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NEWS
Kalapuya Ilihi reopens to students By Joseph Chiu
Associate News Editor
Meet Belltower:
Eugene's indie bluegrass band With colorful melodies and talented student musicians, Belltower brings bluegrass fusion to life right on campus. By Claire Coit
Arts & Culture Editor
Love a good house show, but looking for something different? Enter Belltower, a student indie bluegrass band. Formed on the University of Oregon campus, Belltower brings a different sound to
the local music scene. Blending folk, singer-songwriter, jazz and bluegrass, Belltower’s original music is sure to turn heads and get people excited about neo-traditional bluegrass. Unlike most campus bands, Belltower takes a different approach to the house show scene. For many students, they’re probably used to the indie alternative bands such as Bowl Peace, Growing Pains, and Rainfly. Belltower brings bluegrass to the table, expanding the on-campus music scene to include more diverse genres. They weren’t always an indie bluegrass band, though. It all began in the fall term
of 2022 with Micah Primack, lead singer, banjo player and songwriter for Belltower. Primack initially leaned towards an acoustic folk, singer-songwriter vibe, playing his music with a few peers in the basements of Justice Bean Hall and Hamilton Hall. It wasn’t until he met his fellow band members that the true Belltower sound began to come together. Primack started collaborating with Aedan Seaver (fiddle) and Elijah McFarlane (guitar, dobro and production), who layered improvised melodies over his songs to create something new. Later, when Noah Poteet (mandolin) and Gabriel Martinez (double bass) joined the Continue story on page 12
transportation.uoregon.edu/bus
Student dormitory Kalapuya Ilihi has reopened following a two-year closure in July 2023. Kalapuya Ilihi will be open for all students and will consist of many academic residential communities to serve students of common studies and backgrounds. The building was forced to temporarily close after discovering cracks in the walls and structural issues that posed seismic risks. The UO filed lawsuits against its construction partners involved with the project and the complaint was settled for $7 million and dismissed in August 2025. With students moving and settling in, Jennifer O’Neal, assistant professor and director of undergraduate studies for Indigenous, Race and Ethnic Studies, said she is excited about the move-in process and the opportunities students will have in their community this year. “It's great to be finally back open after being closed for two years,” O’Neal said. “We have a really great community here, and incredible
Continue story on page 19
NEWS
UO welcomes recordsize freshman class onto campus
Read story on page 7