The Emerald Editorial Board examined all the stories of this past school year and reached the top 10 list of biggest stories of the year. They are as follow, with explanations:
 
1. Nike CEO Phil Knight pulls money. With all due respect to the difficult effort put into joining the Worker Rights Consortium, the years of cultivating the University’s biggest donor was all lost in one fell swoop, putting in serious doubt an Autzen Stadium expansion plan that was to figure into all future Athletic Department funding.
2. Joining the WRC. The process was long for supporters of the group. Students passed a resolution asking the administration to join the labor monitoring group and protested quite visibly when University President Dave Frohnmayer didn’t sign on by the students’ deadline. After being examined by a special committee and the University Senate, the University joined the WRC.
3. Kip Kinkel’s sentencing. The Thurston High School gunman, who brought the Eugene-Springfield area into the frightening group of communities rocked by youth violence in schools, was sentenced to 112 years without parole, hopefully bringing closure to many in the area who need it.
4. Frohnmayer’s heart arrhythmia. Frohnmayer’s medical scare led to an amazing outpouring of support and examination of how much he means to the University and brought into question what would happen should he no longer be available to carry out his duties.
5. ASUO elections. After being kicked off the ballot and subsequently being reinstated, assumed front-runners for ASUO Executive C.J. Gabbe and Peter Larson lost in a surprise to Jay Breslow and Holly Magner.
6. World Trade Organization protest/Eugene anarchy. The WTO protests in Seattle earlier this year showed a wide array of concerns about the organization and shined the national spotlight on Eugene for its high population of anarchists.
7. Sun Bowl victory. With yet another amazing come-back victory in a year of such wins, the Ducks were the only Pacific-10 football team to win a bowl game this year.
8. Genocide Awareness Project. Sponsored by student group Justice For All, GAP was the highly controversial and visually assaulting anti-abortion project designed to stimulate conversation on the emotionally charged topic.
9. Two NCAA appearances, two disappointments. Both the men and women basketball teams made it into the NCAA Tournament this year only to be bounced in the first rounds.
10. Killer monkeys. This year as we became aware of the problem of killer simians in Africa — and possibly here at home — we tried our best to pass that important information on to our readers. Drought and severe hunger have led to simian-human wars and baboons feasting on flamingos.