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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 29, 1996)
Page 2 • The Battalion • Monday, July 29, 1996 The Heat is On Firefighters invade A&M for annual training camp By Tauma Wiggins The Battalion For the 67th summer at Texas A&M, stu dents are seeing red as more than 2,500 fire fighters from around the world arrive on cam pus for three weeks to perfect the skills of ex tinguishing fires and saving lives. Firefighters are placed in worst-case scenar ios as part of the week-long daily training at the Municipal Texas Fireman’s Training School. However, many students have already faced a “worst-case” scenario. Bev Rosson, a volunteer firefighter from Canyon Lake, chose to be a volunteer firefight er after her best friend’s mother was killed in a structural fire. “She died in the fire while he and I watched,” she said. “I decided I didn’t ever want to be in that position again. If some body calls for help, I want to be able to do something.” The fire students conduct drills on the 62- acre Brayton Fireman Training Field, but classes are held on the A&M campus. Firefighters said the heat index of 120 de grees this past week, combined with the neces sary fire-proof gear and heat of the flames, made conditions extremely challenging. Mike Hoke, a firefighter student from Bless ing Fire Department, said temperatures can rise up to 1000 degrees during the firefighting drills on Brayton Field. Richard Dewberry, a volunteer firefighter from Southern Oaks Fire Department in St. Elmo, said the fire school’s level of difficulty compares with basic training he received in the military. Dewberry said a drill called the “smoke house” was file most challenging he completed. “In the smokehouse, you have to work your way through a burning building using a self- containing breathing apparatus,” he said. “You can’t see anything — you only have two senses, feel and sound. “You have a left wall and a right wall to choose which way to go, and you are responsi ble for leading and communicating to your part ner, who is behind you. It’s hot, and if you have any kind of claustrophobia it would be hard to get through.” The drills are often more serious and dan gerous than previous fires students have expe rienced, which prepares them for possible fu ture experiences. Pat James, The Battalion Firefighters combat an inferno on a mock industrial site at the Municipal Texas Fireman's Training School on the 62-acre Brayton Fireman Training Field. Firefighters said the training they receive this summer is essential to the expansion of rescue skills for their fire departments at home. “On-the-job experience is good, but you can take this experience back and share with oth ers,” Dewberry said. “I’ve only dealt with two or three grass fires, and one structural fire.” Rosson said volunteer firefighting can be time consuming. “We worked all night Saturday on a grass fire before driving here for fire school,” Rosson said. Rosson said the summer’s heat has made firefighting drills more difficult. “One of the toughest things I’ve experienced here is the 120-degree heat index combined with wearing the full bunker gear,” she said. Rosson said women are an obvious minority in the fire school. “Out of 200 people in my class, there are only two women, including myself,” she said. She said while certain drills present more of a challenge, she has not experienced any gen der discrimination. “The instructors mostly work your butt off,” Rosson said. “Teachers haven’t given me a hard time, though. They let me do what I can do. I’m not going to pick up a 80-pound piece of ma chinery when there’s a big guy next to me who can do it.” Rosson said the training she received in College Station will benefit her entire fire department. “A lot I’ve learned I can take back, like shortcuts for rescuing people shortened from 30 minutes to 2 minutes,” Rosson said. “The idea is you go back and don’t forget what you’ve learned. “Here they give us alternatives like Mac- Gyver — do what you can with what you’ve got.” Hoke said using the “MacGyver” principle, he learned how to make a body stretcher out of a tarp and two sticks. Other hands-on training at the fire school requires students to fight fires in a mobile home, a wrecked car, a derailed passenger train and a wrecked airplane. Co-op program gives Aggies a leg up By Amy Protas The Battalion In today’s competitive job market, previous experience is almost a must to secure a job. At Texas A&M, students can obtain experience through a co op position or an internship. Liberal arts students look ing for internships or co-ops, however, often find fewer op portunities than their fellow students in engineering or business. Dr. Leigh Turner, director of the Career Center, said the origin of co-oping is one of the reasons. “Co-oping started in the Col lege of Engineering many years ago,” Turner said. “It’s more traditional for them to be the ones looking for co-op jobs.” Mike Balog, an undergradu ate adviser in the Department of Political Science, said blame lies with the companies seek ing co-ops and interns. “Liberal arts do have co-op ing students,” Balog said. “Working through the co-op program, it’s harder to get companies to get excited about a liberal arts major even though we may be better in the long run.” Balog said efforts are being made to encourage companies to hire liberal arts majors. “I had worked in the dean’s office and I know the director, Dr. Turner, has made efforts to get more companies involved,” Balog said. “Liberal arts started a career fair in 1993 and it’s been growing every year since the initial one.” Pat White, assistant direc tor of cooperative education, said engineering majors have more specific job skills. “I was a liberal arts major,” White said. “What I’ve found in the course of my career is we never find jobs listed in the same way as jobs for technical majors. Jobs for them are very specific about the skills need ed. As a liberal arts major, we develop many more general types of skills.” White also said students choose liberal arts majors for flexibility. Marilyn Lane, an English graduate student, said it is easier for graduate students to gain work experience. “We have a co-oping pro gram in graduate school,” Lane said. “We are given the opportunity to have teaching experience. We can teach Eng lish 104 and we can be graders. I know for us, it’s a much better situation than for the undergraduate students.” White said students must make the effort to find intern ships and co-op positions. “It becomes very important for the job seeker to develop skills related to job searching,” White said. “There are also things you may be interested in doing that people don’t Team 2000 prepares fo computer revolution By Amy Protas The Battalion As the new millennium approaches, computer own ers will be dealing with the Apocalypse. At midnight on January 1, 1999, many computers will become so much plastic and wiring. Personal computers will crash and the financial in formation in corporation’s computers will be misread. The Team 2000 was creat ed last February to tackle these problems that will in evitably affect Texas A&M. Kim Reverman, Year 2000 team leader for Computing Information Services (CIS), said the Year 2000 problem will create some serious problems. “The dates in computers have been stored for many years in just two-digit form,” Reverman said. “We per ceive time as a continuous thing and after the year 1999 comes 2000. “But on computers it’s go ing to be 00, and on some PCs it’s going to be 1980 or 1984. What it does [is] it just starts over on their clocks.” This date-related problem will show people with nega tive ages. It will also show credit cards as being expired because the year registered in the computers will be 00 — 1900. “Our team’s purpose is to develop a list of Year 2000 computer-related issues and identify possible solutions for CIS and our customers,” Reverman said. Jaime Roman, a senior systems analyst with Stu dent Information Manage ment Systems (SIMS), said he joined the team to help prevent SIMS from being af fected. “I got involved because SIMS is an important part of administrative processes at A&M,” Roman said. “It very well could be that a lot of data produced would be wrong. The services would just stop.” Not everyone believes the year 2000 will be the disas ter many are planning for. Joe Weinman, a senior business analysis major, does not see this issue as a 'til problem. “I don’t think it’s going happen at all,” Weinnu said. “Computers are ob going to get smarterai smarter. It’s not hardtop gram a computer to see as 2000 and not 1900. Tl issue has never come up my classes because it’s no: big concern.” Jon Pope, a supervisor; ternal auditor with the Inti nal Audit Department^ computer users still must; attention to the date. “It’s coming and it’s soi thing that’s going to have| be addressed,” Pope sai “There’s groups out th that understand it needs be addressed and those don’t think it needs to be dressed today. “Then there are othei that are totally oblivious the whole thing.” Pope said this probl will affect more people just computer users. “I know that there are cars on the market todt that have a chip that*! not work in the year Pope said. Roman said PC owns who suspect their computa might have the Year problem can test them. “You can change the ds to December 31, 1999, at change the time to 11:51 he said. “Turn off the cos puter and wait for two nil utes. “When you turn it bat on, check the date. A loti the older ones will displi January 4, 1980.” Roman said if the compl er displays this date.tl computer will need son work before 2000. He sai people should back up the software before they runti test and not run the test! their software will expire! 2000. Computer authorities at calling this the biggest cos puter virus ever and mat institutions are alreai preparing for it. “It is estimated that evej programmer in the count: will be working on this pi lem in 1999,” Pope said “Universities have had go back to paper systems cause their computers h already failed becausef this problem.” c day evei Habitual Liar was a shoe-in to win the Derby. SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE r5< x CONTACT LENSES SALE • m AND QUALITY CARE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AT AFFORDABLE PRICES i* or BUY TWO PAIR AND GET TWO PAIR FREE m ONE PAIR UJ UJ Clear or Tinted Standard Soft Contact Lenses Plus Free Care Kit WE HAVE ALL TYPES OF CONTACT LENSES AVAILABLE AND SATURDAY HOURS m < Call 846-0377 for information on FREE LENSES m ^ SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES •EXAM NOT INCLUDED ^ UJ CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., PC. DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY m UJ UJ 505 University Dr. East, Suite 101 College Station, TX 77840 On University Drive between Randall’s & Black Eyed Pea SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE It happens when you advertise in The Battalion Call 845-2696 AGGIE RING ORDERS THE ASSOCIATION OF FORMER STUDENTS CLAYTON W. WILLIAMS, JR. ALUMNI CENTER DEADLINE: July 30, 1996 ■Undergradugte Student-Requirements; 1. You must be a degree seeking student and have a total of 95 credit hours reflected on the Texas A&M University Student Information Management System. (A passed course, which is repeated and passed, cannot count as additional credit hours.) 2. 2Q credit hours must have been completed in residence at Texas A&M University, providing that prior to January 1,1994, you were registered at Texas A&M University and successfully completed a fall/spring semester or summer term (I and II or 10 weeks) as a full-time student in good standing (as defined in the University catalog). fifl credit hours must have been completed in residence at Texas A&M University if your first semester at Texas A&M University was January 1994 or thereafter, or if you do not qualify under the successful semester requirement. Should your degree be conferred with less than 60 resident credits, this requirement will be waived after your degree is posted on the Student Information Management System. 3. You must have a 2JI cumulative GPR at Texas A&M University. 4. You must be in good standing with the University, including no registration or transcript blocks for past due fees, loans, parking tickets, returned checks, etc. Graduate Student Requirements If you are a August 1996 degree candidate and you do not have an Aggie ring from a prior degree, you may place an order after you meet the following requirements: 1. Your degree is conferred and posted on the Texas A&M University Student Information Management System; and 2. You are in good standing with the University, including no registration or transcript blocks for past due fees, loans, parking tickets, returned checks, etc. If you have completed all of your degree requirements and can obtain a “Letter of Completion” from the Office of Graduate Studies, the original letter of completion, with the seal, may be presented to the Ring Office in lieu of your degree being posted. Procedure To Order A Rina: If you meet all of the above requirements, you must visit the Ring Office no later than Tuesday, July 30,1996, to complete the application for eligibility verification. 1. 2. If your application is approved and you wish to receive your ring on October 3, 1996, you must return and pay in full by cash, check, money order, or your personal Visa or Mastercard (with your name imprinted) no later than August 2, 1996. Add $8.00 for Class of ‘95 or before. The ring delivery date is October 3, 1996. The Battalion Stacy Stanton, Editor in Chief Stew Milne, Photo Editor David Taylor, City Editor Jason Brown, Opinion Editor Kristina Buffin, Aggielife Editor Jody Holley, Night News Editor Tom Day, Sports Editor David Winder, Radio Editor Will Hickman, Radio Editor Toon Boonyavanich, Graphics Editoi Staff Members City Desk - Assistant Editors: Pam Benson & Amy Protas; Reporters: James Fowlet Brandon Hausenfluck, Ann Marie Hauser, Melissa Nunnery, Heather Rosenfeli Erica Roy & Tauma Wiggins Aggielife Desk - Assistant Editor: Pamela Benson; Writers: Michael Cordova, Jeffrey Cranor, James Francis & April Towery Sports Desk - Sportswriters: Colby Caines, Ross Hecox & Ray Hernandez Opinion Desk - Columnists: Rosie Arcelay David Boldt, Marcus Goodyear, Steven Gyeszly, Michael Heinroth, Jennifer Howard, Steven Llano, Heather Pace, Jim Pawlikowski, David Recht & Jeremy Valdez Photo Desk - Photographers: Rony Angkriwan, Shane Elkins, Patrick James 4 Gwendolyn Struve Page Designers - News: Jody Holley & Amy Uptmor; Sports: Kristina Buffin & Tom Day Copy Editors - Brian Gieselman, Shannon Halbrook & Gina Panzica Cartoonists - Chuck Johnson & Quatro Oakley Web Masters - Terry Butler & Chris Stevens Office Staff - Heather Harris & Amy Uptmor Radio Desk - Will Hickman & David Winder 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. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647 Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDon ald and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-2678. Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a sin gle copy of The Battalion. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express, call 845-2611. The Battalion (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer sessions (except on University holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University. 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