State & Local
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of:
Associated Press
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Texas Daily
Newspaper Association
Texas Intercollegiate
Press Association
The Battalion
Editorial Board
Editor
Timm Doolen
Managing Editor
Todd Stone
City Editor
Sean Frerking
News Editors
Jennifer Jeffus
Callie Wilcher
Art Director
Richard James
Lifestyles Editor
Rob Newberry
Sports Editor
Jayme Blaschke
Opinion Editor
Keith Sartin
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is published da
ily except Saturday, Sunday, holi
days, exam periods and when
school is not in session during fall
and spring semesters. Publication
is Tuesday through Friday dur
ing the summer sessions. The
newsroom phone number is 845-
3316.
The Battalion is a non-profit,
self-supporting newspaper oper
ated as a community service to
Texas A&M University and
Bryan-College Station.
The Battalion news depart
ment is managed by students at
Texas A&M University and is a
division of Student Publications, a
unit of the Department of Jour
nalism.
Opinions expressed in The
Battalion are those of the edito
rial board or the author, and do
not necessarily represent the
opinions of the Texas A&M stu
dent body, administrators, faculty
or the A&M Board of Regents.
Comments, questions or com
plaints about any of the editorial
content of the newspaper should
be directed to the managing edi
tor at 845-3313.
Subscriptions
Mail subscriptions are $20 per
I i semester, $40 per school year and
$50 per full year: 845-2611.
POSTMASTER: Send address
I changes to The Battalion, 230
Reed McDonald, Texas A&M
University, College Station TX
77843-11 11.
Second class postage paid at Col
lege Station, TX 77843.
! Location: The Battalion, 216
Reed McDonald, Texas A&M
University, College Station, TX
77843-11 11. Campus mail stop:
1111.
Advertising
Advertising information can be
obtained from the advertising de
partment at 845-2696 Monday
through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
I or by visiting the office at the En
glish Annex.
Advertising Manager
Patricia Heck
Battalion Adviser
Robert Wegener
Production Manager
Paige Force
BATTIPS
The Battalion encourages
its readers to contribute story-
ideas and suggestions by call
ing BATTIPS, The Battal
ion's phone line designed to
improve communication be
tween the newspaper and its
readers.
The BATTIPS number is
845-3315.
Ideas can include news sto
ries, feature ideas and person
ality profiles of interesting
people. Readers also are en
couraged to offer any other
suggestions that could im
prove the newspaper.
Health center gives tips on enduring PMS
Editor's note: The Battalion
will run a weekly column on bet
ter health habits provided by the
education department of the
A.P. Beutel Health Center.
By Elizabeth Logan
Special to The Battalion
Ask just about any woman on
the Texas A&M campus if she
has experienced premenstrual
syndrome (PMS), and she'll
probably say "yes/'
Ask any man and he'll agree.
He might also say that it's just an
excuse for a foul mood.
PMS is characterized by up to
150 different symptoms, several
of which are quite common.
Some of the physical conditions
are discomfort in the abdomen,
muscles and breasts; sleepiness;
headaches; and increased appe
tite and food cravings.
Psychological symptoms
might include mood swings, irri
tability, sadness or loneliness
and reclusive tendencies.
No one is quite sure how
many women experience PMS.
Depending on the researcher's
definition of PMS, estimates
range from 16 to 80 percent of all
women. Further, some 5 to 10
percent of these women have
very severe symptoms, which
some doctors are now calling
PMD, premenstrual disorder.
The symptoms of PMS gener
ally begin seven to 10 days be
fore the onset of a woman's
menstrual period and disappear
by the first day. Several theories
have been proposed about the
cause of PMS, such as fluctuat
ing levels of the ovarian hor
mones estrogen and progeste
rone.
Women with PMS, however,
have not been proven to have
abnormally high or low levels of
either hormone. In addition, re
cent research indicates that some
PMS patients produce too much
or too little tnyroid-stimulating
hormone. Thirdly, an associa
tion between PMS and depres
sion has been made.
How can a woman deal with
PMS symptoms? First you
should check with your physi
cian before you self-diagnose
PMS.
It is important to note that no
single solution works for every
one, and what helps one symp
tom might do nothing to relieve
another. The following is a list of
possible antidotes for various
physical and emotional prob
lems:
FI Relaxation techniques can
cause physiological and psycho
logical changes such as de
creased metabolism and breath
ing rate and increased calmness.
Exercise might stimulate the
release of pain-relieving hor
mones and nelp fight mild de
pression. It is also an excellent
source of stress relief.
PI Ibuprofen or other pain re
lievers taken in over-the-counter
form helps relieve cramping. A
stronger prescription might be
necessary if over-the-counter va
rieties are not effective.
In addition, certain dietary
changes might help relieve
symptoms:
□ Avoid salt to help reduce
water retention.
□ Reduce caffeine intake.
Most people will be more com
fortable if they do without the
"jitters" associated with caffeine.
□ Beware of sweets. Many
women crave simple carbohy
drates and chocolate during
PMS. Eating too much sugar
might pick you up, but you will
come down and you'll probably
feel worse than before.
□ Avoid alcohol. Althouf
drink might be relaxing,
much alcohol can lead to a ha:
over which might intensify P)
What can men do to hel;
woman experiencing PMS?
□ Keep in mind that PM. 1
not "all in her head," and
usually not just an excuse foi]
ritability.
□ Be empathetic and un
derstanding but not patronizk:
□ Do not take stress-rela:
actions personally. If a frit
acts out of character or is unu:
ally moody, just let it pass.
□ Just leave her to herself t
allow her the space she needs
A final note to women: DT
cuss any questions or concerj
might nave about PMSw
Thieves take statue
from Rudder lobby
Sometime during the night of
May 15, thieves apparently hid
in Texas A&M's Rudder Theater
Complex until it was closed and
then stole a unique bronze statue
from the lobby.
Reports indicate that the
thieves dragged the 300 pound
statue through the lobby to a re
mote part of the complex, re
moved it from its base and car
ried it out the front door. The
statue has been assessed at
about $3,000.
University officials report that
the seven-foot solid bronze
statue, titled "Nude girl with a
shell," was one of four statues
cast in 1963. University detec
tives believe the statue still is in
the local area and is readily rec
ognizable. o/.i,-, ^
This week the University Po
lice Department and ©rime Stop
pers need your help in identify
ing the pe^nle responsible for
this theft. , j you have informa
tion that < Id be helpful, call
Crime Stoppers at 775-TIPS.
When you call. Crime Stoppers
will assign you a special coded
number that will protect your
identity.
you migti
your physician. Other m„
problems not related to P!
might cause similar symptom;
Senate, House differ on budget
AUSTIN (AP) — Senate
leaders Monday were adding
up the total cost of their pro
posed state budget, a tally that
likely will run about $2.2 bil
lion higher than a controversial
spending plan passed by the
House.
Lawmakers are struggling in
a special session that ends
Aug. 13 to write a 1992-93 state
budget in the face of a pro
jected $4.8 billion deficit. The
current budget year ends Aug.
31.
After more than 14 hours of
debate, the House voted at 3:33
a.m. Monday to adopt an ap
proximately $56.1 billion
spending plan.
That budget would spend
$32.5 billion in general, tax-
supported revenues. That is
about $1.8 billion more than
the state comptroller says will
be available, but $2.9 billion
less than the cost to contimii
current services, according tc
budget staff members.
The remaining $23.5 billior
includes federal funds and spe
cific-purpose state monies.
In contrast, the Senate Fi
nance Committee's plan woulc
require about $34.8 billion ii
general revenue, according to
committee Chairman John
Montford.
STOPPER
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If your call leads to an arrest
and grand jury indictment.
Crime Stoppers will pay you up
to $1,000 in cash. Crime Stop
pers also pays for information on
any felony crime or the location
of any wanted fugitive.
Senate unveils plan to modify business tax
AUSTIN (AP) — Senate leaders on Monday
proposed a plan to overhaul the state's major
business tax, saying it would raise an additional
$800 million for the state while protecting small
businesses.
The measure is similar to a House proposal in
one key aspect: it >vould require corporations to
pay a tax on either capital assets or corporate prof
its, whichever is higher.
However, the Senate plan would exempt par
nerships and independently owned small bus
nesses. The House proposal would tax the it
comes of both.
"Unlike the House version, these reforms c:
not impose an income tax on Texans who ou:
their business outright or in a partnership," sail
Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock. **
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Group tries to get voting lines redrawn
EDINBURG (AP) — A group
that says legislators discrimi
nated against minorities by us
ing faulty census data to draw
up new voting boundaries took
the state to court Monday in an
attempt to get those lines re
drawn.
Attorneys for several South
Texas residents who say they
were not counted in last year's
census petitioned 332nd District
Judge Mario E. Ramirez to issue
an injunction that would force
legislators to accept adjusted
census data.
They also asked that the court
order a new set of plans be
drawn up using the data, which
would take into account a large
portion of the state's population
that was not counted.
The '90 census missed 500,000
to 600,000 Texans, especially mi
norities, in its final tally, said Jim
Harrington, the lead attorney for
the plaintiffs.
"The Legislature failed in its
duty to create an opportunity for
minorities" to vote equally, Har
rington told the judge. "This
court has the right to make the
determination under Texas laws
as to what voting rights are."
The state's lead attorney, Re-
nea Hicks of the Texas Attorney
General's office, countered b
saying that since neither of
reapportionment plans devisecl
by the Legislature has been ap
proved on the federal level, nc|
one was being harmed by the
new lines.
In addition, Hicks said the
state was currently fighting ifsj
own battle in federal court to ge i
the government to release ad i
justed census figures.
Hair spray company agrees to change misleading labels
AUSTIN (AP) — The Alberto-Culver Co.
has agreed to change how it advertises its
hair spray products, removing what Attor
ney General Dan Morales called misleading
and unsubstantiated environmental claims.
Morales said Monday the company
agreed after negotiations with 10 states to
modify its "green" claims and pay some le
gal costs for the states.
Alberto-Culver claimed that the absence
of chlorofluorocarbons in several of its hair
sprays made the products neutral to the
earth's upper ozone level, and therefore en
vironmentally safe. Morales said.
However, the company did not acknowl
edge in advertising or packaging that the
presence of pollutants such as butane and
propane in the hair sprays contributes to the
concentration of hazardous ground level
ozone or smog. Morales said.
"One of the truly encouraging signs of
environmental concern is the willingness of
people to invest their household expenses
in products which are environmentally
friendly," Morales said in a statement Mon
day.
"But those businesses who seek to profit
from this selective 'green' shopping by pro
moting certain goods as clean and safe to
the climate without proof will be pursued
by my office as violators of Texas' consumer
protection laws," he said.
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