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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1992)
‘ State & Local Page 2 The Battalion Monday, March 2,1992 Expert advises students on taxes By Reagon Clamon The Battalion Students may be paying more taxes this year, but there still are shortcuts available that could save them some money, a Texas A&M tax law expert says. "The progressive tax rate is moving up, and there has been a phase-out of personal exemp tions," accounting professor Dr. Larry Crumbley says. "Overall, students might possibly be paying more taxes this year than last." Crumbley says some students have tax options open to them that they might not know about. For example, students may not be aware that all employed per sons have taxes withheld from their pay checks. Crumbley says some students could be missing out on a tax refund check. "In 1991, if your gross income was more than $5,550 and you're single, you are re quired to file a return," he says. "A lot of stu dents, however, will not be re quired to file a return because they make less, but that does not mean their employer is not with holding taxes. They should file a return so they can get a refund." Crumbley also says some stu dents may be following the "gen eral" rule that scholarships are not taxable. In recent years, however, the tax law regarding financial aid has gotten more complicated and some scholarships may be suscep tible to taxing. "If you use the scholarship for tuition, books, supplies and other fees, then you're okay," Crumb ley says. "That scholarship — no matter how much it is — is not taxable." Crumbley says if a scholarship is used for room and board, laun dry or anything else, that scholar ship is taxable. "If a student cannot prove that their scholarship has been used for tuition, books and supplies. then the I.R.S. can say it's taxable," he says. "You have to keep records." Crumbley says if students have received taxable resources — such as gifts from parents or summer job money — that money should be used for room and board so the financial aid will not be taxed. Some students with children who are required to pay taxes may be eligible for a child and depen dent care credit, he says. "They can get a credit if they have to hire someone to take care of their child while one partner works and the other partner goes to school," Crumbley says. "This credit ranges from 20 percent to 30 percent, and it depends on how many children you have." Doctor treats tremors successfully with poison HOUSTON (AP) - A Baylor College of Medicine doctor has reported early success in treating some types of human tremors by in jecting a form of poison into muscle tissue. Dr. Joseph Jankovic, a professor of neurolo gy at the school, has injected botulinum toxin into hundreds of patients that suffer from tremors, a common condition that causes un natural flapping of their limbs. Tremors are sometimes caused by erro neous signals sent to muscles from the brain. Jankovic said the toxin molecules bond to mus cle cells and block input from nerve impulses. Injected in very small doses, the poison re mains in the muscle and does not endanger other parts of the body, he said. The poison, one of the most lethal biological toxins known, is produced by a form of bacte ria called Clostridium botulinum and causes the deadly food poisoning known as botulism. Botulinum toxin already has been approved for use in treating some facial nerve disorders. including certain eye problems. Fellow Baylor instructor Dr. Donald Dono van has successfully used the toxin for several years at Methodist Hospital to treat victims of spasmotic dysphonia, a chronic voiee loss caused by tremoring throat muscles. A National Institutes of Health panel con sidered use of the poison in November 1990 and found that it is a "safe therapy when ad ministered in the appropriate doses by experi enced physicians." Cornin’ through . . . Jane Nelan struggles with a Baylor opponent at the Southwest Conference women's soccer tournament held this weekend in Bryan. The Lady Aggies finished third in the tournament. Two A&M students remain hospitalized after collision Health Tips Health department urges measles vaccination for Gulf Coast vacationers By Salina Eubanks Special to The Battalion Before spring break, check on your measles vaccination. You may be wondering what measles has to do with spring break. A measles vaccination could be very important for those headed for the coast over the break. According to the Texas De partment of Health, over 170 cas es of measles have been con firmed in the Texas Gulf Coast area (particularly around Corpus Christi). In fact, the TDH will soon issue a travel advisory warning travelers to be sure of their immune status before tak ing a trip. Needless to say, contracting measles could really put a damper on spring break. Also, with the large number of people from around the state converging on the coast, the potential for spreading the disease is great. After these people return to their respective hometowns or universities, they could expose many more people all over the state to measles. It definitely is preferable to have a vaccination than to risk getting measles. Doctors recommend the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which immunizes you against three diseases at once. Each disease may have potential ly serious complications. . —Measles c:an cause en cephalitis (inffammation of the brain), pneumonia, spontaneous abortion and death. — Mumps may be especially serious in adults, causing menin gitis (inflammation of the mem branes covering the brain and spinal cord), encephalitis, deaf ness and inflammation of the testes, which may cause sterility in men. — Rubella (or German measles) can cause miscarriage or serious malformations in the fetus during the first three months of pregnancy. These diseases may all be spread by casual contact. You may be infected by sitting near, touching or talking to someone with the disease. Measles has an incubation pe riod of 10 to 14 days, and is con tagious even before symptoms appear. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, dry cough, watery eyes and a skin rash after several days. Swollen salivary glands, in creased temperature and headache are symptoms of mumps. Rubella may cause fever and a reddish-pink rash. Students born after 1957 should be vaccinated. Students who can provide proof of having had measles or who were vacci nated after 1980 may not need another vaccination. A blood test can deterfnine if you have antibodies to the dis ease. If you're unsure about when you were vaccinated and/or whether or not you've had measles, there's no problem with being revaccinated. It takes approximately two to three weeks after the vaccination to develop immunity to the dis ease, so find out now if you need to be vaccinated. All incoming freshmen and transfer students must provide documentation of immunizations against measles, mumps, rubella and tetanus/diphtheria or they will be blocked from registration until proof is provided. A. P. Beutel Health Center of fers the MMR vaccine for $26 and the measles-only vaccine for $12. No appointment is necessary. Isn't your spring break worth a little shot in the arm? Salina Eubanks is a health education graduate assistant. Two Texas A&M students re main hospitalized after a head-on collision Saturday night near Navasota. David Mosier, 26, is in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Humana Hospital in Col lege Station, a hospital spokesman said. Catherine Hatchfield, 25, is in HOUSTON (AP) - A Johnson Space Center task force is plan ning to design a new lunar lander suitable for robotic voyages that could pave the way for man's re turn to the Earth's moon. The program, proposed by NASA Chief of Exploration Michael Griffin, could launch an unmanned moon mission as soon as 1996 if it is approved by Congress, the Houston Chronicle reported Sunday. stable condition at Hermann Hos pital in Houston, a hospital ad ministrator said. According to police reports, Mosier and Hatchfield were trav eling in opposite directions on Highway 6 when Mosier's car crossed the center line and hit Hatchfield's car head-on just be fore midnight. "What we are looking for both with the orbiters and the landers is a nice neighborhood for a Ply- mouth Rock," said Harry Erwin, manager of Johnson Space Cen ter's Lunar and Mars project ex ploration office. The project, named Artemis, could quickly focus the space pro gram on lunar exploration, per haps winning confidence fron Congress that NASA's plans fori trip to Mars are realistic. NASA plans lunar lander for robot-manned voyages The Battalion - USPS 045-360 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. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-1111. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. The newsroom phone number is 845-3316. Fax: 845-2647. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the contributor, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Texas A&M student body, adminis trators, faculty or the A&M Board of Regents. Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-5408. Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611. PODIATRIC MEDICINE A career zvith a challenge A. Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders affecting the human foot. A D.P.M. makes independent judgments, administers treatments, prescribes medications, and when necessary, performs surgery. The need for podiatric doctors is great and income opportunities are excellent. A recruiter from the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery will be on the Texas A&M campus on Tuesday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Main Student Center. We invite all students, regardless of grade level, to explore our program. We are one of seven colleges of podiatric medicine in the United States and the only college located within a major medical university. For more information, contact: Jenny Cones, P.O. Box 1245, Waller, Texas, 77484, (409) 372-9791. University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences 3200 Grand Avenue • Des Moines, Iowa 50312 Terrific Tuesday — $ J99 Chicken Fried Steak Platters Quarter pound breaded steak patty, served with country gravy, lettuce & tomato salad, french fries and Texas toast. Archie's Grille has made every Tuesday in February and March terrific! Our Chicken Fried Steak Platters are on sale for $1.99. All that we require is that you purchase a Coke with each special offer. Quantities are unlimited and no coupons are necessary - just you and your appetite. So, gather up your friends and head to Archie's and make every Tuesday Terrific. We're more than just a hamburger place. SOUTH COLLEGE GRILLE 3310 S. College, Bryan, Tx. 823-8498 * Have You Tried Our Platters Yet? * Tension Headache? Individuals with moderate tosevereTension Headaches wanted to participate in a 4-hour headache relief research study with an investigational medication in tablet form. Flexible hours. $75 incentive for individuals who are chosen and complete the study. Daily, till 6:30 776-0400. High Blood Pressure Study Individuals either on or off high blood pressure medication needed to participate in a high blood pressure research study involving an investigational oral medication and an investiga tional intravenous medication. $600 incentive paid to those chosen to participate upon completion of the research study. SKIN INFECTION STUDY Individuals age 13 and older wanted to participate in a research study for bacterial skin infections such as: abscess, infected burns, boils, infected hair follicles, impetigo, and others. Investigational oral antibiotic in capsule form. $100 incentive for those chosen who complete the study. Asthma Study WANTED: Individuals, age 12 and older, with mild to moderate asthma to participate in a clinical research study for 15 weeks with an investigational medication in capsule and inhalerform. $400 - $500 incentive for those completing the study. Asthma Study WANTED: Individuals, age 12-65, with mild to moderate asthma to participate in a clinical research study for 6 weeks with an investigational medication in inhalerform. Individuals must be using inhaled steroids and bronchodilators daily to qualify. $400 incentive paid to those completing the study. For more information call: BIOPHARMA, INC. 776-0400