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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2004)
JAPAN continued from page 1 in the Japanese yukata, a tra ditional piece of Japanese clothing. The night also included an interactive space, featuring six mini-game booths. Stage events were unveiled with a fully collaborated opening ceremony — the mikoshi performance — as JSO members carried a portable shrine up and down and pa raded around the audience chanting "Washoi (Heave ho)! Washoi!" Performances included a koto concert eisa dancing and a folk dance that originated from Japan's Okinawa culture "Japan is not only about the culture of anime samurai or that sort of thing" sophomore Robyn McLeod said. A Japanese meal, called a bento dinner, was also served at the event. It includ ed rice, curry chicken, yaki tori — a type of barbecued chicken — pork yaki udon noodle and oshiruko desert — a hot, sweet soup made with red beans and rice cake. Chun Yuan Yang an inter national student from Tai wan, said she enjoyed the Japanese desert and the team work of the Japanese group. "For Japan, they seem to have a lot more of group work," Yang said. "Their cul tural things seem to be really Danielle Hickey Photo Editor Graduate student Scott King (right) serves freshman Yen Tung (left) bento at Japan Night Saturday night in the EMU Ballroom. strong, and everyone is trying to get involved. In Taiwan, young people don't become involved that much." ISO Co-President Yasushi Koda said it is important that people who aren't familiar with the Japanese culture learn about it and get some idea of who Japanese people really are. "We're glad that we can demonstrate a true represen tation of our everyday lives here in the United States," he said. "It'll be awesome that people recognize differences but still form mutual respect and friendship." Kawasaki said he has hopes for friendship and diversity through JSO. "UO can become a real happening place," Gori said. "With diversity on campus, say, people from more than 50 countries get together here, UO lets us form that sort of friendship and grow us a whole lot." Noriko Miyazaki is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. CAMPUS BUZZ Tuesday Filemaker Pro Essentials Mentor Group, Room No. 116, Education, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Education faculty member Mary Harrsch will facili tate the design of databases using Filemaker Pro 5.5 and 6.0. No reservations required. FDA evaluating Plan B for over-the-counter use The controversial and popular momingafter pill could be available for use without a prescription By Lisa Catto News Reporter A brand of the morning-after pill may soon be available over the counter, and female students could be able to go to the drug store instead of the doctor to ob tain emergency contraception. The Women's Capital Corpo ration submitted an application in April 2003 to the Food and Drug Administration to switch Plan B (Levonorgestrel), a brand of emergency contracep tion, from prescription to over the-counter use. The FDA Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs met on Dec. 16, 2003, to dis cuss whether Plan B met regu latory requirements for non prescription marketing and hear testimony regarding WCC's application. The joint committee delib erated many questions when considering the application, such as whether Plan B has low misuse and abuse poten tial and whether the product is safe during use, according to the meeting agenda. The committee recommend ed 23-4 that Plan B be made available over the counter, and the FDA must now consider the recommendation. The FDA's decision is expected in February, but no meeting date has been set, according to the FDA's Web site. The morning-after pill is a backup method to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or a contraceptive accident. It should be taken within 72 hours of intercourse with a sec ond dose taken 12 hours later. According to Plan B's Web site, it can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent when used correctly. If used within 24 hours of intercourse, it can re duce the risk of pregnancy by 95 percent. The Web site states that the level of effectiveness decreases as time passes, so it should be taken as soon after unprotected sex as possible. Plan B works in two ways: It can either delay ovulation or pre vent fertilization, or it can prevent an embryo from implanting in the woman's womb. Many women's health organ izations, such as Planned Parenthood of the Colum bia/Willamette branch, are in support of making Plan B avail able over the counter. "Emergency contraception is safe and effective and is the best way to prevent unintended preg nancy in cases of contraceptive failure," said Linda Bryant assis tant medical director of the Co lumbia/Willamette branch of Planned Parenthood. "Wide spread use of this medication could prevent thousands of un intended pregnancies in Ore gon. "But Oregon Right to Life Executive Director Gayle Atte berry said the morning-after pill is misnamed because it does not always act as a contraceptive. Atteberry said in some cases emergency contraception can delay ovulation or prevent the egg from being fertilized, and in those cases, ORTL supports the pill. In other cases, she said, emer gency contraception prevents implantation of a growing em bryo in a woman's womb. Atte berry said that once an egg is fertilized, it grows into an em bryo over about eight days, then plants itself in the womb. ORTL does not support the use of the morning-after pill at this stage because it acts as an abortion. "Oregon Right to Life takes no stand on legitimate contracep tives," Atteberry said. "But we don't support abortion." As of now, the organization has taken a neutral stance on emergency contraception and the possibility of Plan B being offered over the counter be cause it says there's no way to tell exactly how the morning-af ter pill will work on a woman. Contact the crime/health/ safety reporter at tisacatto@dailyemerald.com. "Life's most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" -MLK Jr. Wed. Jan. 21st - Thurs. Jan. 22nd EMU Concourse, 10AM to 3PM
