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 ■■
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