Emerald
Vol. 82, No. 110
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Friday, February 27, 1981
Toxic shock-Rely link
still puzzles doctors
By ANN PORTAL
Of the Emerald
Doctors don’t know what causes toxic shock, but
incidences of the disease have decreased dramatically
since October, a Eugene gynecologist said Wednes
day.
In the first of a series of talks on women’s health
sponsored by Lane County, Dennis Schuelke said
physicians have isolated the bacteria that causes toxic
shock. But why tampon users — especially users of Rely
tampons — are more likely to be infected remains
unknown.
As of Dec. 30, 941 cases had been reported na
tionwide. Thirty-six cases were reported in Oregon,
three times the number of cases in Washington. Eugene
has had five confirmed cases and four more probable
cases, one of which caused a death.
Nationwide, 60 percent were tampon users. Almost
three-fourths of those women used Rely.
Schuelke said the bacteria that causes toxic shock
has been around a long time. But it’s the toxin the
bacteria produces that makes women sick. The same
bacteria also causes food poisoning, he said.
The first cases of toxic shock in the early 1970s
were in children. Although 98 percent of the cases have
been women, Schuelke said the bacteria is present in 7
percent of the population and can produce the toxin
wherever conditions are right.
Menstrual blood is an ideal medium for the growth
of bacteria, Schuelke said. The length of time between
tampon changes also seems to be a factor, he added
Many women who have developed toxic shock
have used the new, ‘‘super-absorbent’’ tampons and
have left them in for as long as two days. The new
tampons act as a plug and back up the blood, allowing
the bacteria to grow.
“The time is very crucial,” Scheulke said.
Toxic shock symptoms include a fever of about 102
degrees, a sunburn-like rash, vomiting, peeling of the
skin and low blood pressure In later stages, the disease
can affect many of the organ systems, including the
central nervous system. Some organ damage and
side-effects can be life-long, Schuelke said.
“This is a very serious, very hard-to-treat disease."
Physicians have noted an increase in the number of
women reporting symptoms of the disease, Schuelke
said. Doctors have found that many women have had
minor toxic shock attacks during three or four men
strual periods before being hit with a “full-blown’'
attack.
Injuries key hazing probe
By BILL MANNY
Of the Emerald
The injury of two University fraternity pledges has
obscured exactly what constitutes hazing and how
prevalent it is.
During a Thursday press conference, acting
University Pres. Olum said he couldn’t define hazing.
But he said he considered leaving students in the
country to find their way home as "risky.”
“It has to be looked into. I think there is a general
concern about doing that," Olum said
Interfraternity Council Pres. Mark Hallquist labels
the incident as isolated but called it "serious” and
“shocking." And Dean of Students Bob Bowlin says
hazing hasn’t been a problem at the University in the
past.
Kappa Sigma pledges Mark Rosier and Ron Pierce,
both 18, were hit by a car Sunday night near Marcola
while walking with seven other pledges along a dark
road One of the groups’s members has been quoted as
saying it was just a “good time” that turned sour.
While the outcome is unclear, the circumstances
surrounding the tragedy are clear. The nine men were
left on a Marcola Road at night to find their way back to
Eugene as part of a fraternity “togetherness” excer
cise, Bowlin says
The students flagged down a fire truck and were
asking for a ride when another car came around a curve
and struck two of the scattering group, according to the
sheriff's office.
Rosier is listed in serious condition in the intensive
care unit. Suffering from head injuries, he underwent
surgery Thursday that “went well,” according to a
nursing supervisor at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital.
Pierce is in serious but stable condition, and was
removed from the intensive-care ward Tuesday.
“Hazing is any mental or physical abuse," Hallquist
says flatly.
Bowlin says anti-hazing agreements between the
University and fraternities “covers mainly excesses.”
But Bowlin points out that "this particular activity"
is banned by the organization of national fraternity
alumni presidents because "out in the darkness these
things can happen ”
Bowlin said physical excesses such as fatiguing the
pledges are banned. Students are at the University as
students, and requiring them to stay up until 4 a m.
when they have early classes is excessive, Bowlin says.
Continued on Page 5
Coaches call
Caine’s cuts
questionable
By JODY MURRAY
Ol the Emerald
Calling Athletic Director John Caine’s budget
figures "questionable,’’ a group of University
coaches presented their own budget-cut recom
mendations to the Intercollegiate Athletic Commit
tee.
The coaches’ six-page proposal — which
would eliminate no sport program — was explained
at a Thursday IAC meeting. Caine's proposal,
presented to the IAC Feb. 19, recommended cut
ting men’s and women's swimming and men’s and
women’s gymnastics.
The five coaches at the meeting stressed their
document was not an official counterproposal to
Caine’s recommendations.
“Caine's proposal was incomplete,’’ said
women’s track coach Tom Heinonen. “It won’t
solve the budget crunch or the big picture,’ as
(Caine) described it.”
The coaches also told the committee Caine's
numbers aren’t entirely accurate.
“We can't find anyone to explain the figures,"
said men's gymnastics coach Bill Ballester "My
particular budget isn’t what’s reflected in that
athletic budget."
The coaches’ proposal adds up to a budget
slash of $650,583. The athletic department’s deficit
is $375,000, and could grow to more than $750,000
next year with inflation. ,
The cornerstone of the coaches’ recommen
dation is a freeze on all coaches’ salaries for one
year, not including cost-of-living increases. This,
the proposal indicates, would save $87,000. The
salaries would be made up in 1982-83
Another $62,500 savings, the coaches said,
would come from out-of-state scholarship athletes
who establish Oregon residency and can be
awarded cheaper in-state scholarships
Incentive for such a conversion would come
from a “work study force” that would provide
athletes with campus jobs. This would save the
University one-half of its maintenance budget, or
$50,000.
Fully or partially donated services, including a
volunteeer doctor to attend athletic events, would
cut $20,500 in the coaches' cut proposal. Current
ly, the doctor is paid a $10,000 retainer fee.
Caine, contacted Thursday, didn't agree with
that idea.
“In a competitive society, litigation is always a
problem We could get ourselves into all kinds of
trouble. What if we had an injury at a soccer game,
and the doctor decides not to show up?"
A $216,324 chunk of the coaches’ proposal is
from the administrative budget, including a $38,000
savings by dropping one position.
"Most of our administrators think we re over
worked now,” Caine said
No matter what happens, the University must
avoid fielding a crippled athletics program, said
Ralph Sunderland, University director of man
agement and budget. The IAC must draft a strong
proposal that it can sell to the chancellor’s office,
Sunderland said. v
“If we could go into next year — with this year’s
activities — with a profit, (the state board) might be
more receptive to a plan that might take a little more
time."
Sunderland said the athletic department ran
into trouble when it tried to build a good program
and "gambled" by overbudgeting revenues, re
sulting in this year’s deficit
The department then looked to the state for
help, he said
"But that is not forthcoming."