Emerald THE DAILY
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM PRODUCED BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025 SPORTS
OPINION
ARTS & CUTLURE
NIL x NCAA: What’s to Come?
Ramen opens first restaurant in downtown Eugene’s former Spectrum space
Read story on page 11
Read story on page 14
CITY NEWS
Fire Service Fee Ordinance faces likely referendum
(Julia Massa/Emerald) The Oregon Ducks take on the Bulter Bulldogs in their home opener at Papé Field in Eugene on Feb. 7, 2025.
Women’s lacrosse’s young core By Lily Crane Sports Reporter
Oregon women’s lacrosse hasn’t started Big Ten play in the fashion it hoped for, but the first half of the season still proved promising for the future of the young squad. While Bri Carrasquillo, one of the Ducks’ top leaders in points and goals, is a graduate student, most of the team’s top contributors have multiple years of eligibility left. Sophomore attacker Gabby Santucci, for example, was third on the team in goals before she went down with an injury. “You see how tough she is. She’s strong, she’s gritty,” head coach Jessica Drummond Continue story on page 17
CAMPUS NEWS
How UO is incorporating AI into the classroom By Sasha Love Campus News reporter
In the last few years, the world of artificial intelligence has continued to change, providing benefits and causing confusion for the University of Oregon community. Some programs at UO train students how to use AI to process medical data, do artistic mock-ups, develop code and brainstorm ideas for writing topics. Through the transition, professors across fields are finding creative ways to add instruction on AI into their courses and address ethical questions along the way. Leslie Coonrod, associate director of the Continue story on page 5
(Eddie Bruning/Emerald) Eugene City Councilor, Matt Keating, speaks at the 2025 State of the City Address, Hult Center, Eugene. Jan. 13 2025
By Lucas Hellberg City News Reporter
More than 8,400 signatures have been collected to bring Eugene’s fire service fee up for a public vote, the Eugene Chamber of Commerce announced March 14. City officials estimate the fire service fee would generate $10 million in revenue annually. Under the ordinance, the city would move $8 million in general fund dollars out of the Eugene-Springfield Fire Department and replace it with $10 mil-
lion in the new fire service fee revenue. The general fund currently accounts for roughly 67% of the more than $59 million Eugene allocates to the fire department each year. With the move of $8 million in general fund dollars away from the fire department, the city’s total annual general fund contribution to the department would be reduced by roughly 20%. On Feb. 10, the Eugene City Council voted five to three to implement the fire service fee without a public vote. City Councilors Jennifer Yeh, Eliza Kash-
transportation.uoregon.edu/bus
After opponents submitted more than 8,400 signatures, Eugene’s fire service fee is now set for a public vote — unless the City Council acts to repeal the ordinance first insky, Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka and Lyndsie Leech voted to implement the fee without a prior public vote. City Councilors Mike Clark, Greg Evans and Randy Groves voted against implementing the fee without a prior public vote. The support for bringing the fee up for a public vote was reportedly bipartisan. According to the Chamber, early sampling of 6,000 signatures collected indicates that 46% were registered Democrats, 32% were Continue story on page 12