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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 2000)
RU 486 unavailable on campus ■The Student Health Center will not carry the abortion pill because it can’t treat possible side effects By Brooke Ross Oregon Daily Emerald Even though the new abortion pill RU 486 makes abortions quick er and easier, the University’s Stu dent Health Center — and some lo cal pharmacies — will not carry the drug. “RU 486 causes serious side ef fects that most college health cen ters are not equipped to handle,” said Dr. Gerald Fleischli, director of the health center. The pill, also called mifepris tone, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration this fall. Fleischli said the health center will not offer RU 486 to patients be cause the center does not have the facilities for its staff to perform ma jor surgeries that are sometimes re quired after women use the pill. “We don’t like to begin medical processes here if other steps may be involved down the road that we are not able to handle,” he said. Lane Community College also will not offer the pill for similar rea sons. When RU 486 was approved for public use, it sparked a debate about possible health risks and moral issues that has still not been resolved. Debra Button, director of clinical services at All Women’s Health Ser vices, said certain side effects occur in about 5 percent of women who use RU 486 due to varied circum stances. She said some of the prob lems include severe bleeding by the patient and tissue that may remain inside the woman after the abor tion. “While medical problems associ ated with using RU 486 do not hap pen that often,” she said, “some times side effects do occur because the procedure was not complete.” Julie Dewsnup, pharmacy man ager at the health center, said the reason side effects occur in some women and not others is because everyone’s body is different. “Even though we’re all humans, we all react to medications differ ently,” she said. Dewsnup said some of the hu man differences that cause drug re actions are body size, allergies and genetic makeup. Besides the health center’s phar macy, Dewsnup said other pharma cies in town will not be carrying RU 486 either. She said the reason is that patients must have an ultra sound first to make sure the baby is not too far along, and pharmacies do not have the machines. “This is also one reason why the health center will not offer RU 486, because we don’t have an ultra sound machine,” she said. The Eugene branch of Planned Parenthood, a national family plan ning organization, will not yet be offering RU 486. Diane Duke, asso ciate executive director of Planned Parenthood, said the board has yet to address the issue of providing the pill, but it is on the agenda to be discussed in the future. “We support women’s right to have abortions,” she said, adding that the reason Planned Parenthood does not offer abortions is because several private clinics in Eugene do provide them. “Our concern is that access to abortions is broadly available around the city,” she said. Despite the debate about RU 486, Fleischli said the health center is always open to helping patients find the right resources for the choices they make. “We respect the woman’s right to choose,” he said. Senate wrangles over Bend campus ■ Progress was made in discussions over a branch campus in Bend and arguments over the Autzen Stadium expansion plan By Andrew Adams Oregon Daily Emerald During its last meeting before the winter break, the University Senate discussed the Bend branch campus, Autzen Stadium expansion and approved a report by the University Curriculum Committee. University Provost John Moseley opened the Wednesday afternoon meeting by briefly describing the final version of the University’s proposal to open a branch campus in Bend. The University is currently competing with Oregon State University for the oppor tunity to open a campus in Central Oregon. Moseley said Oregon University Chancellor Joseph Cox has asked him to not release the final version of the report to the public until Friday so Senate members were only able to review some of the University’s plans for the Bend campus. “This is not a public document it’s a working docu ment,” he said. While many Senate members have expressed their support of the University’s plans to attempt a move into the Bend area, some had doubts about the competitive ness of the University’s liberal arts education in Central Oregon when compared to OSU’s professional programs. Moseley defended the University’s proposal and said he is confident the University’s programs are what Central Oregon wants and needs. “You will see we make a very strong case for what Central Oregon has asked for,” he said. “It is the kind of education that will serve them throughout their ca reer.” Associate Professor of French Barbara Altmann voiced her concerns about what she called a game of “corporate one-upmanship” between the University and OSU over the branch campus. She said she was cu rious what the University’s unspoken agenda was in seeking the branch campus, especially at a time when the University will soon be going to the state legislature to seek funding. “What’s the risk if we don’t go through with this,” she said, “will the balance swing in the legislature?” University President and English Professor James Earl also voiced his displeasure at what has become a contest between the two universities. “I resent that... to bring us down to the wire like two horses running for a prize,” he said. University President Dave Frohnmayer said it was unfortunate the two schools had to compete for the branch campus, but added it was in the University’s best interests to enter the Central Oregon market. “We need to show our outreach in tangible ways,” he said. Chemistry Professor Michael Kellman,who serves on the Senate Budget Committee, described the fund ing plans for the branch campus. He said the first two years would be largely funded by the state. By the cam pus’ fourth or fifth year, Kellman said it should be able to support itself if there was a major withdrawal of state funding. “The most significant thing is that this must not be a financial drain on the Eugene campus,” he said. At the end of the meeting the Senate voted to sup port the University’s proposal. Following Moseley’s report on the branch campus, Vice President for Administration Dan Williams in formed senate members the University is moving ahead with its expansion plans for Autzen stadium to increase football revenues so the University can stop making a $2 million appropriation to the Athletic De partment. This sparked some debate by senators who resented the appropriation in the first place. “The unspoken assumption I see here is that athlet ics must not cut costs,” said Associate Professor of Eng lish Martha Bayless. Athletic Director Bill Moos said the University of Washington has the only athletic department in the Pa cific 10 Conference that can operate on its revenue only. “The only way they can do that is because they have a 76,000 seat stadium that’s full six times a year,” he said, adding the stadium expansion is therefore a key element of ending the University Athletic Departments depend ency on its appropriation. Concluding the meeting was a report by the Univer sity Curriculum Committee on proposed class changes for upcoming terms. The committee compiled a list of over 250 classes that have not been taught in three years to be dropped from the course catalog. This list was unanimously approved by the senate, who also voted to drop the math satisfying part of Computer and Information Science 121. Calendar Thursday, Nov* 30 Russian film and Discussion: Poet and editor Semyon Vilensky, a Soviet Gulag survivor and member of the Russian President's Commission on the Rehabi I itation of Victims of Soviet Political Repression, shows and discusses the documentary film on the Kolyma Gulag, “Stolen Years,” featuring interviews with Vilensky and other former Soviet political prisoners. 7 p.m., Room 240C, Grayson Hall. Free. National Student Exchange Informational Meeting. 3:30 p.m., EMU Coquille Room. Free. 010519 ■■ **®1C0B® To The Site of | *h® New Millennium - ' / fMgjppv where KONST and EXCITEMENT keep GROWING* ^ ^.aSBSF Come Unravel Our Web! ELECTRONICS ROUNDUP Sponsored by BRING Recycling and Lane County Businesses: Friday Dec. I (Call BRING for appt. 746-3023) Public: Saturday Dec. 2, I lam-3pm Only at the Glenwood Central Receiving Station (“The Dump”) 3100 East 17th - off Glenwood Blvd. - Eugene What is accepted: Keyboards, VCR’s, Stereo’s, Fax Machines,Telephones, Answering Machines, Computers, Printers,Tape Decks, O i / etc. Not accepted: TVs and Microwaves $5.00 Donation requested to benefit BRING Recycling 80 of 957 W1UMETTE, Eugene *687-0838 1 ! Jl II J ODE itoriei ore archived on-line at www.doilyefflerald.coni
