The definition of hard worker is an array of different things with different meanings, but one consistent quality is being humble. Striving to help the community, being involved in various extracurricular activities, as well as maintaining a balance between social and academic life are other qualities of a hard worker. Although at times it’s hard to maintain that balance, it is possible.

Audrey Graser has been able to accomplish a lot within just four years at the University of Oregon. Graser chose the UO to be close to family and get out of her comfort zone.

“I wanted a college that would push me outside of my comfort zone, but I also wanted to stay in Oregon so I could be close to my family,” Graser said. “I wanted to challenge myself academically, mentally and socially and the myriad of opportunities at the UO have allowed me to do that. After having met my best friends here and grown so much I couldn’t imagine myself any place else.”

With a 3.91 GPA Graser is a dedicated scholarly leader who excels in academics as well leadership pursuits on campus by getting involved in as many things as she can. Graser is majoring in English with minors in business and anthropology.

Throughout her years at the UO, Graser has been able to accomplish a lot and get involved with various organizations on campus.

The organizations Graser is involved in include: Gamma Phi Beta, serving one year as Community Service Chair and two years as financial vice president; Friars Society; Mortar Board, as vice president; Order of Omega, as vice president; Dance Marathon, served as Morale Captain, one year as co-fundraising chair and one year as campus representative; founded Sigma Tau Delta, served as president for one year; member of Greek Judicial board through Fraternity and Sorority Life for two years and is a member of the Honors College.

“Audrey is a very humble person and honestly I don’t know how she does it,” said Graser’s close friend, Maddy Thornburg. “She is so involved in so many things with social and academic life I don’t know how there’s enough hours in the day for her to do all the stuff she needs to. She is such a leader and inspiration to others on campus and she takes on a lot of things and maintains a balance between everything.”

When Graser isn’t busy with academics or sorority life, she and Thornburg spend their time at the bars, hang out with friends in their Gamma Phi Beta house and read books.

“We spend a lot of time together and she is really fun to be around she fills the room with energy,” Thornburg said. “She’s been one of my best friends, mentor and role-model for me. She has accomplished so much and does a lot of work that she deserves to be recognized.”

Seeing the Dead Sea, visiting Jerusalem, Negev, Tzfat or Masada are not opportunities generally afforded to the average UO student. But for students involved in Oregon Hillel the opportunity to travel to Israel for free was a dream come true this past winter. Students spent ten days in Israel and participated in various activities at no cost as part of TAGLIT Birthright Israel, which pays for youth aged 18-26 with at least one Jewish parent to make the trip.

“I love going to Israel even though we go to similar places,” Oregon Hillel Director of Student Engagement Amanda Weiss said. “I love being able to see the students develop and grow their sense of identity and it’s a rewarding experience.”

For sophomore Matt London traveling to Israel was an unforgettable experience. London went through an application process followed by an interview with Weiss before being approved for the trip — along with three of his fraternity brothers from Alpha Epsilon Pi. The trip was London’s first time visiting Israel.

“You hear a lot about Israel and when you experience it yourself it’s not what you see on the news,” London said. “You’d be a fool if you have this opportunity and you don’t take it. This trip enhanced my beliefs by physically experiencing it.”

While on the trip London and others were able to hike mountains of southern Israel that contained ancient Roman ruins. London had the opportunity to see the Dead Sea, which is unique in its high salt water composition. While on his trip he was able to interact with Israeli soldiers similar to his age and learn about their lives and experiences as soldiers.

“In Israel when students graduate from high school they don’t go to college like we do,” London said. “They go straight into the military and while we were there they were on vacation from service. Being able to talk with the army was my favorite part from the trip. They  got to relax with us.”

During the trip students stayed at various hotels and ate traditional Jewish food like falafel. Although London only spent ten days in Israel he couldn’t be more happy than to have spent it with friends.

After the trip, London is excited for a two month internship he’ll be completing in Israel this summer.

“I look forward to actually seeing Israeli life because when we went we were just tourists,” London said. “When I go this summer I’ll be living in central Jerusalem and see what everyday life is like and experience it.”

Senior Cory Cullen will be taking advantage of the opportunity to travel to Israel this summer as well.

“I’m really excited. I’ve never been to Israel and this will be my first time experiencing it,” Cullen said.

Cotton candy, laughter, popcorn, beanbag toss games and a mechanical bull ride can only mean one thing: creating traditions at the University of Oregon. This year the Student Activities and Resource Center was able to host their very first carnival at the UO and provide the opportunity for students to relax and take pride in their school.

This is SARC’s first year and so far they have been able to organize various activities including the carnival, Mallard Madness and homecoming — just to name a few.

SARC has two main components that consist of student activities and a resource center for student groups.

On the student activities side, events are put together such as the spring carnival and the Matt Knight Classic Basketball tournament. While on the resource center side, equipment is checked out to student groups at no charge.

The popcorn machine is an excellent example. It was donated by Club Sports since they rarely used it. SARC can check it out to any student group recognized by ASUO at no charge.

SARC’s most well known and popular event is weekly entertainer Ducks After Dark, which offer movies and free food to students. Each activity by SARC falls into three categories: Ducks After Dark, Duck spirit — which is responsible for Homecoming — and concert coordinator, which plans concerts like Mallard Madness and launching the first annual spring carnival held May 2. All these activities work together to enhance student life on campus.

“We want students to engage in these activities and start new annual traditions on campus,” SARC’s marketing coordinator Gregor Cunningham said. “I think what were doing is exciting and it’s going to continue as a legacy.”

While SARC works tirelessly to start new traditions and engage the student body it also works hard to give back to the student groups. As part of it’s second component SARC focuses on trying to provide essential resources to student groups who may not be able to get a hold of them.

For an example a program that SARC wants to launch is a workshop on how to plan an event and the steps that it takes to have a successful event. From planning to reserving the room, SARC hopes to host these workshops to provide support for those who struggle with planning events or may not know how to go about it.

“SARC would like to start a training program to help student groups plan events on campus,” said Mandy Chong, a student activities coordinator . “Every student organization functions in a different way and we want to offer helpful tips that helps them and create plan management.”

Although SARC has only had one year, they have been able to juggle the various activities and are continuing to plan events for next year. One of it’s main goals this year was to build student traditions beyond just the football games but continue it all throughout the year.

“SARC is vital to enhancing the student experience on campus, and the ability to build a foundation for future generations was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” chair student activities board Zan Schindler said.

A night filled with performers, music, authentic Filipino cuisine and much more is prescribed for Kultura Pilipinas’ culture night on May 4.

The theme for this year’s culture night is “Laro Tayo!” which translates to “let’s play!” — taking the theme of a game show. The night will consist of a performance from YouTube artist JR Aquino and dinner will be catered from family owned restaurant Maynila Filipino. An informational booth will also be present to provide students an insight of some of the organizations that Kultura Pilipinas works with. A skit portrayed as a talent show will take place.

“This is KP’s biggest event of the year and we want it to make it bigger and better than previous years,” Kultura Pilipinas’ Senior Advisor Andrea Dimayuga said. “Culture nights are an opportunity for student groups to dedicate their weekend to show the community who they are and we hope that we can show the playful side of the Filipino culture.”

The annual culture night is an opportunity for the student group to fundraise and teach the community about the Filipino culture. The event will be in the EMU Ballroom, and doors open at 4:30 p.m. before an official starting time of 5 p.m. Student tickets are $6, general admission is $9 and all benefits collected will fund Kultura Pilipinas.

The ASUO Executive is creating a position for a student member of the University of Oregon Board of Trustees.

All students are encouraged to apply and the deadline to register is May 4 at 5 p.m.

Students can obtain a general application on the ASUO link and must fill out the first page of the application. Students must also summit a resume and cover letter, no longer than one page single spaced. All materials must be submitted electronically to ASUO or in person at the ASUO office located in Mac Court.

“It’s an incredible position for those interested in strong student voice,” ASUO president Sam Dotters-Katz said. “Especially for those advocating voice to students on campus.”

For further information or questions please visit the Board of Trustee’s Website.

McArthur Court student building manager Aaron Nicholson sits patiently in StarDucks waiting for customers to buy coffee or grab a quick snack. Normally Nicholson gets one or two customers a day and throughout the week no more than 10 customers.

Occasionally, business will pick up, but for the most part he spends his time reading to pass the time. Mac Court is the new home for 18 student groups who were relocated to make way for renovation in the EMU. Though it’s a temporary home, student groups wish to see more visibility in what will be their space for the next two years.

“Since our move I feel like our numbers have decreased by at least two thirds,” Veteran’s Center program coordinator Michael Tieman said. “In the old EMU you’d see students walking around and in Mac Court you don’t really see that. I don’t think there’s much advertising for the new EMU south.”

Fourth week into spring term many student groups are adjusting to the new space and a few like the Veteran’s Center, Men’s Center and Club Sports are sorting through a few computer and printer problems. EMU renovation coordinator Dan Geiger has been in charge of handling all the technical difficulties and other problems that student groups might have.

“We still have a couple of windows that need scrapping and printers to be repaired but what I’ve noticed is that there isn’t as many problems as I thought there would be,” Geiger said. “I mean we’ve taken a basketball arena and transformed it into an office space for these student groups. We had to put in power, walls, doors, signage and a whole lot of things to make it a workable space and we pulled it off.”

As for the majority of student groups the biggest challenge has been adjusting to the lack of student visibility and missing their former nearby food options like the Fishbowl and Subway.

“I feel like Mac Court is like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and we need to phase out of that stage,” Student Activities coordinator Mandy Chong said. “You know that time when it was so busy and then it shut down, that’s how Mac Court is. This is a historical building and it’s being used as an office space. It’s pretty cool.”

While Chong loves the building, she and her team can’t help but miss the food from the EMU. Chong has found that she needs to schedule time to eat and that will be a challenge not just for her but for a majority of groups that relied on the EMU for food options.

For many groups, the move in has brought them opportunities to interact with other groups they hadn’t encountered before, and for many that’s a plus. The Men’s Center is one example of that. Their room is split into two rooms shared with the College Democrats. Although the space was unexpected they have learned to embrace it.

“It’s not the walls that make up the student groups it’s the people that do,” Men’s Center director Maj Hutchinson said. “Although we have a smaller place we are finding ways to work around it. More student visibility will pick up within time.”

As a part of bringing awareness about culture and identity to campus, the Multicultural Center and Asian Pacific American Student Association will host the Asian Desi Pacific Islander American conference from April 25-27.

As part of the conference, a series of various guest speakers, students and faculty will discuss the importance of solidarity between the ADPIA communities. The conference’s main goal is to come up with strategies to unite the different Asian Desi Pacific Islander communities. Please refer to ADPIA schedule room locations.

“For me I kind of struggled with solidarity and this is an opportunity for different cultures to understand the importance of solidarity,” Kultura Pilipinas co-director Demiliza Saramosing said.

The conference is free, but students who wish to attend must register on the ADPIA website. Guest speakers for this conference include:

-Nini Hayes, poet and performer

-Suey Park, freelance writer and inventor of the hashtag #NotYourAsianSidekick

-Pua Case, expert in ocean voyaging and teacher of hula and chant about the sacred mountain on Mauna Kea

-Deepa Kumar, associate professor of Media Studies and Middle Eastern Studies

-Cherly E. Matias, assistant professor in the Urban Community Teacher Education Program and Urban Ecologies doctoral at the University of Colorado

“We hope that people can become empowered and acknowledge the struggles and culture of the ADPIA community,” Saramosing said.

The array of events that student groups put together each term varies from culture nights to the simple act of hosting general meetings. Each event has the goal of solidifying and advertising their presence on campus. Behind each active student group is a strong leadership team that works together to pull the group forward.

Though all students groups have their own president or co-directors, the process of finding the right one varies from student group to student group. They all share one goal — striving to bring the essence of family and community onto campus. As the end of the year is approaching, student groups are preparing for the process of choosing their 2014-2015 leaders.

For the Saudi Student Association the process of choosing their president is crucial. Last year SSA’s leadership was absent on campus. It’s one of the reasons current president Abdulrhman Aljaafari ran for president. He knew he wanted to change that and reconstruct SSA again. In order to ensure the survival of the group, the SSA needs to find a strong candidate for his replacement.

“I feel very satisfied with what the association did with the community, and it all stems back from the people I worked with,” Aljaafari said. “I worked with some intelligent and creative people that helped me apply ideas to real life.”

SSA’s process for choosing its president is based on a presentation by candidates, followed by a Q&A from members. Each candidate has the opportunity to choose who they want to work with as part of their management. Aljaafari believes that the candidates should choose who they want to work with, so that they can avoid disagreements. SSA will host elections May 31, but Aljaafari will not be running for president again.

SSA’s process for choosing the next president is similar to the method the Black Student Union’s uses. The BSU gathers a panel of judges varying from current co-directors, past co-directors and faculty. They look at the applicants interest in each position and try to find the best qualified person who fits the job description. One of two co-directors Godwin Nwando, is proud of BSU’s success this year and is proud to have served as co-director.

“I think our awareness is more out there and people know we exist,” Nwando said. “I think in order to have a successful student group there needs to be a combination of bonding and community. It’s important to acknowledge what went well and what can be improved.”

As for Kultura Pilipinas, the process for choosing their co-directors are based on nominations and presentations. Kultura Pilipinas hosts two board meetings where members can nominate potential co-directors and from there, those that are nominated can either accept or decline. If they accept their nomination, they present a speech and interact with members, then it’s up to the members to vote.

Current co-director Demiliza Saramosing has enjoyed the opportunity of serving as co-director and finding her identity within Kultura Pilipinas.

“KP has helped me understand my identity and it’s served as a home away from home,” Saramosing said.

Though methods of hiring new leaders vary from group to group, student groups from all parts of campus are gearing up for a new year of leadership, each with a common goal in mind: to ensure a lasting future.

At 3:15 p.m. two UO students were involved in a car accident on 17th and Agate Street.

The drivers did not see each other as they were pulling in and out of the intersection. Greg Magnus, Eugene Police Department officer, responded to the accident at 3:20 p.m.

Neither driver received any injury, and no citations were given.

“I’m a little bummed about my car, but I’m glad I’m okay,” said Cole Barton, one of the drivers involved in the accident.

Both cars were towed away causing a little traffic, but the streets are now cleared.

When Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines last fall, the University of Oregon’s Kultura Pilipinas responded quickly by collecting funds to help the victims. The student group was able to partner with Lane County’s Philippine Association and host a spaghetti feed. They arranged a collection of basic necessities like clothing, socks, shoes, hygiene products, emergency kits and blankets.

Their efforts enabled them to fundraise $1,000 and send 27 boxes of goods to the islands.

“Natural disasters are unexpected and when we knew we wanted to help, we thought of hosting a spaghetti feed,” said KP’s public relations manager Andrea Dimayuga. “We really thought it was going to be small because it was so last minute, but it ended up being a bigger event to our surprise. We were proud of the outcome and our mission.”

Their efforts in the Philippines represented an ongoing effort by the organization called “Fiesta for Change,” where the group decides to donate funds to an organization.

The UO’s official Filipino student organization strives to promote Filipino and Filipino American culture on campus through food, music and events such as Pilipino Culture Night. KP is open to all students and welcomes those who are interested in the Filipino community to learn about their culture and heritage.

“My involvement and reason for joining KP is quite interesting and at first I didn’t want to be in KP,” co-director Demiliza Saramosing said. “I’m from Hawaii and the majority of the people are Filipino, and I was tired, I guess, of being too Filipino… But after coming here it changed me, and it’s made me embrace my culture.”

For many members, KP is more than just a student group that meets every Tuesday. It’s a family and a second home. It offers an opportunity to interact with other students of similar background and embrace the Filipino culture.

“I’ve gained a stronger connection with the UO by being part of KP,” member and first-year law student Brandon Hinton said. “At the law school you’re in your own cocoon and not aware of what’s going on around campus. For me, being part of KP opened my eyes to not only issues that face my community, but also minorities.”

KP has ten leadership positions and between 20-25 active members. Every year KP attends the annual Northwest Filipino American Student Alliance conference in Washington, which offers members guest speakers, workshops, a home-made Filipino dinner banquet and a dance party. Since this year’s conference on April 5 and 6, KP has built connections with Oregon State and Portland State’s Filipino clubs.

“For me, attending the conference, it helped me stay in KP and it’s been a great experience,” Saramosing said.