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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 31, 1995)
Page 2 • THE BATTALION State sex education laws could apply differently than intended □ A new law that forbids condoms being passed out in classrooms is be ing challenged by school health clinics. DAT A .AS (AP) — A new state law designed to stop condom dis tribution in high schools is not slowing health clinics in some dis tricts that do not believe the mea sure applies to them. But state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, who pro posed limiting sex education during the last legislative ses sion, said he will seek an attor ney general’s opinion on whether school-based clinics could distribute condoms under the new law. “Until someone says we can’t, we’re going to keep on do ing what we’re doing,” said Dr. Janice Smith, who runs Galve ston’s Teen Health Clinic, which serves the Galveston In dependent School District. Sherrill Tompkins, general counsel for the Galveston school district, agreed. “The law simply says that if you go into a classroom to teach kids how to use a condom, you can’t hand them out. We don’t do that, we practice medicine,” she said. “And I don’t think anyone could interpret this code as keep ing the medical profession from practicing medicine.” But Chisum who wanted to forbid the state’s 1,400 high schools from passing out con doms, said he sees no distinc tion between handing out con doms through a health clinic or a sex education class. “The intent was not that schools can subvert the law and let a school nurse pass out condoms,’’ said Chisum. Instead, education and health officials statewide have raised questions as legal experts begin review ing Texas’ newest laws. Officials from the Texas De partment of Health and the Texas Education Agency said they, too, may seek an attorney general’s opinion on whether the law will affect school-based clinics. “This happens a lot after the session is over,” said Ward Tis dale, an attorney general’s of fice spokesman. “When they pass a law, everybody starts asking, ‘What does this mean?’ We ah ays take into account the int nt of the Legislature.” The legislation, which grants control of se: educatior to indi vidual communities, recognizes it as an appropriate school topic for the first time. Chisum said he proposed the language as an amendment to the sweeping education reform bill which, among other things, rolled back state control over individual school districts in fa vor of home rule. “It is clearly the legislative intent that schools only teach abstinence education, that they involve the parents in what they are teaching, and that they not pass out condoms,’’ Chisum said. The Texas Department of Health said every school in the state has some form of sex edu cation, with at least 15 school districts with school-based health clinics. "The intent was not that schools can subvert the law and let a school nurse pass out condoms." — Rep. Warren Chisum R-Pampa Cost of concealed gun permit will vary with experience, skill □ The expenses for carrying a weapon include an application fee, fingerprinting, ammunition, and the DPS training course. FORT WORTH (AP) — The estimated 180,000 Texans seeking concealed handgun permits in the next two years may find the application process to be costlier than anticipated, experts say. Some handgun instructors said they plan to of* fer training for twice the $100 estimated by leg islative sponsors. Several said they will be adding to the price for evening and weekend sessions. “I think they’re dreaming,” state Rep. Bill Carter, a sponsor of the “right-to-carry” law, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for Sunday editions. Competition among instructors and firing ranges should keep costs under control, said Carter, R-Fort Worth. Experts say expenses could be most burdensome for novices because instructors are worried about liability issues. Those instructors want to make sure beginners know what they’re doing before ac cepting them in the state certification course. Many will be sent to beginners’ lessons start- i mg at $30 an hour, they said. "It'll be based on skill level,” said gunsmith Grant Bethurum of Arlington Arms Gun Co. and i Sporting Goods, whose waiting list contains more l than 100 names. “If a person doesn’t know about ; the operation and safety of a firearm, the course ; will include more than the minimum require ment of 15 hours.” Lawmakers set the nonrefundable application j fee at $140. Seniors receive a 50 percent discount. ' Some instructors say they plan to teach a five- hour preparation course for about $50. Guns can be rented for $10 a day. Experienced handgun owners should be able to get a permit for somewhere between $200 and I $340. But a beginner may spend at least $650. That would include the $140 application fee, up to $10 for fingerprinting, $15 for notariza- • tions, $8 for passport photos, $30 for a one-hour lesson, $18 for 100 rounds of practice-grade am munition, $200 for the 10- to 15-hour Depart- : ment of Public Safety training course, $5 for tar- ; gets, $9 for a holster, and $225 for a new .38-cal iber snub-nosed revolver. DPS officials will oversee the handgun per mit process. ^Health Tips Cutting back on caffeine can cause headaches By Ashley Musick Student Assistant, A.P. Beutel Health Center One of the world’s most wide ly used drugs is caffeine. Although used as a mild stim ulant to “wake up” the central nervous system, caffeine has been found to raise the brain s serotonin concentrations, which are associated with drowsiness. Many people quickly develop caffeine tolerance, thereby blunting the effect of caffeine. Because caffeine is an addic tive drug, going “cold turkey” or abstaining from its use after the body has adapted to its presence may cause headaches, drowsi ness, sluggishness or fatigue. Caffeine is found in coffee beans, tea leaves and cocoa beans. Other sources of added caffeine include soft drinks and over-the-counter drugs, such as appetite suppressants, cold tablets, headache medications and allergy medications. The drug is considered rela tively harmless in adults when consumed in moderate doses of 2-3 cups of coffee per day. Gradual reduction of caffeine intake is recommended for those wishing to reduce their caffeine consumption. This includes mix ing consumption of regular and decaffeinated beverages and in creasing the amount of decaf feinated beverages consumed. Shortening the brewing time for tea from three minutes to one minute decreases the amount of caffeine in the tea. To keep your body alert, fol low these tips instead of using caffeine. • Follow a regular sleep schedule. * Listen to the radio or dance to get yourself going. • Do stretching exercises. * Eat a balanced meal, and do not substitute coffee for breakfast. Although caffeine masks the effects of fatigue temporarily, you cannot trick your body out of sleep. You will be more alert, if you get adequate rest and food, rather than by going on a caf feine buzz. Monday Eddy Wylie, Ths!- SO, YOU WANT TO BE AN ARCHITECT? Austin based architect Peter Pfeiffer assesses a set of drawings for Ron Anders, a senior arch major. Anders was participating in a field trip as part of his ARCH 421 class. Honors: Program has two trac the C Rar dur Continued from Page 1 honors courses available. “We would also like to encourage more depart ments to increase the number of honors classes. We want to see more advanced engineering cours es offered as honors as well.” Matt Parker, a junior electrical engineering major, said if more engineering honors courses were avail able, it would be easier to graduate with honors. “Right now it’s just not feasible to graduate on an honors track because I’d have to take too many classes that don’t count for my major,” Parker said. “But if they were offered I’d proba bly take them.” Julie Cowley, assistant director of the honors program, said the program is one step closer to ward its goals now that the math department of fers an honors track in engineering math. “The math department will be offering Math 151 as an honors course, as well as the dasse; low it,” she said. “This will make it easier neering students to earn an honors degree "We encourage students total honors class ... to show them* the classes are like." assistant director of the k The honors program counsels studer; courage enrollment in honors classes ad they are enjoying the classes. “Most students who come in aren't; about their majors,” Cowley said. “Weet: students to take an honors class their firf ter here to show them what the classes art A baser ing vt B waiv uncc g°inj Li CI as Buec B battii therr from C hom< game Asso Ir quire Mon By Quai Chi ■“ — —■ — — — cut here “■ ■ — — DEFENSIVE DRIVING CLASS Wed., August 2 (6-9 pm) & Thurs., August 3 (6-9 pm) STATE APPROVED DRIVING SAFETY COURSE Register at University Plus (MSC Basement) Call 845-1631 for more information on these or other classes 1 d&m education enterprises cut hern ‘One thing true Aggies shouldn’t be without’ O RDER YOUR COPY of the 1996 Aggieland when you register for fall classes. Don’t miss the chance to own the nation’s largest yearbook — an 664-page record of the 1995-96 Texas A&M school year. Simply select fee option 16. Just *30 + tax. 1996Aggieland HOME EVENTS TEXAS AGGIE FOOTBALL September 2 vs. LSU 2:30 p.m. September 16 vs. Tulsa 4 p.m. October 14 vs. SMU 1 p.m. October 28 vs. Houston 1 p.m. November 18 vs. M. Tenn. State 1 p.m. December 2 vs. Texas 2:30 p.m. 1995 SEASON TICKETS 845-2311 (Local) See you this season at Kyle Field J The World unfolds for Graduate Students and Graduating Seniors wi lUhl lOk- ^\3LBRIG£f^ If you are a U.S. citizen, you can perform research abri in the country of your choice. Attend these meetings Room 154 Bizzeli Hall West for more information Tuesday, August 1 at 11:30 am Wednesday, August 2 at 3:30 pm ^ Study Abroad Programs; 161 Bizzeli West; 845-05^