Emerald THE DAILY
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM PRODUCED BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS
MONDAY, FEB. 9, 2026
SPORTS
How the Ducks have replaced injured stars
ARTS & CULTURE
EMU’s ‘Aperture Gallery’ displays controversial AI imagery
Walter Portz’s collages feature AI-generated elements is leading to contention among students.
Continue story on page 13
OPINION
By Vinny White
Nag: UO needs to adopt an ICE alert system Opinion: There is a clear climate of fear on campus for students of color and undocumented immigrants — the university needs to adopt an ICE alert system to keep their students safe. By Aishiki Nag
Opinion Columnist
A couple of weeks ago, my parents talked to me about what to do if ICE were to interrogate or detain me; as a family, we decided that the safest course of action would be for me to carry my passport on me. So for the past couple of weeks, I have been carrying identification in case I get racially profiled or questioned by ICE — including when I’m on campus. There is a real sense of fear and uncertainty, and these feelings no longer make campus feel safe. The University of Oregon has failed to adopt clear ICE policies to protect students on campus and has instead asked students to bear the responsibility of protecting one another. At the Jan. 14 ASUO Senate meeting, there was one clear request students wanted — action from the university. Students advocated for an ICE alert system, similar to the police alerts, Continue story on page 5
Arts & Culture Writer
The Erb Memorial Union is filled to the brim with excellent art pieces. Whether it’s the Taylor Lounge’s abstract work by Nelson E. Sandgren, Marta Ramirez-Oropeza’s large mural depicting the history of the Chicano movement on the large green marble stairs, or the ever-rotating art featured in the Adell
McMillian Gallery, one needn’t look far for interesting paintings. The “Aperture Gallery,” the wall opposite the U.S. Bank, sees its art pieces cycled out every quarter. Winter quarter, the wall features the work of photographer, graffiti artist, painter, and artificial intelligence proponent Walter Portz. Each of the eight pieces displayed contains a central image generated with AI, which has led to criticism in the form of Continue story on page 7
Oregon’s younger workers face a job market changed by AI NEWS
For younger Oregonians, software is absorbing many beginner tasks, altering many entry-level jobs. By Lucas Hellberg
News Reporter
During his software engineering internship at Microsoft last summer, Nicholas Laureano was expected to consult artificial intelligence tools before asking a coworker for help. “My mentor was Copilot,” said Laureano, a University of Oregon computer science student graduating in March. Laureano said the practice reflected an AI-first approach on his team, where members are expected to use AI
tools before reaching out to a coworker for assistance. Across Oregon, younger workers are starting their careers in jobs where AI now performs many of the routine tasks that once defined entry-level work. AI systems are drafting early versions of documents, gathering data and assisting with analysis — work that previously allowed new hires to learn through repetition, feedback and supervision. But business and industry leaders say the AI changes are not resulting in widespread job losses. Instead, they say it is changing how early work experience is gained, narrowing the number of roles built around learning by doing. New hires are now expected to arrive with stronger skills and years of experience, even as industry experts say opportunities to devel-
op those skills become harder to find. “If those projects and tasks are being automated by AI, you don’t necessarily need the junior hire — or as many of them,” said Skip Newberry, president and CEO of the Technology Association of Oregon. Recent labor data shows that AI has an uneven effect on the workforce. According to researchers at Stanford University’s Digital Economy Lab, employment among U.S.-based workers ages 22 to 25 fell by 6% in occupations they described as most AI-exposed — such as software development and customer support — between late 2022 and September 2025. However, during the same time period, employment in those same positions for workers ages 35 to 49 rose by 8%, the researchers found. Continue story on page 8