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Rotaractors, friends and more, Those of us here at UO Rotaract want to wish you and your loved ones health, security and safety in this time of uncertainty and stress. Times are hard, and it's important now more than ever to reflect upon the values that roots Rotary together, and join together (metaphorically) to unite in this trying time and work towards the collective goal of humanity as a whole. Take care of one another and lend a helping hand where you can, but most of all, remember to be safe and take care of yourself as well. Rotaract will be moving to a digital, remote-only platform for the remainder of Spring term and will continue to do so indefinitely until it is made clear that it is safe to proceed otherwise. A link to a Zoom meeting will be distributed via the email list every week with relevant information on how to connect and what we'll be going over. The meetings will serve to allow us to continue pursuing #ServiceAboveSelf remotely through our projects and goals, but also to provide time for us to gather with friends and loved ones to de-stress and enjoy time with fellow club members. We will keep you updated with any changes or new information as we receive it. We wish everyone the best in this time and encourage all to remember kindness, empathy, and the depths of the Four Way Test as we shape the new world beyond this current situation. Here are some helpful resources for those navigating the COVID-19 crisis: University of Oregon Coronavirus Information: https://www.uoregon.edu/coronavirus Updates from Oregon Department of Education: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/Pages/COVID19.aspx What You Need To Know (OHSU): https://www.ohsu.edu/health/coronavirus-resources 
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 After a restful winter break of self care and adventure (shout out to David for coaching us through how to give yourself a little extra TLC!) UO Rotaract jumped into Winter Term ready to rock and roll post-holidays.
Besides a few partnered service projects and some wonderful guest presenters here and there, January was spent on one thing and one thing only: Trivia Night! Over two months’ worth of Rotaractor energy was sunk into our 3rd annual Trivia Night fundraiser, ringing in this year’s theme of Rotaryland: Board Games, which is one of our most favorite projects as a club. Raising money for the Anthill Foundation again this year, we worked tirelessly as a club to hand-craft nearly all of the decor and festivities of the evening, not to mention the hand drawn table runners that replicated favorite board games of our childhoods. The room was decorated to the nines, and a table adorned with all the snacks and drinks one could imagine greeted guests as they walked in. Photos were available with a custom-made “Trivia Night Rotaryland” photobooth for documenting the wonderful evening. Ty Connor, trivia master extraordinaire, joined us for a second year and delighted everyone with puzzling, relevant and hilarious trivia questions that threw everyone for a loop at least once or twice (as it should!). The Anthill Foundation envisions a healthy and productive Uganda by providing people living in extreme poverty in Uganda the tools to live self-sustainable and healthy lives. They run several projects that encompass health, education, and community. To find out more about Anthill Foundation visit their website at anthillfoundation.org. We are proud to announce that we raised over ~$400 this year to donate to the Anthill Foundation. Thank you to everyone who came or otherwise supported the 3rd Annual Trivia Night!   November kicked off with a wonderful committee-focused meeting, where members sat down and divided up according to their individual strengths and areas of interest in the wide scope of things we do at UO Rotaract. We were also visited by Emily Hunt, an outstanding gal who helped to spread the word about participating in your local Neighborhood Association! There are over 20 different neighborhood associations spread throughout the Eugene/Springfield area, each offering unique and fun ways to participate in your own community. Interested in learning more or finding ways to get involved? Visit eugene-or.gov/535/neighborhood-associations for details. Thanks Emily! Later on, the whole club was relaxed and soothed for an evening of calm and collectiveness by President-elect David Hernandez, who treated the group to guided meditation and provided several tips and tricks to getting through the roughest parts of the term. Parts of this meeting included practicing breathing exercises, listening to Himalayan singing bowls (well known for their soothing qualities) and reminding ourselves that self-neglect is one of the worst things we can unknowingly do to ourselves. Per David’s suggestions, here are some tips for taking care of yourself:
As per usual, UO Rotaract also reported for duty at yet another fun-and-food-filled evening with FREX at Food For Lane County. Members really enjoy returning for repeated service projects as it allows us to establish a feeling of permanence within the community and develop strong bonds with other service organizations like our friends over at FFLC! If you’re interested in joining us on our next adventure to FREX, keep an eye out for it on our upcoming opportunities sheet. Mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, bread rolls, oh my! During the holiday week, a delicious Friendsgiving was hosted by Alexi Overland and Daria Wonderlick in place of our regular meeting to allow for team bonding and time to really spend time together as a group. Friendsgiving boasted a wide array of snacks and treats provided by Rotaractors and their (mostly) home cooked meals, partnered with fun games and an evening of laughter and food. Make sure to take some time to reflect on what you are grateful for over the next holiday-filled weeks and also digest the history behind the events that took place that foster the holiday environment we exist in today. What better way to finish a long Fall term than with a celebration for our latest and greatest members: Induction! UO Rotaract enjoyed delicious pizza and drinks at Falling Sky Brewing on the ground floor of the EMU yet again as we rang in the end of another term. Estella Rosen and Marie Burgess were welcomed officially into the club as members, and we added just another layer of fun by naming October and November Rotaractors of the Month as well. Sarah Acker shone out as a dedicated member of the club and an always-smiling face, and Estella Rosen stole the spotlight one more time after diving head-first into Rotaract happenings upon arrival. We’ll be back at the beginning of January for Winter Term and a whole other roster of exciting plans and events. Until then, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from all of us at UO Rotaract!   The month of October came and went, and we kicked things off with a bang here at UO Rotaract. Per our tradition of several years now, members grouped together in Willamette Hall and painted peace rocks to decorate the surrounding campus area and spread a little extra joy.
On October 12, Rotaractors Kimi Kozaki and Skyla Patton headed to Cottage Grove to enjoy a full day of the Interact District Training Assembly -- with a fun bonus of returning to the location where Camp RYLA is held each year! The IDTA is a valuable opportunity for Rotaract to connect with Interact and facilitate unique discussions that are relevant to Rotary as a whole. Some of the conversations this year included helpful tips on maintaining a successful and organized club, integrating into Rotaract after high school and the plethora of opportunities Rotary has to offer for youth. Along with those presentations, Kozaki and Patton were also joined by Graciela Garcia to have an in-depth walk through of the identity pie activity. The identity pie is a great activity for exploring our personal identities and understanding how identity impacts how we interact with the world and people around us. This is a great activity to do with all groups: workplace, family trips, club meetings or really anything you can think of. During IDTA we were also lucky enough to stick around for the voting of the next international project, which ended up being a victorious split between The Thirst Project and another more localized project that focuses on providing school supplies to low-income families across the globe. We joined Eugene Rotary yet again at Food For Lane County on Wednesday, subbing out our regular Week 3 meeting for an evening full of fun, food (packaging) and hearty community service. FREX is a particularly exciting service project that lies close to our hearts here at UO Rotaract for two main reasons: Food For Lane County is a huge organization and it’s fantastic to work close to home, along with the amazing bonding time we get with other volunteers and Rotarians. The second annual Mentorship Mixer was hosted during Week 4, and we were stoked to find a completely packed house! Rotarians and Rotaractors alike joined together to mix and mingle as potential pairs for mentorship were sized up and matches were made. Pairs are determined based off of career aspirations and goals, and we work hard to ensure that each pair is educational and beneficial for both parties. Snacks and ambient background music galore, this full house was a blast and led to several new mentorship matches! Are you a Rotaractor interested in being paired with a mentor? Contact us for more info! Never ones to miss out on the spirit of the holidays, we celebrated spooky season and Halloween during a fun-filled social that took the place of our meeting. Members shared scary stories, pooled chocolate and candy together and embarked on a cold yet thrilling scavenger hunt throughout the campus area, picking up litter and posing for images to score the most amount of points. Hints sent us throughout UO all the way to, of course, Pioneer Memorial Cemetery to end the evening with an appropriately spooky vibe. Stay tuned for our November update! Visit us on Instagram and Facebook at @uorotaract and be sure to keep an eye on our calendar for service opportunities and upcoming events. The University of Oregon Rotaract gathered together at the Ashland Springs Hotel & Suites with dozens of other dedicated Rotarians to participate in and celebrate at this year’s District Conference. Clubs from all over District 5110 at all levels — Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interact — settled in in the beautiful retro-themed rooms and enjoyed a delicious dinner together on the first night to say hello, socialize and get to know the familiar and unfamiliar faces around them. We were treated to a night on the town with the newest member of the Rotaract family, Southern Oregon University, and spent the evening touring downtown and checking out the First Friday Artwalk, overflowing with beautiful art and local artists displaying their work.
Saturday morning came, and the busy day began at 7am sharp. For some, the day started with a service project at the Ashland Community Garden, and others opted for the fresh continental coffee and breakfast or mingling in the lobby. Once the dust settled, the inspiration began with guest speaker Jim Teece, who touched on commitment to your community and stressed the importance of moving past stereotypes while rousing the crowd with inaccurate, humorous stereotypes of his own to drive the point home. Participants sectioned off for the rest of the morning, hearing/attending presentations from 4-Way Test Speech semifinalists, community preparedness, and a riveting delivery from LCR’s very own Colbey Carpenter on revolutionizing fundraising. “District Conference helped to remind me and learn more about the true community of Rotary,” said UO member Alexi Overland in reflection of the sessions. Lunch brought tasty tacos, phenomenal presentations from the three 4-Way Test finalists and guest speaker Ana Cutter Patel. The second round of breakout sessions is where Rotaract truly got to shine: UO and LCR Rotaract members Johnny Archer, Kacie Bohme, Audrey Hoffman and Skyla Patton hosted a panel with facilitation (and incredible help) from Medford Rotarian Katie Hutchinson. Presenters touched on the crucial aspect of intersectionality within Rotary, harmful generalizations that take away from the overall goal, and ideas on how to really connect as an organization and strengthen Rotary together. Incredible, insightful questions from the audience, skilled facilitation, and an outpouring of support throughout the room made for a once in a lifetime experience and a feeling of success and inspiration for everyone involved. Dinnertime brought delicious food, casual chatter as Rotaractors dispersed among the Rotarians to visit and enjoy one another, and of course wonderful speakers. Outgoing District Governor Claudette McWilliams reminisced about her term with a phenomenal closing speech, heartfelt thanks and of course, lots and lots of awards. Members of Lane County Rotaract walked away with well-deserved recognition, and both clubs were graciously awarded 2017-18 Club of The Year Awards. The University of Oregon Rotaract would like to extend a HUGE thank you to the Ashland Rotary and Ashland Lithia Springs Rotary for their generous help and funding, participating District 5110 clubs for making the conference all it was, and of course to the Rotarians who offer constant support, encouragement, and respect to our clubs. Rotary would not be what it was today without all of us coming together to make the world a better place. We will see you next year in Coos Bay at #DisCon2019!
Fellowship & Friends While Rotaract is ostensibly about service and professional development, the social aspect appears to be key as well. Responses included: "I appreciated seeing my friends grow together through service, and tackle community issues with passion." "I stayed involved because I loved the people and the service work." "I saw a poster for Interact at my school and thought it looked interesting ... so I had a friend go with me to a meeting.” "We make a positive impact and strengthen our friendships along the way."
What is Great About Rotaract? Inclusivity: “We leave our politics and religion at the door to celebrate the one thing we all have in common: making the world a better place." Structure: "It has the support of Rotary and local clubs. If offers opportunities through Rotary International and local districts such as RYLA, Peace Scholars, etc." Other responses mentioned the power of district grants and the clarity of focus that many service clubs lack. Professional Development: Our connection to the broader Rotary network “gives the means for mentoring and guidance from others.” The Things We Do: Some impactful and often innovative projects done recently include a couple online fundraisers—one for a new stove for a homeless shelter, partnering with local service organizations, volunteering at Rotary events, putting on a trivia night fundraiser for refugees, adopting families at Christmas, and supporting a school in Guatemala.
 Fueled by several boxes of sugar cookies and a whole lot of love, Rotaract members and friends hand-crafted over 30 different unique Valentine’s Day cards for senior citizens here in Eugene. Each card was created by the club members during the last week’s meeting, accompanied by a romantic Spotify playlist and inspiration for brightening someone’s day. The following Sunday, club members braved the chilly winds of the weekend and headed downtown to the Eugene Hotel, one of the most renowned retirement communities in Lane County. Students visited with residents that morning as they mosied the hall, shared stories and laughter, and then the brunch bell rang out through the halls and the festivities began. Residents hustled and bustled to get their morning coffee and the crispiest pieces of bacon while students were shown the hotspots of the dining hall and where the residents really liked to sit. After everyone was settled, Rotaractors wandered the room and offered the handmade cards to anyone who was interested. Smiles and shy giggles erupted around the hotel as the students spread the love and residents thumbed through to pick their absolute favorite cards. This is the third year the University of Oregon Rotaract club has helped celebrate the holiday and the mood, with the full intention of returning next February with bigger hearts and even more cards   Photo by Keith Nelson
This April and May, our district received an enriching treat--a visit from a GSE. A GSE (Group Study Exchange) is a Rotary program in which about half a dozen Rotarians and non-Rotarians from one district travel to a district in another country, usually for specific vocational training. These trips generally last for 4-6 weeks and involve a fair bit of moving around, shadowing or interning at various places. The group that came to our district was from Argentina, and full of Rotaractors! They also had various professions, including a farmer, and engineer, and a couple teachers. The group wished to do two particular things while they were here: meet up with Rotaractors, and see an American football game. Fortunately, both were achieved. On April 29th, the Rotaract clubs of UO, OSU, and Lane County met up in Eugene and volunteered at the UO "spring game." For those not familiar with the inner workings of UO sports, the spring game is ducks vs. ducks, and basically a chance for fans to see a game before the season starts. As a bonus, the entrance fee is not money, but food--donated to Food for Lane County. So after breakfast, we all went to the spring game and helped FFLC collect the food into big boxes and pack them away. We also got to watch some of the game before getting lunch at the food carts in west Eugene.
 The group at the turnaround point of the hike. Fitton Green starts near the Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis. A few weeks later, at District Conference in Albany, we were able to see our Argentine friends again. We hope their trip was useful and enjoyable, and that future visits and cooperation come out of it.
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