As winter approaches, many students at University of Oregon find ways to keep themselves warm, whether it is buying gloves, hats and, of course, boots.

One of the most popular brands among boots for students to own are UGGs. The Australian brand is very commonly worn at the UO as the temperature begins to drop and the demand for cozy boots increases. The UGG boots provide a full range of colors and styles and, most importantly, provide comfort and warmth.

There is no question that UGGs remain the most popular boot brand for consumers. According to a Huffington Post article, UGGs were among the top trending gifts on Google shopping for Black Friday of 2013.

Among other popular items were video game consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One, tablets, Dr. Dre Headphones and North Face products. Clearly, UGGs are widely demanded by consumers. Out of those who own Uggs, a quarter of those are American women, according to a survey conducted by Beso.com this past spring.

As the demand increases, there have been speculations and controversy surrounding the popular boot in regards of using animal base to make the inside of the UGGs. Some of the rumors that have risen about the UGG brand is use of sheepskin to make the products and the inhumane ways the sheep are treated in order to obtain the wool and make the product. As soon as this information was spread, the UGG brand did not delay to comment about the controversial issue.

According to Dekers.com, UGG Australia had this to say in regards to the rumors of the boots:

“We are among the leaders in ethical supply chain for consumer goods, and particularly the sourcing of sheepskin. UGGs does not use sheepskin unless it is a byproduct of the meat industry. The sheepskin used in the UGG products including our classic boots is real fur.”

According to a post from the Huffington Post: The merino sheep which are the primary producers of wool are not killed for the boots. The sheep are sheared only and are much more comfortable without their massive wool coats. The term “sheepskin” refers to the sheep’s wool, not their actual skin, while the outside and bottom of the boots is synthetic. There’s a small chance that the sheep could be harmed in the process, but the chances are slim.

The methods and processes of obtaining the wool for the boots is solely dependent on the consumer and whether they accept the idea that the boots contain wool from an animal.

Story edited at 4:30 p.m., Dec. 8.

For many freshmen at the University of Oregon, the prospect of lecture courses containing hundreds of students intimidates many and can become overwhelming, but freshmen have the opportunity to reduce that anxiety with Freshmen Interest Groups. The purpose of FIGs is to bring students with similar interests together and collectively explore a theme framed by two lecture classes.

For many new students, the FIG was a helpful tool. Now that the FIG is coming to an end, many will miss the small class and the friends they have made in the course.

Freshman Hannah Tooley was glad she joined a FIG because it made her transition a lot easier and she was able to learn a lot about the resources available to her.

“I felt like the FIG connected both courses at the beginning of the term, but it seems to have connected more heavily with media and less with psychology,” Tooley said, who was in the Media Mirror FIG, which combines psychology and journalism studies.

Tooley was told last year from friends to join a FIG because it would really make her freshmen experience much better and it was a great gateway for socializing and staying on top of grades, although there were times when she felt the structure of the FIG could have been better.

“I really am glad I chose a FIG because at first I didn’t really know what I wanted to study and now I do,” she said. “The only one thing I don’t like about the FIG is that since we only meet once a week and it’s a pass or no pass class, students think that they don’t have to do the work thoroughly.”

FIGs are made up of three courses. Two are regular university lecture courses and one is the FIG seminar is called “College Connections,” which bridges the lectures. Students meet once a week where they discuss the two classes and learn to understand how the two courses are intertwined.

Freshman Jose Meza he was glad to have chosen the Vive La France FIG because he is studying the French language and loves the culture. Initially, he saw no connections between the French legacy course and the humanities course. As the term progressed he was able to make connections.

“I found the FIG to be a very helpful transition because I got help from the FA and my professor and I was able to meet some great friends through the FIG. It really is a neat experience,” Meza said.

The college connections is co-taught by an upper class mentor (FIG assistant) and a faculty member often from one of the lecture classes. The purpose of the FIG assistant and faculty member is to support the shift and facilitate the FIG experience by incorporating social networking among the students and to encourage students to ask for help from their professors, especially if the class is intensely huge.

For junior Jessica Thorson, becoming a FIG assistant taught her a lot about herself as a leader and she was able to reflect that through the connections with the students — not just about herself but about leadership and making connections with students.

“This was my first year as a FIG assistant and I loved it,” Thorson said. “Knowing that students were able to make connections with one another makes me feel very happy that the FIG was able to accomplish that.”

Students have the opportunity to choose from more than 60 FIGs, and each one falls into three categories: non-residential, residential and challenge. The only difference between non-residential and residential FIGs is in non-residential, students may live in any halls or off campus if they choose. In residential FIGs students live in the residential halls near each other and near the FIG assistant. As for the challenge FIG, students get a more distinctive academic experience by having one of the courses at an intermediate level. The courses in the challenge FIG are smaller than the other two FIGs.

Thorson was the FIG assistant for Vive La France course and professor Fabienne Moore helped facilitate the course.

Each year, directors of FIGs look for feedback to improve their programs so next year they can create a more enjoyable experience. Assistant Director of FIGs Amy Hughes Giard takes a close look at the surveys students fills out at the end of fall term.

“We look close at the feedback that we get from students and we’re always looking for ways to improve our program,” Giard said.

A recent audit report released by the Secretary of State’s Office unveiled that 13 university employees had fabricated  their payrolls by generating unearned overtime and vacation hours to make up for losses from state-enforced furloughs and salary freezes from April 2010 to March 2013. In order to avoid salary freezes and payroll cuts, employees in the university Institute of Neuroscience used grant money from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation to pay for unearned overtime and vacation hours.  The audit reviewed 1,000 timesheets, 38 of which showed unworked overtime and furlough days declared when employees had actually worked.

Upon discovery, the UO returned $330,000 to the NIH and $400 to the NSF for the misuse of the grant money, according to UO spokeswoman Julie Brown.

In fiscal year 2012 the UO was awarded $110.6 million dollars from external funding sources in grants – an increase from $110.2 million dollars in 2011. In fiscal year 2012 the total federal award to the UO was $96.9 million dollars, about 88 percent of the overall funding received by the university. Additionally, The Department of Health and Human Services funds about $25.4 million dollars (26 percent of federal dollars received) — most of which comes from the NIH, Brown says. The NSF funds $18.7 million dollars (19 percent of federal dollars received).

By Jan. 2013 the UO administration had become aware of possible payroll violations involving grant money, and requested an internal review by the Internal Audit Division for the Oregon University System. When suspicions were confirmed, the OUS requested an investigation by the Secretary of State Audits Division to determine the extent of payroll discrepancies.

After an extensive review of 38 UO classified staff in 18 departments it was found that regular occurring overtime for the time period of April 2010 through March 2013 was claimed. The review was able to identify the consistent amount of overtime recorded each month for 13 ION staff. In a department-wide scandal it was discovered that business managers within the department were instructing staff to declare hours they hadn’t actually worked. If the employees forgot, the hours were added to individual time sheets by the department’s finance department — sometimes in blatantly different handwriting.

To prevent misuse of federal dollars in the future, new management staff has been assigned to oversee  ION  payroll matters and grant related activity. The new management staff now reports to the Office of Vice President for Research — not to supervisors within ION — in order to sustain central oversight. They are also implementing changes to the grant administration process by requiring advance submission of grant related material to allow for additional payroll related reviews by Sponsored Project Services. The UO has also added a new segment to faculty orientation that identifies appropriate university resources relating to federal grant administration.

The UO is in the process of developing new mandatory training classes for principal investigators and grant administrators that includes sections on payroll processing, personnel overseeing, and fiscal movement. It is not known yet when training will begin.

Although the addition of overtime in payroll was discovered primarily among ION employees, further investigation identifies approximately 15 additional employees from several academic and research units, and one administrative unit who may have increased FTE appointments, overtime, or undocumented leave.

In the closing paragraphs of the audit, the SOS audit team recommends that the university conduct it’s own investigations into such discrepancies. According to a formal response from Jamie Moffit, UO Vice President for Finance and Administration, the university is “in the process of investigating these new matters and will take appropriate action.”

Though investigations are still being conducted, University administration remains hopeful that the payroll discrepancies were a one-time occurrence.

“The University of Oregon believes payroll errors were limited to a few units and occurred in the past. They do not reflect in any way on the continued research conducted by our faculty,” Brown said.

For voters in Springfield School District, River Road Park and Recreation District and Junction City School District, today is the last day to cast ballots for this year’s fall special elections. The ballots mostly deal with funding. No public offices are up for election. Ballots are due in drop boxes by 8 p.m.

Many cities, counties, school districts and municipal entities are asking voters to renew existing taxes and adopt new ones. In the Springfield District voters are asked to approve a $62.5 million bond measure that would replace Hamlin Middle School and add technological upgrades for all the school’s districts. If the measures passes, construction for Hamlin is expected to take place in Fall 2016. Taxes on homes assessed at $150,000 would also increase by $62 a year.

For the Junction City School District voters are asked for money to replace Laurel Elementary along with making upgrades to the heating and ventilating systems in all four of the schools in the district. If the measure passes the $32.4 million bond would raise taxes on a owner of a home assessed at $150,000 by $399 a year.

River Road Park and Recreation District is requesting voters to renew a five-year local option property tax levy. The current levy expires June 30. As of right now the local option levy brings in more than $200,000 annually which allows the district to maintain current staff levels and services such as childcare services.

Among other measures in different counties include: Curry County measure 8-72 which deals with tax levy funding for police department, Benton County measure 02-26 deals with public safety and city services local option tax levy, and Linn County measure 22-122 primarily focuses on a four-year levy for law enforcement.

The closest drop off ballot site in Eugene includes Lane County Elections Office in 275 W. 10th Ave. Other sites include Springfield City Hall, Junction City Public Library, and River Road Park and Recreation Center.

As of Nov. 1, the temporal boost agent for Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will no longer provide the same amount of assistance to families as it has been. Why the sudden change? Since 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided an economic boost for SNAP benefits. Without the Recovery Act boost the SNAP benefits will average less than $1.40 per person per meal in 2014. For a family of four, food stamp benefits will be decreased by $36 a month. This means all families on the food stamp service will be decreased depending on their household size.

While many students at the UO hold jobs to pay for tuition or simply to make some extra cash, working students can’t imagine how families who are struggling will face this sudden change.

For freshman Carly Gough, working at Dairy Queen has helped her pay tuition, but she still faces problems with making ends meet and relying on student loans. Although Gough can still rely on her parents for economic support, she can’t imagine what it is like for those on SNAP who now have to deal with the cuts. Gough can relate to the SNAP benefits situation because she has a sister who is currently going to school and is on food stamps. Although her sister has a job as well, she still has difficulties paying for school.

With the new cut in place, many students agree that this cut is creating a gap in society. For freshman Reyanna Blank, this issue hits home.

“I grew up with food stamps my mom was a single mother trying to raise her kids, and food stamps provided a lot for my family. SNAP is crucial for families who are struggling. It is a necessity because they give so much, and now with this cut it is going to make life a lot harder for those that are barely making it through. If it isn’t for food stamps many families wouldn’t have a meal, and it just shows how people rely heavily on it,” Blank said.

The ARRA stimulated the SNAP benefits by 13.6 percent at the beginning of April 2009, according to Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The ARRA benefits increased for all the participating households, and SNAP benefits were able to remain stable and provide the necessary amount of money for each household size. With the new cuts, families will no longer receive the same amount. The total size of the cut will be approximately $5 billion in 2014 and $6 billion in the fiscal years of 2015 and 2016.

For a household of one the ARRA maximum benefits of Oct. 2013 was $200. Now the maximum benefits beginning Nov. 2013 is $189. The monthly cut is -$11. A total cut of the fiscal year for 2014 is -$121. The amount of SNAP benefits decreases as the household size is bigger except benefits of households of two and three both decrease by $9.

While Congress is still working on how to deal with this sudden change, many families will deal with hardships. Struggling families between the poverty line will have to face a bigger challenge to provide for their families. The cut will affect 22 million children in 2014 whose family incomes is below the half line poverty line, and nine million who are elderly or have a serious disability. This significant cut is equivalent to taking away 21 meals per month from a family of four, according to an article on AlJazeera America.

For the state of Oregon, the total SNAP benefit cut from Nov. 2013 through Sept. 2014 is -$84 million dollars, causing 819,000 recipients to be affected by the cut. Those recipients make up 21 percent of the shared total state population.

As for freshman Ryan Reeder, he believes that something should be done to help this issue. He believes that politicians need to stop looking the other way and look at ways to solve this problem.

“When people are barely making enough money and food stamps are their only option, and suddenly that option is cut, how are people going to provide for themselves, let alone their families. Food stamps isn’t just a benefit it is a necessity in some cases,” Reeder said.

The newly established Wayne Morse Scholars Program will be accepting applications until Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.

This is the first year the program has been offered, and it is primarily aimed at University of Oregon sophomores and juniors with an interest in civic engagement.

The program is designed to offer opportunities for students to study public affairs and American politics from ethical and analytical perspectives. Students will be able to receive hands-on experiences through special seminars, internships and research and leadership training. They will also be part of discussions with government officials, political practitioners and visiting scholars. The program hopes to inspire future leaders.

Only 15-20 students per year will be selected. Qualifications are based on academic merit, service experience and interest in politics or public policy.

According to the website, the program was made possible largely due to the 2013-2014 grant from the Tom and Carol Williams Fund for Undergraduate Education.

Some highlights of the program include the following: a seminar on demographic dilemmas taught by political science professor and Wayne Morse Senior Faculty Fellow Dan Tichenor, discussions with various government officials, leadership and training workshops, a trip to Salem to observe the Oregon House, Senate, Supreme Court and other branches at work and meet state officials and staff.

Students chosen will be announced Nov. 5 with an orientation to follow on Nov. 15 from 4-6 p.m. The application for the program can be found here.

As of Oct. 14, new construction and demolition has been taking place in PeaceHealth Hospital and all around 11th Avenue and Alder Street. The new project is underway to renew and expand the services the hospital offers and further improve the way it services not just the community of Eugene but the students as well.

Much of the demolition taking place is to remove the slightly older buildings that have been there since the ’20s and ’50s. Rather than trying to make improvements to the buildings, Phil Farrington, director of land use planning and development for PeaceHealth, believes removing these buildings and building better ones is the best way to serve the community.

“Initially this was a small project that we had a couple years ago and now we finally have it. The sole purpose is to improve our services and make it a lot easier for patients than what it is right now,” Farrington said.

Currently the project is working to clear out the Johnson building, as well as a chapel and an auditorium. Many of these buildings are in need of improvement, according to Farrington. The project has taken many measures to ensure public safety.

“We are taking full protocol in this type of project. Before any demolition has taken place we have environmentalists check the site out. As well as having on-site professionals with hoses ready to water down any dust that can be harmful to the public,” Farrington said. “Safety is our top priority.”

In order to expand the hospital, some trees will be removed but will be replaced with new ones when the project is finished. The project still has to obtain a city permit for the removal of trees along with sidewalk closure permits.

“We’re trying to make access easy for students and the public, but for safety reasons the public will have to get used to some sidewalks closed off,” Farrington said.

For the third year in a row, the ASUO Women’s Center will participate in the annual Red Zone campaign to bring attention to the increased number of assault cases in the first six weeks of fall term. The campaign will officially start Oct. 14 with the placement of 2,870 red flags near the Knight Library to represent the thousands of victims of sexual assault.

One reason believed to be the cause for the increase of assault cases is that University of Oregon welcomes over 20,000 students back to campus during fall term. Many have little or no support from the system and it’s a critical issue the campaign wants the public to be aware of.

For Caitlin Corona, sexual violence prevention and education coordinator for the Women’s Center, the main issue is blaming the victims and not holding the perpetrators accountable. She also emphasizes educating the public about the importance of healthy consent.

“I want to stress that anyone can be a victim of sexual violence regardless of gender identity. It’s not just a women’s issue, it’s an everyone’s issue. Everyone should care about Red Campaign because everyone can help stop sexual violence by being an active bystander and educating the public,” Corona said.

To promote the importance of the campaign, “It Can’t be Rape” posters will be placed around UO housing and the EMU. Virginia Martin, social justice and sex educator, will also discuss healthy consent on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at LLC Performance Hall. Students are welcome to attend. Martin is currently the assistant director for the Women’s Resource Center at Portland State.

Corona hopes that with the campaign, more students will make smart choices and never worry about being a victim of sexual violence.

To start the year off with a warm welcome to the community, students and city members, city officials hit the streets of Eugene to promote the annual “Your Neighbors and U” tips for the people of Eugene. The “Your Neighbors and U” gathering started in 2009, and this year Michael Gottfredson, president of the University of Oregon, was able to join along and help promote key points to people living off campus and reminding them this is a community that consists of more than just students. Seventy-five people dedicated time to go around neighborhoods in Eugene.

“This event turned out to be a great success. We got to meet new people and talk to students and I really enjoyed being part of this program. I felt very privileged to have been able to work with the mayor of Eugene and Sam, and all these wonderful people that are making this possible,” Gottfredson said.

Along with Gottfredson, Mayor Kitty Piercy and ASUO President Sam Dotters-Katz walked six blocks of student and community neighborhoods to explain the importance of respecting your fellow neighbors but also to remind students of the Ordinance on Unruly Gatherings that became effective in April of 2013. The new law holds individuals criminally and civilly responsible for hosting or allowing an unruly gathering at which alcohol is consumed and least two or more violations occur.

This was the fourth year that Chief of Police of the University of Oregon Police Department Carolyn McDermed was able to help out with this event. UOPD and the Eugene Police Department also helped out.

“I think this is a great program and for people to know we’re all neighbors and we all live together. We’re trying to promote respect for everyone,” McDermed said.

The volunteers were split into groups of three or five and each group had brochures with helpful tips and information regarding the purpose of the event. Some groups went to apartments while others went to fraternities and sororities.

The beginning of the academic year started off with its traditional Convocation Ceremony held at Matthew Knight Arena where incoming freshmen received a warm welcome to the University of Oregon. Not only did the ceremony welcome new students but also new faculty.

“I thought convocation was a great way to introduce us to the school year. It makes me excited for the academic year,” freshman Tayler Wagner said.

Guest speakers for the ceremony were UO President Michael Gottfredson, Interim Senior Vice President and Provost Scott Coltrane and Associated Students of the University of Oregon President Sam Dotters-Katz. All the speakers emphasized their excitement for the incoming freshmen and how proud they are to have these students be part of the Eugene community.

Much of the ceremony focused on the arrival of new students and the start of a new academic year. Dotters-Katz really made it clear that no other freshmen class has ever had to prove themselves so much more than this freshmen class, and each and one of them has accomplished so much and will add greatly to Eugene.

Gottfredson added the importance of being involved in the school, whether that was exploring different classes, joining leadership roles, being part of Greek life, joining a club or simply starting one. The fact is that part of being in college is finding yourself and making life-long friends and enjoying all the things UO has to offer. All the students are meant for greatness and will accomplish anything they set their hearts to.

For freshman Arcela Urzua, she felt very inspired and moved by the speeches and couldn’t believe that just in June she graduated and now she’s in college.

“I thought the speeches were so inspiring, and it made me look back on my graduation in June, and now I’m part of this community. The ceremony was just a preview of what life is going to be like, and I’m very excited for it,” Urzua said.

As each speaker wrapped up their speeches, each of them mentioned their own piece of advice to the new students. Some mentioned taking risks, others mentioned the importance of exploring this community and lastly some said to watch the clock.

“I was really impressed by the speeches and I cannot wait to get involved with the school and making new friends and succeeding this school year,” said freshman Taylor Barnhart.