I see our suffering education system firsthand as a high school senior at a Eugene public school. Kimberly Koops is endorsed by the Eugene Education Association and has the sole endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers.
During health class, our school resource officer told women in the class not to wear “provocative clothing” because we would be “asking for it.” Koops knows that victim blaming like this has no place in our schools or society.
It is impossible for those who have never experienced sexual assault to represent survivors adequately. Koops is a survivor of sexual assault and has drafted legislation to support survivors. She also helped increase access to funding for curriculum that teaches about healthy relationships and prevents sexual assault.
Koops has the strongest education endorsements of anyone in the race, and I know she understands the issues facing today’s students. She believes all students should be able to go to school without the fear of an active shooter on campus, and she is a Moms Demand Action “Gun Sense Distinguished Candidate.”
Koops stands for everything we need to be moving towards, so vote for Kimberly Koops by May 15.
Carmen Lessley
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519