Thursday, April 30, 1998
Community Briefs
Arts, politics to collide in elections Monday
On Monday, if you see a magnetic poetry board in Royce Quad, don't be alarmed.
The Student Committee for the Arts is sponsoring the board's placement in the quad "so people can express their views on affirmative action, whether positive or negative," said Ben Estabrook, a representative for the committee, which also subsidizes student tickets and sponsors programs like Jazz at the Wadsworth.
In addition, since Monday is the last day voters can register for the upcoming elections, the committee will be distributing voter registration sheets. They will be out in the quad between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
UC president moves to new headquarters
Employees with the University of California Office of the President moved into the new building in downtown Oakland last week. The new headquarters are located across the street from the original site of the University of California, which opened 130 years ago.
Construction on the new headquarters began in October 1996. The building, which contains eight stories of office space and five levels of parking, has a price tag of $38.2 million.
UC leased the former headquarters from the Kaiser Center in Oakland, and UC officials estimate that by purchasing this new building the university will save at least $1 million a year.
Remixed Rohypnol reduces rape risks
Many changes in the drug Rohypnol have lessened its chances of being used to sexually assault women.
Because of Rohypnol's suspected use in sexual assaults, Hoffman-La Roche, the manufacturer of the drug, has reformulated the drug, said Gail Safian, a representative of the company.
Rohypnol, which has been labeled as the "date rape drug," is a tranquilizer prescribed for insomnia in Europe and Mexico.
The drug can be used in conjunction with a sexual assault when dissolved in the drinks of victims, leaving them with memory loss as if they had been heavily intoxicated.
In hopes of preventing future sexual assaults, Rohypnol now emits a blue dye that alters the hue of a light-colored beverage.
A special coating, which makes the drug dissolve more slowly, has also been added, Safian said.
"If half of the pill is still intact, the person could theoretically see it and know something is up," Safian added.
However, the new reformulation has not yet passed the FDA-like testing and approvals in most countries.
The drug should be available in Mexico by the end of the year, Safian said.
Beware of dangerous, defective toasters
In response to the continuing numbers of Black & Decker toasters causing food fires, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is redoubling its efforts to warn consumers of these toasters. Discontinued two years ago, Black & Decker Space Optima T1000 toasters have caused more than a thousand food fires since their appearance on the market in 1994.
"The toasters are being recalled because they can allow food to catch on fire, and when the toaster door automatically opens..., flames from the food can escape the unit and expose kitchen cabinets and their contents to the fire," the agency said.
Sold from $50 to $64, owners can trade the defective toasters in for a free toaster or for a choice of other selected Black & Decker products. To arrange a recall, call Black & Decker.
Compiled from Daily Bruin wire and staff reports.