The Suicide Prevention Team and the University Counseling and Testing Center (UCTC) are offering training to help faculty and staff recognize suicide warnings signs and get students the help they need.

The Suicide Prevention Team meets monthly on Thursdays, 1–2 p.m. to make suicide prevention more prevalent on campus.

Suzie Stadelman is the UCTC Outreach Coordinator and the Suicide Prevention Team Coordinator. She has held this position for a year and has been on the UO campus since 2006.

“Our goal is to train as many people as possible on how to recognize signs, how to communicate with a student, provide support, and how to refer a student to additional campus and community resources,” Stadelman said.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24. According to statistics from Emory University, there are more than 1,000 suicides on college campuses each year.

The UCTC also offers training by request. The actual training sessions run from 1 to 2 hours.

“We can have a session if a department wants a training during a meeting, or we have open training sessions where faculty and staff can sign up and come on their own,” Stadelman said. “It is helpful and preventative to have more education, awareness and knowledge about suicide. We hope to provide regular trainings for students in the future.”

Sophomore Tori Ganahl, a member of the Junior Greek Council, would like to have the sessions offered to Greek Life Chapters.

“Suicide is something that goes unnoticed,” Ganahl said. “With the Greek community growing larger each year, it is important to learn warning signs and ensure our fellow brothers and sisters are getting the help they need and remain safe. We are a very tight-knit community and I would hate to see anyone get hurt because we are not educated in this problem.”

Collegian Residential Assistant Ashlee Peterson was personally affected by suicide when her cousin, a high school senior, took her life three years ago..

“It affected my family and still does to this day,” Peterson said. ” No one saw it coming – if we had been more knowledgeable on the topic we may have seen the warning signs. ”

As a residential assistant, Peterson is in charge of the residents’ safety and well being.

“This type of training would be very beneficial for the Collegian staff and residents to look out for their neighbors. It is also just important in general for everyone to be aware. This could be further avoided with the right knowledge and training and will save a lot of hardships,” Peterson said.

Students are encouraged to use the Suicide Concern form if they become aware of a student who seems at risk for suicide. The Suicide Assessment Team will contact the reporting party and help further facilitate the concern. According to research done by other universities, this intervention is one that can reduce suicide risk on campuses.

You can sign up online for the two sessions this term.

Friday, Nov. 21, 1–3 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 3–5 p.m. (Finals Week)

You can also get more information and insight on their website.

This past week, the central cascades witnessed the first snow fall of the season. What the future holds for residents of Eugene at this point is to be determined.

Justin Stapleton, chief meteorologist for KEZI 9 in Eugene, has been looking deep into the winter ahead of us. “It is difficult to say with certainty what the conditions are going to be this winter,” Stapleton said.

“We do have potential for another substantial winter looking at the computers, but we don’t know when or where it is going to be.” Stapleton stressed the importance of being weather aware throughout the winter. “Know what is going on and have a plan,” Stapleton said. “Make sure you are looking at the info, checking your sources and seeing what is factual and what is not.”

Andre Le Duc serves as the director of the University of Oregon Incident Management Team and as one of the incident commanders for the UO-IMT. “The UO-IMT provides the command and control infrastructure that is required to manage the logistical, fiscal, planning, operational, safety and campus related to any and all incidents and emergencies, including winter storms,” Le Duc said.

The UO-IMT uses the National Incident Command System, meaning that the university can integrate its response with all levels of government.

During snow and ice events both on and off campus students should “avoid walking under or near trees or downed power lines and avoid walking immediately adjacent to buildings.

As heavy snow and ice begin to melt, there is increased risk from roof slides,” Le Duc said. Specifically for ice storms, “ice can increase the weight of braces by 30 times and a half accumulation on power lines can add 500 pounds of extra weight,” Le Duc said.

As a resident in Bean East last year, Bailey Brockley was faced with the aftermath of the ice storm last winter as a tree crashed through her dorm room window.”It took a whole day to chop down the tree and we could not exit the dorm for our safety,” Brockley said.

As an Idaho native, Brockley is used to the snow.

“In Idaho there are heaters under the pavements, so the ice just melts away, I had never seen problems like the ones we had last year,” Brockley said. “Pedestrians also cross the streets with orange flags and cities encourage people to put chains on their cars. The university should put salt on the grounds of campus and plow accordingly. When the snow melts and ice forms is when it gets dangerous.”

Brockley also mentioned that residents of the dorms should consider stocking up on food as residence hall dining was shut down during the storms.

Sophomore Kirsten Allred was on the road when the snow storm hit. “I knew the roads were bad, but I grew up around snow so I didn’t think it was a huge deal,” Allred said.

Allred was driving over the Santiam pass and realized it was too much to handle and even debated turning around.

“Everything was white. I couldn’t see cars coming towards me, and I couldn’t see tail lighting in front of me. I just stayed close to the snow bank on the right side of my car for direction. I cried from the beginning of the pass until I reached my driveway in Bend because I knew I couldn’t turn around!” Allred said.

Students, faculty, and staff should be aware of and make use of the following if a snow storm occurs:
1. UOAlerts — Sign up for alerts to your email and cellular device
2. The Alerts Blog for updates
3. The walking map, especially for snow routes

Yik Yak, an app that allows its users access to a live feed of what people are saying around them, is becoming more popular amongst college campuses across the country.

App users have the opportunity to share their thoughts in a 200-word statement, a yak, while keeping their privacy. They can then upvote a post they like, downvote a post they don’t, and take a glimpse of the curated what’s hot featured content. Participants may also earn yakarma points for posting yaks with numerous upvotes.

Yik Yak has gained more than 240,000 users since its release in November, 2013.

Ashlee Peterson, a residential assistant at the Collegian, an off-campus student housing facility, had no idea what Yik Yak was when she first heard about it. “I would see the moose bear mascot wearing Yik Yak shirts at parties at college campuses, my friends scrolling through the feed and following the app on Instagram. I personally find it hilarious and think they do a decent job keeping it appropriate for the demographic they are targeting.”

According to their website, Yik Yak has been touring the west coast this fall to bring the Yak to 36 different college campuses in 29 different cities and five different states.

Zach Bigley, sophomore resident of the Global Scholars Hall, began using the app after he heard about it from a close friend.

“I think it is great for the campus as long as it is used correctly,” he said. “As for the dorms, from what I have heard, it is a positive app. The other residents love it and it can always make you laugh.”

Austin Donely, also a GSH resident, has seen a definite impact in the dorms. “It’s just another social media outlet for people to go on when they’re bored or trying to avoid doing work. I do think it’s bad that it can be used to talk badly about people you live with or people in your dorm.”

Several college campuses have been actively protesting and even banning the app as a result of treatment of students. “I don’t think it should be banned. The posts mostly just hate on OSU and whichever football team we are playing that week. Most of the name-dropping and inappropriate posts get down-voted pretty quickly,” Bigley said.

According to its terms, Yik Yak reserves the right to terminate access to your account and your ability to post. They can also refuse, delete or remove any submissions that they determine are inappropriate and may report to law enforcement authorities any actions that may be illegal, and any reports they receive of such conduct.

Marissa Sewart, a Walton Complex residential assistant, has not seen a change in atmosphere on campus.

“I think people who use the app see both positive and negative comments and that affects everyone differently,” Sewart said. “Yik Yak can negatively affect the campus atmosphere especially when certain locations or groups are being talked about on the app. It also is another space cyber bullying and harassment can occur, which in my opinion is the major problem facing campus communities.”

If you are an avid Yik Yak user, you should probably learn about the terms you agreed to. You may not:

∙ Violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others.

∙ Use racially or ethnically offensive language.

∙ Discuss or incite illegal activity.

∙ Post anything contrary to our public image, goodwill or reputation.

LifeShel is a technology company creating safety products that hopes to empower individuals and communities.

LifeShel was founded in 2013 at Carnegie Mellon University by a group of engineering students who wanted to work together to help fight sexual assault and domestic violence.

The company is committed to solving issues through its creative technology and emotional connection to loyal customers. Its vision is for a safer world through technology and data innovation. Currently it is based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has raised over $40,000 in its kickstarter.

As a result of its participation in Alphalab Gear, named by CNN as one of the top 10 hot startup accelerators, the team developed the Whistl Case.

The Whistl Case is a one of a kind smart phone case that according to LifeShel: “Aims to connect you with emergency services and your loved ones faster than ever.”

The LifeShel team believes the case is an “all in one package” that includes protective mapping, recording tools to have immediate evidence and an alarm system as loud as the front row of a concert. Its design is driven by the needs of its customers, is the best in its class and further shapes the world we live in. The Whistl case is designed for the iPhone 5, 5s and 6.

The company already had coverage of its innovative work since the launch on Oct. 7 from the White House, CSPAN, NPR, Tech Cocktail, CBS Pittsburgh and other local press.

The case allows you to chose from three different modes: check in mode, panic mode and stealth mode.

The check-in mode will check in on you X amount of minutes and if you do not respond the police and your loved ones will be notified automatically.

Panic mode in two clicks of a button will notify the people around you that you are in danger with an alarm, LED light, and the police and your contacts will automatically be contacted.

By holding down two buttons, the stealth mode will silently notify the police, your family and friends without drawing attention to yourself.

Oct. 19-22 the Forbes Under 30 Summit brought together 1,000+ members of Forbes 30 Under 30 list including business leaders from around the globe to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“It was a crazy long week, but a great honor to pitch in front of the 1,500 people who were hand picked by Forbes to lead the world into the future,” LifeShel CEO Jayon Wang said.

The guests included entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, marketing and media professionals who are all leaders in their fields.

“I did not go to win the money, but rather to go out out and deliver a message,” Wang said.

Kerry Frazee, the Director of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education at the University of Oregon, stated that she would recommend the case to students.

“There is something assuring about knowing the police and your emergency community are moments away to protect you from danger,” Frazee said.

She further notes that “integrating this case on campus could be powerful when accompanied by further education about sexual violence and other methods for prevention.”

Jade Young, sophomore biology student, believes the Whistl case is a great idea: “With sexual assault so prevalent on college campuses, its nice to have reassurance that you will be able to handle the situation better.”

LifeShel plans to keep pushing as it continues to develop and refine its products.

Join LifeShel on Facebook and Twitter and help the company get the word out about its Kickstarter campaign. You can preorder your very own Whistl case for $57.

Follow Hailey Geller on Twitter @hgeller30

Recent medical studies conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts lends support to the theory that our genes may be to blame for some of the most outrageous coffee addictions.

Scientists can confirm identifying six new and exciting gene variations linked directly to the correlation between coffee and caffeine consumption. In various studies, 120,000 regular coffee drinkers and their daily caffeine intake levels were analyzed and monitored. “Those participants had described how much coffee they drink a day and allowed their DNA to be scanned. The new work looked for minute differences in their DNA that were associated with drinking more or less coffee.”

Bridget Davis, a junior at the University of Oregon, is a self-proclaimed coffee addict, “I drink at least one cup of coffee a day. I can not function in the morning whatsoever without caffeine.”

Individuals whose bodies absorb caffeine quickly are more likely to drink more coffee. Marilyn Cornelis, the lead research associate in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health states, “They lose the effect of coffee quickly, which drives them to have more.”

Four of the six new variants implicate genes that are involved with caffeine, either in how the body breaks it down or in its stimulating effects, the researchers said in a paper published in “Molecular Psychiatry.”

“The two other newly implicated genes were a surprise because there’s no clear biological link to coffee or caffeine,” Cornelis said. They are instead involved with cholesterol levels and blood sugar.

Sophomore Helen Parkey believes coffee addiction is real as she deals with it first hand every day. “With any addiction you get withdrawals, the headache is a sign of withdrawal for me,” she said.

Parkey also mentioned that she religiously gets coffee every morning at 10 am. “If I do not have caffeine I will unquestionably get a headache because my system is so dependent on caffeine.”

University of Oregon Junior and EMU Outlets Barista Paige Whitaker has seen coffee addicts first hand.

“There are regulars who come in almost every day to get coffee throughout the day. A lot of people use coffee to help them study or get through a long day of classes,” she said.

Addictions to coffee can vary. Some people may be addicted because it makes them feel energized and awake in the morning, while others are addicted because it allows them to stay up late while studying.

Marian Neuhouser, a nutrition researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and the study’s co-author, said “Identifying genes related to consumption may one day help doctors identify patients who need extra help in cutting down on coffee, if recommended.”

None of the identified genetic variants were related to how intensely a person tastes coffee, Cornelis said that surprised her.

She doesn’t drink coffee, she said, because she “can’t stand the stuff.”

The University of Oregon Student Veteran Center will be hosting a kickoff party located in EMU South (McArthur Court) on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 5 p.m.

The event will begin in McArthur Court for a brief orientation. After there is a follow-up and walk over to Pegasus Pizza at 5:30 p.m. for more information, announcements and a preview of upcoming events for the remainder of the term.

The UOSVC is committed to providing student veterans with a supportive community to call their own.

“The transition from military life to a college academic setting can be quite challenging,” UOSVC office assistant and social media coordinator Candace Johnson said.

The kickoff party is celebrating one of the most crucial mentor programs the UOSVC has to offer, Dog Tags to Ducks. Dog Tags to Ducks is all about “building personal relationships, giving veterans the ability to learn firsthand about career development, scholarships, resources, academic assistance and counseling,” former UOSVC programs coordinator Michael Tieman said.

If you have any further questions about the event or would like more information about UOSVC, please contact one of the women listed below:

Justine Carpenter, Director of Nontraditional Student Engagement and Success: justcarp@uoregon.edu

Stacey Vasquez, Veterans Program Coordinator of the UOSVC: uoveterans@uoregon.edu

Candace Johnson, Office Assistant and Social Media Coordinator for the UOSVC: candacej@uoregon.edu

Over the past 50 years, condoms have hardly changed in structure and material. Testing the safety of condoms is just as old-fashioned, according to Richard Chartoff, a research professor at the University of Oregon.

“They fill condoms with water and look for leakage,” he says. “They also have air inflation tests. They’re really just looking for holes, not testing the strength of the condom.”

In September, Bill Gates offered 11 grants of $100,000 to inventors in an attempt to develop the “next generation “of condoms. Chartoff’s unique scientific proposal was one of the 11 recipients awarded. The Gates Foundation received a total of 812 applications for their condom challenge.

Chartoff plans to utilize his scientific knowledge of polymers to construct what he feels will be the next generation of condoms. Chartoff will create a polyurethane condom that would create a seal around the penis and would be less than half the thickness of condoms available now. It will have a stronger and more reliable construction, will be half the thickness of condoms currently on the market, will be one size fits all, and will contain drugs to combat sexually transmitted illnesses and viruses.

In the last month alone, huge progress has occurred in the overall development of an ultra-thin, skin-like condom, according to Chartoff. This new condom offers increased sexual pleasure while decreasing the spread of sexually transmitted illnesses.

The Seattle-based Gates Foundation announced it could provide additional funding of up to $1 million to further develop this new generation of condoms that would “enhance the pleasure so as to increase uptake.” Chartoff expects to get that extra funding.

Chartoff and the UO research team plans to collaborate on the project with scientists from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, which specializes in rubber. If the team is successful, they’ll have a chance at a second grant of as much as $1 million to determine how to mass-produce the item and bring it to market.

“I get a lot of enjoyment out of creating something interesting that helps people,” Chartoff said.

According to statistics of reported STD cases from Lane County Public Health, Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhea are on the rise in the county. Chlamydia continues to have the highest case counts of any reportable disease in the county. According to LCPH, in the first 10 months of 2011, they received 1,079 reports of chlamydia and cases rose 40% between 2012 and 2013.

University of Oregon sophomore Lisa Loscutoff said the development made her “hopeful for the future.”

“I definitely think this will make people more willing to use condoms and protect themselves,” she said.

The Gates Foundation is contributing to several world health efforts as they develop several new injections, contraceptives, and medications for diseases such as HIV and AIDS.

For those late nights on or off the University of Oregon campus, Safe Ride and Designated Driver Shuttle, both provide free transportation for students, faculty and staff.

These programs are funded by the ASUO, and ensure that safety continues to be a primary focus at the UO. Both programs believe they have a duty to uphold their mission of providing free and comfortable services for any student.

“Making students feel like they have the option to stay at the library longer or hang out at a friend’s house until it’s late without the concern of being in danger while walking home is definitely a bonus,” DDS employee Krissy Craig said.

Safe Ride operates four minivans, which serves around 60 people per night. Safe Ride is also a member of the UO’s Alliance for Sexual Assault Prevention. These transportation services cater to a large number of individuals on a daily basis, therefore calling in advance is in your best interest.

Wait times may exist, as sophomore UO student Victoria Robitaille experienced.

“I’ve tried using safe ride but they are always busy with a wait time of at least four hours,” Robitaille said.

DDS hopes to protect fellow students from drinking irresponsibly and promote alcohol awareness on campus.

“We simply look for students who will be responsible, attentive and enthusiastic about the work that we do,” said Lorin Anderberg, director of DDS. “We work really late hours so it is important that our staff is able to remain nimble and prepared throughout the night.”

Like any other college town, Eugene must be taken seriously after dark. Being proactive and smart with your choices is imperative.

“No one should have to walk home alone or feel unsafe in their community, especially at night,” Anderberg said. “There is a sense of danger that comes with nightfall. The idea of increased risk of violence, getting lost or experiencing reckless driving that can happen in any town, particularly after dark.”

Robitaille encourages students to “always walk in groups, avoid alleys, parks and the cemetery and if possible, always walk along brightly lit paths, but most importantly never walk home alone.”

You also can use the EMX buses for free or one of the many cab companies Eugene has to offer for late night student pick-ups. The fee is relatively inexpensive, and cabs run and provide service around the clock.

Safe Ride operates Sunday through Thursday from 6 p.m-12 a.m., and Friday-Saturday 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Call Safe Ride at (541) 346-RIDE, extension 2.

DDS is open every night from 10 p.m.-2:30 p.m., and can be contacted at (541) 346-0442,  extension 1.

If you are in danger, please call 911. The University of Oregon Police non-emergency line is (541) 346-2919.

As fall arrives on campus and University of Oregon students finish unpacking the last of their boxes and begin to call Eugene home, a change in season could cause illness for these new Eugene residents.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that, “Everyone six months and older get immunized against the flu, unless there’s a medical reason not to.”

Each year thousands of people in the United States die from influenza, more commonly known as the flu. The flu is a highly contagious illness that stretches across the United States every year during the flu season, October through May. The flu is most commonly spread by coughing, sneezing and close contact, and can live on surfaces for at least eight hours.

Some of the symptoms include, but are not limited to: fever, chills, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, cough, fatigue and headaches.

So what can students do to prevent the contraction of the flu?

The conventional flu vaccine is a shot created from dead influenza viruses that are injected into the muscle of the upper arm. When the solution enters the body, it triggers an immune response, which causes the body to produce antibodies against the strains. As the flu virus strains are continuously changing, each year a new flu vaccine is created and administered to help protect against three or four likely virus strains specific to that year.

It is not widely known that a quadrivalent or four-strain flu shot is available. Typically if you go to a pharmacy or primary care physician they will only provide you with a trivalent or three-strain flu shot which protects against Influenza A (H1N1), Influenza A (H3N2), and an Influenza B strain. The quadrivalent shot provides you with protection against the same three strains as the trivalent, but also gives you resistance against an extra Influenza B strain.

Tori Ganahl, a UO sophomore gets the flu shot every year. “I usually have a pretty good reaction to the shot. This year I got sicker than usual though,” Ganahl said.

According to the pharmacy technicians at Walgreens, this type of reaction is normal. “If these problems occur, they usually begin right after receiving the shot and can last for a couple of days.”

A nasal flu vaccine (FluMist) option is available at some pharmacy locations for those patients who screech at the sight of needles. The mist is a live, weakened virus administered through a nasal spray that triggers an immune response similar to the vaccine.

Safeway Pharmacy Manager Dr. Harold Bucholtz advised that, “The mist may have more severe side effects than the shot, you may indeed feel some flu-like symptoms.” Dr. Bucholtz also added that the most common complaint he hears about the mist is, “The irritation it causes to the sinuses”

Keep in mind that a two to three week window is necessary prior to the vaccine becoming effective. The vaccine is then effective for several months to a year.

Other precautions to take are frequently washing your hands, properly disinfecting all surfaces, covering your coughs and sneezes, staying home if you are sick and getting the flu shot if you have not already.

Flu shots are available at most local pharmacies, primary care offices and the UO Health Center.