By Kaitie Smith staff reporter Members of Alpha Epsilon Delta can pack their bags now that the House of Student Representatives passed a bill allocating $2,000 to the Pre-Health Departmental Honor Society during House's regular meeting Tuesday night. The money will be used to send 25 students to the Biennial National Convention in Nashville, Tenn. Chris Foster, AED president, said getting the money was an incredible achievement. "We are grateful for the money and that the House puts so much faith and trust in us," Foster said. "Whatever money we have left over will be promptly returned to House." Stine Lunden, House treasurer, said the money was allocated from the Conventions and Conferences budget, which contained $4,000. The remaining $2,000 will be pooled into the reserve fund if other organizations do not request the money by March 3, she said. "This a dedicated organization that contributes immensely to TCU," Lunden said. "They do a lot of community service, and we felt (AED) needed the money." AED members will arrive in Nashville March 23 and will be able to sign up for seminars that are applicable to their future fields of practice. "There will be representatives from almost every field imaginable, from deans of admissions to practitioners" Foster said. "There should be (more than) 400 students from across the nation in attendance." Aggie Alexander, a member of AED and a junior biology major, said the conference is an important event. "This conference only happens every two years," Alexander said. "There will be lots of interaction with other AED chapters and great informative speakers. It will aid students in preparation for the (Medical College Admissions Test) and also help us to put together our applications." Foster said TCU's pre-med students have a 65 percent to 70 percent acceptance rate into medical schools. The national medical school acceptance rate is 33 percent to 40 percent, he said. The House also tabled a bill requesting that the administration change current Internet policies. The fact that commuter students incur a fee even though they do not have direct Internet access at their residences stirred a debate among some House members.
Kaitie Smith
By Natascha Terc staff reporter Donor agencies and fertility clinics are looking for a few good college students - to donate a few good eggs, that is. Advertisements in the TCU Daily Skiff offer monetary compensation for young, healthy, non-smoking women who will give their eggs to couples who cannot have children of their own. Compensation can range from $2,000 to $5,000, or the donor can choose to donate for free. Dr. Kevin Doody, program director at the Center for Assisted Reproduction in Bedford, said the center receives a reasonable response - a minimum of five inquiries per week - from the ad. The center's only advertisements are in the TCU and University of Texas at Arlington newspapers. "We've had several TCU students who have finished the donation process," Doody said. "They've all been pleasant and reliable and those are qualities we look for." Melanie Kirkland, a senior history major, said the ability to harvest eggs from one woman to allow conception in another is a remarkable development in medicine but said she would not donate just for the money. "I'm not sure it's appropriate to have these advertisements aimed at students looking for college money or extra cash in a college newspaper," Kirkland said. "Since I've already had children, I would consider donating eggs for a friend or family member but not simply as a way to raise cash." Potential donors must fill out a detailed 12-page application, which asks questions about family medical history, education and personal appearance. If the donor is called back for the in-person interview, she will have to undergo psychological and physical testing. The qualifying donor will be administered injections of two medications every day for two weeks, followed by two weeks of daily visits to the doctor where she will receive check ups and daily injections. The egg retrieval takes about 30 to 45 minutes, and the donor is paid on the day of the procedure. Donations can be anonymous, and the donor will sign a contract before the procedure. Nancy Adams, the in vitro fertilization nurse at the center in Bedford, said egg donors are paid more than sperm donors because of the risks that can be associated with the procedure. "There is some risk because donors receive (intravenous, general) anesthesia," she said. Adams said a common side effect from the medication is ovarian cysts, but they usually go away on their own. Dr. Michael T. Moore, a North Richland Hills dentist who administers general anesthesia, said common side effects from IV sedation are nausea, vomiting and dehydration. "In extremely rare cases, death can result due to respiratory suppression," Moore said. "The body has an unusual reaction to the anesthetic, and breathing stops." Adams said the procedure is very safe, but it is important for potential donors to look for a place with reputable, experienced, board-certified doctors. "Our doctors are very conservative with donors because they know it is a strictly voluntary procedure for them," Adams said. "We've not had any complications that could impair anyone's fertility in the 10 years the practice has been open." But Roy Weindorf, a sophomore business major, said the ads are not appropriate in a college newspaper. "I don't like seeing the ad, but it's a woman's choice," he said. "It's not something that is easily donated, and it's not really necessary." Angela Williams, a senior psychology major, said people are not ready to deal with the implications of this technology. "I do not think society is ready to deal with blurred lines of parenthood," she said. "What if there are lab mistakes and a family ends up with a child of a different race that they didn't want? I think we're toying with too much, too soon." Williams said she knew a girl who donated her eggs because she was trying to pay her way through school. "(The donor) said there (were) a lot of doctor's appointments and tests, and she said it wasn't really painful, though it hurt for a few days after," Williams said. "The thing she was most scared about was having a child show up at her doorstep one day." Adams said the Center for Assisted Reproduction performs between 400 and 500 in vitro fertilizations a year, and 10 percent are from donor eggs. "One donor at our practice has donated her eggs several times and has donated the money to charities," Adams said. "Many women donate because they just want to give other women the chance to have a child." Adams said they are always recruiting new donors to provide a wide variety to the couples who are seeking a donor. "We don't advertise in just any paper because you never know who will respond," Adams said. "We are wanting to get young, healthy, intelligent women donors, and we thought college newspapers were good places to start."
Natascha Terc
By Kathryn Garcia staff reporter Students will have the opportunity to interview with 57 different businesses at TCU Career Night, from 4 to 7 p.m. today in the Student Center Ballroom.Sponsored by TCU Career Services and Delta Sigma Pi, the professional business fraternity, Career Night will feature prospective employers from various professions including accounting, criminal justice, English, nursing, political science and sociology. Among the businesses attending will be companies such as Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, American Airlines and Bank of America. Bill Stowe, associate director of Career Services, said the businesses will be recruiting students for internships, part-time and full-time jobs. He said Career Night allows the students to get face to face with potential employers and make their sales pitch right. "The great advantage is you don't have to worry about being screened out by a secretary, instead you get an instant interview," he said.
Students should dress professionally and need to be proactive in going up and talking to (the employers) and handing them résumés, Stowe said. John Thompson, marketing instructor and advisor of Delta Sigma Pi, said the fraternity's goal is to offer as large a variety of companies for the students as possible. "Most companies that come to the school have a narrow interest and come for just one or two days, but with the career fair we bring many companies with different interests at one time," Thompson said. "We want to help people make better career decisions." Terri Brigman, college relation and co-op intern coordinator for Lockheed Martin, said they are optimistic that they will find students interested in working for Lockheed. "We want to let the students know that they can get a job right here in their backyard," Brigman said. "We want them to consider us as a future employer and a possible internship while they're going to school. We will consider Career Night successful if we recruit just one person." Stowe said in the past they were only able to have 50 businesses attend because only a certain amount of tables can fit in the ballroom. This year, they added seven more businesses by setting up extra tables in front of the ballroom and five employers are still on the waiting list, he said. Students that are searching for jobs can also attend the biannual Metroplex Area Consortium of Career Centers (MAC3) Job Fair March 7 at the Arlington Convention Center or visit Career Services Web site at (www.cpl.tcu.edu) for job listings. For more information, visit Career Services in the Student Center Annex or call 257-7860.
Kathryn Garcia
By Jeff Anderson staff reporter After one semester, the Deco Deli has elicited positive student comments, Dining Services Director Ed Lube said. Ashley Nevin, a junior biology major, said the deli is a good dining option and offers a better variety of sandwiches than The Main or Worth Hills. "It's definitely a good alternative to (former) Eden's North," she said. Libby Zey, a junior social work major, said having the sandwiches separate from Eden's Greens keeps the lines shorter.
Lube said the deli has between 500 and 600 students dine there each day. Deco Deli replaced Eden's North, which provided all-you-can-eat meals to students. Lube said Eden's North had only 40 to 80 students each day. The space was not used efficiently, so Dining Services decided to change the service, he said. Deco Deli is the only option for deli style sandwiches during the week on main campus. But Randy Naugle, a senior marketing and political science major, said he preferred Eden's North. "I hate the Deco Deli," he said. "I liked it when it was all-you-can-eat." Naugle said even though the deli is open until 8 p.m., it really doesn't offer a good dinner selection. "I wish there (were) another option for dinner," he said. "Sandwiches aren't really a dinner food." But Lube said based on comment cards, the deli has been a popular place to eat. Some students said they would like to have an all-you-can-eat option but would rather have the deli if they had to choose, he said. There has not been a major sense from students to bring all-you-can-eat back, he said. Matt McCown, a senior biology major, said the deli caters to a wider audience than Eden's North did. "I like the fresh sandwiches," he said. Lube said looking back, the move to replace Eden's North with the deli was a good one. Students, however, offered a few suggestions for the deli. Nevin said the deli should offer more side items in addition to the salad, soup and fruit. Zey said she would like to see a hot meal offered with the sandwiches at night when Eden's Greens is not open. The deli is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. The deli is closed on weekends.
Jeff Anderson
By Jill McNeal staff reporter Christine Matthes said she hopes to get into a heated discussion this evening at the spring ecumenical exchange. "We get so few opportunities on campus to interact and really talk with people of different faiths," said Matthes, a sophomore nutrition major. Religion professor Ronald Flowers will speak to the TCU community on the topic of political candidates and religious issues tonight at the ecumenical exchange, sponsored by Uniting Campus Ministries. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. in Reed Hall faculty center Room 214, and a small-group discussion will follow the speaker. Amanda Mahan, sophomore religion major and UCM social justice chairwoman, said ecumenism is defined as sharing faiths."Basically, with the ecumenical exchanges, we try to address an issue of contemporary concern and invite people of all faiths to give their opinion," Mahan said. With presidential election primaries taking place across the country, tonight's topic should be of interest to students, she said. "We will be discussing specific candidates and their views on different religious issues," she said. "Especially since this year the candidates seem to be using comments about Christianity in their campaigns." Flowers said the topic is relevant for students of all religious groups. "I want students to think about if it's permissible under the constitutional separation of church and state for religion to play such a large part in political campaigns," Flowers said. "I saw on the news this morning that some candidates are requesting time to make speeches in churches. Also, is it appropriate or inappropriate for George W. Bush and other candidates to answer media questions by saying their favorite philosopher is Jesus Christ?" Flowers said he hopes to make students think about whether religion is a legitimate player in certain political issues. "There's that business about the Ten Commandments being posted in public places and about giving money to faith-based organizations for public assistance programs," he said. The Rev. John Butler, university minister, said Flowers was chosen for his knowledge about the relationship between church and state. "His experiences are a good connection between the faith commitments and the political views that shape our public lives and policies," Butler said. Matthes said she will enjoy the fellowship as much as the program itself. "I'm looking for new insight and ways to apply it to my life," she said. "If the purpose is really to get other people's views, I'd like to see some topics presented that are more controversial." About 100 students usually attend the ecumenical exchanges held on campus once each semester, Butler said. "I hope students will come tonight because they want to learn more about the role religion plays in politics, from how we run our local jail to how we select a president," he said. Tonight's ecumenical exchange is open to anyone at no charge. Prism leadership credit will also be given.
Jill McNeal |
"You don't have to wait in a long line for entrees
when you only want a sandwich," she said. Lube said the deli provides
more space and opens up room in Eden's Greens and The Main. When students
are spread out in several dining locations, it helps speed service and
keeps lines shorter, he said.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |