function getRadioValue (radioButtonOrGroup) {

  var radvalue = null;
  if (radioButtonOrGroup.length) { // group 
    for (var b = 0; b < radioButtonOrGroup.length; b++)
      if (radioButtonOrGroup[b].checked)
        radvalue = radioButtonOrGroup[b].value;
	  }
	
  else if (radioButtonOrGroup.checked) 
    radvalue = radioButtonOrGroup.value;
 	 //alert(radvalue);

		if (radvalue == null) {
			alert("Please help us by letting us know how you found this Career Connection Web site. Thanks!");
			return false;	
			}

		var email = document.application.__emailAddr__.value;
		
		var invalidChars = " /:,;"
		//alert("checking chars");
		var invalidpChars = "!\@#$%^&*()-~,'<.>/?;:\|abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
		
		if (email == "") {
				alert("Please enter a valid e-mail address. \nCommon problems include\:\nMissing the \@ symbol. \nUsing a comma instead of a period \(dot\).\nTyping spaces within the email address.");
					document.application.__emailAddr__.focus();
					return false
			}
			for (i=0; i<invalidChars.length; i++) {
				badChar = invalidChars.charAt(i)
				if (email.indexOf(badChar,0) > -1) {
					alert("Please enter a valid e-mail address. \nCommon problems include\:\nMissing the \@ symbol. \nUsing a comma instead of a period \(dot\).\nTyping spaces within the email address.");
					document.application.__emailAddr__.focus();
					
					return false
				}
			}
			atPos = email.indexOf("@",1)
			if (atPos == -1) {
				alert("Please enter a valid e-mail address. \nCommon problems include\:\nMissing the \@ symbol. \nUsing a comma instead of a period \(dot\).\nTyping spaces within the email address.");
					document.application.__emailAddr__.focus();
				
					return false
			}
			if (email.indexOf("@",atPos+1) > -1) {
				alert("Please enter a valid e-mail address. \nCommon problems include\:\nMissing the \@ symbol. \nUsing a comma instead of a period \(dot\).\nTyping spaces within the email address.");
					document.application.__emailAddr__.focus();
					
					return false
			}
			periodPos = email.indexOf(".",atPos)
			if (periodPos == -1) {
				alert("Please enter a valid e-mail address. \nCommon problems include\:\nMissing the \@ symbol. \nUsing a comma instead of a period \(dot\).\nTyping spaces within the email address.");
					document.application.__emailAddr__.focus();
					
					return false
			}
			if (periodPos+3 > email.length)	{
				alert("Please enter a valid e-mail address. \nCommon problems include\:\nMissing the \@ symbol. \nUsing a comma instead of a period \(dot\).\nTyping spaces within the email address.");
					document.application.__emailAddr__.focus();
					
					return false
			}
			

		

		
			var firstname = document.application._first_name.value;	
			var firstnameLen = firstname.length;

			if (firstnameLen < 2){
				alert("Please enter your first name");
				document.application._first_name.focus();
				//alert(firstname);
				return false;
			}

		
			

			var lastname = document.application.__last_name.value;	
			var lastnameLen = lastname.length;

			if (lastnameLen < 2){
				alert("Please enter your last name");
				document.application.__last_name.focus();
				//alert(lastname);
				return false;
			}


	
var phone = document.application._home_phone.value;
		
		
		if (phone == "") {
				alert("In the Home Phone box, please enter the best number with which to reach you.");
					document.application._home_phone.focus();
					return false;
					}
					
var start = document.application._start_date.value;
		
		
		if (start == "") {
				alert("Please indicate when you can start the program.");
					document.application._start_date.focus();
					return false;
					}
				

				var phone = document.application._home_phone.value;
				var phoneLen = phone.length;

					if(phoneLen < 10){
						alert("Please include your complete phone number with area code.");
						document.application._home_phone.focus();
						return false;
					}

				
var phone = document.application._home_phone.value;
			//alert("Checking phone chars");
				var invalidpChars = "@#$%^&*~,'<.>/?;:\|abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"			
			

			for (i=0; i<invalidpChars.length; i++) {
				
				badChar = invalidpChars.charAt(i)
				//alert("checking: " + invalidpChars.charAt(i));
				if (document.application._home_phone.value.indexOf(badChar) >= 1) {
                             alert("The phone number you have entered contains invalid characters.\nPlease enter only numbers and [if desired] these\:\nparentheses \(\)\ndash \-");
					document.application._home_phone.focus();
					//alert("check phone ");
					return false
				}

}

// This block added by James McLain.

var tuitInfo = document.application.tuitionInfo.checked

if (!tuitInfo) {
    alert("Please check that you\'ve read and\nunderstood the Tuition Information.");
    document.application.tuitionInfo.focus();    
    return false;
    }
 
 //  End of block added by James McLain 
 
 }