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.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840.
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas
A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
Joi\
m
♦ Fir: