Monday, November 30, 1987 / University Daily Kansan Darkroom Continued from p. 2B cope as best they can At University Photographic Services in the art and design building, supervisor Gordon Holland has made small adjustments to cope with weak ventilation. "Better to do that than to wait and hope," he said. Holland said he had not had significant health problems in 15 years of working in darkrooms. "But at the same time, about half the people I've worked with have had some sort of problem," he said. The photographic services darkrooms share a hallway in a corner of the bottom level of the building, where Holland uses fans and keeps the doors of the darkroom open to improve ventilation. Holland stopped using acetic acid, one of the most offensive common photographic chemicals. He replaced it with vinegar, which contains some acetic acid. Vinegar does the job just as well, he said. Holland said he would like to have hoods over trays of chemicals and better ventilation in his darkrooms. Lee Mann, chairman of the design department, said a group of professors was starting to examine what needed to be done about ventilation in the art and design building's darkrooms. Mann stopped doing darkroom work about eight years ago when she started having allergic reactions to chemicals used in color film processing. Her allergic reactions occurred because of a change in the makeup of some chemicals, which since have changed back, she said. Earl Iversen, associate professor of design and member of the darkroom study group, said that the darkrooms were designed to very specific standards and that students were not in danger. In recent years, however, there has been new information on the dangers of the chemicals, which he is researching. It did not take much research for Shari Hagen, graphic designer for the division of biological sciences in Haworth Hall, to decide she needed better ventilation in the darkroom she used. Hagen developed severe allergic reactions to darkroom chemicals several years ago. To continue darkroom work, she and a friend designed The new hood is made out of clear plastic and stainless steel. It covers the darkroom sink like a salad bar hood, preventing fumes from reaching Hagen's face. Overlapping flexible plastic strips hang off the edge of the hood to help contain fumes while allowing access to the sink. Fumes are pulled through two pipes by a fan that Hagen controls. a protective hood that fits over her darkroom sink. Using departmental money, they installed a hood that facilities planning later upgraded with money earmarked for the building's remod- Hagen said she didn't know whether the hood pulled as much air through as was needed. But she said that if it hadn't been installed, she probably would have had to quit. "It depends on how much you want to do your job and not be bothered by fumes," she said. "I would rather work with this than without it. In fact, I probably could not work without it." Steve Cater said that, ideally, all darkrooms on campus should have similar setups for the safety of the people who work in them. A KU TRADITION SINCE 1978 Clip These Holiday "Finals" Specials DELIVERY Fast, Friendly & FREE 842-3232 Try our NEW "THIN STYLE" Crust or of course our ORIGINAL GOLDEN BRAIDED Crust 14th & OHIO (UNDER THE WHEEL) WEEKLY SPECIALS Comedy Shop $1.50 Well Drinks .75ยข Draft Beer Wednesday- Import Night No Cover Charge $1.50 Premium Drinks $1.00 Well Drinks Specially Priced Import Beers Thursday - The Weekend Begins 50c Well Drinks & Shots 5c Draft Beer Weekend- No Cover Charge Before 10:00p.m.