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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 1993)
The Battalion Vol. 92 No. 81 (10 pages) “Serving Texas A&M Since 1893” Wednesday, January 27,1993 Market remains calm during IBM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — The stock mar ket closed modestly higher Tues day after a heady blue-chip rally fizzled. The market got a jump start See Business Page 3 with news that IBM would slash its quarterly dividend and replace its top executive. IBM, a compo nent of the Dow, surged to 531 /4, propelling the key index sharply higher. But while the timing of the an nouncement came as a surprise, the dividend cut had been widely expected, and that the embattled computer maker would replace John Akers after posting a record Compaq counters competitor's record loss with report of substantial growth $5 billion loss for 1992 also ap peared logical. IBM eventually sold off, end ing the day at 49, up just 1/8. "After that burst of excitement, there was little justification for IBM to barrel higher," said Eu gene Peroni, an analyst with Jan- ney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia. Computer-triggered buy pro grams kicked in after the IBM an nouncement, but by the end of the session, sell programs were dumping stocks and traders were taking profits. "It was fairly orderly buying and selling," said Richard Meyer, head of equity trading at Laden- burg, Thalmann & Co. He charac terized the selloff as a "normal consolidation." There was an unusually heavy supply of corporate news, with a steady stream of earnings and re structuring announcements. "Everyone went off on their own, chasing news in different direc tions," Meyer said. Compaq Computer Corp. said Tuesday its profit rose 33 percent in the fourth quarter and 63 per cent for the year, increases execu tives credited to stronger sales and cost-cutting. The Houston-based personal computer maker earned $89 mil lion, or $1.10 per share, in the three months ended Dec. 31. A year earlier, Compaq earned $67 million, or 77 cents per share. Sales during the quarter were $1.4 billion, up 60 percent from $873 million from a year earlier. For the year, Compaq earned $213 million, or $2.52 a share, up from $131 million, or $1.49 a share, in 1991. Sales totaled $4.1 billion in 1992, compared to $3.3 billion in 1991. The company shipped more than twice the number of PCs in the fourth quarter of 1992 as it did a year earlier and is backlogged into this year, chief executive Eck- hard Pfeiffer said. The company started 80 new products, upgraded support and doubled sales locations in 1992, he said. The company's sales grew worldwide in 1992, but especially in Japan, Latin America and the Pacific Rim, Pfeiffer said. "We've seen record-setting de mand for our entire product line since June when we began imple menting our new strategy of offer ing price-leading products that feature Compaq quality and the best service and support in the in dustry," he said. Operating expenses as a per cent of sales dropped from 26 per cent in the fourth quarter of 1991 to 16 percent for the same three months of 1992, the lowest level in Compaq history. Compaq, the world's fourth- storm largest computer maker, an nounced last October it would eliminate about 10 percent of its worldwide work force, or about 1,000 employees. The company about a year ear lier laid off 1,400 workers and em barked on a low-cost PC strategy after reporting the first loss in its 10-year history. Pfeiffer said although it could be necessary to balance employees in different areas at Compaq, no more major layoffs were in sight. "We have taken the necessary steps in restructuring the business to meet the needs of the '90s," Pfeiffer said. "You see us on such a strong growth trend now that we really need the people we have on board." IEN LOCKARD/The Battalion Dr. Joe Novak, a professor in horticultural techniques, places therapy. Novak said that while some classes participate in plant names in front of specimens to be used in his horticulture gardening work at local halfway house, most of the students 301 and 302 classes. These classes are taken by students who garden for leisure activity, want to become master gardeners or by students who garden for Bryan resident aims to change politics By JEFF GOSMANO The Battalion Lou Zaeske, independent U.S. Senate candidate and Bryan resi dent, said his campaign will focus on voters who are irritated with the two-party system and special- interest groups. "I am trying to target the inde pendent voters in the state who vote for persons and not parties," said Zaeske, who is vying for Lloyd Bentsen's vacated Senate seat in a special election May 1. Bentsen gave up the seat to serve as secretary of the treasury. "I am aiming for Americans, citizens and voters in this state who work and pay taxes and have felt ripped off by big money inter est groups," he said. Former independent presiden tial candidate Ross Perot's sup port in the previous election shows that voters are upset with the two major parties, and inde pendent candidates are now an acceptable alternative, Zaeske said. Like Perot, Zaeske said he can change the political process be cause he is a Washington outsider who will not answer to special-in terest groups. "If citizens of the state want more of the 'inside the beltway' mentality, they should vote for Joe Barton or Jack Fields," Zaeske said. Dr. James E. Anderson, profes sor of political science, said Za eske lacks political organization. "I don't know that he has any real political organization," An derson said. "He draws on support of like- minded individuals." Anderson said he recognizes Zaeske from the 1990 Texas Sen ate race and Zaeske's involvement in the official-English movement which would make English the of ficial language of businesses and government. Dr. Warren A. Dixon, assistant professor of political science, agrees that Zaeske is identified with the English-only movement. "My impression is that Zaeske is tagged with the English-only movement," Dixon said. "So that gets him classified as odd, strange, bizarre and even fringe." "Once you get tagged, fairly or unfairly, with a single issue," he said, "Its hard to shake that im age, particularly if you've run in a previous election." Zaeske said although he does not have the name identification of Joe Barton and Jack Fields, name identification does not win elections. "George Bush has broad based name identification but wasn't elected," Zaeske said. "Name ID is not the whole story." A&M schedules assault hearing By GINA HOWARD The Battalion A formal hearing will be held Thursday to investigate claims by a female member or the Corps of Cadets that a senior male cadet sexually assaulted and sexually harassed her, Texas A&M Univer sity announced Tuesday. The female cadet, a sophomore whose name has not been re leased, filed an incident report with the University Police Depart ment on Dec. 14. She stated in the report that she was raped last April and was sexually harassed this fall by the same male cadet who is a member of the Aggie Band. She decided to file an incident report because she had reason to believe the suspect was consider ing the same type of harassment toward a freshman female cadet, according to the incident report. Dr. John J. Koldus, vice presi dent for student services, said in a press release that the matter was first brought to the University's attention on Dec. 7 and an investi gating officer from the Office of the Commandant was then ap pointed to follow up on the re ported incident. "The young woman met with the officer on Dec. 11 and subse quently filed a report with the University Police Department on Dec. 14," Koldus said. "I want to reaffirm that Texas A&M Univer sity will not tolerate sexual ha rassment or discrimination of any kind." The accused cadet has been temporarily suspended from lead ership responsibilities in the Corps and has been notified of the allegations, he said. Bob Wiatt, director of universi ty police, said UPD is not in volved in the hearing or the in vestigation in any way. "All we did is take her state ment," Wiatt said. "She said she did not want any criminal charges, so at that point all we are is a reporter to the Commandant of the incident." Minority recruitment State to examine schools' race relations THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AUSTIN — State officials will examine minority recruitment and race relations at Texas' public colleges and universities in the wake of racist incidents and con cerns about stagnant black enroll ment. Andrew Melontree of Tyler, a member of the Texas Higher Edu cation Coordinating Board, said the inquiry is in response to new figures that show minorities are underrepresented in college en rollment compared with their to tal of the state population. He also said that a recent surge in racial incidents at some univer sities has heightened the concern. "Historically, it has been a problem retaining and graduating minority students," Melontree said. "The numbers remain unim pressive." From 1983 to 1991, black stu dent enrollment increased from 9 percent to 9.2 percent of total en rollment in Texas public colleges and universities. Blacks represent 12 percent of the state population. The number of Hispanic stu dents increased from 13.3 percent to 18 percent. Hispanics are about 26 percent of the state population. "We should all be concerned about this," said Dr. Carlos Godinez of McAllen, a member of the Coordinating Board. "If we look at the entire issue of educa tion, we see that minorities are se verely underrepresented in the master's and doctoral programs, in health care, research and engi neering programs." In addition, some Coordinat ing Board members have issued a statement saying they were ap palled by the "racial incidents, slurs and stereotyping that con tinue to occur on some of our campuses of public higher educa tion without serious interven tion." State Rep. Ron Wilson, D- Houston, has proposed bills that See Minority/Page 7 Support group to explore myths By JASON COX The Battalion A new program will focus on helping men adjust to newer, non-traditional roles and overcoming the taboos of having close rela tionships. "Men in the Nineties" is an exploratory support group sponsored by the Department of Educational Psychology's Counseling Psy chology Program. "A lot of men are finding that the ways they have been brought up to act, think and feel aren't really that appropriate anymore — things like being competitive, being the bread winner," said doctoral student Rod Hetzel said. "Being the dominant person in the rela tionship are causing men a lot of stress these days." The program is led by Hetzel and doctoral student Debbie Barton under the supervision of psychologist Dr. Donna Davenport. Men often see women as their only source of intimacy and tend to have "stereotypical" relationships with other men, Hetzel said. "Playing hoops and playing cards, these are real appropriate friendships and are real satis fying in a lot of cases," he said, "but a lot of times men feel that there is something lacking in those relationships so they look to women for some true intimacy and true compassion." The men's movement has been the object of some spoofing in the media, Hetzel said, and many people don't see the need for a men's study program. Still, the time is right to explore issues such as communication, trust, intimacy and family life in hopes of making men feel more comfort able with themselves, Hetzel said. Dr. Wendy Stock, assistant professor of psy chology, said she feels men are laboring under myths which society has perpetuated. "It is unfortunate that the development of a men's support group has lagged behind women's," she said. "I would be supportive of the group as a psychologist and a feminist." Hetzel and Barton are conducting inter views for the group throughout January and February. They are looking for "people who are interested in examining how being a man affects their lives and people who are having difficulties with various issues." Hetzel said, "We're not asking anyone to change what they believe in or what they val ue. We're just asking people to take a look and then make a decision about whether they're willing to live that way." The program consists of five or six meetings centered around different themes, such as work or competition. Inside... Aggie Baseball preview Page5 "Give your attitude some latitude" Page 9