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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