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Session stresses AIDS awareness
Matt Hunt
Capital Times Staff
A member of the South Central AIDS
Assistance Network (SCAAN) met with
students and faculty on Jan. 30, in the
Gallery Lounge to present information
about the disease in a program entitled,
"Sex, Lies and AIDS."
Kate Scarfoss, coordinator of
Community Health Education at SCAAN,
spoke about the HIV virus, AIDS and its
related symptoms, and measures people
can Like to reduce the risk of transmitting
the disease.
According to Searfoss, the HIV virus
attaches to the outside of the T-4 cell, the
cell which directs B cells to produce
antibodies. The virus injects its own
genetic information and alters it, causing
the cell not to produce antibodies. As the
virus invades the cell, it will rupture and
infect other cells.
"By attacking the T-cells, the virus
disrupts our immune system," Scarfoss
said, "making us more susceptible to
disease."
She said the virus is passed by the
interchange of bodily fluids; specifically
blood, semen, and vaginal/ccrvical fluid.
Scarfoss said that saliva, tears,
perspiration, urine and feces do not have a
high enough concentration of the virus to
infect someone.
According to Scarfoss, there arc various
opinions on whether or not breast milk
can pass the virus from mother to child.
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be one of the danger fluids," Scarfoss said,
"while others do not believe it has a high
Grads face lengthy and tedious job search
Ann Fccney-McGovcrn
Capital Times Staff
If you're planning to graduate this
semester, you'd better start the job search
"It's taking longer (than in previous
years) to find jobs-lhrce to six months,"
said Career Services Coordinator Karl
Martz. "I encourage people to start early."
One sign of the lingering recession is
declining numbers of recruiters at job
fairs, Martz said.
The Central Pennsylvania Employer
Consortium, scheduled for Feb. 27 at the
Farm Show, which last year hosted 130
employers, only expects 95 this year.
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enough concentration to pass the virus."
AIDS is most commonly passed by
unprotected sex, but can also be contracted
by sharing needles for intravenous drugs or
those used for tattoos. And more recently,
a large number of children are being born
to mothers who arc infected, Scarfoss said.
She advised that people remember
anyone can be struck by the HIV virus.
"It doesn't care who you arc or what
you do," Scarfoss said. "HIV is very, very
smart, but it's a wimp. It needs our help
to create an infection.”
Searfoss offered the following tips for
AIDS prevention; assume everyone is
infected, always use condoms during
intercourse, do not share needles with
anyone, and use "universal" precautions
consistently.
Scarfoss said while common sense is
an essential for protection against the
virus, but that paranoia should not
overtake a person's life.
"If someone's standing there with an
arterial cut, squirting blood everywhere,
I'm not going to stand there and check to
see if I have any hangnails," she said.
Scarfoss advised using some kind of
barrier; rubber gloves or heavy cloth, to
keep from coming into direct contact with
another person's blood.
On the issue of safe sex, Searfoss said
at this point, the best defense is still the
condom. She said that not enough people
believe and practice this method.
"Our best defense is only as good as
our ability and motivation to use it."
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science major who attended the program,
said, "I'm very concerned about AIDS, I
Consortium, planned for Feb. 19 in
Hagerstown, Md., 89 recruiters look part
last year, but only 23 plan to attend this
year, Martz said.
Martz also said that some employers
have cancelled recruitment seminars
previously scheduled for Penn State
Harrisburg. He said he has also noticed
significantly less demand for jobs in
engineering and technical fields.
The reason, he said, is "world structure
changes," such as reductions in nuclear
arms and military budgets. Many
engineers work for weapons manufacturers
and consultant firms hired under
government defense contracts.
In some cases the recession causes job
cuts even when there's a need for labor.
Dr. Edward S. Beck, CCMHC, NCC, Director
Licensed Psychologists, Social Workers & Counselors
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came to get as much information as I scheduled to deal with the issues
can - surrounding AIDS, its prevention and
A brief question and answer period future hopes. Two other programs will
followed the presentation. follow in February and March. For more
The program was one of three information contact Student Affairs.
This is especially true in education, Martz
said. "The needs arc there; what's missing
is the budget."
Conversely, Martz said, he's noticed a
slight increase in job opportunities for
business majors. He said jobs remain
available in accounting, information
systems and computer science.
Graduates of the public affairs program
have not been affected by a scarcity of
employment opportunics, according to
Robert Brcslcr, head of the division of
public affairs.
"Most of our students (who have
graduated) have jobs," he said. Employers
arc actually calling to ask if former
students arc available to fill openings, he
said.
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New behavioral science and education
graduates have job opportunities, but the
salaries tend to be lower and relocation is
often necessary, said Betty Fortner, acting
division head of behavioral science and
education.
Many behavioral science positons are
offering salaries well below the average for
an individual with a degree, Fortner said.
As for education, Fortner said,
"Pennsylvania is the teacher export slate.
Because there are so many teachers in the
state, local employment may be scarce,
but there is a need in other areas."
Peter Parisi, coordinator of the
communications program in the
See Recession, page 6
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