• Kudos to the Eugene 4J School District, which announced Feb. 26 that it was the first public K-12 district to join a federal lawsuit that aims to block new federal guidance over diversity efforts at educational institutions. A Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter from the U.S. Department of Education threatens to cut off federal funding for schools that have policies the Trump administration claims discriminate against white and Asian students.
• University of Oregon’s United Academics faculty union is in a 30-day cooling off period, after declaring an impasse in negotiations last month. The union says it will hold a strike authorization vote next week. If faculty went on strike it could happen as early as March 31. UA says that salaries continue to fall behind peers at other institutions and the cost of living in Eugene. The UO Student Workers union opened its strike authorization vote March 3. UOSW cites fair and timely compensation as one of the bargaining sticking points.
• Is there a Dungeons & Dragons and fantasy food scene burgeoning in Lane County? Squacho’s (see last week’s issue) hosts a D&D arena league and cosplay karaoke. Second Breakfast Pies is baking, you guessed it, Hobbit-themed pies, and Wilkins Coffee and Unseelie Chocolates is your go-to for goblin and fae caffeine, goodies and events. Finally the meat-free goodness that is Darlene’s Veg is courtesy of “an alien who looks quite a bit like a porcupine, and is originally from a moon that orbits the planet Leyode.” Any other fun and fabulous food we are missing? Send us a morsel at Chow@EugeneWeekly.com.
• Activist Alert: Did you miss the March 4th for Democracy protest this week? Never fear — the time of protest is here! At noon on Friday March 7, there will be a Stand Up For Science rally at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. Organizers say it’s a “grassroots effort to foster and support science advocacy nationwide,” pushing back attacks on DEI and censorship and for government support for science. More at StandupforScience2025.org. Want to put your money where your mouth is? At 1 pm Saturday, March 8, there will be a discussion of “Tax resistance as a valid tactic of solidarity and divestment” at Trauma Healing Project, 631 East 19th Avenue, Building B.
• Want more Eugene Weekly once you’ve read the paper and done the crossword? This week’s online extras include Dorothy Velasco’s theater review of Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound at the University of Oregon, reporter Savannah Brown on the Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to stop the city’s fire service fee voted on by the Eugene City Council by bringing it to a citywide vote, a look at the 20th annual DisOrient Film Festival and an opinion piece by former mayor Lucy Vinis and several city councilors arguing in favor of the fire service fee.
• Did you miss last week’s packed City Club of Eugene discussion on the media? We didn’t because we are the (liberal) media. Listen to it at KLCC.org and then head on over to the WOW Hall at noon this Friday for an important discussion by Johnny Lake, Ph.D. on diversity, equity and inclusion. In his annual talk on challenges faced by the BIPOC community, Lake will address questions like, “What is the reason for fear and hostility toward diversity?”