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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1987)
ant life pm Baa e\c: bt iri» i i jsai eijli Ion na: vei Irani CE WOE wri: wan| lie, fel «l 1 f k Friday, May 1, 1987/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local Official: Lawyers work to help students Service at A&M offers legal advice By Cray Pixley Reporter For students who have faced a problem that can’t be resolved with out professional legal advice, there is a place to turn for answers — right on the Texas A&M campus. Housed in Bizzell Hall West, the Students’ Legal Department advises a steady stream of students with le gal questions ranging f rom landlord- tenant problems to drawing up pow ers of attorney. The department is supported through student service fees, and students aren’t charged any additio nal fees unless the case goes to court, says Alex A. Walter, the depart ment's assistant students’ legal ad viser. When cases involve litigation, students are responsible only for court and f iling fees, Walter says. fhe department, which has been on campus for 13 years, advises stu dents on virtually all matters, but can only represent students in court on consumer—protection matters, he says. “We cannot litigate all cases, and lor those we will refer the students to a private attorney,” he says. “We can advise students on minor crimi nal matters or real estate and tax matters, but we do not represent them in court. “Consumer-protection cases are not clearly defined. The students’ le gal department ultimately decides what is and what is not a consumer- protection case.” Consumer-protection cases han dled by the department’s two full time licensed attorneys include land lord-tenant problems, divorces, adoptions, auto accidents and traf fic tickets. “The majority of cases we handle are landlord-tenant problems that usually involve a landlord’s failure to return a security deposit to the te nant,” Walter says. “Because of the number of landlord-tenant cases we handle, I feel many students have the misconception that this is the only type of problem to bring to the department.” But Walter says the department also does a great deal of legal draft ing work. “Students see us to draw up pow ers of attorney, wills and contracts,” he says. “Occasionally, students come in to obtain advice about incor porating a business, and we can pre pare the papers for them.” Walter says the department pre pares assumption of risk papers for student groups planning outings. “Students may be unaware of the many services that the department offers,” Walter says. The Students’ Legal Department doesn’t advertise its services and re ceives most of its business through referrals f rom campus departments. “W’e get a lot of business concern ing landlord problems from the Off- Campus Housing Center,” Walter savs. “A student will often go to the center if he has landlord dif ficulties; if the student has a legal problem it can’t handle, the center will refer the student to our department.” Even without advertisements, the department does advise a large number of students. Its monthly ac tivity report shows that 478 students visited the department for advice from January 1987 to March 1987. Clark Carpenter, an A&M grad uate who works in the department, says both attorneys do an enormous amount of paperwork f or students. “They write many letters to land lords f or students and prepare docu ments,” Carpenter says. “There is a large amount of paperwork involved with running the department.” The department does, however, have some restrictions on the types of cases it handles. “The department cannot rep resent one student against another student because the department’s purpose is to represent all students,” Walter says. “It wotdd be a conflict of interest to do otherwise. “We also cannot represent a stu dent against a part of the Universi ty” The Students’ Legal Department is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students needing legal advice must schedule appointments on Thursdays for the next working week. Although the scheduling of ap pointments is handled in advance, the department does handle emer gencies as quickly as possible, Walter savs. “7 he majority of cases we handle are landlord-tenant problems that usually involve a landlord's failure to re turn a security deposit to the tenant. ” — Alex A. Walter, assistant legal adviser A&M counseling office helps students overcome physical, mental test stress Biofeedback muscle relaxation offered as ways to cope By Suna Purser Repot ter Few students finish their college careers without having suffered from exam stress at some time. Dr. Ludy Benjamin Jr., a Texas A&M psychology professor, says there are two kinds of problems as sociated with exam stress. “First, there is a physical arousal, such as perspiring or rapid heart beat," he says. “ These conditions ex ist before and/or during a testing sit uation. “Secondlv, there is a cognitive problem. People think negatively about themselves and their ability to perform under the pressure of tak ing an exam.” Benjamin says this stressful condi tion may persist after students have successfully proven themselves in the testing room many times. Some causes of exam stress in clude personal insecurity and self- Correction A story in Thursday’s issue of The Battalion incorrectly identi fied a Texas A&M organization as the Mexican Democrats of America and as the Mexican- American Democrats of Texas. The correct name is the Mexican- American Democrats of Texas A&M. doubt, or pressure to successfully compete against other students. “They (students) have irrational and negative thoughts about them selves," he says. “Before a test, they may tell themselves, ‘I’m not pre pared for this exam,’ or ‘ I he other students are brighter than I am.’ To eliminate exam stress, students must overcome both the physical and cognitive problems, he says. Professionals treat the condition using such techniques as biof eedback and muscle relaxation. People who use the biofeedback method learn to modify involuntary body functions (such as blood pres sure or heartbeat) with the help of electronic devices. This technique allows a person to gain control over certain emotional states such as anxiety or depression. The Texas A&M Student Coun seling Service uses biofeedback and muscle relaxation in its Test Anxiety PANHANDLE (AP) — One of three men who refused to eat after being jailed for blocking the en trance to the Pantex nuclear weap ons assembly plant said he hopes their fast provokes debate on the ar mament issue. The three are part of a group dubbed “The Pantex Seven” who Workshop, says Carlos Macossay, a student worker in the office. “The counseling service uses two primary techniques — muscle relax ation and biofeedback,” he says. “To use the biofeedback equipment, a thermometer is taped to the hand, which constantly monitors tempera- lute. Heart rate is also monitored. A rise in temperature indicates a re laxed condition.” Workshop activities include listen ing to three tapes while using the bi ofeedback equipment, he says. During counseling office hours, students come in and listen to each tape for two weeks at their conve nience. The first tape talks about the im portance of learning to tighten and relax muscles, he says. This teaches students the benefit of being able to control bodily func tions (such as heartbeat), which re sults in a more relaxed condition. were arrested Aug. 10 outside the Pantex plant about 17 miles north east of Amarillo on U.S. Highway 60. Four other men pleaded guilty last week to misdemeanor charges of blocking the entrance to the plant and paid $600 fines. Carson County Jail officials have Students monitor their tempera tures while listening to the tapes. The second tape talks about imag ery and the importance of devel oping a positive self-image. This tape stresses self-worth and positive thinking, Macossay says. The third tape instructs the stu dents on how to relax in outer situa tions (conditions outside the con- trolled environment). This includes maintaining control in an exam set ting, as well other stressful situa tions. This semester’s workshop has met twice (Feb. 17 and April 7). For those interested in learning more about using the biofeedback equipment without participating in the anxiety workshop, one-hour training sessions are available every Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., he says. After training, students then may make appointments to use the equipment during of f ice hours. tried for the last three weeks to feed the three Houston men, who were sentenced to 40 days in jail. Greg LeRoy, 29, Charles Perez, 36, and Jimmy Clark, 19, have taken only liquids while in jail. They said they fasted to protest their imprison ment and to publicize the nuclear arms issue. 3 in jail protest nuclear arms by fasting COUPON 2 FORI 5XT’s Buy 1-5 X 7 at regular price ($2.75) & get 2nd FREE One (1) coupon per customer per order. Not good with any other offer. Not applicable to charge customer, 135 mm negs only! Expires 8-31-87 Both prints from same negative. 110 Dominik (at Culpepper Plaza) 764-0601 .COUPON. Manor East Mall 779-0402 We carry: anraba 110 College Main Northgate CYC US. INC Come by by May 2 for Northgate's Sidewalk Sale We got What it Takes When it Comes to Bikes Bianchi SPECIALIZED % SEE! 846-BIKE D. ID. 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