a morning and evening routine. Can this seriously help your grades? Well, yes and no. It can help your grades if you’re being sincere and putting in an honest effort to study and give yourself that time to destress. It can hinder your grades if you’re not giving an honest effort and just whine about it to yourself the whole time. I would know; I did this for two years in Japan. The whole idea is to give yourself some structure and consistency to help you always have a plan for your own edification no matter what.

The format of “early to rise, early to bed” may sound horrible at first — and it probably is, to be honest — but there is the promise that you will eventually wake up energized and ready to go, as well as tired when bedtime rolls around. Giving yourself that time to relax, sleep and recharge mentally is crucial to your success in college. Don’t let yourself flail during this last term of the school year!

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What the heck is going on in Eugene? Recently, there has been a string of armed robberies near campus, more harassment and more sexual assault reported within UOPD beats. Despite the numerous resources campus provides, students have come to terms with a very uncomfortable truth: It is no longer safe to travel around campus at night. What can we do to make ourselves safest at night? What is UOPD doing to make us safer? What else can be done?

Tips for students traveling at night

Safe Ride and the Designated Driver Shuttle are a resource provided by the University of Oregon and ASUO to give students a safe alternative to drunk driving and walking home at night. This is a great resource for students to have, but it’s not big enough for every student to be able to get a ride in a reasonable amount of time. For perspective, it’s not uncommon for Safe Ride to take an hour or two to get to your location. This isn’t necessarily an issue with Safe Ride. Rather, it concerns the large demand for rides.

UOPD can provide safety escorts, but again, it’s not a big enough resource for students to actually use in a timely manner. It also offers self-defense classes for women. UOPD is testing a pilot campus shuttle that makes runs to and from campus much like a bus, but this still leaves students as sitting ducks just as LTD does with its busses. A map of all shuttle stops, which also gives an approximated position of the shuttle, is available online.

Ultimately, the best advice is to never travel alone at night. This is, of course, an ideal situation and isn’t realistic for many students.

Having been previously licensed by the Oregon Department of Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) as unarmed security, there are a few tips that I can offer to students traveling at night.

Students who wish to carry pepper spray should consider buying a spray that includes an ultraviolet marking dye. This way, whenever UOPD or Eugene Police finds someone that fits the description you’ve given them, they can use an ultraviolet light to confirm that you sprayed them. Most sprays that I’ve seen cost around $10 or less. Just remember to never use it indoors. If you have a little higher of a budget, stun guns are allowed on campus. As always, a little common sense can go a long way with such devices.

Before you buy any personal protection devices, you should be aware of all legal liabilities and consequences that are associated with them. Read the weapons policy and consider taking a class in how to handle such devices. Students with additional questions surrounding personal protection devices are encouraged to call the UOPD non-emergency line at 541-346-2919. University policy and code of conduct questions should be directed toward the Office of the Dean of Students.

If carrying such a spray is not appealing to you, I suggest buying a powerful flashlight. I still have my large MagLite from my security job and have used it several times in poorly lit areas. This helps for two reasons: 1. You can actually see an attacker and identify them better for police. 2. A powerful flashlight can be used to temporarily blind an attacker. While a flashlight like I sometimes carry is suitable for self-defense, remember that your primary goal is to get home safely; don’t try to win a fight just because you think you can.

UO can only do do much

If we increase the amount of security or police officers around campus, we could expect to pay even more than we already do in tuition and fees. Allowing those with concealed weapons permits to carry such devices on campus would allow specific people to make their own investments in campus security if they don’t already possess a concealed weapons permit. Part of what prevents this from happening is a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees that was first implemented by the now disbanded Oregon University System. For those who do not wish to go that route, this is a good case in favor of rideshare companies like Uber or Lyft returning to Eugene.

UO wants people to know where the lighted paths are on campus: It offers a night option on its online map. Campus appears to be committed to fixing issues to the point that you can even drop a pin on the online map and tell the university about a lighting, hardscape, landscape or other issue that you may be encountering in a specific area of campus. Students should take advantage of this reporting system to let the university know what parts of campus need more of a security presence (choose to report an “Other” problem and explain what’s going on).

A suggestion I have for UO is to consider installing emergency call boxes in more areas that aren’t main campus. Spencer View Apartments — family housing for UO students — doesn’t have any. Barnhart Hall and Riley Hall also don’t have any emergency call boxes nearby. One might assert that we have many emergency call boxes, many of which aren’t used, but looking at the online map provided by the university (on night mode) raises some questions about the current call boxes. For example, why does UOPD have four call boxes around them while the northwestern side of campus has a noticeable hole where these call boxes seem to require a job to get to?

Eugene needs to get involved

Making students safer is more than a responsibility for the university; the City of Eugene needs to be involved in providing more street lights and safer bike lanes. Walk down Alder Street past E. 19th Avenue and you’ll find what looks like a large, unlit corridor. The same can be said for the many areas that students live at around east campus down Villard, Orchard, or even around E. 24th Avenue. For other examples, students don’t have to travel very far off campus. Next time you’re out with friends, take a look at how dark some of the sidewalks are in these areas.

The City of Eugene is currently having its own crisis with a lack of police officers. According to the Associated Press, Eugene Police ignored one-third of the daily service calls it received in 2017. Luckily, the Eugene City Council has opened the door to potentially allowing Uber and Lyft to return to Eugene.

Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis acknowledged that college students need a way to get back and forth at night and hopes to see the rideshare companies back in Eugene by summer. While it’s promising to see the city working to bring back ridesharing after a four-year absence, Mayor Vinis also said, “We want to make sure that we have a safe system, and so we don’t want to trade one unsafe situation for another.” University of Oregon Police Chief Matt Carmichael said that he has been working with the university to encourage the city to allow ridesharing.

Students shouldn’t be satisfied just yet

According to UOPD, there have been more than 70 incidents on or near campus property between 9 p.m. and 2:59 a.m. since Jan. 1, 2018. Of the incidents reported, 40 of them were quality of life incidents (drugs and alcohol, disorder, etc.), 29 of them were property incidents (theft, trespassing, etc.) and three of them were violent incidents.

Chief Carmichael issued a statement Friday saying, “UOPD is working with EPD, sharing information and planning, and I have directed our detectives to prioritize these cases.” He also stated that extra officers have been added to the patrol shifts at night. Chief Carmichael even posted his cell phone number for students with questions and suggestions.

If you are a victim of any crime, I urge you to report it to UOPD as soon as possible, so campus can at least have an accurate picture of which areas need more protection. While it’s nice to see our own police department taking action, students should put pressure on the city to do more, as our university is one of the largest employers in the county. Now is the time for us to take preventative measures and use any means necessary to make getting home safe.

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What the heck is going on in Eugene? Recently, there has been a string of armed robberies near campus, more harassment and more sexual assault reported within UOPD beats. Despite the numerous resources campus provides, students have come to terms with a very uncomfortable truth: It is no longer safe to travel around campus at night. What can we do to make ourselves safest at night? What is UOPD doing to make us safer? What else can be done?

Tips for students traveling at night

Safe Ride and the Designated Driver Shuttle are a resource provided by the University of Oregon and ASUO to give students a safe alternative to drunk driving and walking home at night. This is a great resource for students to have, but it’s not big enough for every student to be able to get a ride in a reasonable amount of time. For perspective, it’s not uncommon for Safe Ride to take an hour or two to get to your location. This isn’t necessarily an issue with Safe Ride. Rather, it concerns the large demand for rides.

UOPD can provide safety escorts, but again, it’s not a big enough resource for students to actually use in a timely manner. It also offers self-defense classes for women. UOPD is testing a pilot campus shuttle that makes runs to and from campus much like a bus, but this still leaves students as sitting ducks just as LTD does with its busses. A map of all shuttle stops, which also gives an approximated position of the shuttle, is available online.

Ultimately, the best advice is to never travel alone at night. This is, of course, an ideal situation and isn’t realistic for many students.

Having been previously licensed by the Oregon Department of Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) as unarmed security, there are a few tips that I can offer to students traveling at night.

Students who wish to carry pepper spray should consider buying a spray that includes an ultraviolet marking dye. This way, whenever UOPD or Eugene Police finds someone that fits the description you’ve given them, they can use an ultraviolet light to confirm that you sprayed them. Most sprays that I’ve seen cost around $10 or less. Just remember to never use it indoors. If you have a little higher of a budget, stun guns are allowed on campus. As always, a little common sense can go a long way with such devices.

Before you buy any personal protection devices, you should be aware of all legal liabilities and consequences that are associated with them. Read the weapons policy and consider taking a class in how to handle such devices. Students with additional questions surrounding personal protection devices are encouraged to call the UOPD non-emergency line at 541-346-2919. University policy and code of conduct questions should be directed toward the Office of the Dean of Students.

If carrying such a spray is not appealing to you, I suggest buying a powerful flashlight. I still have my large MagLite from my security job and have used it several times in poorly lit areas. This helps for two reasons: 1. You can actually see an attacker and identify them better for police. 2. A powerful flashlight can be used to temporarily blind an attacker. While a flashlight like I sometimes carry is suitable for self-defense, remember that your primary goal is to get home safely; don’t try to win a fight just because you think you can.

UO can only do so much

If we increase the amount of security or police officers around campus, we could expect to pay even more than we already do in tuition and fees. Allowing those with concealed weapons permits to carry such devices on campus would allow specific people to make their own investments in campus security if they don’t already possess a concealed weapons permit. Part of what prevents this from happening is a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees that was first implemented by the now disbanded Oregon University System. For those who do not wish to go that route, this is a good case in favor of rideshare companies like Uber or Lyft returning to Eugene.

UO wants people to know where the lighted paths are on campus: It offers a night option on its online map. Campus appears to be committed to fixing issues to the point that you can even drop a pin on the online map and tell the university about a lighting, hardscape, landscape or other issue that you may be encountering in a specific area of campus. Students should take advantage of this reporting system to let the university know what parts of campus need more of a security presence (choose to report an “Other” problem and explain what’s going on).

A suggestion I have for UO is to consider installing emergency call boxes in more areas that aren’t main campus. Spencer View Apartments — family housing for UO students — doesn’t have any. Barnhart Hall and Riley Hall also don’t have any emergency call boxes nearby. One might assert that we have many emergency call boxes, many of which aren’t used, but looking at the online map provided by the university (on night mode) raises some questions about the current call boxes. For example, why does UOPD have four call boxes around them while the northwestern side of campus has a noticeable hole where these call boxes seem to require a job to get to?

Eugene needs to get involved

Making students safer is more than a responsibility for the university; the City of Eugene needs to be involved in providing more street lights and safer bike lanes. Walk down Alder Street past E. 19th Avenue and you’ll find what looks like a large, unlit corridor. The same can be said for the many areas that students live at around east campus down Villard, Orchard, or even around E. 24th Avenue. For other examples, students don’t have to travel very far off campus. Next time you’re out with friends, take a look at how dark some of the sidewalks are in these areas.

The City of Eugene is currently having its own crisis with a lack of police officers. According to the Associated Press, Eugene Police ignored one-third of the daily service calls it received in 2017. Luckily, the Eugene City Council has opened the door to potentially allowing Uber and Lyft to return to Eugene.

Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis acknowledged that college students need a way to get back and forth at night and hopes to see the rideshare companies back in Eugene by summer. While it’s promising to see the city working to bring back ridesharing after a four-year absence, Mayor Vinis also said, “We want to make sure that we have a safe system, and so we don’t want to trade one unsafe situation for another.” University of Oregon Police Chief Matt Carmichael said that he has been working with the university to encourage the city to allow ridesharing.

Students shouldn’t be satisfied just yet

According to UOPD, there have been more than 70 incidents on or near campus property between 9 p.m. and 2:59 a.m. since Jan. 1, 2018. Of the incidents reported, 40 of them were quality of life incidents (drugs and alcohol, disorder, etc.), 29 of them were property incidents (theft, trespassing, etc.) and three of them were violent incidents.

Chief Carmichael issued a statement Friday saying, “UOPD is working with EPD, sharing information and planning, and I have directed our detectives to prioritize these cases.” He also stated that extra officers have been added to the patrol shifts at night. Chief Carmichael even posted his cell phone number for students with questions and suggestions.

If you are a victim of any crime, I urge you to report it to UOPD as soon as possible, so campus can at least have an accurate picture of which areas need more protection. While it’s nice to see our own police department taking action, students should put pressure on the city to do more, as our university is one of the largest employers in the county. Now is the time for us to take preventative measures and use any means necessary to make getting home safe.

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According to UO’s Division of Student Life, between 70 and 80 percent of college students work while in school. If you’re like me, you’re one of those students, and you aren’t necessarily working for fun. We know that the rising cost of tuition is one of many reasons why students dropout of college; some students are priced out and cannot afford to attend anymore.

Tuition Hike

Last Friday, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to increase resident tuition by 2.84 percent and nonresident tuition by 2.49 percent, despite the previous five-year dip in student enrollment. Apparently, the Tuition and Fee Advisory Board (TFAB) mentioned in a memo to the Provost of UO that there is a targeted 300-student increase in enrollment. Given the aforementioned facts about rising college costs and drop in student enrollment, even a 300-student increase in enrollment feels optimistic when we consider the fact that tuition is increasing again.

The differential tuition changes for the business school and honors college were also approved, but it should be noted that Ann Curry was the sole board member to vote against it.

Regarding the differential, President Schill defaulted to his usual justification of what the other Pac-12 schools do, in addition to his eyeball-rolling statement of how this “allows us to remain competitive.” Perhaps Schill isn’t aware that the only type of market that “remains competitive” by raising its prices are monopolistic, and UO is far from being a monopoly in education.

In 1974, UO tuition was $541 per year. In 2017 dollars, that’s $2,680.64. This increase pushes tuition for 2018-2019 to $9,765 ($270 increase) for residents and $33,345 ($810 increase) for nonresidents. For part of the group that works while in school, such an increase is almost suffocating. Especially when you factor in fees, which are currently $2,076 per year and expected to increase next year.

How Much of a Burden is it?

To be clear, tuition isn’t the only thing that is being raised. The health center fee is expected to increase by $7 per term ($21 per year). Though the EMU memo had some anticipation for an increase, TFAB stated that it would not increase. TFAB stated in that same memo that ASUO would be proposing a $12 per term incidental fee increase, which amounts to $36 per year. The Rec stated that it will not be requesting an increase in its fees. Altogether, total fees would increase from $2,076 per year to $2,133 per year. Throw in tuition, and it’s $11,898 for residents and $35,478 for nonresidents just to sit in about four classrooms per term.

For perspective, federal financial aid only covers between $5,500 to $12,500 per year in loans — depending on year in school and dependency status — plus $5,920 per year in Pell Grants if you qualify. A dependent freshman has only $5,500 available to them in loans if their parents can obtain a PLUS loan. If not, they are allowed the independent freshman loan limit of $9,500. If you’re an independent senior with a Pell Grant, you only get $18,420 per year in financial aid. After tuition and fees next year, you would be left with $6,431. That’s an average of $714.56 per month throughout the academic year, compared to $761 per month for the current academic year. This is abhorrent for the working college student who is trying to make ends meet; even the current average isn’t enough to pay for the least expensive on-campus option.

If you’re lucky enough to qualify for Work Study, that’s an additional average of $233.33 per month. $927.90 per month for the academic year ($8,351.10 annually) isn’t even enough to cover the least expensive housing option with the least expensive meal plan, which also has proposed increases. No wonder between 70 and 80 percent of college students work while in school. Without any increases in financial aid, UO is financially waterboarding us.

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Have you ever seen what goes into your tuition and fees? We often hear how tuition is $9,495 per year for residents, but then comes the $2,076 in fees. Why are they so high? It’s understandable that the university would charge us for maintenance and access fees for things like buildings and even the Recreational Center. But did you know that we’re charged for the Rec twice?

There are two reasons for this. One is because students in 1997 voted to approve one of the two fees to retire the debt incurred to build and renovate the Rec, which became a flat fee in 2009. Before 1999, the Rec we know and love today didn’t exist. The other reason is because the Rec was expanded in 2015 and the university went into debt for the expansion. As we progress into 2018 and beyond, we’ve heard about the new Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact and Tykeson Hall. But how is the university paying for all of these expansions with a drop in the student population?

UO and Debt: A Match Made in Heaven

We have good reason to believe the UO will go into debt for expansions. Aside from the 2015 Rec expansion, the recent EMU expansion also takes a portion of our fees. Every student pays $67 per term in the form of an EMU Facility Fee, which started in Fall 2014. To justify collecting the fee so early, the university stated “Revenue from the fee is necessary to pay bond debt incurred to cover design and construction costs.” The expansion cost $95 million, $5 million of which is claimed to be privately funded. However, according to the website, the UO has raised less than half of that $5 million in private donations. Students will likely be paying this off for the next several decades.

It’s important to note that according to the EMU Proposal by its Director, Laurie Woodward, declines in enrollment have caused the EMU to have a deficit in its payments of $104,294. She states “We…have been told not to anticipate more than a 2.25 percent increase” in the current EMU fee. An increase of 2.25 percent would raise the EMU fee from $67 per term to $68.51 per term.

What about the Knight Campus, which is supposedly a $2 billion campaign? According to the university, it “will not take dollars away from other units on campus, nor will it change the UO’s broader fundraising strategy and goals.” So far, $500 million of the $2 billion has been donated by Phil Knight, but what does the university mean by “broader fundraising strategy and goals?” Without much explanation, students may speculate that they will ultimately be saddled with the funding of this new campus.

Who Sets Tuition and Fees?

Depending on how long you’ve been a student at the University of Oregon, you may be familiar with the Tuition and Fee Advisory Board, or TFAB. The board, which is made up of mostly faculty and administrators, sets tuition and fees. Only 4 out of 16 TFAB members for fiscal year 2018 are students, two of which are ASUO members. This is a gross conflict of interest since the other 12 members receive a salary from the university. When people receive a salary and are in charge of proposing tuition, it’s pretty unlikely that they’re going to decrease tuition if it means taking a pay cut. This 4:1 majority ensures that students have a voice, but our voices may be nothing more than a waste of hot air.

It is clear that one reason why students dropout of college is high tuition. Why doesn’t the UO experiment with lowered tuition? University leaders hope to expand the undergraduate population to over 22,000, up from 19,351 this year, by 2025. The university seems to think that charging students higher tuition without increasing the quality of its education will result in higher enrollment.

Tykeson Hall

If you peruse the area near Chapman Hall, you might have noticed a fenced-off area with a big hole in the ground. In Fall 2019, Tykeson Hall will open its doors in that very spot. According to the university, its purpose is to be a “home base” for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), rather than having it sprawled throughout campus in 49 buildings.

The university also reports that it will be the new home for the career center, contain classrooms and essentially act as an advising center for CAS. Though UO doesn’t appear to be going into debt for Tykeson Hall, students should keep an eye on its development.

A map of all construction projects can be found on the university’s website.

UO Should be Held Accountable

With a decline in student population, it hardly seems appropriate to build so many new buildings and raise tuition. According to the unaudited financial report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2018, page 13, the University of Oregon appears to have more than $1.1 billion “in the bank,” with a net gain of $2.44 million.

It’s understandable that the university wants to have a large financial cushion for a rainy day, but it’s preposterous that the university forces students to pay off its debt for the Rec and EMU expansions when it appears to have money to do it itself. This would make fees $587 per student per term or $1,761 per year instead of nearly $2,100 per year. The administration seems to be okay with financially abusing the very students they claim to care about. We deserve better. Let’s be fair: How many of us would make the same claim if we made 3 to 22 times what most Americans make?

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What comes to mind when you think of feminism? One might think of the Women’s March or the #MeToo movement. Another might think of fighting against the gender wage gap or for paid parental leave. What comes to mind when you think about conservatism? While I’m sure there’s a lot that many in the UO community might come up with to describe conservatism, it’s unlikely that many would think of feminism. In fact, I would likely get a side eye from several UO students if I said that conservatives could be feminists, too.

Issues Conservative Feminists Care About

Most who consider themselves liberal, or at least sympathetic to liberal feminist issues, might be asking themselves what conservatives believe are women’s issues. It’s no secret that many conservatives believe that, in most cases, men and women have equal rights.

When reading an article written by the Network of Enlightened Women, an organization for conservative women, it seems to be that conservative women believe that “liberal feminists are waging war against conservative women. They are attacking conservative women who do not agree with their political agenda.” They continued, “Conservative feminism means empowering women in the workplace, politics and in society to achieve equal opportunity. It does not and should not mean radicalizing feminism to connotatively and definitively include only liberal issues like abortion and promoting a promiscuous sexual culture.”

Feminism, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, is “the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.” Krystal Antolin, a third-year student studying political science at the University of Oregon, stated that she felt that the feminist ideas expressed by liberals seems to “divide and contradict each other,” implying that the Women’s March, which condemns some discrimination and prejudices against women, does not condemn as much as it could. By the previously stated definition, Antolin argues that “It is possible to be a conservative and feminist, because as an individual, you may fall under the conservative political spectrum with the focuses of advocating for specific issues for women’s rights.”

How Conservative Feminists Viewed the Women’s March

Regarding the Women’s March, Antolin said that she didn’t “see a place for conservative women who are pro-life nor who have voted for Donald Trump during the 2016 election.” This is understandable considering how many of the signs at the event could be viewed as more anti-Trump than pro-feminism. It’s understandable why anti-Trump signs would be present, considering his indefensible dialogue in the Billy Bush video that was revealed during the election.

The idea of the Women’s March being accused of not being about much more than resisting the president isn’t exclusively conservative. Liberal feminists have also called the Women’s March “a failure.” Bitch Media author Rae Gray stated that the Women’s March “started with Trump and went nowhere due to a hollow ideology that fails to recognize and condemn the violent history of a state founded on Black labor and Brown blood and instead chooses to condemn a single Republican administration — that is, when it can see beyond one man.” Though we understand what the Women’s March is supposed to be about, it’s disappointing to see the purpose of such an event can be easily overshadowed by its resistance to the president, even if he’s perceived as part of the issue.

How Conservative Feminists View the Gender Wage Gap

When asked about the gap in pay between men and women, Krystal Antolin told me “the wage gap doesn’t exist, but the occupational gap does.” She then described the occupational wage gap as “career preferences” and the amount of time off taken by women for family situations such as maternity leave. The assertion about maternity leave can be confirmed by the Pew Research Center.

Elizabeth Russeau stated that the wage gap is “simply the difference between the average earnings of all men and women working full-time. It does not account for differences in occupations, positions, job tenure, education, or hours worked per week.” The math tells us that gender is a factor in one’s wage, but that’s all it tells us; there isn’t anything linked to gender that would make an economist believe it’s strictly due to sexism, experience or education. Hence, economists are left to hypothesize and test their theories until a more concrete explanation can be found.

If we’re going to achieve anything in today’s political climate, we need to put away our political differences and focus on where we do agree. Nobody gains anything by claiming that either side is misogynistic just because they don’t agree on abortion or affirmative action. The sooner we can work together, the sooner we can truly make a difference.

We can start by sitting down with those we disagree with and acknowledging our similarities. In the long run, both sides want many of the same outcomes. Much of the time, the difference is how we get there. Until we start having meaningful conversations where we listen to each other and take what we’re saying into consideration, we will never get anywhere in solving these issues.

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