Monday, September 14, 1987/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local diet; A&M graduate seeks railroad panel seat what we all havei: r need for guidam, experiencing trau; /ill all be able toco; at them.” TheGoot a perfect smile.“ft i like to introduce lkxI up in the com tight miniskirtanc lipstick. d, “my nameisBii rority.” )h," said thegrou; senior political to i/umnist forTht MAflai By Drew Leder Staff Writer I Texas must expedite oil and gas drilling to create more jobs for Tex ans, a candidate for the Texas Rail road Commission said at a press con ference Friday. ■ State Rep. Clint Hackney, a 1974 Texas A&M graduate seeking elec tion to the commission in 1988, stopped at the College Station Ra- mada Inn during a 28-city campaign tl'P- ■ “The more people we have dril ling, the more Texans have jobs,” Hackney, D-Houston, said. “Drilling etjuals jobs.” I The 35-year-old senator an nounced Aug. 17 that he would run for the commission seat vacated when Chairman Mack Wallace re signed recently. Wallace’s seat, which would have expired in 1990, currently is held by former U.S. Rep. Kent Hance, who was ap pointed by Gov. Bill Clements after Wallace resigned. I Hackney said he had planned to run against Democrat Jim Nugent, whose term expires in 1988, but Vyallace’s resignation gave him the portunity to seek election without mpeting against another Demo at. “I would much rather spend my time and my efforts campaigning fcainst and unseating a Bill Clem ents appointee than I would running jggainst a fellow Democrat,” he said. Hackney has served on the House Transportation Committee and is Chairman of the Energy Committee, which passes legislation affecting the Railroad Commission. I Hackney said the state could in crease oil and gas production by sim plifying and quickening the drilling application process. I “One way to expedite drilling and producing in Texas is to cut red ta pe,” he said. I The Railroad Commission is the state agency that regulates oil and gas production and transportation. It considers applications for any oil and gas drilling that is done in the Rate. I Hackney said the amount of time the commission takes to approve permit applications is hurting the in dustry. Housing Center starts program SHARE provides assistance to students living off campus State Rep. Clink Hackney Hackney, citing low oil prices and the Financial risks involved with dril ling as reasons for decreasing oil production in Texas, said the situa tion called for increased tax incen tives for drillers. “With proper incentives from the Railroad Commission and the tax structure, you don’t have to have the price of oil at $30 a barrel (to in crease drilling),” he said. Hackney used model trains, com paring a steam engine to a high- technology model, to demonstrate where he would like to see the Rail road Commission go, with him aboard, in the future. He proposed that intensive research be done in the field of superconductivity in or der to develop a safe and efficient high-speed railway system. “I pledge to bring private industry into a partnership with university re searchers to see if we can use the lat est technology (superconductors) in practical ways,” he said. According to a press release, Hackney expects to have a supercon ductive train system in Texas by the year 2000. Hackney also said he would work to control environmental pollution resulting from oil and gas drilling. There now is a dangerous problem with toxic chemicals being left be hind at drilling sites at well stops, he said. By Jill Radenbaugh Reporter Help for students living off campus will be just a few doors down, thanks to a new program being introduced by the Off- Campus Housing Center. Students Helping Aggies Ev erywhere, or SHARE, will pro vide assistance for off-campus Aggies that is close to home and available when the Off-Campus Center is closed. “The is a major out- : program reach effort on the part of the Off-Campus Housing Center,” said Nancy Thompson, off-cam- pus adviser. “The goal of the pro gram is simply to make life off campus better for Texas A&M University students.” The program’s success is achieved by having trained volun teers available to answer ques tions, provide information or refer students to on-campus of fices, Thompson said. The volunteers can refer these students directly from the apart ment complexes where the stu dents are living, she said. The SHARE staff will be avail able to students 24 hours a day, she said. Each of their phone numbers will be posted at the off- campus center and at various places around campus. SHARE started this fall with seven members and is expected to grow in the future, she said. The group started with charter members Don Harvey, John Bur nett, Pam Polk, Carolyn Whitten, Chris Masi, Rob Liles and Eddie Saucedo, who are all campus leaders. Campus leaders were chosen as staff members to ensure that the program would start out in the right direction, Thompson said. Members started their training in August and will continue their training throughout the semes ter, she said. Training consists of several workshops, meetings and volun teer time each week in the off- campus center, she said. Each member is required to work in the off-campus center one hour a week to give them ex perience dealing with the stu dents on a face-to-face basis, she said. The purpose of SHARE is to become a resource for the stu dents living off campus, she said. However, their primary concern this semester is to get the word out that the program exists. “We’re the arms and legs of the Off-Campus Housing Center,” said John Burnett, a SHARE staff member. SHARE was founded by Kris tin Sayre, Off-Campus Housing Center coordinator, and Jay Lemons, north area coordinator. Challenge between A&M and Baylor to help boost Red Cross blood drive By Kimberly House Reporter The American Red Cross blood drive at Texas A&M has a new twist this year. A challenge between Texas A&M and Baylor University to get 4.5 per cent of each school’s students to do nate blood will help supply 36 hospi tals in Texas with blood products. Alpha Phi Omega is sponsoring the blood drive Sept. 15, 16 and 17. The APO chapter of each school reaching this goal will receive a “challenge trophy” during halftime of the Oct. 17 A&M-Baylor football game in Waco, said APO Drive Chairman Susanne Thaler. “We’re challenging students to give blood,” Thaler said. “The rea son we’re doing this is to help save lives.” Students may donate blood from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the second floor lobby of the Blocker Building and in a mobile unit near Rudder Fountain. Lynda Faulkenbery of the Central nth for will mber 10 letter fcj tur concern forllt| ut as touching as® &M, and your usable. iree-time counsel ;el I am qualified- held at Fish Of r “forced” to ird, the hand# to camp meeting rovide camp unit rson as he walks tnd encouraging ree. A few isolate s nothing in men and counsel cperience. inded that youca: h Camp is notali' on their virgin!' develop lasting Texas Ask About Our New 3-Day Loan Approval FIRST FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS Help for the high cost of higher education. ngth. The editorials^ t will make every tfjtf 1, ed and must inclwielk nter. te Bread gw*' ufemc^i JLQti'T 36 IkJC If you want to go to college. First Federal Savings & Loan Association wants to help. We offer Federally Guaranteed Student Loans administered by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp. to qualified students. The interest rate is currently 8%, far below current market loan rates, and you have up to 10 years to repay your loan. Plus, with our new application and processing procedures, we can now provide three day approval on your loan. Learn more about our guaranteed student loans. Infor mation and loan applications are available now at First Federal. First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Beaumont 409/268-8675 3608 East 29th St. Bryan, TX 77805 An equal opportunity lender. ' Texas Red Cross Blood Center in Waco said about 4.5 percent of the population donates blood for the whole nation, so this should be a good goal for the campuses. About 1,755 students would need to donate blood for A&M to reach Faulkenb- ery’s goal. The drive is open to the public. The Waco center serves Brazos County and 27 others. All donations are tested at the blood center for AIDS, hepatitis, syphilis and other diseases. “Brazos County hospitals use 4,000 units of blood or more in a year,” Faulkenbery said. She said a community should put back into the system what it uses. There are no losers, only winners in giving some one another chance to live, she said. A&M organizations including Ag gie Alliance, FCA, Aggie Red Cross and Saddle & Sirloin are volunteer ing to help with publicity, recruit ment and refreshments. Domino’s Pizza and McDonald’s on University Drive will give away food coupons to donors. The Central Red Cross Blood Program covers all A&M students and faculty and their immediate families because they live in Brazos County, Faulkenbery said. Every blood service has a proc essing fee for each unit used by a pa tient, Faulkenbery said. The center’s fee covers staff salaries, travel ex penses, vehicle maintenance, testing, laboratory equipment, nursing sup plies, shipping and other costs. The center’s $33 fee is the lowest in the state, she said, and usually is covered by insurance. No recruit ment or replacement fees are re- ? |uired, and the center receives no unding from any agency. It is oper ated on the processing fee only. The Battalion to offer doily weather forecast Starting tomorrow, The Battal ion will present daily weather forecasts Tuesday through Fri day with a forecast map valid at noon on the day of publication, a brief map discussion and the forecasts for that day and night, as well as the next day. The fore- casts will be prepared by Charlie Brenton, staff meteorologist for the Texas A&M Department of Meteorology. The map and fore casts will be accompanied by a brief weather fact. Because the meteorology de partment operates Monday through Friday, data will not be available on Sunday nights. copye CALL WAITING. If you have Call Waiting, a tone will tell you that another call has come for you when you are on the line. CALL FORWARDING. This feature lets you automatically transfer incoming calls to your number. THREE-WAY CALLING. This feature lets you , set up a three-way local or long distance conference call, without help from the operator. SPEED CALLING. 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