Discoloration of PLC’s
water not dangerous
By Scot Clement
Owgon Darfy fimwaW
The discoloration of the
drinking water in Prince
Lucien Campbell Hall is
apparently harmless accord
ing to the University, but this
has not stopped others from
being concerned.
A test taken this summer
by the University Office of
Environmental Health and
Safety showed that there was
a mild to high amount of lead
in the sample taken, but that
amount is below the Environ
mental Protection Agency's
"action level." Tho "action
level" is the level at which
the water supplier (in the
University's case it's the
Eugene Water and Electric
Board) is advised to take
some measures to lower tho
level, according to EPA sci
entist Wendy Marshall. (The
EPA “action level" is 15 parts
per billion, where the test
done by the University
recorded a 14 parts per bil
lion level.)
While this level does seem
high it is not proof positive
that there is a problem,
according to Kay Kouts of the
Office of Environmental
Health and Safety. The dis
coloration also yt not proof of
the presence of toad. because
water with high amounts of
lead does not change its
color, Kouts said.
EWEB water supply and
treatment supervisor Doug
Wise also says that the test
does not prove that there is a
safety risk. Wise says that a
single sample that is not
state- or EPA-approved
proves very little. Such an
approved test would require
at least a hundred samples
and would lx? done by EWEB.
not the University.
Still, Linda Stellar. PLC
building manager and office
manager in economics, says
she will continue to bring her
own drinking water to work.
She says that the main prob
lem is that the water is sim
ply unappetizing because of
its brownish color.
According to both EWEB
and the Office of Environ
mental Health and Safety, the
color is most likely caused by
harmless amounts of metals
other than lead. Both also
suggest thnt those who wish
to drink the water should
flush out any excess metal by
running faucets for o while.
Computer access increasing
By Kim Challis-Roth
for the Otgon Pafy f msratt
Vfi«:« President Al Gore's “information super
highway of worldwide computer access" is under
construction, and many schools, including the Uni
versity. have recently added on-ramps.
From cybernetic mailboxes on and off campus
(via modems), faculty and students can virtually
talk to the world. Communication is only as lim
ited as the user's knowledge and patience.
This term University students are able to sign up
on Dock mail, nn electronic message system. Under
graduates cott log in and log on to Pine and Eudo
ra (mail carriers). Gopher (an information delivery
system) and Ncwswatcher with a Sit) term pass from
the EMU Computing Center. Students may also tap
into Janus, the library catalog or Duckhunt. a data
base of current classes at the University.
I.in v Lynch, part of the University Micro Lab
Technic al Support team, said the system is excit
ing, but also warns of its addictive side
“It's almost more information than you can use,"
Lynch laughs. "One student got so excited he logged
on with the White House (news) group and began
receiving 30 to 40 pieces of mail a day At first it's
a toy. but soon it becomes an invaluable tool."
With Duckmail. students can send pq>ers to pro
fessors or messages to friends and family. Lynch
says she enjoys watching students from other coun
tries contact family members through the system.
The only requirement is an official e-mail address
that is easy to use after a quick authorization ses
sion at CC-EMU
Public campus work stations aru fixated on the
third floor of the Chiles Center, in Room 72 Prince
Lucien Campbell Mall the first and second floors of
the Computing Center (across from the University
Bookstore) and theOC-EMU lab. Many departments
on campus have their own labs, like the Brainerd
Computing lab for Journalism students in Allen
Hall.
Duckmail is easily accessible on campus by aim
ing the UOnet campus network at 346-2150.
According to thu U.S. Department of Education,
more than 25 percent of college students use home
computers, compared with loss than 0 percent a
decade ago.
Students with modem connection problems can
head to the documents library in Room 205 of the
Computing Center or call VAX Consulting at 346
1758
Graduate students and faculty may snlf-authorize
on Oregon and Darkwing, two sophisticated
accounts that allow total Internet access, along with
mail service.
Other universities are expanding their "super
highways" with similar systems
In a Sept. 27 article in The PH Newswire: Michael
Ferrari, president of Drake University in Des Moines.
Iowa, invited more than 1.000 new students to send
him electronic mail to let him know how they were
adjusting to college life. Ferrari says he has received
— and answered — at least a dozen messages a day
which range from first impressions of the campus
to parking ticket complaints
Electronic communication is increasing world
wide An article in SingaiKire’s Straits Times in July
reported the National University of Singapore is
hoping to achieve a 100 percent computer litera
cy rate among its undergraduates. Students at the
university hove access to a thousand computers
at more than 30 sites on campus. The students use
e-mail to send messages to the 104 departments on
campus.
Using electronic mail can become complicated
as there is no universal directory and the address
es consist of strange symbols intermingled with let
ters and numbers. Experts advise developing an
e-mail address book and updating it monthly. With
an address, students can reaith everyone from Pres
ident Clinton (prosidenlOwhitehouse gov) to Pres
ident Brand (presOoregon.uoregon.edu).
Planetarium
presents trip
through stars
Starflight, the new fall pro
gram at the Lane Education Ser
vice District Planetarium, takes
its audience on a thorough 45
minute trip through the uni
verse.
The program goes over the
basics of astronomy, discussing
tin* planets of our solar system,
and the stars of our galaxy It
also provides interesting tidbits
such as a demonstration of an
exploding supernova and theo
ries about why there probably
isn't life on Mars.
The Planetarium, which
shares a building with the
Willamette Science and Tech
nology Center (WISTEC), is
located behind Autzen Stadium
at 2300 Leo Harris Parkway. It
also presents laser shows chore
ographed to a wide variety of
music on the weekends.
Starflight will be presented at
the Planetarium through Nov. 28
on Thursdays and Fridays at 4
p.m. and on Saturdays and Sun
days at 3 p.m.
Admission to Starflight is $3
for adults and $1.75 for children
12 and under. Laser show
admission is $5.50 per person.
For more details, call 687
STAR.
" * "anVmONY
Heath Howlngton. offensive guard lor tho Orogon Ducka, demon
strates how classroom desks arm not "one aha fits ad. ’
DESKS
Continued from Page 1
raising for somu larger stu
dent* to complain. She said
the reason many don't is
tiecause they feel ostracized by
their size already, and don't
want to draw oven more atten
tion to themselves.
Davis said being overweight
draws attention from people
anyway, especially when she
tries to fit in a desk that is
impossibly small. She said her
studies end up suffering as
well
"To sit in those desks for fit)
minutes is a trial," Davis said
"To sit there for 90 minutes or
three hours is just too distract
ing. In class, you have to be
very focused on the professor.
If the desk is cutting into you.
or you're sliding off. you're
focused more on 'Get me the
hell out of here.' "
Dan Williams said the Uni
versity will surely do some
thing if the demand is high
enough.
"Certainly if there's a legiti
mate need, we'll do the best
we can to accommodate these
students." Williams said.
Zumwalt said she knows
their dilemma sounds humor
ous. But as Davis pointed out.
during testing for freshman
athletes this fall, one hasket
hall player brokti a desktop
with his knees, while another
desk broke when a football
player leaned back.
"It’s kind of laughable."
Zumwalt said, "unless you're
the one sitting in the chair —
then it's not very funny.”
Because Zumwalt and Davis
pay tuition just like every
other student at the University,
they think that being able to
attend class in the same com
fortable environment that
everyone else does is not too
much to ask.
To both Davis and Zumwalt,
the small desks point to a larg
er societal problem as well —
that by not providing alterna
tives for larger people, the
school is glorifying a young,
thin image that is just not
attainable for some individu
als.
"it just re-stimulates the
feeling that l‘m going to school
with all these 1H- and 23-year
old kids who huve these beau
tiful bodies, and I’m not like
them," Zumwalt said. "It's just
a constant reminder that you
are different. It's painful and
embarrassing."
Davis was more blunt.
"It's just a microcosm of our
culture; if you're not thin, you
don’t fit." she said.
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