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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Wednesday, November 15, 2000
Sex on the Hill: A student uses her painful experience with rape to educate other women.
SEE PAGE 1B
Inside: The Florida vote recount spawns a flurry of confusion - and lawsuits.
SEE PAGE 10B
(USPS 650-640) • VOL. 111 NO. 56 For comments, contact Nathan Willis or Chris Borniger at 864-4810 or e-mail editor@kansan.com
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Pharmacies pull dangerous drug
By Melissa Davis
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
After the Food and Drug Administration's recall last week of the drug phenyl-propanolamine — or PPA — local pharmacies are pulling the drug off their shelves.
The recall came after the FDA estimated that PPA, a drug found in many popular cold suppressants like Robitussin CF, Alka-Seltzer and numerous diet pills, was responsible for 200 to 500 strokes a year among 18 to 49-year-olds.
The advisory board for the FDA suggested that pharmacies pull the drugs containing PPA because new studies showed the drug was linked to hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding in the brain, especially in women.
Laura Hibberts pharmacist at SuperTarget, 3201 Iowa St., said the store
pulled the drugs containing PPA yesterday after the FDA sent out a nationwide recall to the pharmacies, requiring that the drug be pulled from the shelves.
Hibberts said Dexatrim, Acutrim, Robitussin CF, Dimetap, Contact and some Alka-Seltzer products were all pulled, leaving large holes on the shelves with signs explaining why they were pulled.
Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa St., was one of many pharmacies that pulled products containing PPA from its shelves last Tuesday because of the FDA recommendations, said Angel Furman, pharmacist at Wal-Mart.
"People come in looking for their usual decongestants and notice they are gone, but we explain to them why and offer an alternative," she said.
Furman said there was only one alternative to the PPA decongestants, pseudophedrine. The drug was banned by
DRUG RECALL
Some products recalled by FDA:
■ Dexatrim
■ Acutrim
■ Robitussin CF
■ Dimetapp
■ Contact
■ Some Alka-Seltzer products
Source: SuperTarget pharmacy
the International Olympic Committee and cost Romanian gymnast Andreaa Raducan her all-around medal.
Pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient in Sudafe.
Randall Rock, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that the drug was banned because it was considered a performance-enhancing drug, not because it
was unsafe.
Amanda Stinger, Kansas City, Mo., senior, said she knew that products containing PPA were unsafe because her friends would "Robo-trip" on Robitussin cough syrup by drinking a whole bottle, causing hallucinations.
"I don't abuse Robitussin, but I would use the recommended dosage if I was sick," she said. "I'm not scared."
Rock recommended that students not take any drugs containing PPA, even if they took the recommended dosage. He said taking more than the recommended dose could increase the changes of damaging side effects.
"If the FDA says there is a risk of stroke with the suggested dose, then if an individual takes significantly more, that cannot be safe," Rock said.
Edited by Sara Nutt
Grant Wittborn, Olathe senior, sair inverted over farmland in South Lawrence. Wittenborn, who is majoring in aerospace engineer-ing at the University, has been flying since he was 12 years old. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Aerobatics pilot conquers sky
Engineering student overcomes tragedy excels in classroom
By Brooke Hesler Special to the Kansan
When Grant Wittenborn flies his plane upside down, turns loops and does rolls, he doesn't get nauseous. But the fear is there.
Wittenborn. Olathe senior and aerobatics pilot, watched his flight instructor die in a stunt plane crash. His instructor had put his plane into a tailspin — with the plane spinning its center of gravity going downwards. But he couldn't pull out of it, and his plane crashed into the ground.
Wittenborn was only 16 years old when he witnessed the accident.
But the tragedy hasn't kept Wittenborn from pursuing his love of flying. It's in his blood.
"It was the first time I've seen an accident happen," he said. "It stuck with me forever. I can still picture it. I can still see it in my mind."
Wittenborn's father, a Trans World Airlines pilot, was his first teacher. He took Wittenborn up in a plane when he was 12.
"Anything you can picture us doing, we can do it." Wittenborn said.
"That was it," he said. "I was hooked." Wittenborn and his father both compete in aerobatic flying competitions.
In August, they competed against each other in a competition. Wittenborn said he was surprised when he placed second, beating his father, who placed sixth.
"I pretty much rub it in whenever I can," Wittenborn said. "My dad has thousands of hours in the air. I only have about 300. I was surprised when I came in ahead."
Although flying has its moments of glory, that's not to say Wittenborn never gets anxious.
He knows people other than his instructor who have died in accidents. And he has had his own scary experiences.
Once, when he and friend Dan Missimer were trying to land a plane.
they both became disoriented. Missimer, Leawood sophomore, said weather conditions were bad. Rain and heavy fog had made for low visibility. The two relied on the plane's instruments to make the landing.
Missimer said he was glad Wittenborn was in the pilot's seat.
When it came time for college, Wittenborn decided he wanted to study either aviation or aerospace engineering. The decision was a tough one.
"He's a really smart guy." Missimer said. "He's got a cool head, and he's really laid back. I would want him in the pilot's seat over a lot of people."
"I decided not to study aviation because if I had a heart attack when I was 30 and I couldn't fly anymore, then
"He's got a cool head, and he's really laid back. I would want him in the pilot's seat over a lot of people." Dan Missimer
I'd be out of a job permanently," he said. Wittenborn said he liked his aerospace classes even though they were time-consuming.
"To know you're in one of the toughest majors here and you're succeeding — that's pretty gratifying," he said.
Last year was particularly challenging,
but one of Wittenborn's professors, Mark Ewing, said he did very well.
"Junior year, students usually take five very difficult classes," said Ewing, associate professor of aerospace engineering. "I see students in the computer lab at all hours of the night. Grant is a very good student though. If he's got time to be flying airplanes and keeping his grades up, he's done really good."
But although Wittenborn loves engineering, his real passion is flying. It's something he inherited from a person he calls his biggest mentor — his dad.
"He's my best teacher, but he's also the hardest on me," he said. "He always knows when to push harder and when to lay off. He's probably my biggest fan."
- Edited by J. R. Mendoza
Costs clip temperature in campus buildings
By Jason Krali
Kansas staff writer
As Matt Lewis works on lithography in the Art and Design Building late at night, he often shivers from the cold.
"A warmer environment is more conducive towards creativity," the Lecompton sophomore said. "I think that the students who use buildings all night should have the same advantages as those who use them during the day."
But campus buildings won't be warming up any time soon. Provost David Shulenburger issued a memo to deans and department chairs Monday ordering that thermostats be set to 68 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night and on weekends to curb rising natural gas costs for heating.
The memo states that the University stands to pay about $2.37 million for natural gas this year, an increase of almost $1 million from last year.
Gas prices have risen from $3.20 per thousand cubic feet to $5.29, beginning with November's bill, Shulenburger said. The increase reflects rising natural gas costs across the country.
Jim Long, assistant provest, said that thermostats would be set at 60 degrees overnight for art and architecture studios and other late-night facilities but that the thermostats would be turned up if students and faculty complained that the buildings were too cold.
"What we've asked people to do is to let us know of special situations where the temperature may be too low." Long said.
The memo also asks staff members not to use space heaters.
Long said he had received about 125 responses from faculty since a memo last month that warned that the University might have to cut back on natural gas. He said some had complained that their rooms were too cold, while others said the heat was set too high.
During winter break, from Dec. 22 to Jan. 9, thermostats will be set at 65 degrees from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. when the buildings are open. The temperature will be dropped to 55 degrees overnight, according to the memo.
Long said that the thermostats could be set higher during winter break if temperatures got too cold.
"We're just going to try that," he said.
Sarah Brown, Kansas City, Mo., freshman, said she thought 68 degrees was warm enough for classrooms, labs and studios, but 60 degrees would be too cold.
"If it's really cold outside, I like to have it a little warmer," she said. "I like it between 65 and 70."
*Filled by Eoin McDaniel*
The Powerpuff character Buttercup adorns the stomach of Haley Ross, Dodge City junior. Ross's affinity for the cartoon inspired her to get the tattoo. Photo by Jamie Roper/KANSAN.
Cartoons draw pleasure for some students
By Meghan Bainum
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
After a day full of adult stuff such as class and work, many KU students want to kick back, relax and turn on the TV.
Ross said her cartoon of choice was the Powerpuff Girls — a show that features three crime-fighting kindergarten girls with superpowers such as the ability to speak with squirrels.
"It's fun to watch." Ross said. "It's fun to have something that's kind of stupid and fun to take my mind off of other stressful things."
But students such as Haley Ross, Dodge City junior, don't channel-surf to MTV, CNN or ESPN — they head straight for The Cartoon Network
"It's kind of what every little girl aspires to be: to save the world, right all wrongs, fly around and stuff like that." Ross said.
The crime-fighting tots have won more hearts than Ross'. Kent Johnson, executive team leader at Super Target, 3201 Iowa street, said Powerpuff
"We had a lot of guys buying Powerpuff Halloween costumes," Johnson said. "We do see some people come in that like to press the envelope and want to buy some pretty bizarre things, things you wouldn't wear if you were in college."
Girl merchandise was popular with college students, though they might have difficulty finding something in the right size.
Johnson also said trading cards based on popular cartoons such as Pokémon and Digimon were also fairly big sellers with college students.
Cartoons aren't just for kids anymore, Ross said.
"There's a nostalgia factor for watching Superfriends, but it's a terrible show," he said.
"A lot of college students watch Cartoon Network," she said. "Everybody likes cartoons." However, many students such as Chris Eckert, Toneka senior, aren't as focused on one show.
Eckert said he liked to watch rums of whatever was playing late at night on the Cartoon Network. He said cartoons he remembered from childhood still held a place in his heart, though they might be badly made by today's standards.
"They're not pretentious," he said. "It's a quick 5,15,30 minutes of entertainment on TV that you don't have to pay attention to. And it's more visually appealing than most live-action television."
Even if the cartoon is bad, Eckert said, it's still preferable to many shows with real people in them, such as Dawson's Creek or the X-Files.
"The animation is bad, the story is ridiculous. Batman Beyond is a much more entertaining, better cartoon."
The Powerpuff Girls were so appealing to Ross that she impulsively got a small tattoo of Buttercup, her favorite character, on her stomach. Ross said she realized that the cartoon's popularity was probably just a fad and that the crime-fighting kindergartners she loved so much wouldn't be gracing the airwaves forever.
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But that's not curbing her affinity for animation.
"There's no reason I shouldn't be able to still do things like this now," Ross said. "I know lots of people who like cartoons."
- Edited by Sarah Smarsh
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