ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 24, 1996 TAG: 9612240088
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: What's On Your Mind?
SOURCE: RAY REED
Q: I was enjoying this year's Stagg Bowl just like Stagg Bowls of the past. But when our group attempted to return to our car at halftime to finish off our tailgate food and coffee, we were told that without a VIP pass we would not be readmitted for the second half of the game. In previous years, we were able to go to the parking lot at halftime and return for the second half. Who changed the rules? Why? And what's a VIP pass?
R.L., Roanoke
A: The rules didn't change; the gatekeepers were just enforcing a standing NCAA requirement that people must have a ticket when entering a championship event.
Fans weren't supposed to re-enter after halftime in past years either, but the gatekeepers apparently let people go - possibly because it was cold or wet.
That's the explanation from Carey Harveycutter, game director for the Division III football championship.
New arrangements next year will let people return to their cars at halftime, Harveycutter said.
He got an agreement from NCAA officials to let gatekeepers mark people's wrists with an ink stamp if they leave during the game.
At NCAA championship events, the ticket window remains open throughout the game to make sure everyone has a ticket - and keep crowd size from exceeding a stadium's capacity.
The VIP pass this year was for people with clearance to enter the Kroger hospitality tent, which was large and had to be set up outside the stadium.
(In another part of your question, you explained convincingly that coffee was indeed the beverage you needed at halftime.)
Drug-test question
Q: What is in ibuprofen that is mistaken for illegal drugs? I understand that some drug tests will find this, even though it's not an illegal drug.
L.J., Roanoke
A: This pain reliever does not show up positive in any of the newer test kits used for employee drug screening.
One test kit introduced about 10 years ago gave a false-positive for marijuana if the person had taken Advil, Nuprin, or similar over-the-counter products containing ibuprofen.
A confirmation test was needed to clear up suspicion.
Labor unions and employers quickly alerted people who had to take the tests - train crews, among others - that they should report taking ibuprofen before submitting to the test.
The test kit's formula was altered to prevent the false result on ibuprofen, which had a chemical structure that the test kit read as the marijuana metabolite.
The potential error never was a problem for other test-kit brands, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in Rockville, Md.
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Call us at 981-3118. Or, e-mail RayR@Roanoke.Infi.Net. Maybe we can find the answer.
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