The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, August 23, 1989, Image 3
The Battalion STATE & LOCAL r, Augut 23,19B9 Tto Battalion Co-op students get job experience By Shady Schluter Special to The Battalion The Cooperative Education Pro gram is attracting more Texas A&M students because it gives them the opportunitv to gam on-the-job expe rience and make professional con tacts in their career field while earn ing some money. Dr. Steve Yates, director of the Texas A&M co-op program, said the hands-on experience gained through the program is invaluable. “More ami more students are get ting involved in co-op because thev. along with parents and faculty mem bers. are realizing that the best learning comes by doing." Yates said. Co-op is a program that offers un dergraduate students a chance to comoine academic theory with prac tical application, as long as they maintain a 2.5 grade-point ratio and a minimum of credit hours depend ing on a student's major Students appiv for |ohs and inter view with organizations as if they were applying lor a job after gradua tion. The jobs that students accept are jobs that are related to the type of work they hope to do after grad uation. Students who co-op then go to school and work, alternating se- said he got involved in the program to get the competitive edge over his classmates He spent his first semes ter of work at Edwards Air Force Base in California, working on the F- AAore and more students are getting involved in co-op because they, along with parents and faculty, are realizing that the best learning comes by doing.” — Dr. Steve Yates, director, Texes AAM Cooperative Education Program mesterv until two or three co-op terms are completed. Students benefit from the pro- C m because they get a head start in job market and a "competitive edge" over students who do not co- op Eddie Zavala, a junior aeroy engineering major from FJ ■space Pav > 18 High Angle of Atttack Research Vehicle for NASA. Zavala said he has above average grades, but because of the work ex perience he received as a co-op. he will be able to compete in the job market with students who have higher grades than he does. The co-op program not only helps student participants, but also the or ganizations that employ the stu dents. Yates said. "More employers are realizing that co-op is a good business for them, because their organizations are getting long-term training, de velopment and recruiting pro grams." Yates said. "Manv organiza tions are making co-op one of their primary recruiting tools. The CIA. IBM. NASA. U.V Fish 1c Wildlife Services. Dow Chemical and Texas Instruments are just a few of the more than 176 organizations that are recruiting students from AfcM through the co-op program " Dr. Bernard G. Carbajal HI. a se nior member of the technical staff at Texas Instruments, said the pro gram helps his organization in two SNMk I <- "Co-op is a way for Texas 1 nstru men u to get short-term technical help from students, but it is also a major asset to us as a recruiting tom." Carbajal said. "The best re cruiting tool we have on this (AleM) campus is a satisfied Texas Instru ments co-op student." * See Co-op/ Page 7 Parasitology prof of 37 years retires Spodaf to Thai As he leaned back in the chair of his half-laboratory, half-office, amid a collection of assorted beakers, test tubes, a microscope and the trade mark of all doctors — a white lab smock — the simple but scholarly- looking man talked about his hfe, from his childhood through his manv years at AlcM. Bell’s students must have consid ered him to be an exceptional pro- feesor; he has received two plaques of appreciation from the stuarnts A banner reading. “Happy Retire ment. Dr Bell, from the Class of 1992." decorates his office. Brian Pot ret and Bruce Lyle are third-year veterinary students who took Beil’s veterinary parasitology class. Dr. RureJ R. Bell, professor of parasitology, retires this month from the Texas Veterinary Medical Cen ter after 57 years of teaching and re search. Bell. 65. was raised in Gibson. Ga.. as the youngest of three brothers He picked cotton and did farm labor as a child. "He told a bunch of stories and anecdotes that reflected on his expe riences, which applied to what was being taught.“ Poteet said, taught from the hip and ev« came from his notes and experiences " “He ■■erything personal Lyle also praised Bell as an in structor. graduating from high 1941, Bell went to the U.S. Del Rio residents fight to keep water safe WASHINGTON <AP) — l>el Rio is fighting to prot<*ct the springs that make the city an oasis in the Chihua- huan desert from Pentagon plans to rock a nearby ranch with a series of massive underground explosions. Designed to simulate the impact of nuclear blasts on subterranean missile silos and military command centers, the explosions on the Buck King Ranch are an important el ement in "our nation's strategic de terrent capabilities,” officials from the Defense Nuclear Agency say. But 12.000 I Tel Rio residents base signed petitions asking the Pentagon agency to take its explosives else where. saying they don't want to take any chances with the Texas border city’s only water sounx*. the San Fe lipe Springs. "We depend on San Felipe Springs for survival." City Manager Jeffrey Pome ran / says "The city of Del Rio is not willing to play a what if game with our water and the fu ture of our city. “No one in Washington has of fered us any guarantees, nor can they, that if our water supply was ad versely affected, the federal govern ment would step in and correct the situation ” Mexico has also expressed con- ■em to U.S. officials, including Sec retary of State James. A. Baker HI. ibout the potential impact of the ex- iIoskkis said leonardn Ffrench, a spokesman for the Mexican Em- sassy Defense Nuclear Agency officials, however, hasten to point out that a decision to conduct the tests hinges on geological and environmental as sessments of the area that have yet to be completed The agency spent- two years chos- ing the site 25 mile*aiorth of Del Rio from several around the country. Today, it is the only location under consideration for the graduated se ries of explosions The explosions would start with a l.OOO-pound charge in 1990, in creasing to 470 tons by November 1992 * DNA spokesman C fieri Abdei- nour said the tests would he per formed with the same conventional explosives used by the mining indus try. and do not involve nuclear or ra dioactive devices Jack M. Bachkosky. director of plans, programs and requirements for DNA, said the tests are "impor tant to the continued credibility and viability of our strategic deterrent." “As an agency, our primary re sponsibility to the Department of Defense is to ensure the survivability of our strategic assets and the effec tiveness of those same assets, when used against anyone who might threaten our security." he said "Ev erything we do is in the context of that sentence But because of the sensitivity of the tests. Bachkosky would not say exactly why they were being per formed Del Rio officials, however, had been told the purpose wax "deter mine the survivability of under ground missile silos and foreign mis sile silos and other underground military facilities." Pomeranz said “They haven't gone into too much detail It’s Just been very general." Pomeranz said After school in Navy Officers Training Camp for two years. Taro years later, he re-en listed in the U.S. Army during the height of World War II. serving two years in Panama on guard duty with an infantry unit. “I think I'm the only one in World War II who didn’t do something glamorous," Bell said. In 1952 Bell came to AicM to do research after he received his D.V.M from the University of Georgia. He became the 24th faculty member of the College while work ing on his master's degree He re ceived the degree, in veterinary par asitology, in 1955. “He was really good about drilling stuff you’d need to know." Lyle said. the necessary day-to-day stuf .•-i i ._ i *• i -—La “We didn’t have specialists in those days (the late 1950s)," he said “If we got it narrowed down to para sitology. we were doing well. ’Specializing i ause of tne necessary today, because of the vast amounts of knowledge now available “ taught by example and told many stones, but his tests were really chal lenging and tough." Outside of class. Bell makes him self available to studenu and said he enjoys working with them. “You couldn't have asked for a nicer man." Poteet said “He’d do anything out of his way to help you learn " Carbwal xaio be is a strong sup porter of co-op because he sees it as nis < ompam's way of investing in the future. Texas I nstrumenu hires 75 percent of its co-op students after graduation "Any company not involved in the co-op program doesn't know what k’s missing." Carbajal said "Co-op is an investment that pays." Co-op does pay. and this is a fac tor many parents consider. See Bell /Page 7 Chi Alpha and InterVarsity present Freshman Blowout All now freshmen invitedll Saturday. Aug. 26 at 7 pm 701 Rudder Tower cost is $2.00 per person Com* m**t som* Ags that car* from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Chi Alpha Fraternity. . . John Watson 846-0607 for more information, contact Tracy Montgomery 764-8057 THING'S TO DO 1. Go by the boofcstore Go by English Annex and pick up *88 Aggieland Did you forget to pick up your 1988 (Fall ’87/Spring *88) Aggie- land? You can still pick your copy up. Come by the English Annex, Monday thru Friday, 8:30-4:30, and bring your I.D. The 1989 Aggie land (Fall ’88/Sprlng 89) will be available In October. Look for ftirther announcements in the Battalion. FAMOUS FIRSTS & FIRST AIRPLANE The Wright Brothers began experimenting with kites in the 1890’s and In 1903 became the first to sustain flight for 852 feet over the beach at Kitty Hawk. !/ FIRST LOVE She was the only one who didn’t laugh when you fell off the Jungle gym and broke your leg. She even let you win at checkers. What a woman! FIRST CAR The world’s first motor car. the Lenoir, named after Its Inventor, ran at an average speed of 4 miles per hour. In 1863 the 11/2 horsepower vehicle made Its first drive of 6 miles in only 3 hours. UNIVERSITY TOWER It’s time to Introduce another Famous First. University Tower. In August, the privately-owned and managed property will open as a dormitory. At University Tower you’ll find 24-hour on-site security, a huge bedroom and private bath, full meal plans, an exercise and weight room, study rooms A com puter room, an indoor pool, a sport-court, a volleyball pit, laundry facilities, housekeeping service, and a shuttle bus to campus. It’s the first and only dorm of its kind at A&M. Call or come by for leasing Information for Fall/Spring 89-’90! “Above and. Beyond the Rest" University Tower 4IO South Texas Avenue (409) 846-4242 1-800-537-9158 i-a f Umverxity Tower Is meneged by < Dr Richard A Berne, general man at the moat experienced student hnssatng i r for WaBermeon neper/ f m the United Stales SI the Unteerstty at Texas