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A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893
www.thebattaIion.net
(Volume 110 • Issue 56 • 8 pages
New ID replaces SSN number
Friday, November 14,
Identity Theft Prevention
Students should follow these guidelines to protect
themselves from identity theft:
By Eric Ambrose
THE BATTALION
With identity theft becoming a more common
crime, Texas A&M plans to change student identi
fication numbers from Social Security numbers to
a randomly assigned universal identification num
ber (UID).
Starting in the spring or summer of 2004, the
student ID number will be replaced by a different
nine digit number that is not in the same format of
Social Security numbers.
“This project has been ongoing for years, but
now we have the means and technology to make
the change,” said Donald Carter, A&M registrar.
“We are hoping to be ready by the end of the fall
semester.”
A NetID, which is a student’s neo-account name
and password, will be used for all student Web
services, said Larry Malota, associate director for
Computing and Information Services. The UID
will be the number that appears on the student ID
card and the first identification number a student
gets when applying to the University.
For the past semester, incoming applicants have
already been assigned UIDs, Malota said. These
students will use this number instead of their Social
Security numbers for the remainder of their careers
at the University. The student ID number for cur
rent students will not be changed until next spring
or summer, he said.
“We’ve been working on this for over a year,”
Malota said. “Very soon a universal identification
number will be assigned to all students and
employees of the University.”
This change comes after the biology department
accidentally sent out the Social Security numbers,
birthdays and GPRs of 1,300 stu
dents in late October. Although
Malota insists the incident is not
why the University wants to make
the change so quickly, he said it
does illustrate why such a change
is necessary.
“Colleges are trying to get
away from using Social Security
numbers,” Carter said. “We’ve
had security breaches before, but
with the use of the UID it will be
more difficult.”
In the past two or three years, identity theft has
become a problem because of easy access to per
sonal information, said Lt. Bert Kretzschmar of the
University Police Department. If someone has a
credit card number and expiration date, that’s basi
cally all that is needed to charge something on the
•Don't leave wallet or purse lying around
•Keep credit card receipts and carbon
copies
•Never tell anyone your credit card number
over the phone unless you initiate the call
•Collect mail regularly and destroy
unwanted solicitations for credit cards
•Monitor credit statements
Andrew Burleson • THE BATTALION
Source : UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Internet, he said. It is also easier to get other per
sonal information through the Internet.
“Identity theft is a growing problem in the
United States, and at A&M, too,” Kretzschmar
said. “With the advent of the Internet it’s easier to
obtain additional information about people.”
Construction project
Randal Ford • THE BATTALION
ident
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exas.
Natalie Montgomery, a sophomore environmental design major, class. The model is of a Galveston beach house and incorporates
finished up one of her architecture projects for her Studio 205 certain criteria required for beach houses.
Dean of geosciences
named council chair
By Pammy Ramji
THE BATTALION
The Texas A&M Council of Senior
Business Administrators recently select
ed Janice Mills, dean of geosciences as
its 2004 chair.
The CSBA serves as a liaison
between the upper administration and the
user community in the finance and
administrative arena of the University,
said Gib G. Sawtelle III, human
resources and payroll manager for A&M
Computing & Information Services.
“Janice is an excellent candidate,”
said Kelly D. Gallagher, business manag
er for the Medical Science Library. “She
has new ideas and is a positive influence
on what we can accomplish this year.”
Mills received her bachelor’s degree-
in psychology from the University of
Idaho and an MBA from A&M in 1995.
She was honored as a 2002 participant
in the Leadership Texas program,
which recognizes 100 women leaders
from across Texas. Mills currently
serves as senior academic business
administrator for the College of
Geosciences. She has 25 years of pro
fessional business experience in private
industry and higher education.
“CSBA represents a diverse slice of
the University business administration
community with members from each
academic college and all areas of
administration and service units across
campus. With state budget cuts and con
tinuing University budget concerns, all
units are being called on to be more effi
cient and more effective,” Mills said.
“One of CSBA’s strategic priorities is to
provide avenues to ensure that adminis
trative staff is adequately trained and
have a conduit to business best practices
across Campus.”
The CSBA sponsors free workshops
designed to address the learning needs
of business and administrative staff
across A&M’s campus.
Subject matter experts from across
campus support this effort by volun
teering their time to share information
on a variety of topics. They believe that
professional developments in these
skill areas are essential to supporting
the University.
Some of the other training resources
include payroll and budget training,
human resources training, computer
training, environmental health and
safety training, and training on a vari
ety of topics that include fire extin
guisher, hazard communication and
laboratory safety. These programs pro
vide employees with hands-on coach
ing sessions that will help them reach
their professional development goals.
“This year the organization expand
ed tremendously,” Mills said. “We have
about 40-plus members now.”
A&M supports staff members in
business-related positions and estab
lished the CSBA Best in Business Staff
Awards to recognize and reward supe
rior service. Recipients are those who
have made distinguished contributions
to A&M and regularly exemplify out
standing service.
“It is going to be an interesting
year,” Mills said.
More information on CSBA is avail
able on its Web site,
http://www.tamu.edu/csba.
; at
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Freebirds thrives in burrito battle
By Lindsay Broomes
THE BATTALION
Freebirds stands strong in the
Brazos Valley despite the recent addi
tion of burrito rival Chipotle.
“This is truly a David versus
Goliath situation,” said Freebirds
Brandmaster Kari Krueger, “and we
are up for the challenge.”
Freebirds competes in other mar
kets as well as with Chipotle.
“Competition makes everyone
stronger,” Krueger said, “and we are
going to continue to move forward and
ensure an awe-inspiring experience for
our customers every time they come to
The Bird.”
Senior business major Chasity
McCoy said she prefers Freebirds
over Chipotle.
“Freebirds definitely has more to
choose from and is easier to cus
tomize,” McCoy said.
Freebirds differs from Chipotle
by offering a variety of tortilla fla
vors, burrito sizes and overall prod
uct mix.
“We are two very different organi
zations with different targets and a dif
fering customer base,” Krueger said.
Even with the addition of Chipotle,
Krueger said Freebirds’ sales at the
Northgate store have surpassed last
year’s numbers.
“Having three stores in this market
has been tremendously successful for
us,” Krueger said. “As the community
continues to grow, so has Freebirds
and we are grateful to our customers
for their loyal support of what is now
an Aggie tradition.”
See Burrito on page 2
Japan delays sending troops to Iraq
By Bassem M. Roue
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Japan put off a decision
Thursday send troops to Iraq, a day after the biggest
attack on coalition forces since the war, and South
Korea rebuffed Washington by capping its contribution
at 3,000 soldiers.
U.S. troops pounded suspected guerrilla targets in the
capital for a second straight night under a new “get-tough”
campaign against the insurgency. And the top American
administrator, L. Paul Bremer, headed back to Baghdad
after two days of White House talks with orders that Iraqis
should take more responsibility for governing.
On the eve of a visit to Tokyo by Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld, Japan decided the time isn’t right to
send its forces to Iraq, indicating its deployment might be
delayed until next year.
Japan had hoped to send troops to Iraq to help rebuild the
country by the end of 2003, but chief Cabinet Secretary
Yasuo Fukuda backed off, saying Iraq is still too unstable.
“Japan has said it wants to think about the timing” of its
deployment, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice
said in Washington. “We understand that.”
South Korea also decided to limit its contribution to
3,000 troops, President Roh Moo-hyun announced.
Denmark also rejected a push by two Danish soldiers’
unions to bolster its 410-member force by 100 more troops.
Many countries and agencies in Iraq, including Spain,
the Netherlands, the United Nations and the international
See Iraq on page 2
TEXAS TICKET SALE
Juniors pull Tuesday. Nov. 18
Sophomores pull Wednesday, Nov. 19
Freshmen pull Thursday. Nov. 20
Senior/Graduate students pull Monday,
Nov. 17
PI There will be a limited number of
guest tickets available at $75 each.
PI Conversion tickets and guest labels
will be $37.50 each.
n There is no limit on the number of
conversions or guest labels.
Group pull is Monday and Tuesday
Windows will be open Monday
through Thursday from 7 a.m.
i to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m.
. to 5 p.m.
FI Students who did not purchase
a sports option will have an
opportunity on Friday, Nov. 21 to
purchase a student walk-up ticket if
they are available.
Photo by Randal Ford • THE BATTALION
Ruben DeLuna • THE BATTALION
Source • 12TH MAN FOUNDATION