Sports. Aggies hosting UTS A • Page 1 B Opinion: A pro-choice Christmas? • Page 5B
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[Volume 109 • Issue 72 • 12 pages
www.thebatt.com
Friday, December 13, 2002
Grads hunt for jobs in slow market
By Eric Ambroso
THE BATTALION
Though a sluggish economy has left many
becember graduates wondering where they can
|nd a decent job, students like Amjed Ladak said
|he Career Center at Texas A&M can provide
liany graduating seniors with opportunities,
j "1 know the job market is down,” said Ladak,
In industrial engineering student graduating next
leek. “But the Career Center gives us ample
bpportunity to get our foot in the door. After that,
rs all up to us.”
Ladak plans to take a position in operation
{esources at Frito-Lay in San Antonio after gradu
ation. He said most of his success in the job mar-
let is due to the Career Center, reportedly using
the Web site at least once or twice a day. Ladak
used the Career Center to take part in 13 inter
views throughout his senior year with a wide vari
ety ot companies. The center is unique because it
allows students to look for jobs inside and outside
of their major, he said.
In 2001-2002, there was a 15 percent decrease
in on-campus interviews at A&M. This fall that
number has decreased another 15 percent, said
Marti Boerema, director of experiential education
at the Career Center. Approximately 11,000 inter
views were held on campus this fall.
Over 7,000 students reported their post-gradu
ate plans to the Career Center last year, and 46
percent of them had a job or a viable offer,
Boerema said. Another 15 percent of graduates
decided to go to graduate school.
“Employers are making every effort not to cur
tail all hiring from college campuses,” Boerema
said. “But companies are coming to campus with
more limited hiring needs. They are hiring in
smaller numbers and in less disciplines.”
Though hiring at Texas A&M is significantly
decreasing, students at A&M are firing better than
most other students at universities in Texas and
across the nation, Boerema said. While the num
ber of interviews at A&M has decreased 15 per
cent from last year, many colleges are down 25 to
48 percent.
“Overall, the process has been a little slower
this fall, but comparatively, we are still faring bet
ter,” Boerema said.
See Graduates on page 2
op IP
1. Internship program
2. Co-op program
3. On-campus interview J
4. Employee referrals
5. Career/job fairs
6. Faculty contacts J
7. Internet job postings
(company Web sites)
8. Job postings to career offices
9. Student organizations/ clubs
10. Internet job postings
(campus Web site)
Source: www.jobweb.com
TRAVIS SWENSON • THE BATTALION
Hittin’ the books
ALISSAJHOLLIMON • THE BATTALION
Mascot corporal Jordan Cadduck, a sophomore industrial before final exams. Finals begin today and run through
distribution major, helps Reveille VII study biology notes Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Graves presses on
through cancer
By Sarah Walch
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M Chancellor
Howard Graves announced that
while his lung nodules have still
been growing at a slow rate, the
cancerous tumor in his abdomen
appears to be under control.
The primary tumor appears
to have shrunk and is not cur
rently active. Graves said. The
growth rate of the lung nodules
has been very slow. The largest
one is about an inch in diameter.
Graves was diagnosed with a
rare form of the sarcoma cancer
in January of 2001 and under
went chemotherapy and radia
tion treatment at the University
of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston.
In September of 2001, he
was scheduled to undergo sur
gery to remove the tumor from
his abdomen, but at a Sept. 11
appointment doctors informed
him the cancer had grown and
spread to his lungs.
Graves is now receiving all
of his treatment for his soft-tis
sue sarcoma cancer at St.
Joseph’s Regional Health
Center in Bryan, Texas.
Graves’ primary physician at
the health center is Dr. Avi
Markowitz. He still makes the
trip to the Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston to be treated
by Dr. Robert S. Benjamin once
a month.
Dr. Markowitz has been spe
cially authorized by M.D.
Anderson to administer the
experimental drug thrombopoi-
etin (TPO), that only recently
became available for clinical
evaluation. Graves said.
“The initial treatment dam
aged my bone marrow,” Graves
said. “I am receiving experi
mental stimuli to cause the bone
marrow to produce white blood
cells, red blood cells, and
platelets.”
TPO is the primary regulator
of platelet production and a sin
gle dose of TPO can increase
platelet production 3- or 4-fold,
according to work published on
the M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center Web site by researcher
Dr. Saroj Vadhan-Raj.
Graves said he is lucky to
receive the TPO treatment.
“It’s available only three
places in the world: College
Station, Houston and New
York,” he said.
According to the American
Cancer Society Web site, once
sarcomas have metastasized, or
spread, the 5-year survival rate
is between 10 and 15 percent.
The Rev. Dwight Edwards,
Graves’ pastor at Grace Bible
Church, said he was at the hos
pital with Graves when he got
his biopsy results back and
found out he had cancer.
See Graves on page 2
N. Korea says it
Iwill reactivate
nuclear reactor
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea
said Thursday it will immediately revive a
J. 0v ' et ~desig n ed nuclear power plant the
| nited States suspects was being used to
r ev elop nuclear weapons before it was frozen
'fl1994.
A dismayed South Korea urged its neighbor
o reverse the decision. In Washington, a
spokesman for President Bush called the situa-
, i0 ^ regrettable” but said the United States
, ad no plans for military action in response to
eNorth Korean decision.
With a bitter winter ahead, a North Korean
°reign Ministry spokesman said his country
a no choice but to reactivate the reactor and
Resume construction of other nuclear facilities
o supply desperately needed power after a
n'l •:' ed d ec i s i° n last month to suspend annual
0I > shipments of 500,000 tons.
*^CNA, the North’s state-run news agency,
i oted tire spokesman but did not name him.
w , ,^ out ^ Korean government official said it
Quid take about two months for North Korea
reactivate its old nuclear plant,
the • Korean announcement followed
I seizu re and release this week of a ship car-
N ‘ n § N o rth Korean Scud missiles to Yemen,
inn a ^ orea s missile customers have also
uded Libya, Iran, Syria, Pakistan and Egypt,
inf] Wasn t clear whether the interception
North^ Ced t ^ le d ec i s i° n > but an editorial in the
said- ‘ S ‘ 0 ^ c * a ^ newspaper, Rodong Sinmun,
a K i s necessary to heighten vigilance
t ^ le U-SL strategy for world supremacy
an<1 ^mi-terrorism war’”
p] j 11 )j as hington. White House spokesman Ari
to sT r Sa * d t^re United States would continue
Nordf v- a P eace f u ! resolution of the issue of
Korea’s nuclear program.
U.S. military helicopter crashes in Honduras
SANTA CRUZ DE YOJOA,
Honduras (AP) — An American Black
Hawk helicopter crashed in the hills of
central Honduras during a night train
ing exercise, killing five U.S. soldiers.
The helicopter, from Soto Cano Air
Force Base in Palmerola, Honduras,
crashed about 9 p.m. Wednesday while
on routine training, said Lt. Col. Bill
Costello, a spokesman for the U.S.
Southern Command in Florida.
“Right now, we are classifying it as
a training accident,” Costello said
Thursday. “It is being investigated.”
The names of the dead were being
withheld until their families could be
notified. The crew belonged to the 1st
Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment,
based at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico.
There had been heavy rains in the
area over the past three days, but the
cause of the crash was not known.
Pieces of metal and other debris
were strewn across a hillside, which
was guarded by both Honduran and
U.S. military officials. The helicopter
crashed in a remote, agricultural area
near a small highway.
U.S. Army South spokesman Maj.
Rich Crusan confirmed that five crew
members were aboard the helicopter.
He said the bodies were taken to Soto
Cano Air Force Base on Thursday.
The unit involved in the crash was
assigned to Joint Task Force Bravo, the
U.S. military command that conducts
training, counter-drug, and humanitari
an missions in Central and South
America and the Caribbean.
Many of its members helped Central
America recover after Hurricane Mitch
killed thousands.
Five U.S. soldiers killed in crash
Five U.S. soldiers were killed when their UH-60 Black Hawk
helicopter crashed in Santa CruzdeYojoa, Honduras. The helicopter
was en route to Soto Cano Air Force
Base from San Pedro Sula. UH-60 Black Hawk
GUAV. -
Soto # Santa Cruz de Yojoa^v
J Cano** HOND.
AFB - j 0 TegugigaL
NIC.
0 100 mi
Primary function: Infantry squad
transport helicopter
Length: 64 ft.. 10 in. (19.76 meters)
Height: 16 ft., 10 in. (5.13 meters)
Max. speed: 184 mph
Ceiling: 19,000 ft. (5,790 meters)
Range: 368 miles (592 km)
Accommodation: Three crew
members and 11 fully equipped
troops
SOURCE: Associated Press: ESRI
AP
Officials warn students to take precautions over break
• have newspapers cancelled
or held
• ask a neighbor to collect
^ mail
^ • put lights on timers
\ • take valuable Items
\ home
\ • leave a TV or radio on
\ • notify police department
> when residents will be
away for an extended
period of time
MANDYROUQUETTE • I he battalion
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
The College Station Police Department
(CSPD) and the University Police Department
(UPD) are encouraging students and faculty to
take precautions before leaving their apartments,
residence halls and offices for the winter break.
For 10 years, CSPD has offered a program
called Dark House, which allows residents living
off campus, mostly in subdivisions, to have a
patrol officer drive by their home while they are
gone, said Lt. Rodney Sigler, public information
officer for the CSPD.
“If someone is going to be gone for a period of
time, let us know and if time permits we will go
by and check the residence,” Sigler said.
Most college students live in apartment com
plexes which are already patrolled, he said. But
regardless of where you live, everyone should
make arrangements with neighbors for things
such as pets and mail before leaving for the holi
day, he said.
“Have your newspaper canceled or held, other
wise they will stack up on the doorstep and it will
give away someone is not home,” Sigler said.
Have a neighbor watch your house and collect
your mail if possible, Sigler said.
Sigler also suggests using timed lights and
keeping the television or radio on so there is
always noise in the house.
UPD officer Allan Baron said students living on
campus also need to take caution, even though they
are required to turn in their keys prior to leaving.
“The big thing is to lock things in your dorm,
but take high value items home. I know it’s a pain.
See Safety on page 2