Emerald THE DAILY
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM PRODUCED BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS
MONDAY, FEB. 24, 2025 OPINION
CITY NEWS
Money Talks. Should the university listen? By Maddox Brewer Knight Opinion Columnist
REI Eugene to relocate to Oakway Center in 2026 Read story on page 7
Anyone who has ventured onto the University of Oregon campus has undoubtedly noticed one name adorning various buildings: Knight. From the Matthew Knight Arena to the Knight Campus, the specter of Nike co-founder and multi-billionaire Phil Knight looms large over the school, thanks to his donations totaling over $1 billion — but how much power do donors like him really wield over the university? UO receives less state funding per student than any other Oregon public university, receiving only $5,647 per fundable student compared to Oregon State University’s $11,580. As a result, the school relies more heavily on student tuition and “gift money” — otherwise known as private donations. From 2010-2021, the university raked in $3.2 billion worth of donations from 147,081 donors, only 70 of whom donated over $5 million. This small group of large-sum donors decides what to fund, helping to shape the UO’s budget for academics, athletics and infrastructure. Notably, donors can choose where their gift money goes.
SPORTS
Ranking Oregon baseball’s uniforms Read story on page 15
THE SCIENCE OF COFFEE
Continue story on page 10
CAMPUS NEWS
‘If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It’: RAs push back against contract update By Stephanie Jersey Campus News Reporter
On Aug. 12, 2024, the University of Oregon initially proposed a restructure of the Resident Assistant role, splitting it into two positions: a “Community Builder” and “On-Call RA” role. Since then, UO solidified the proposal that they put forth two additional times, on Sept. 25, 2024, and Feb. 12, 2025. Current RAs have pushed back on this change, citing concerns for their financial and personal well-being. “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” Cuauh Samano-Chavez, a first-year RA, said on the sentiment of other student workers. The Community Builder roles would focus on resident engagement, event planning and fostering community. 50% of their housing will be covered by the university, leaving them to cover the remaining portion. Continue story on page 4
Unpacking the growth and future of coffee chemistry with Dr. Coffee The origin story of Chris Hendon, a UO scientist and specialist in the chemical optimization of the world’s favorite beverage (ABOVE) Chris Hendon demonstrates to a student worker how to brew a coffee at Hendon Coffee Lab at the University of Oregon campus. (AlyssaGarcia/Emerald)
From the coffee & pick-me-ups that you want, to the supplies & gear that you need… as the
we've got you covered. University of Oregon’s original, 100% nonprofit store
By Mark Munson Arts & Culture Writer
For budding STEM students, the Coffee Lab is an enigma. At the core of the cold concrete interior of Willamette Hall, undergraduate and graduate scientists can be seen brewing coffee at all hours of the day. While onlookers are granted the pleasure of viewing the student side of experiments on the cutting edge of coffee science, there are whispers of a mysterious leader, Willamette’s local coffee maestro. While he’s not quite as ominous as rumors imply, the tales ring true in regards to his commit-
ment to both students and coffee. Chris Hendon, a professor and researcher, has been the driving force of coffee science at University of Oregon since 2020. Hendon, whose mother was a chef, said he had been interested in food for most of his life, but the artisan coffee shop Colonna and Small’s changed the course of his scientific career forever. In the midst of a PhD program in Theoretical Chemistry at University of Bath, Hendon frequented Colonna and Small’s as a patron and eventually caught the eye of one of the founders, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood. Colonna-Dashwood had an interContinue story on page 8