UO E-clips, Oct. 7

In ancient Greece, soil was scare (Discovery.com): Greek temples honored specific gods and goddesses, and now new research suggests that even the dirt under such buildings held spiritual significance. The discovery could help explain why writers like Homer and Plato wrote of "divine soil" and soil that can affect a person's soul. It may also explain how the ancients selected locations for their sacred buildings. "Temple sites were chosen to honor the personality and aspirations of gods and goddesses, which, in turn, were shaped by the economic basis for their cults," author Gregory Retallack told Discovery News. Retallack, a professor of geological sciences at the University of Oregon, took soil samples from 84 Greek temple sites dating to the Classical Age from 480 to 338 BC.

Exceptions in abortion ban proposal key, scholars say (Argus Leader): If the abortion measure fails in South Dakota, it might be defeated by voters who are angry the issue is on the ballot again, a political science professor says. An important group of voters will be those who might lean toward abortion limits, but "they're mad that it's back again," said Northern State University political science professor Ken Blanchard. Those voters, he said, "may be the ones who sink the initiative this time if it fails." ... Those exceptions - written to address the health and life of the woman and rape and incest - probably give the proposal on the ballot this fall its only chance of passing, adds James Mohr, a University of Oregon professor.

UO Portland: White Stag Block (College OTR): This past weekend was the grand opening of the newest University of Oregon campus in Portland calling home to the White Stag Block. The White Stag Block, a refurbished, 103,000 square-foot green facility, merges parts of the White Stag and Hirsch-Weiss, Skidmore Block, and Bickel Block buildings into a single complex at the west end of the Burnside Bridge. This new campus gives students and professionals even more hands-on opportunities in subjects such as journalism, architecture, digital arts, product design, law, and other continuing education courses. The facility features state-of-the-art classrooms, labs and studios, and space for exhibits, lectures, and both private and public events for up to 200 people.

U of O opens new campus (KGW-TV Channel 8 Portland): NEWSCASTER: University of Oregon, Portland, it opened its new Portland location today in the historic White Stag block of Old Town. U of O Portland will host a series of public events to celebrate the opening. There are lectures and exhibitions, guided tours, a concert in the coming days. The school offered a few classes in the spring, but today was the official opening. The building was once an old warehouse and it's now green. WENDY LARSON, VICE PROVOST OF PORTLAND PROGRAMS: Green building, it means that we reused a lot of the materials that were here, so 85 percent of the materials that were in the building we reused. We have tried to keep also the historical character. NEWSCASTER: U of O Portland offers a number of class subjects including journalism, architecture, business, and law.

U of O Portland opens today (KPTV Channel 12 Portland): NEWSCASTER: Well, you might start seeing a few more ducks flying around the streets of Portland these days. That's because the University of Oregon's Portland campus is now open for business. The White Stag building in Chinatown will now be home to U of O students studying journalism, architecture, law and other subjects. People who toured it today seemed pretty impressed with the new green renovation. RICK GEHRKE, VISITING BUILDING: It's great. It's fantastic. I mean, I knew what the building was like before the renovation, and it's just spectacular. NEWSCASTER: People have been touring the new facility throughout the week for the grand opening and classes have been going on there since earlier this year.