The Battalion
Wednesday - July 9,199!
Mauro hosts book signing at MS(
Former student wrote on environmental interests, Texas politics
By Joey Jeanette Schlueter
The Battalion
Texas Land Commissioner Gary
Mauro held a signing of his new
book for Texas A&M students, for
mer students and supporters yes
terday at the Texas A&M Bookstore
in the Memorial Student Center.
Mauro, a former A&M yell leader
and Class of ’70, recently released
his first book, Beaches, Bureaucrats
and Big Oil, which chronicles his
footsteps in the state General Land
Office the last 14 years.
The book focuses on his environ
mental interest through his “cleaning
up the beaches” program and his
fight with oil companies in Texas. He
said his purpose in writing the book
involves the people of Texas.
“I want this book to change the
attitude of the most cynical of aver
age voters to believe that politics are
not only for the rich; politics are for
everyone,” Mauro said.
The book also includes a sec
tion called “dirty secrets” in which
Mauro describes the downside of
Texas politics.
Mauro is being criticized by oppo
nents for hiring convicted felon Ruben
Johnson to run a veteran’s nursing
home program. Mauro refused to
comment on the
controversy.
College Sta
tion is a stop on
Mauro’s 85-city
book tour across
Texas. Mauro will
finish in Beau
mont and then
meet first lady
Hillary Clinton in
Washington,
D.C., for a meeting to discuss the De
mocratic Party’s role in Texas politics.
His career in Texas politics began
in 1982 when he was named Land
Commissioner, and Mauro says this
career may continue if he decides to
make a run for governor of Texas.
If Gov. George W. Bush runs, it
would not be the first time Mauro
has opposed a Bush family mem
ber. In 1992, Mauro was chair of Bill
Clinton’s Texas campaign against
Mauro
President Bush.
“Clinton has supported me and
will hopefully continue to in the fu
ture,” Mauro said.
Career highlights of Mauro’s
term include his “Adopt-a-Beach”
program and the oil spill program,
both of which continue today.
Mauro said he wants to see his
political career continue.
“I’d rather the Aggies run things
than some of those other schools,"
he said.
Mauro, who grew up in Bryan,
said being back at A&M felt good.
“For an Aggie yell leader, it’s
wonderful to come back to the cam
pus, except it has changed so
much,” he said.
Mauro, who is 49 years old and
has two children, also reflected on
his time as a football player under
Head Football Coach Gene Stallings
in 1966.
At the signing, a supporter ques
tioned Mauro about his beach
clean-up program.
“An army of volunteers showed
up [to clean] one day and [this
number] went to nothing then
[day],” she said.
Mauro said that plans fori
proving community service arel
ing discussed by local governmt
along the coast.
The Texas General Land ofi
manages 20.3 million acres ofsi
land and mineral rights, inc
million acres of submergedli
along the coast.
Blake Clark, trade manager:
the Texas A&M Bookstore, saidj
ting Mauro to come toA&Mfa
hook signing was easy becauseln
a former student.
“Book signings generate pul
ity,” Clark said, “and Mauro’s
alumni of A&M, and we feature;
thors like him who thestudentsc
about. They will show up forit.’
Stella Roberts, Texas Aii
Bookstore store director, said I
store w as thrilled to have Maui
come to A&M.
“We are always very happy
have authors come and sign tit
books,” Roberts said. "Thestudeii
are glad to see Gary Mauro also.
Fen-phen
School
Photograph: Sarah Johnson
Katie Popp putts to the 14th hole on the frisbee
golf course at Research Park Tuesday afternoon.
Hot Shot
NATO leaders select
three new members
MADRID, Spain (AP) — NATO,
the Western bulwark of democracy
for a half-century, extended mem
bership invitations Tuesday to three
of its former Eastern European en
emies — Poland, Hungary and the
Czech Republic. The United States
prevailed against a larger expansion
favored by most allies.
President Clinton called it “a very
great day” for European security.
“We bridged the chasm in histo
ry and began the journey to a new
Europe and a new century,” said
Clinton, who had refused to consid
er more than three new members,
fearing the measure would be de
feated in the U.S. Senate. Most Eu
ropean nations wanted to issue five
invitations.
France, backed by eight other
NATO allies, fought hard for the ad
mission of Romania and Slovenia,
but bowed to American pressure.
Britain, Norway, Denmark and Ice
land backed the U.S. position.
NATO Secretary-General Javier
Solana, in announcing the decision,
singled out Romania and Slovenia as
likely to be admitted later. Seven other
countries also had sought admission.
“The alliance expects to extend
further invitations in the coming
years,” Solana said. “No European
democratic country whose admis
sion would fulfill the objectives of
the (NATO) treaty will be excluded
from consideration.”
Added Clinton: “These are the
countries who have proved their
readiness to join us at this table.”
President Aleksander Kwas
niewski of Poland was understand
ably pleased.
“Poland waited so long and now
the doors to full NATO membership
are open. We are very satisfied and
we are ready to go forward,” he said.
^ We bridged the
chasm in history and
began the journey to
a new Europe and a
new century.”
President Clinton
Slovenia’s prime minister, Janez
Drnousek, said he expected his
country to be included in the next
year or two, but his foreign minister
was less diplomatic.
“Slovenia has not been given any
good explanation why it is out,” said
Zoran Thaler, the minister.
The United States was worried that
an enlargement of more than three
countries would threaten the chances
of getting approval by two-thirds of
the U.S. Senate, a vote needed to rati
fy any change to the NATO treaty.
Continued from Page 1
“When someone loses weight, it’s primarily on their own
commitment,” Freeman said. “The commitment they’ve
made to changing their eating style.”
Dr. Richard Herron, M.D., of the Brazos Family Practice As
sociates said he prescribes fen-phen on a limited basis to pa
tients who are “morbidly obese” (more than 30 percent of
their ideal body weight).
Herron said the medication is prescribed with an exercise
and diet regimen for the patient to follow.
“There are obvious hazards, but that’s why you need to
monitor it carefully,” he said.
Herron said patients need to monitor their weight and
blood pressure and have follow-up visits in the clinic.
Dr. Jane Cohen, Ph.D., the health education coordinator
and nutrition specialist at the Health Center, said many col
lege students do not understand their eating habits, and that
can contribute to being overweight. She said a medication
does not provide all the solutions to weight loss.
“Any diet drug should not be the first step,” Cohen
said. “The first step should be looking at food choices and
balanced exercise.”
A nutrition program will be held at 5:30 tonight at the Stu
dent Recreation Center by Health Center personnel who will
discuss weight loss and nutrition.
Continued from Page 1
Students learn to advance with a
charged hose and how to operate a self-
contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
Fifteen projects, ranging from a simple
residence fire to a petrochemical complex,
are completed during the week.
Students say they come to Brayton
Fire Field because it is the best facility of
its type.
“This is a world-renowned fire field,”
Flores said. “It’s one of a kind.”
No other training facilities in the
world equal Brayton, Economedas
said, and this training is especially
beneficial to the students.
“A lot of people will never get training in
their country,” Economedas said. “They
won’t get hands-on experience. This one-
week crash course will allow them to learn
enough to go home and teach their fellow
fire brigade members.”
Jorge Suarez, an instructor at the fire
school and secretary of the Mexican Fire
Chiefs Association, said the skills lean
at the school are invaluable.
“These students need to knowv
causes a fire and how to put it out,"
said.They learn howa team works and
to work together.”
Flores said a few minor injuries
occur during the course of the training,
juries range from minor heat exhai
and bruises to burns and sprains.
The low amount of injuries canbeal
tributed to the safety program at the
field, he said.
"Each project has a safety offii
that’s how we keep our injuries low,"
res said. “Each safety officer iswea
an orange vest or helmet that says'safe
ty’ on it."
The 77 instructors for the classes conn
from all over the country to take parti:
school. Instructors are certified thit
the Texas A&M Fire Protection and!®
ing Division (FPTD).
The instructors are volunteers. Tea
A&M University pays for meals and loii
ing at the fire field. Travel costs are cove®
by the individual students.
Study
Continued from Page 1
Mayo Clinic researchers identi
fied 24 women who took both fen
fluramine and phentermine to lose
weight and later developed de
formed heart valves. Eight of those
women also developed a potential
ly fatal lung disease called pul
monary hypertension.
The drug combination has been
available since the late 1980s, and
deaths in Kentucky and Massachu
setts have been attributed to heart
failure linked to the diet prescrip
tion. None of the women in the
Mayo Clinic study died, though five
underwent heart surgery.
The researchers had planned to
publish their findings next month in
the New England Journal of Medi
cine but released them early at the
urging of the journal’s editors.
The urgency with which the j our-
nal and the government treated the
information was unusual and re
served for only the most serious
public health matters.
Weather Outlook
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Thunderstorms
High: 95°
Low: 75°
Partly Cloudy
High: 97°
Low: 75°
Partly Cloudy
ij High: 95°
Low: 75°
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College Station Part-time Hardware Positions
Universal Computer Systems, Inc. is looking for candidates for the following positions at
our College Station computer facility. Operating hours of the facility are 6a.m.-10p.m.,
Monday through Friday and 8a.m.-10p.m. Saturday. A candidate must be able to work at
least 15 hours Monday-Friday and have completed at least one semester of college.
Data Entry - The College Station Repair facility handles computer repair for all our clients
nation-wide and repairs more than 60,000 pieces of equipment per year. Persons working the
data entry positions are responsible for maintaining data for more than 2000 parts both shipped
from and received at the facility.
Cleaning and Reclamation - Persons involved in cleaning and reclamation must maintain
upkeep of all equipment received and shipped from the facility. Involves disassembly of equip
ment, upkeep of pieces, and reassembly of equipment.
Technician - Technicians will learn aspects of using an oscilloscope and multi-meters to trouble
shoot and repair dysfunctional hardware. Each individual will be trained thoroughly in the repairo*
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Parts Inventory - Responsible for maintaining inventory of more than 2000 parts that the faciW
may handle at any one time.
To apply please call our Recruiting Department. EOE
Universal Computer Systems, Inc.
1-409-846-1213
http://www.ucs-systems.com
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