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
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■“ — —■ — — — 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^