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8 aryT ,,i981-1 Februa
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VISTA
Tuesday Edition
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
Campus distribution planned
Students form condom company Student Association Senator Lee Allen and a group of students have decided to provide a condom service to students on campus in the wake of Central State University President Bill Lillard's decision to veto a resolution asking for the dispensation of condoms at the Student Health Center. Allen announced the service at a press conference Monday, where he was presented with a box of condoms from Jim Powell, volunteer at the Oasis Community Center, a center that provides services for persons with AIDS. Because of Lillard's decision, students who were hoping to purchase condoms at the Student Health Center will be forced to use the condom service or go elsewhere. Lillard indicated in his veto letter the average age of a CSU student is 27 years old and less than 10 percent of students reside in residence halls. Lillard said in a press conference Monday that the majority of students are married, work and attend only part-time. Therefore, he said, most of the students have daily contact off campus. Dr. Lillard, who said he neither discourages or encourages the use of condoms, felt that students who want to purchase condoms
can find them readily available for sale in places more accessible and open more hours a week than the Student Health Center. Dr. Lillard also expressed concern over legal responsibility on the part of the University if condoms failed. "Since there is a four to ten percent failure rate of condoms, a student could hold CSU responsible," Lillard said. However, Lee Allen, student senator and author of the vetoed legislation, said he didn't think the university could be held liable. "The manufacturers of most major brands of condoms have a disclaimer on their packaging stating they will not be liable for product failure, therefore, how could the University as a vendor be held liable?" Allen asked. Allen also indicated there was no better place to provide preventive medicine than at a medically approved health facility like the Student Health Center. Allen said he felt that students would be more comfortable purchasing condoms from a nurse at the Center than at the local drug store. "It is private and more convenient," Allen said. Allen said that even though it is true there is no 100 percent effective way to prevent the spread of
AIDS other than abstinence, the use of a condom is 98 percent effective and is recommended and endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General for slowing the spread of the disease. Allen said it is contradictory to inform and educate students on the use of condoms in preventing AIDS then not provide the service. That, Allen said, is why he and a group of concerned students have decided to provide a service anyway. The service, called "Captain Condom," will enable students to call a telephone number 24 hours a day and order condoms. The condoms, which Allen said would cost $1.00 for a package of three, will be delivered to the student on campus. Every package will be accompanied by a disclaimer note indicating the user accepts all responsibilities in the use of the condom. "This way there will not be any legal liability," Allen said. The first case of condoms has been provided to the company free of charge by Powell. Allen said the money made from this first case of condoms will enable the group to continue to purchase other cases in the future, with no profit made by the sellers.
_A Photographic Services: Dan Smith
Lee Allen (left) announced the plans of a group of students last week to distribute condoms on campus.
OSU's condom proposals disregarded by staff and town By J. Money Oklahoma State University's Student Government Association has passed a pair of resolutions
concerning condoms. One of the resolutions was similar to a resolution passed by Central State University's Student Association
Senate that CSU President Bill Lillard vetoed Monday. The first of the resolutions asked local business owners to install
condom machines in buildings. The other asked the school's student health center to distribute condoms to students at cost. That organization's bills did not meet the same fate as the condom resolution passed by the CSU senate. OSU's student government association does not send its legislation to the school's president. Instead, the legislation is routed by an administrative assistant to affected departments. Decisions on the approved legislation are made by department heads, rather than by the school's president. But despite the different system, the legislation is not always acted upon. David Williams, chairman of the university committee (part of OSU's student government association), said even though resolutions were passed by almost a unanimous vote, businesses in Stillwater and OSU's student health center haven't done what the resolutions asked.
Photographic Services: Darrin Presley
Two coeds, Cyndi O'Daniel (left) and Patti Jones, took advantage of warmer temperatures Thursday to study in the sun. The warm-up lasted only through the weekend, though.
Annette Wisk, vice president of OSU's student government association, said she was dissappointed that business owners did
not heed the student government's request to put condoms in bars. "But," she added, "the resolution was written for more public awareness about the issue. We wanted to get people to think about AIDS and how to protect themselves." Wisk said the student government association and bill author Thomas L. Qualls were more frustrated when the second resolution asking for condom sales from the student health center was not acted upon. "Dr. Don Cooper, director of the health center, said he decided not to follow the resolution's request because students could buy condoms anywhere," Wisk said. Wisk said even though both resolutions had not been acted on, people had at least read about and become more aware of the issue. Kent Major, president of OSU's student government association, said he did not think Lillard's veto of CSU's State's resolution asking for distribution of condoms through the Student Health Center would affect the decisions of bar owners in Stillwater or administrators at OSU.