Emerald THE DAILY
TUESDAY, SEPT. 29, 2026
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM PRODUCED BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS
NEWS
SOJC to host gubernatorial debate Oregon’s two leading candidates for the governer’s office, Democrat Tina Kotek and Republican Christine Drazan, face off in a debate at UO on Oct. 1. By Justice Escobedo
News Reporter
Oregon voters will get the opportunity to see the first steps in a rematch of the 2022 gubernatorial race as challenger state Sen. Christine Drazan gets another shot at the governor’s office against now-incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek. Continue story on page 8
NEWS
Eugene rejects data center, residents weigh in Read story on page 7
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Novak: What good is a land acknowledgement? Opinion: UO has so much more to offer local indigenous communities beyond a simple statement.
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Celebrating & Honoring
UNCOMMON COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION IN SOLVING THE LEGACY CHALLENGES OF THE AMERICAN WEST
Having worked with the late Don Kerr to help establish the High Desert Museum, I have always taken great pride in the fact that there is a world-class museum in Bend, Oregon! In discussions with Dana Whitelaw, Executive Director of the High Desert Museum, I suggested that we create a prize focused on the thirteen Western states and the shared challenges they face, including water rights, wildfires, best ranching practices, tribal and fishing issues. We were honored that 12 extraordinary individuals agreed to serve on our Advisory Committee and they chose this year's Jordan Schnitzer Prize of the West winner Brad Parry, Vice Chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation and a former employee of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, where he served for nearly 20 years. Mr. Parry has been instrumental in helping reclaim his tribe's ancestral lands in Southeastern Idaho. Through collaboration and thoughtful stewardship, his work has helped restore the watershed, allowing much-needed fresh water to flow toward the Great Salt Lake, which is in desperate need of additional water.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INAUGURAL WINNER
BRAD PARRY
2026 FINALISTS AMY BOWERS CORDALIS
KELLY DELPIT
JULIE RENTNER
LAURA VAN RIPER
We look forward to this award continuing for many years to come, recognizing individuals who work tirelessly and collaboratively to find solutions that benefit everyone while preserving and enhancing the remarkable Western United States! JORDAN D. SCHNITZER
President of Schnitzer Properties and the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation JORDAN SCHNITZER PRIZE OF THE WEST ADVISORS
John L. Blackwell, Benjamin F. Carter, Sharon Collinge, Zephyr Frank, Jon Griggs, Michael Hollern, Patty Limerick, Paisley Rekdal, Don Sampson, Jordan Schnitzer, Carly Solström, Dana Whitelaw
2027 NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN For more information, nominations, eligibility, and award cycles, please visit highdesertmuseum.org/schnitzer-prize
NEWSROOM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eva Andrews PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Ty Tilden NEWS EDITOR Corey Hoffman A&C EDITOR Bella Graham SPORTS EDITOR Joe Krasnowski OPINION EDITOR Rachel Ehly PHOTO EDITOR Katie Poluyanksy COPY CHIEF Lucy Forest VIDEO EDITOR Jake Nolan PODCAST EDITOR Bayley Burnham SOCIALS EDITOR Ana Paramo VISUALS EDITOR Sofia Campbell DESIGN EDITOR Asha Mohan DESIGNER Ellery Burton-Tillis
BUSINESS
PUBLISHER AND PRESIDENT Eric Henry ehenry@dailyemerald.com VP OPERATIONS Kathy Carbone kcarbone@dailyemerald.com DIRECTOR OF SALES & DIGITAL MARKETING Shelly Rondestvedt srondestvedt@dailyemerald. com CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Anna Smith creative@dailyemerald.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Elliot Byrne
DAILY EMERALD
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
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Dante Moore suffered concussion against USC Moore is believed to have avoided any further injury outside of the concussion. By Joe Krasnowski
Sports Editor
Oregon star quarterback Dante Moore suffered a concussion on Saturday against USC, according to a Sept. 27 statement from Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. “Dante sustained a concussion in last night’s game, but fortunately his MRI and CT scans came back clean, and he did not suffer any additional injuries,” Lanning stated. “Every concussion is different, and we are going to move forward with an abundance of caution to ensure we make the best decisions for Dante and his future...” Continue story online (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
SEIU calls off strike SEIU reached agreement on pay and more, calling off 6 a.m. strike. By Sasha Love
Associate News Editor
Service Employees International Union local 503 called off its strike originally scheduled for 6 a.m., today. SEIU covers around 1,500 classified staff working in dining halls, libraries, technology services and more at the University of Oregon. The entire union covers all seven of Oregon public universities, including Portland State University and Oregon State University. SEIU reached a tentative agreement late on the night of Sept. 27. Continue story online
(Tarek Anthony/Emerald)
THE DAILY EMERALD
The Daily Emerald is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900. Emerald Media Group 1395 University St.,#302 Eugene, Or 97403 (541)-357-6569
(ON THE COVER) The Many Nations Longhouse, located at 1630 Columbia Street on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore., holds Kalapuya history and hosts weekly community nights. (Katie Poluyansky/Emerald)
Dylan Raiola leads No. 20 Oregon past No. 12 USC 41-27 in cathartic showdown Raiola entered for an injured Dante Moore, finishing with 289 yards and two touchdowns. By Joe Krasnowski
Sports Editor
The starting quarterback suffered a serious injury. The coordinators were under fire. The season was cooked. The penalties were dumb, the pass defense was disintegrating, and Oregon football was on the verge of a loss that would have plunged a championship-desperate program into even more chaos. But then, in front of a filled Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on a Saturday night lined with dread, emotion and catharsis, something remarkable happened in the home of one of Oregon’s biggest rivals. The Ducks fought on.
Continue story online (Katie Poluyanksy/Emerald)
Jeffrey
Gibson They Teach Love
From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation
September 12, 2026 - March 7, 2027
Jeffrey Gibson (American, b. 1972). Untitled Figure 1, 2022. Plastic bone pipe beads, fringe, glass beads, artificial sinew, tin cones, sea glass, acrylic felt, steel armature and powder coat varnish. 71 1/2 x 39 x 26 inches overall. Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. © Jeffrey Gibson. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth
Become a Student Member! Welcome to the University of Oregon. Become a student member of the art museum to receive invites to special events, discounts at the Museum Store, and a present when you graduate.
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Night at the Museum Open House for UO Students October 14, 2026 , 5:30 - 7:30 pm University of Oregon students are invited to a free event, Night at the Museum!
RSVP: https://bit.ly/3TEyZaa
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EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity
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10 PERKS OF THE SAA 1. Networking opportunities with our Duck Alumni 2. Beat Tee Handout for the Homecoming game 3. Annual discount at the Nike and Columbia Employee Stores 4. One-time 20% discount to The Duck Store 5. Unlimited energy drinks at our Study Hours Event 6. Exclusive SAA Swag 7. Connect with the UOAA Board of Directors 8. Internship opportunities 9. Chances to volunteer and advocate 10.Make new friends at our social events
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NEWS
DAILY EMERALD
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
page 7
Eugene rejects data center, residents weigh in The City of Eugene rejected a request that would allow a data center in West Eugene, citing land use restrictions. By Nathan Trammell
News Reporter
A proposal to build a data center at the former Hyundai-Hynix site in West Eugene was rejected by the city on Sept. 8, via a letter stating that it would violate the current E-1 zoning ordinance. “Eugene’s Land Use Code does not list data centers as an allowed use. In the code, ‘use’ refers to how a property is used or the activity occurring on it. For a use to be allowed, it must either be specifically listed or clearly align with an existing, listed use category,” according to the city’s website. For a use to be allowed, it must either be specifically listed or clearly align with an existing, listed use category.”
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The science is very clear; data centers pollute waterways and endanger community health. Please join us in protecting the well-being of future generations by rejecting the development of hyper-scale or AI data centers in Eugene and everywhere. Flora Booker Recent UO Graduate
The city of Eugene’s webpage dedicated to data centers labels them as “a facility containing the physical infrastructure that supports our digital lives.” The city received a zone verification request on July 16 from an anonymous buyer’s attorney, Bill Kloos, inquiring
whether the site’s land use would allow a data center. The site is zoned E-1 Campus Employment. In a letter posted by the city on Sept. 8, the city announced the data center in question was not allowed in the E-1 zone. A zone verification decision can be appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. According to the city webpage on data centers, the reasoning behind the zone verification decision applies to other zones in the city, effectively prohibiting data centers in Eugene. Data centers aren’t directly allowed in the city’s land use code, but the Eugene City Council could update the code to include regulations or directly prohibit data centers in the city. Since the decision was announced, residents have been vocal, calling for the rejection of the data center. Little else is known about the inquiry, other than that the buyer wished to know if a data center, along with other technological and research uses, were appropriate. On Sept. 14, the Eugene City Council returned from summer break and hosted a public meeting. Residents had the opportunity to speak during a public comment section, with a majority sharing their views on the future of data centers in Eugene. Residents pushed the city to impose a moratorium — called for by the Party for Socialism and Liberation in an Instagram post — citing environmental implications and safety concerns, along with questions about what issues remain top priority in Eugene. A moratorium, which Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and gubernatorial opponent Christine Drazan have both called for state-wide, would put a temporary halt on the building of the data center. “I can confidently say that there is no community trust that an important decision like this will be a fair and democratic process, where Eugene residents will have any say over multi-billion dollar corporations who want to expand into our communities and use our resources,” Eugene resident Darwin Denny said. Denny also said that the energy usage of data centers eclipses that of all homes in the state of Oregon. “I’m here to encourage the city to establish a moratorium on data centers, which pose an extreme risk to the health of
our communities,” Flora Booker, a recent graduate of UO, said at the meeting on Sept. 14. “The science is very clear, data centers pollute waterways and endanger community health. Please join us in protecting the well-being of future generations by rejecting the development of hyper-scale or A.I. data centers in Eugene and everywhere.”
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I can confidently say that there is no community trust that an important decision like this will be a fair and democratic process, where Eugene residents will have any say over multi-billion dollar corporations who want to expand into our communities and use our resources. Darwin Denny Eugene Resident
Two days after the public meeting, on Sept. 16, City Manager Jenny Haruyama issued an administrative order prohibiting city employees from entering into non-disclosure agreements regarding data center projects. With 111 fully operational data centers in Oregon, and growing public concern over the future of data centers in Eugene, residents are pushing the city council to prevent the future establishment of a data center. The city will hold a public works session on Dec. 14 to discuss regulations on a broader level.
THE ZONE VERIFICATION PROCESS ZONE VERIFICATION REQUEST IS SUBMITTED
CITY CONSIDERS ZONE VERIFICATION REQUEST
CITY ISSUES A DECISION ON ZONE USE
NEXT STEPS
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A property owner or developer submits a request for a Zone Verification to understand whether the Eugene Code allows a planned building or use on a particular piece of land.
The city reviews the proposed use as described by the applicant, and considers the requirements of the zone, applicable development standards, the operating characteristics of the proposed data center use, building bulk and size, parking demand, and traffic generation.
The Zone Verification decision finds whether the proposed use is allowed on the land, not allowed on the land, or requires other approvals before the proposed use can be approved.
A Zone Verification decision may be appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.
(Source: eugene-or.gov)
NEWS
DAILY EMERALD
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
page 8
SOJC to host gubernatorial debate Continued from page 3
Polling from DHM Research, funded by Grow Oregon, a business-backed advocacy nonprofit organization, currently shows Drazan leading Kotek 45% to 43%, with 13% undecided and a 4% margin of error.
Kotek 43%
Drazan 45%
4% margin of error
Undecided 13% (DHM Research)
The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, in association with the Oregon Journalism Project, KVAL and Lookout Eugene-Springfield, will be hosting the first of three televised debates on Oct. 1, starting at 6 p.m. The debate is not open to the public, but the SOJC will be hosting a watch party for the debate at the Ford Alumni Center Ballroom, which opens to the public one hour before the start of the debate. The watch party will feature tabling with event partners before the debate, followed by a post-debate discussion.
Regina Lawrence, dean of the SOJC, said the university is excited to be a part of the event. “I think it helps emphasize and cement the notion that the SOJC is an important hub for local journalism and news and information and civic engagement in the state,” Lawrence said. The Oregon Journalism Project reached out to Lawrence and the university months ago with hopes of creating and hosting a gubernatorial debate. Lawrence spoke on how the organization viewed the SOJC as an ideal partner and co-sponsor for the event. “As the leading school of journalism in the state and a leading school of journalism in the region, it’s so important that we can be directly involved in just these basic important processes of democracy,” Lawrence said. The debate is being moderated and broadcast by KVAL, who is partnering with stations across the state to ensure that the broadcast will be accessible to voters statewide. Kendall Bartley, news anchor with KVAL, will be moderating. “I really hope these viewers see this as their debate. Despite the partnerships, this debate is about the viewers ultimately,” Bartley said. “It’s an opportunity for them to hear directly from those candidates that are seeking to lead the state. This is an opportunity for them to make their own informed decision on election day.” The panelists for the debate will consist of three journalists associated with the co-sponsors. Nigel Jaquiss, senior investigative reporter at the Oregon Journalism Project, Ben Botkin, senior correspondent at Lookout Eugene-Springfield and UO student journalist Bayla Orton will develop questions for the candidates. Polling shows many voters in the state are currently unhappy with state leadership. DHM Research found 59% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction with Kotek’s performance, and 58% saying they are unhappy with the direction of the state. President of the Oregon Journalism Project, Mark Zusman, spoke on the gravity and importance of this debate to help Oregonians decide their future politically. “Having accountable leadership matters to the challenges Oregon is facing,” Zusman said.
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I think it helps emphasize and cement the notion that the SOJC is an important hub for local journalism and news and information and civic engagement in the state. Regina Lawrence Dean of the SOJC
“One of the ways to get accountable leadership is to have a debate where candidates for the highest office in the land, the land being Oregon, can respond to tough questions and voters can get some sense of where these folks stand on the issues,” Zusman said. The debate will be broadcast live Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. on KVAL in Eugene, as well as KATU News in the Portland area, and Central Oregon Daily News in the Bend area. Coverage on KVAL starts at 4 p.m. with a lead-in preview before the debate starts. It will also be livestreamed on all of KVAL’s social media, including its website. The watch party, open to the public, will be held at the Ford Alumni Center Ballroom, with doors opening at 5 p.m.
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ON THE COVER OPINION
Novak: What good is a land acknowledgement? By Shane Novak
Opinion Columnist
Shane is a second year student studying political science and planning, public policy, and management. He’s interested in local transportation, housing affordability, and shifting cities away from car dependency, and he enjoys spending time outdoors.
If you have ever been to a UO event, chances are you’ve heard the university’s land acknowledgment. You’ll walk in, find your seat, and then the speaker will start by saying: “The University of Oregon is located within the traditional homelands of the Southern Kalapuya.” It goes on to say that the Kalapuya people were forcibly removed from their homes and pushed to the Coast Reservation out west. To me, the idea of a land acknowledgment was novel and felt very important when I came to UO. Growing up in Texas, I had never heard a land acknowledgment before, and this felt like an incredible thing to do; giving recognition to the past violence that gave way to today’s systems. But going on two years now, hearing it again and again, it begs the question: what is that sentence really doing for people? That sentence is undoubtedly doing a good thing. It forces anyone who wants to listen to a speaker at UO to, at the very least, think about what happened for the present to look the way it does. People like myself who had never thought about the communities displaced by European colonization outside of a grade school classroom benefit from land acknowledgments. It starts a public discourse for a diverse population. That’s where a land acknowledgment’s role ends, though. Beyond initiating a discourse among people, it doesn’t directly help indigenous communities in any way. A land acknowledgment shifts the responsibility to help and support tribal communities away from the university and onto individuals - individuals with fewer resources to offer, and individuals who can choose to entirely disregard the statement. The land acknowledgment is a way for the university to get out of providing truly transformative resources and recognition for local indigenous communities, both within the Willamette Valley and in the wider Pacific Northwest. Currently, UO does offer accommodations to American Indian and Alaskan Native students with space at the Many Nations Longhouse, advocacy from the Native American Student Union, and scholarship opportunities providing beneficial resources to admitted students. The university is also host to the Native American and Indigenous studies program to teach and help students “understand contemporary Native American lives.” All of these programs, while beneficial, are something that people must opt in to. If you don’t seek out these programs and spaces, you won’t see native culture anywhere but in the land acknowledgments during public events. That speaks to the importance of the land acknowledgment, with it being the only point at which the violent history is talked about in front of people who may not choose to seek it out on their own time; but again, it doesn’t force anyone to do anything. (RIGHT) Many Nations Longhouse, located at 1630 Columbia Street on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore., holds Kalapuya history and hosts weekly community nights. (Katie Poluyansky/Emerald)
Every one of these resources are a part of the same pattern: waiting for students to come to them. A student can graduate from UO having never attended an event at the Longhouse, never taken an Indigenous studies class, and never encountered Native history beyond that one repeated sentence, and nothing about their student experience would suggest that they were missing anything. This system is one that accommodates Native culture in the background, rather than bringing it to the forefront for every student to engage with every day. The university has a massive pool of resources that it can harness to build Indigenous cultures into the things that students encounter simply by attending this school, and great programs to build off of to provide in-depth education and far-reaching impact. Forms of passive exposure would have the most wide-reaching effects, being seen daily by the thousands of students walking around from class to class. Including Indigenous languages on signage and introducing Indigenous foods into the dining halls would put Native presence in front of every student without requiring them to seek it out. Signage across campus already displays information that every student encounters as they walk by. With signs displaying room numbers, hall names, and small plaques telling the history of significant places, adding the Indigenous languages would allow students to naturally learn the Native name of places where they spend so much of their time. In dining halls, Native foods can go beyond passive exposure. As people come in to eat, they’ll see Native foods next to the same old offerings. Someone might see something that’s different but intrigues them, and they’ll try it and form a relationship with that meal. That meal could become someone’s go-to lunch, and now they’ll be sitting in class daydreaming about a food that has its roots right in the Willamette Valley.
Passive exposure can only go so far, and without direct instruction and education, those methods can’t really do the full job an intentional curriculum could. Luckily, UO already has examples of impactful programs that cement Indigenous culture into student education. The Northwest Indigenous Language Institute platforms Indigenous languages through the Yamada Language Center and the Self Study Language Program, providing opportunities for students to learn and engage with local Native languages in small one-credit courses. The NILI also played an important role in bringing the Native language Ichishkiin to the university. Ichishkiin is the only Native language that can satisfy the Bachelor of Arts language requirements and has 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year levels of courses. Providing a full instructional experience for Ichishkiin is “an important signal that Native students belong at UO,” Robert Elliott, director of NILI, said. He described getting Ichishkiin to the point it’s at as “a fairly long and detailed journey,” and he was very lucky to have the support “of Yakama elder Dr. Virginia Beavert.” Thanks to Beavert’s vision and desire to see her language “recognized and taught here alongside other world languages,” as well as the trust from “an administration that understood the special opportunity,” Ichishkiin is now the main Native language taught at UO, Elliott explained. Programs like these, built by the passion of dozens of people and organizations, with the guidance of Indigenous leaders, create opportunities for anyone to become invested in local Native history and culture. And the struggle that it took to get a program like this started at the University of Oregon shows that the university should offer more resources to create impactful programs like these.
ARTS & CULTURE
DAILY EMERALD
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
page 15
Back in style: UO Fashion Club hosts clothing sale event On Sept. 26, UO Fashion Club hosted their first ever clothing sale in Eugene. The event served as a fundraiser and promotion for the club, and brought together the various fashion-loving students in the community. By Cassia Littlefield
Arts & Culture Writer
Clothes are strewn about outside of the Collier House. Stylish students travel from vendor to vendor, excitedly searching piles and sifting through racks for pieces to incorporate into their back-to-school wardrobe. People come and go, the students proudly holding their new clothes as they amble around the lawn. Everyone wears different outfits and aesthetics, but they all have one thing in common: a love for clothes. On Sept. 26, UO Fashion Club hosted their first clothing sale event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event featured over 10 local student vendors and Matcha by Dino, a student-run matcha business. UO Fashion Club revitalized in 2024 after having a couple of off years post-COVID. Since then, Fashion Club president Lara Clute has been working to rebuild a space for students interested in fashion and to create fun events for all. “I hope for it to be a very welcoming space,” Clute said. “I think fashion itself can be pretty intimidating, and I’ve tried for the past two years to have it be a space for everyone.” In years past, Fashion Club has hosted clothing-swap events where students could come and trade out any of their old clothes for something new. The club, being newly
ASUO-affiliated this year, can now raise their own money and get funding from the school. A small percentage of the proceeds from the clothing sale are being put towards future Fashion Club events, with the rest being given to the vendors. Besides being a small fundraiser for the club, the clothing sale also helped highlight local student businesses and creators. A majority of the sale’s vendors were executive members of Fashion Club, and beverages were supplied by senior Brendon Huy’s matcha business. “It’s very important to highlight student-run businesses because it allows them the space to turn their ideas into something real,” said Huy. Huy was asked by Fashion Club to collaborate on the event back in early August. Having never worked with a student organization before, he “was very interested in the opportunity.”
“We have such a great, creative community here in Eugene,” Clute said. “Something I love about running Fashion Club is bringing all of those people together.” The clothing sale is just the first of many Fashion Club events this year. Meetings for the club officially start on Oct. 6, providing a place students can go and talk about fashion. The first meeting is described by Clute as being more of a “social event” that allows students to get to know the club and other people who like fashion. Also in the works for this term are collaborations with UO Photography Club, Industrial Designers Society of America, UO Sewing Club and a Halloween costume swap. Ultimately, Fashion Club strives to bring people together under the common interests of fashion, shopping and creating. It’s low-stakes, a lot of fun and a great place to make new friends. “That’s really what it’s all about,” Clute said.
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We have such a great, creative community here in Eugene. Something I love about running Fashion Club is bringing all of those people together. Lara Clute Fashion Club President
(Sofia Campbell/Emerald)
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OPINION
DAILY EMERALD
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
page 21
Leininger: UO’s hiring freeze is closing doors for students, and the university isn’t tracking it Jack is an Opinion Columnist at the Daily Emerald and a fourthyear student studying journalism and computer science. He has a passion for creative writing, could talk for hours about Cormac McCarthy, and is always looking for new study spots in Eugene.
Opinion: On-campus jobs often act as a student’s first step towards career exploration and job experience. UO’s ongoing hiring freeze has begun eroding opportunities for students hoping to break into competitive fields, and the university owes these students more transparency about the freeze’s impact. By Jack Leininger
Opinion Columnist
Throughout my freshman and sophomore years at UO, my Outlook inbox was flooded with Handshake on-campus job postings. Amidst university-wide budget cuts and an active hiring freeze that began on May 14, Handshake has become a barren landscape where I am more likely to stumble across a summer BlackRock internship than an on-campus position. That impression aligns with what the university says. UO’s applicant FAQ states that some searches have been paused or canceled, with others continuing depending on the stage of the search, funding source or whether the role is deemed critical. On-campus jobs play a pivotal role in early career development. Beyond their convenience, they give students a chance to feel out what a full-time position would be like in their field of study. According to UO’s Next Destination survey, which graduating students can take, students are 1.8 times more likely to have a job after graduation when working more than five hours a week on campus. Emily Clauson, a 2025 UO graduate who studied computer science, was able to leverage her job at the
University’s Information Security Office into a fulltime cybersecurity position after graduation. Before starting her job at the ISO during her junior year, Clauson had worked as a barista at Espresso Roma. Her only experience in the tech industry was a summer camp coordinator position at Code Ninjas. The ISO provided Clauson with hands-on, real-world experience while granting her the freedom to learn how to work independently. She also received direct career mentorship from Jon Miyake, the Cybersecurity Operations Center Manager. “Jon sat with me and went through full requirements on a job listing to talk about how I should update my resume, cover letter and what I should talk about in an interview,” Clauson said. This level of investment in students’ long-term success is what makes on-campus roles like at the ISO an invaluable rung in the career ladder. “I definitely would’ve had a hard time finding a job without the ISO … I would’ve had to settle for something that was not necessarily what I wanted,” Clauson said. This is the kind of path the freeze puts at risk. UO spokesperson Angela Seydel said in a statement: “Given significant expected decreases in tuition revenue, all UO units have been tasked
with prioritizing their hiring needs, including for student positions.” Units can request a hiring freeze exception if a position is deemed critical. A position that would previously have been posted now requires a unit to justify it. The university said it does not currently have data comparing how many student positions have been filled this summer and fall compared to last year. It is alarming that a large university that calls itself similar to a small city has no data to analyze how its own hiring freeze is impacting the job market. This isn’t inherently an issue with willingness to be transparent. It is an issue in planning. No measurement plan was announced when the freeze took effect, and the university confirms it still has no data. Budget deficits, primarily caused by a decline in out-of-state enrollment, are a real issue forcing the university to make difficult decisions. Students, however, should not bear the cost of decisions made without the data to understand their impact. UO should commit to tracking how the freeze affects student employment and be transparent with the students it claims to prioritize. Until then, students are left to navigate the freeze’s impact independently.
Ehly: UO needs better detour planning around construction zones Opinion: The real risk of electric scooters and bikes on campus comes from construction closing off sidewalks without safe detours. UO needs to fix this with better planning, posted detours and updated route maps. By Rachel Ehly
Opinion Editor
I’ve almost been hit by an electric scooter on the way to class more times than I can count. Thankfully, I’ve never actually been hit, but I’ve come close enough times that I stopped being surprised when I hear the sound of an e-scooter coming too close. Scooters and e-bikes are more prevalent around campus than ever, and the riskiest spots to ride them are clustered around pedestrian spaces that are already cramped with people on foot. UO junior Hannah Kaufman says she’s almost been hit the most near Friendly and Chapman halls, where ongoing construction has forced pedestrians into the road. “I’ve almost been hit … because the bikes are kind of just swerving through the masses of people,” she said. But Kaufman says the danger of these e-vehicles in pedestrian areas wouldn’t be as prevalent if it weren’t for ongoing construction in areas with heavy foot traffic blocking sidewalks. In Kaufman’s experience, the real danger of e-scooters and bikes on campus is concentrated in the areas with the least amount of pedestrian space, where students rushing to and from class may not pay attention to their surroundings. Kaufman pointed to the wide brick pathway by the Rec as proof that bikes, scooters and pedestrians can share space fine when there’s enough of it. The problem shows up where construction compresses
everyone into the same few feet, with no separation of sidewalks or paths. According to UO Transportation Services, e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards are only allowed to be ridden along designated bike routes on campus and are not allowed to be stored in any buildings on campus. But access to these bike routes are limited to one website, and are not posted in any easily accessible space on campus. I have witnessed e-scooters and bikes trail off these designated paths more times than I can count, with no repercussions. When construction closes a sidewalk and funnels foot traffic into a bike route without warning, there’s no posted detour telling a scooter rider to slow down or a pedestrian which side to walk on. The city of Eugene is now trying to get ahead of e-vehicle conflicts. On June 4, Eugene police announced they were adding a new category to their online reporting portal specifically for scooter, e-bike and motorcycle complaints, because the volume of complaints from residents had grown alongside the vehicles’ popularity. Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner said that the department plans to use the complaint data to figure out where and when to station officers. Right now, this tool is being used to plan “enforcement and education campaigns” for the future. This is a reasonable plan for the city. But it’s not a response built for a construction zone that changes every few months.
Campus paths fall outside city jurisdiction anyway and are controlled by UO’s own transportation services, which means EPD’s new complaint portal — the one tool the city uses to track this exact problem — has no reach over the sidewalks where I keep almost getting clipped. UO needs to implement a standard practice that includes posted signage about possible on-campus detours for students on e-vehicles. Until this happens, students are stuck doing traffic planning in real time, hoping the next scooter swerving through people doesn’t hit them instead.
(Alyssa Garcia/Emerald) Students pass through East 13th Ave. and avoid the construction site beside Friendly Hall on the University of Oregon campus. Construction around Friendly Hall has led to multiple sidewalk closures on campus. The site blocks a portion of the sidewalk and main road which has increased the foot traffic during school hours.
Rachel Ehly is the Opinion Editor for The Daily Emerald and is studying journalism and political science. She could talk for hours about all things politics, pop culture and music.
SPORTS
DAILY EMERALD
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
page 22
The Dutch Oregonian spikes back How Sjakkie Donkers found her way to Oregon and what she brings to the team. By Max Koebel
Senior Sports Writer
(Owen Buriss/Emerald) Ducks junior Sjakkie Donkers jumps up and swings for her service attempt. The University of Oregon Ducks Women’s Volleyball team defeated in-state rivals the Oregon State Beavers 0-3 in a home match at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Sep. 20, 2026.
Oregon women’s volleyball has rebuilt its program as quickly as anyone could have hoped for since losing its head coach and most of its players following the 2024 season. As the Ducks continue to climb the ladder this season, one player who will hold a central role in where the team finishes is Sjakkie Donkers. Prior to the season, Donkers spent the summer in Europe representing her home country of the Netherlands in the CEV U22 European Championship. She led her team with 77 kills while averaging 4.05 kills per set, along with 83 points and 4.37 points per set. Donkers’s performance helped lead the Netherlands to a bronze medal. Donkers committed to Oregon in January before leaving for Europe in the summer. She returned to Eugene prior to the start and has been ready to go from the moment her feet touched the ground. “She’s been incredible,” head coach Trent Kersten said. “Just a force, very efficient and she held her own in the service heat pattern. She has taken a bunch of strides forward in her game. I think that little hiatus she had was really good for her. She really focused on what she could control and how to train the right things and has come back in a really good head space and is making an impact for us.”
Donkers began her collegiate career at the University of Texas at Arlington. She was named Western Athletic Conference Co-Freshman of the year in 2024 and made All-WAC Second Team. After one season, Donkers transferred to Gonzaga University, where she led the West Coast Conference with 4.04 kills per set, and came in second in the WCC with 4.5 points per set. She made All-WCC First Team and All-Northwest Region First Team before entering the transfer portal again. Through her first nine games as a Duck, Donkers has recorded 79.5 points, 65 kills, 28 digs, six blocks, eight assists and 11 service aces. The last three games have been her three best games thus far. Against the University of San Diego, Donkers recorded 17 kills, 19.5 points, two blocks and four digs. Then against Portland State University, she had 12 kills, 14.5 points, five digs and two service aces. In the last game against Oregon State, Donkers put up nine kills, 15 points, three assists, six service aces and seven digs. “Every time I went back to serve,” Donkers said. “I was trying to just focus through the elastic, what we’ve been training, and just trusting the team.” When she’s not on the court, Donkers can be seen around campus bright and early, embracing the sunrise as she prepares for another day of volleyball.
Oregon’s defense has made history and nothing is getting through Oregon women’s soccer has started off their season with a historic defensive start. By Cadence Wooden
Sports Writer
Offensive teams keep knocking, but Oregon’s defense has that door locked from outside goals this season. In the first nine games of the season, Oregon women’s soccer allowed just three goals, the fewest through that number of games in program history. The last was the 1981 Oregon team, which surrendered four goals over the same span of nine matches. Oregon’s defensive presence has helped start the season 6-3-2 overall and 1-3-1 in Big Ten play. The Oregon State match, especially, was a game where the Ducks made a statement. The Ducks scored six times while keeping the Beavers off the board, making the rivalry look one-sided. Following the match, they had a 1-0 win over Utah, Oregon’s fifth shutout through its first six matches. Defender Taylor Dever credited the success to more than just the players on the back line. “It honestly starts from the front line all the way back,” Dever said following the Utah win. “We’re all on the same page.” The statistics support that idea. In the first nine games, Oregon’s opponents took 92 shots against them, with only 23 reaching the target. Meanwhile, the Ducks limited opponents to an average of just 0.33 goals per game. Oregon’s defensive organization has also held up as the level of competition has increased.
Rutgers handed the team their first loss of the season on Sept. 10 in the Big Ten Opener, but Oregon let up one goal against them. Three days later, Oregon responded with a 1-0 shutout of Maryland. The Ducks then traveled to USC and came away with a 1-1 draw. USC attempted 14 shots, but only four were on goal. Oregon goalkeeper Gray Willson made three saves as the Ducks earned their first point against the Trojans since 2011. Oregon head coach Tract Joyner praised the group after the USC match. “Our backline played very well,” Joyner said. “They were tough and organized.” That organization has become one of the defining traits of Oregon’s season. While offensively the Ducks have only scored 19 goals of their own, their defense has consistently given them room to operate. There is plenty of season left, and Big Ten play will continue to test Oregon’s defense. For now, getting past Oregon means first finding a way through one of the toughest defenses in program history. The Ducks take on UCLA at home this Friday.
UO WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. UCLA FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2026, AT 6 P.M. PAPÉ FIELD, EUGENE, OR
(Corey Hoffman/Emerald) Oregon forward Lauren Kenny (18) moves the ball up the field. Oregon women’s soccer played the University of Washington Huskies at Papé Field in Eugene, Ore. on Oct. 26, 2025.
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