State & Loca Page 2 The Battalion Tips cut holiday shopping costs Low-cost gift ideas include handcrafts, baked goods By Alysia Woods The Battalion 'Tis the season to be spending as shoppers everywhere shell out big bucks to buy Christmas gifts for their loved ones. But Christmas doesn't have to be expensive. Gift ideas can be low-cost with a little extra effort, or even free. Inexpensive gifts can be either baked or handcrafted. For that special someone who loves sweets, cookies, candy or fudge make nice gifts, especially when they are placed in a decorative tin canister or cookie jar with a mes sage like "Merry Christmas" hand-painted on the outside. Red and green ribbons can add a fes tive touch. Other low-cost gifts include hand-decorated T-shirts or Christ mas ornaments. Plain T-shirts range from $4.99 at Amber's on Texas Avenue in Col lege Station to $10 at Foley's in the Post Oak Mall. Plain wooden or naments begin at 50 cents at Am ber's and come in a variety of shapes. Both items can be decorated with non-toxic, washable paint, sequins and ribbons available at arts and craft stores. Timely messages like "Cotton Pickin' Aggies 1992" or "Christ mas 1991" can add a personal touch to the gift. Relatives typically enjoy pho tographs. Frames for either snap shots or professional photos can be purchased in a variety of sizes at arts and craft stores. For those gift-givers who can not bake, paint or draw, other low-cost gifts ranging from $5 to $15 can be found in local stores. Low-cost items at Foley's in clude a lipstick and nail polish set for $5, men's Christmas boxers for $14, and stuffed Santas that chant "Ho-ho-ho" when squeezed for $10. Gift certificates are available for $10 and up at almost all retail stores. For a little more money, you can give an unforgettable gift that will probably be around for a long time. The Brazos Animal Shelter has puppies for $50 and kittens for $45. Adoption fees include vacci nations and a spaying fee. Tina Capps, head animal tech nician at the shelter, said before animals are given away as gifts, however, the recipient of the pet must come into the shelter prior to adoption. Capps said puppies seem to be the most popular pet at Christmas. Local pet stores have less ex pensive pets that are also low- maintenance such as fish and hamsters. "We have puppies, birds and hamsters, but we are out of kittens right now," said Bill Klemm, a salesperson at Pet Paradise on Texas Avenue in College Station. "Puppies are the most popular at Christmas." Inexpensive pets range from hamsters that start at $3.99 to fish that begin at $1.50. More exotic fish cost between $20 and $30. When all options have been considered, there are a variety of Christmas greeting cards at most Plallmark card stores, including cards that play music when opened. Authorities test for killer bees in Victoria VICTORIA (AP) — Federal authorities were conducting tests Wednesday to see if nearly 2,000 bees found aboard a railroad car in Victoria this week are the so-called "killer" bees. If the bees are determined to be the Africanized honey bees, Victoria would have the distinction of being the farthest northern place the bees have been found. Two Southern Pacific Transportation Co. employees were conducting a routine inspec tion of the train Tuesday when they spotted the bees on one of the train's 65 cars. "I noticed something kind of unusual and then I notified the railroad yard," one of the workers, H.E. Reed, said. He did not disturb the bees, which were clustered on the outside of an empty tank car. The train came to Victoria from Harlingen in the Rio Grande Valley, some 200 miles to the south. Killer bees have been found in the Val ley and as far north as Kingsville and Rob- stown. They had not been expected to arrive in Victoria on their own until late next year or early 1993. The Victoria Fire Department, Victoria City-County Health Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture and a local bee expert, James Log- gins, were notified and went to the scene. Some of the bees had left the cluster by then and officials first decided to wait until dark to kill the bees in hopes they would all re turn to the tank car. Jack Greer, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said he was wor ried the bees would swarm and leave the scene before that, so two firefighters sprayed the bees with a combination of foam and industri al-strength detergent. ANDY NACE/Special to The Battaliw Doin' double time Dan Griffin, a junior meteorology major, takes a break from studying by taking a nap in the reading room on the second floor of the Sterling C. Evans library. Publications board rejects Holocaust advertisement AUSTIN (AP) - The Daily Texan newspaper will not run a controversial advertisement questioning the occurrence of the Holocaust, the board of Texas Student Publications has decided. .After nearly a month of de bate, the 11-member board vot ed unanimously against run ning the full-page ad previously scheduled for publication Nov. 20. Before voting, board mem bers agreed that their policy gives them the power to stop any advertisement promoting false or misleading information. The ad was to have featured a 35-paragraph essay by Bradley R. Smith, head of the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust, a California group. Student Jewish leaders said the author had been linked to anti-Semitic and white supremacist groups. European leaders strive to increase prosperity Continued from Page 1 Even with the British reserva tions, the accord marked a great stride forward. "It's a strengthening of what is already the area of prosperity and stability in Europe," said Peter Ludlow, director of the Brussels- based Center tor European Policy Studies. The leaders were spurred ini tially to give their economic club more powers by fear of competi tion from Japan and the United States. The nations agreed in 1985 to create a single market late next year by tearing down barriers pre venting the free flow of money, people, goods and services. But they felt they needed more, and set out to create an eco nomic afttl mohetary union with a European Central Bank andas currency. A community report lastie said a single currency - insitj of 11 different ones - would crease productivity by 5 perceir the community's economicc put, which was $6.4 trillion!! year. , ,, It . predicted the moi® union also would help loweri tion and spur economic activit Buffet $ 4 49 LASAGNA, PASTA, PIZZA, SALAD & SOUP MON-FRI11-2 PM WED-SUN 11-2 PM & 5-9 PM 1 Large Pifcza l ( Medium Pizza I IIS's"®! i V**/?*||| ^ Expire NORTHGATE 846-0379 GRADUATES Buy Your Cap & Gown at University Bookstores Northgate • Culpepper • Village & HOLIDAY INNS BROOK HOLLOW/LOVE FIELD DOWNTOWN (214)630-8500 (214)748-9951 Would Like To Welcome THE TEXAS AGGIES to the Cotton Bowl We are offering the following packages: BROOK HOLLOW/LOVE FIELD DOWNTOWN • $59 Single/Double • $69 Triple/Quad • $12 Transfers to Game $83-$94 Single • $93-$ 104 Double ($10 each additional person) • Transfers to Game Available • 2 Night Minimum Come Pick Cotton With Us! 4 ◄ 4 SELL YOUR USED BOOKS FOR MORE! \ University Bookstores , Three Off-Campus Locations } Northgate • Culpepper Plaza • Village l Physics 218 Final Review Test 1 Noon - 2 p.m. Physics 218 Final Review Test 2 2p.m. - 4p.m. Physics 201 Final Review Test 1 &2 (Reading) 4p.m. - 7p.m. Chem 101 Practice Final Exam (Version A ) 7p.m. - 9p.m Physics 218 Final Review Test 3 Noon - 2 p.m. Physics 218 Practice Final Exam (Final Review) 2p.m. - 4 p.m. Physics 201 Practice Final Exam (Test 3) 4p.m. - 7 p.m. Chem 101 Practice Final Exam (Version B) 7p.m. - 9p.m John's Class Sun. 12/15 Biol. 113 Cram chapters 15 thru 17 3p.m. - 6p.m. Mon. 12/16 Chem 101 Practice Final Exam (Version C) 7p.m. - 9p.m. Tues. 12/17 Chem 101 Practice Final Exam (Version D ) 7p.m. - 9p.m. Fri. 12/13 Math 152 Final Review 3p.m. - 5p.m. Math 141 Final Review 5p.m. - 7p.m. Sat 12/14 Math 150 Final Review 1p.m. - 3p.m. Math 151 Final Review 3p.m. - 6p.m. Math 141 Ch. 7 & 8 6p.m. - 8p.m. Math 251 Final Review 8p.m. - 10p.m. Sun. 12/15 Math 152 Final Review 1p.m. - 3p.m. Math 251 Final Review 3p.m. - 6p.m. Math 141 Ch. 8 & 9 6p.m. - 8p.m. Math 150 Final Review 8p.m. - 10p.m. Math 141 Final Review 10p.m. - 12a.m. Mon. 12/16 Math 150 Final Review 5p.m. - 7p.m. Math 152 Final Review 7p.m. - 9p.m. Tues. 12/17 Math 161 Final Review 5p.m. - 7p.m. The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of: Associated Press Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Texas Intercollegiate Press Association The Battalion Editorial Board Editor-In-Chief Timm Doolen Associate Editors Holly Becka Todd Stone City Editor Sean Frerking Lifestyles Editor Yvonne Salce News Editors Douglas Pils Jason Morris Opinion Editor Carrie Cavalier Photo Editor Karl Stolleis Editorial Policy The Battalion is published daily except Saturday, Sunday, holidays, exam periods, and when school is not in session during fall and spring semesters; publication is Tuesday through Friday during the summer session. The Battalion is a non-profit, self support ing newspaper operated as a community ser vice to Texas A&M University and Bryan-Col- lege Station. The Battalion news department is man aged by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Texas A&M student body, administrators, faculty or the A&M Board of Regents. Subscriptions Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. Phone: 845-2611. Advertising Advertising information can beof- from the advertising departmenl al 0^ Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m-' visiting the office in room 015 ReedM# building. Advertising Manager Patricia Heck