UO E-clips, April 5-7

The University of Oregon awards honorary degrees to 20 Japanese Americans expelled from the school during World War II (The Oregonian): Robert Yasui was a freshman premedical student at the University of Oregon when Executive Order 9066 was issued in the spring of 1942. He and 19 other Japanese American students were expelled from the university, swept up in the mass roundup at the start of World War II that sent about 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of them U.S. citizens, to what were called internment camps.

University of Oregon gives honorary degrees (KEZI.com):  Nearly two dozen Japanese-Americans received their diplomas from the University of Oregon. In 1942, thousands of Japanese-Americans were forced into internment camps including 20 University of Oregon students. Nineteen received the highest honor the University can bestow, an honorary degree. (Video available here)

Catching up with history, by degree (Register-Guard): In the 66 years since they were forced to leave the University of Oregon in 1942, many of the school’s 20 Japanese-American students earned degrees elsewhere. But that mattered little to those who received their honorary UO diplomas on Sunday. More importantly, they said, is that they were given recognition. Of greater significance was that a horrible wrong had been made right.

UO student group celebrates Indian culture (Oregon Daily Emerald): Members of the greater Eugene community gathered in the EMU on Saturday night for UTSAV, an annual festival of Indian culture, music, fashion and food presented by the University of Oregon Students of the Indian Subcontinent. UTSAV, or "festival," commenced on the upper level of the EMU, where attendees enjoyed a traditional Indian meal including chicken curry, chana masala and gulab jamun. "Everyone loves Indian food," said Ravi Parikh, a volunteer and emcee for the event. Parikh, a University sophomore, was born in India but moved to Oregon with his parents as a young child.

How carbon cutbacks will affect the economy (Register-Guard guest viewpoint by Bob Doppelt, director of resource innovations and the Climate Leadership Initiative at the UO): To prevent severe climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must stabilize in less than 10 years and then be reduced by 80 percent or more by midcentury. Some people say the costs of such actions will devastate the economy. Others say cutting emissions before the problem becomes extreme will have moderate costs or may actually benefit the economy. Whom should we believe? Having managed a number of environmental policy economic assessments over the years, I know that the assumptions one makes at the start shape the conclusions reached at the end. Follow the assumptions, and you can usually predict the outcome.

Footwear exhibit kicks off on campus (Register-Guard): Yes, the prized and famous 10,000-year-old sagebrush sandals found in Eastern Oregon -- often pegged the “world’s oldest running shoes” -- will be displayed prominently, but they’ll be just several of more than 200 pairs of shoes featured in a new exhibit, “Walk a Mile in These Shoes -- The Stories They Tell,” that opens Friday at the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History. “In a way that few possessions can, shoes tell stories of individuals, geographic areas, cultures and human history,” organizers of the exhibit write about the display.

Phil Knight spells out multi-layered demands for new UO academic center for athletes (The Oregonian): The next new building on the University of Oregon campus won't be built by the University of Oregon, the state of Oregon or anyone working for them. Instead, the new Academic Learning Center for Student Athletes, a 35,000-square-foot building slated to go just northwest of the UO's pending new basketball arena, is being designed and built by a private company run by Nike co-founder and UO super¬donor Phil Knight.

UO agrees to donor’s strict guidelines for athletic center (Register-Guard): The next new building on the University of Oregon campus won’t be built by the University of Oregon, the state of Oregon or anyone working for them. Instead, the new Academic Learning Center for Student Athletes, a 35,000-square-foot building slated to go just northwest of the UO’s pending new basketball arena, is being designed and built by a private company run by Nike co-founder and UO super¬donor Phil Knight. When Knight finishes it, he’ll hand the keys over to the university, and the state-of-the-art center will officially become a state-owned campus building.

U of O celebrates new campus opening (KOIN-TV Channel 6 Portland):

(NEWSCASTER: Well, University of Oregon Ducks are celebrating the grand opening of their new Portland facility. It's located at the White Stag block on Northwest Couch Street, and that's where KOIN News 6 reporter Alana Kujala is live. Alana, this is the first day for some students, right?

REPORTER: That's right, Jenny. We're right below that Made In Oregon sign that everyone knows, that White Stag building, and the construction is still going on. But take a look at the outside of this building. They - it used to be covered with bricks, no windows. They started to make their way through the bricks, and this is what they found, beautiful. And as I said, construction still going on, but it is well on its way to opening the door for all of its students.

Journalism students from Eugene are the first to get the full tour. Just take a look at some of the architecture. It kept much of the historic warehouse design, but definitely highlights a very green philosophy. A rain well opens and lights a room that was once a courtyard occupied with pigeons. Storm water is collected, treated on site for bathrooms. It reduces the buildings water use by 86 percent. In addition to weatherproofing the historic windows, some of which date back more than 100 years, you can see the mix of old and new throughout the entire building.

PHIL WEILER, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON: We think that this is a beautiful facility. We've taken three historic buildings, combined them into one, they are not only historic but they are also Gold Lead Certified, which means they are one of the highest most energy- efficient buildings in the country now.

REPORTER: KOIN News 6's Ken Boddie participated in the ethics conference and joined the discussion about the influence of advertising in the media. Now, students getting their masters degree in Strategic Communication are the only ones attending class here now. Other programs will start next fall.

An interesting side note to this old building, years ago, Blue Ribbon Sports used to have a warehouse here. They changed the name and are now more well known as Nike. Reporting live in downtown Portland, Alan Kujala, KOIN News 6.

NEWSCASTER: Very interesting, and a nice addition to that neighborhood. All right, thanks, Alana.