public void loadXml(Element root) throws Exception {
    String trimLeadingZeros =
        ApplicationProperties.getProperty("tmtbl.data.exchange.trim.externalId", "false");
    if (trimLeadingZeros.equals("true")) {
      trimLeadingZerosFromExternalId = true;
    }
    try {
      String rootElementName = "lastLikeCourseDemand";
      if (!root.getName().equalsIgnoreCase(rootElementName)) {
        throw new Exception("Given XML file is not a Course Offerings load file.");
      }

      String campus = root.attributeValue("campus");
      String year = root.attributeValue("year");
      String term = root.attributeValue("term");
      String created = getOptionalStringAttribute(root, "created");
      Session session = Session.getSessionUsingInitiativeYearTerm(campus, year, term);
      if (session == null) {
        throw new Exception("No session found for the given campus, year, and term.");
      }
      loadSubjectAreas(session.getSessionId());
      loadCourseOfferings(session.getSessionId());

      beginTransaction();
      if (created != null) {
        ChangeLog.addChange(
            getHibSession(),
            getManager(),
            session,
            session,
            created,
            ChangeLog.Source.DATA_IMPORT_LASTLIKE_DEMAND,
            ChangeLog.Operation.UPDATE,
            null,
            null);
      }

      getHibSession()
          .createQuery(
              "delete LastLikeCourseDemand ll where ll.subjectArea.uniqueId in "
                  + "(select s.uniqueId from SubjectArea s where s.session.uniqueId=:sessionId)")
          .setLong("sessionId", session.getUniqueId())
          .executeUpdate();

      flush(true);

      for (Iterator it = root.elementIterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
        Element element = (Element) it.next();
        String externalId = element.attributeValue("externalId");
        if (trimLeadingZerosFromExternalId) {
          try {
            Integer num = new Integer(externalId);
            externalId = num.toString();
          } catch (Exception e) {
            // do nothing
          }
        }
        Student student = fetchStudent(externalId, session.getSessionId());
        if (student == null) {
          student = new Student();
          student.setFirstName("Unknown");
          student.setLastName("Student");
          student.setExternalUniqueId(externalId);
          student.setFreeTimeCategory(new Integer(0));
          student.setSchedulePreference(new Integer(0));
          student.setSession(session);
          getHibSession().save(student);
          getHibSession().flush();
          getHibSession().refresh(student);
        }
        loadCourses(element, student, session);
        flushIfNeeded(true);
      }

      flush(true);

      getHibSession()
          .createQuery(
              "update CourseOffering c set c.demand="
                  + "(select count(distinct d.student) from LastLikeCourseDemand d where "
                  + "(c.subjectArea=d.subjectArea and c.courseNbr=d.courseNbr)) where "
                  + "c.permId is null and c.subjectArea.uniqueId in (select sa.uniqueId from SubjectArea sa where sa.session.uniqueId=:sessionId)")
          .setLong("sessionId", session.getUniqueId())
          .executeUpdate();

      getHibSession()
          .createQuery(
              "update CourseOffering c set c.demand="
                  + "(select count(distinct d.student) from LastLikeCourseDemand d where "
                  + "d.student.session=c.subjectArea.session and c.permId=d.coursePermId) where "
                  + "c.permId is not null and c.subjectArea.uniqueId in (select sa.uniqueId from SubjectArea sa where sa.session.uniqueId=:sessionId)")
          .setLong("sessionId", session.getUniqueId())
          .executeUpdate();

      commitTransaction();
    } catch (Exception e) {
      fatal("Exception: " + e.getMessage(), e);
      rollbackTransaction();
      throw e;
    }
  }