Eugene weekly., October 06, 2011, Page 22, Image 22

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O N THE RO C KS PE RF O RM I N G AT THE E M U AM PHI THE ATE R
Ducking In
Joiners can be choosers
BY SHANNON FINNELL
PHOTO BY TODD COOPER
T
here’s nothing like throwing yourself into a room
full of strangers to distract yourself from school
stress and sharpen your brain for another day of
higher learning. The ASUO either recognizes,
allocates funds to or helps facilitate more than
120 student organizations, so unless you’re a truly special
snowfl ake, there’s probably something to enjoy.
The UO Outdoor Program is among the most active
organizations, and it has the potential to keep a student
very, very busy. In addition to its 150 to 200 “common
adventure trips” per year, the OP holds skill clinics and
classes, rents equipment and has its own mountain-(hu)
man resource center with information on the wilderness
and trip planning. The Bike Program helps fi x bikes and
teach maintenance, plus it has loaner commuter bikes for
$15 per term plus deposit. Best of all, if nothing on the
entire outdoor smorgasbord tickles the palate, the events
are planned by trip initiators, which any student can
become.
While On the Rocks’ performances on NBC’s Sing
Off last year probably drew a lot of singers to UO’s a
cappella groups, On the Rocks, Divisi and Mind the Gap
have already held auditions, so you’re temporarily out of
luck on that front. But even while you’ll have to catch
the a cappella Friday performances until the next round
of auditions, the UO Gospel ensembles are warming up
and will hold auditions in January. With varying degrees
of experience levels, the beginner’s choir requires a voice
placement but not an audition. The most advanced choir,
UO Gospel Singers, just returned from the Disney Gospel
Choir Fest in Florida, where they won their second gold
medal — Christianity not required.
The last couple of years saw the Alliance of Happy Athe-
ists (AHA) gearing up to support their brethren on campus,
exploding from a small core group exploring AHA’s tenets
(happiness, skepticism and self-reliance, creating an open
forum of understanding between religious and non-religious
students) to 90 participants by their fi rst offi cial meeting.
On the dance fl oor, groups like UO Jam Squad and
Oregon Ballroom Dance Club shake their booties. The
ballroom club holds beginning and intermediate lessons
followed by a social dance every Friday for $4. UO Jam
Squad is a non-competitive hip hop dance group that gives
dancers a chance to dance and perform without giving up
the extra time it takes to compete.
Social justice advocates will be glad to know that the
Coalition Against Environmental Racism meets every
Tuesday during the academic year to educate students and
foster activism. The group explains environmental racism as
the way that “poor communities, but specifi cally communities
of color, are disproportionately impacted by pollution, waste
disposal, hazardous sites, resource depletion and natural
disasters in the natural and built environment,” and how an
unequal infrastructure reinforces those problems.
Whether today’s Ducks are artistic, adventurous or
activist-ous (or maybe a little of each), the ASUO’s list of
programs has at least a little inspiration for all. ■
We’re cooking up something for everyone!
Oregon Humanities Center
Serving Vegans
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We have a terrific Meat Hearty
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EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity
22 OCTOBER 6, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
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