The BG News January 19, 1995
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Bowling Green State University ScholarWorks@BGSU BG News (Student Newspaper) University Publications 1-19-1995 The BG News January 19, 1995 Bowling Green State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news Recommended Citation Bowling Green State University, "The BG News January 19, 1995" (1995). BG News (Student Newspaper). 5792. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/5792 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at ScholarWorks@BGSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in BG News (Student Newspaper) by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@BGSU. {Efc3S6 f3ttog The BG News 'Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence' Thursday, January 19,1995 Bowling Green, Ohio Volume 82, Issue 81 University updates computers Student-organized push key factor in success of proposal Jim Barker chasing Gateway Pentium pro- The BG News cessors, which are more func- tional than the computers that Computer Services purchased had been in the labs, Conrad said. 200 new computers during win- "What you get with the Power ter break for University labs, and PCs and the Pentium processors 106 more are slated to arrive in is more memory, more hard the near future. The additions drive capability and a more func- are partly the result of a student- tional machine," Conrad said. organized push for updated University Student Govern- equipment. ment cabinet member Randy The push for new equipment in Stewart became involved in the the labs started last fall, when effort after reading flyers posted students began voicing com- outside the computer labs. plaints about the outdated com- puters. Tim Pohlman, director of the ° 24 LC III s were put University Union computer lab, ■ into College Park lab was one of the first to act, help- ° 23 LC Ills were ing to organize a petition drive moved from the Tech. calling for the necessary lab to the library changes. replacing older models "The administrators weren't taking students seriously," ° 200 Power Macintosh Pohlman said. "We did the peti- 7100s were purchased tions as a sort of last resort. Thankfully, it worked." The new Macintosh Power 7100s purchased by Computer rar ♦ Services are a faster, more powerful version of the previous "I was working with admin- models. The Macintosh Power istrators on some other issues 7100 provides more memory, as already, and I decided to take up well as the ability to handle both the computer lab issue," Stewart Macintosh and IBM 286 soft- said. "After five or six days of ware, said Dick Conrad, director circulating the petitions, we had of Computer Services. gathered about 2,600 or 2,700 The new Macintoshes also signatures. Thi BG NMBIISM Wt Inner come equipped with System 7.5 University students can access the technology of the 21st century to some of the finest computers In the Industry, the Apple Power and SoftWindows. "The signatures were an im- by visiting many of the on-campus computer labs. University Macintosh 7100/66. Conrad said the department is portant influence on the success Computer Services upgraded the University Union Computer Lab currently in the process of pur- of the proposal," Stewart added. Strikers counter General Motors, Earthquake tears at families University faculty members await news of loved ones in Japan thousands walk Ann L. Snyder The BG News Brian S. Akre The Associated Press plants in Flint and Lansing would be affected within a day. Soon Two University faculty members have been anxious to hear FLINT, Mich. - A strike that after, GM and other companies' news of their families - families that live in the Kobe area of could cripple much of the U.S. plants around the country could Japan, torn apart by an earthquake Monday. auto industry within days broke feel the pinch. Fujiya Kawashima received news today that all but one mem- out Wednesday at a General "Within a week, it will go na- ber of his family living in the Kobe and Osaka area have been lo- Motors Corp. plant that makes tionwide," said Jill Mlron, chair- cated and are doing well. spark plugs, filters and other woman of the executive board of Kawashima said he was able to get in contact with his sister in parts. UAW Local 651. Toyko to find out the particulars on his family members. Some 6,800 workers at the AC Chrysler spokesman Alan Mil- "My brother, sister, one aunt and cousin have gotten word to Delco East complex walked out ler said he didn't expect Chrysler my sister and are all okay," Kawashima said. when talks broke off shortly be- to be hurt by the strike. Ford However, Kawashima's sister said one of his aunts who lives fore the 10 am. deadline set by spokesman Mike Vaughn said he in an apartment by herself in Kobe has yet to be located. the United Auto Workers. The wasn't sure. "My brother has seen the lists of the deceased and her name plant also supplies parts to Ford The Buick City GM plant in was not found," Kawashima said. "It is possible, though, that she Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp. Flint produces the Buick LeSabre has been moved from the city due to the many aftershocks." The union has complained that and Park Avenue, and the Olds- Kawashima said his brother will go to look for their aunt understafflng and overtime to mobile 88 Royale. Another Flint tomorrow in Kobe. meet booming demand for cars plant produces vans. The Lansing "My brother will go by whatever means possible to get as are creating dangerous and un- plant produces the Pontiac Grand close as possible to Kobe," Kawashima said. healthy working conditions. In Am, Olds Achleva and Buick Sky- Kawashima said his brother would most likely have to walk addition, the UAW said outside lark. part of the trip into Kobe from Osaka. This is a distance that contractors hired by GM threat- Talks resumed Wednesday takes about one hour by train. en workers'Jobs. afternoon. The union claims that Another University faculty member said she was quite re- Similar complaints led to two terms of the three-year contract lieved to hear that her family is safe and doing well. GM strikes last year that inter- signed in February 1994 are be- Akiko Jones, lecturer of Japanese, said she was relieved to rupted the flow of parts and ing violated. find her family was not injured in the earthquake. Jones has a quickly forced other factories to Union officials contend that student with family in Japan. The student's family spoke with close GM reneged on an agreement to Jones' family, who delivered the good news. "Most of these guys have been hire 500 more workers and re- "I was really, really worried when a friend called and told me working a lot of overtime," said duce overtime to relieve the about the earthquake on Monday night," Jones said. "My Al Woodham, a GM autoworker pressure on employees. Hiring mother, sisters, brother-in-law and nephew all live in Kobe." for 31 years. "They're tired." new workers, with benefits. Is Due to severed communication lines, Jones has been unsuc- GM officials refused to discuss more expensive than using out- cessful at directly reaching any member of her family involved the dispute or the effects the side contractors. In the quake. strike will have. But automakers' Products made at the Flint "I was able to talk with my aunt and cousin in Tokyo, but they APpk«WT.ky. Sklm.ua reliance on the just-in-time de- complex include spark plugs, could not reach anyone from Kobe, either," Jones said. A woman tits among the rubbles of her bouse In Kobe, Western livery system for parts makes fuel system components, cruise Jones said she was very lucky to have good friends who helped Japan, Wed., a day after a killer quake devastated the port city of them vulnerable to any interrup- controls, Instrument clusters and her gain information through the use of satellite dish televisions 1.4 million people. University professors wait to hear of their tion in supplies. a variety of air, fuel and oil fil- and e-mail. loved ones In Japan. The UAW predicted that other ters. B AN #'^ 1 .f\nn rm l^b Professors from Fellow officers mourn The Falcon men's s£0^ Russia are learning further a fallen deputy in Ash- basketball team beat INSIDE about education at the land, Ohio after he was Eastern Michigan 90-88 in University. shot Saturday. overtime Wednesday, Page 8. marking the team's 1,000th Page 4. win. LOOK Page 11. Editorial The BG News ■page two Thursday, January 19,1995 NOW W& A The BG News "Celebrating 75 years of Excellence" Julie Tagliaferro Michael Zawacki semsxeK v editor-in-chief managing editor Leah Barnum Dawn Keller news editor assistant managing editor Joe Peiffer Larry Hannan Sharon Turco city editor editorial editor feature editor Updated computers will assist students (X'ver the last several semesters, it has become obvious that the computers supplied to students for general use on campus are quickly becoming old and outdated. This presented a major concern to the University as a whole. Significant technological breakthroughs that were once occuring at the speed of a tortoise have in- creased to the speed of light as we head into the next millenium. The Information Superhighway may be filled with potential, but it's also a rapidly expanding world that can be cruel in a darwinian sense, leaving the weak and unprepared in its wake.