• We might have fucked up as a country when it comes to the presidential election, but at least Lane County voters called a halt to the proposed gerrymandering of Lane County Commisison districts. Other bright spots (because we need them) include Rep. Val Hoyle’s trouncing of Monique DeSpain in the House District race and pro-abortion rights votes across the country.  

• Get ready, LGBTQ+ Eugeneans, because Pride is moving to June! Eugene’s annual Pride festival has been taking place in August since the early 1990s, partly so those who want to travel to other Pride events in June can do so without missing out on Eugene’s celebrations. However, with the creation of the Lavender Network — a community partnership with HIV Alliance, TransPonder, Queer Eugene, Pride Day Equality Project and Eugene Performing Arts Center — Eugene is ready for the big leagues. Brooks McLain, HIV Alliance development director and Eugene PRIDE president, announced the date change at the new Lavender Network building — the old Trinity United Methodist Church — on Nov. 3, saying that the building is “part of the reason we’re able to now move into Pride Month. We have a space where we can organize, where we can expand the base of support that we have in Pride and hopefully more to our winter Pride.” Winter Pride? Yes!

• For the third time in two weeks, University of Oregon officials issued a timely safety warning, as required by federal law, to students after another woman reported being drugged at a fraternity party. The case marks at least the third time this year students reported feeling the effects of a “roofie” — a drink spiked with a date-rape drug or other substance intended to leave the victim conscious but helpless against sexual assault.

On Monday, UO officials announced a student reported being sexually assaulted during a Nov. 2 party thrown by Pi Kappa Phi at a location away from the frat’s chapter house. Officials said another drugging incident took place at the same location on Halloween, while another drugging reportedly took place at off-site Lambda Chi Alpha party Oct. 24.

The UO announced another drugging had been reported at Alpha Tau Omega on Oct. 18. Officials did not say whether the other incidents also involved sexual assaults.

The announcements mark a dramatic change of heart by UO officials, who sought to obscure and conceal eight drugging incidents involving six frats (including Lambda Chi Alpha) in January and February.

Reporting by EW (“F is for Failure,” 4/11 and “Kept in the Dark,” 10/3) revealed UO officials make false and misleading statements about why they failed to follow federal law and issue warnings. (Officials say none of the earlier cases involved sexual assault.)

Eric Howald, UO’s assistant director of issues management, credited EW’s reporting for helping spur policy reforms at the university.

“We believe,” Howald writes in an email, “that the reporting and some of the questions generated helped to improve our processes and pointed out ways that we could better inform our community about important and critical safety issues like this.”

• St. Vincent de Paul Lane County’s Egan Warming Center is kicking off a series of new volunteer orientations. Egan runs respite locations for the unhoused during nights when the temperatures are projected to be below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and Egan needs volunteers! There is a Zoom orientation 7 pm Nov. 13 and an in-person one 2:30 pm Nov. 17 at the Springfield Memorial Building. Go to EganWarmingCenters.com for more info and future orientations or call SVdP at 541-687-5820. 

• In other news, while waiting in the drive thru line at the Starbucks on West 7th Avenue, calendar editor Emma J Nelson saw four wild turkeys. Four! After a stressful evening the night prior (*cough* election *cough*), it was a pleasant reminder that humans will find some good in nearly any scenario — baristas ran out of the shop to get the best angle for their turkey photo, cars stopped to let the big ol’ avian pedestrians pass by and everyone present got a momentary dose of joy. (And yes we know, Starbucks is evil and the turkeys are a pain, but just let us have this moment).