Voi:XV,No,3
Around
rfX IT^
World
,.,and back
Compiled by
MONICA McClain
Can he handle it?
Boris Yeltsin, the presi*
dent of the Soviet Union, is in
need of heart‘bypass surgery.
However, his aides are trying to
cover up the seriousness of the
issue'by comparing it to getting
your teeth cleaned. Everyone
survives thaL
Due to great risks, sur
gery may not happen at alh Doc
tors say that his problem may
have arised from his drinking
history. Is he too sick to try?
Is Democracy always right?
Bosnia’s new found, de
mocracy could pose a prcrf)lem.
What if the new leaders are fas
cists, racists, or separatists, or
even all of them? The elections
were the first step in piecing to
gether a tom nation. The elec
tions could do the opposite. Just
because the elections went
peacefully does not mean that
ethnic rivals can live side by
side.
It’s so hard to say goodbye
Nelson Mandela, the first
black South African president,
has officially announced that he
will notseekie-election in 1999.
At the age of 78, he feels that
he is too; old for a second term.
He will not be seeking party
leadership either. This has the
people of South Africa wonder
ing after Mandela, who?
From rags to riches
The seven wealthiest na
tions in the wctfld, including the
U.S., have agreed to absorb $7.7
billion in poorer nations’ debt
The majority of the nations re
ceiving aid arc in Africa. The
money will come from the
World Bank and the Interna
tional Monetary Fund (IMF),
continued on page 8
tentorian
The North CaroUna School of Science and Mathematics
October 1996
Fran rocks state, NCSSM
BECCA BOOI
North Carolina is no
Stranger to hurricane damage. It
remembers Hurricane Hazel in 1954
and Hugo in 1989. Nonetheless,
when Hurricane Fran came through
the state on Sept 5,1996 the impact
was immediate and local. Even the
most prepared suffered.
The center of the storm
landed at Cape Fear, NC that Thurs
day at 9 p.m., one day after coastal
communities were evacuated. Over
one million state residents were
without power after the hurricane
passed through their area.
After NCSSM lost power
at about 12:30 a.m. Friday morning,
the back-up generator immediately
turned on, providing piower for the
fire alarm system, telephone system,
exit lights, and emergency lights on
hallways.
In addition to the power
loss, the high school suffered major
damages including roof destruction,
water damage inside the buildings,
and crushed state vans. Total costs
were estimated at about $60,000 by
Director of Operations, Ed
McBride. None of the costs will be
covered by commercial insurance.
The effects of the storm
were so greatly felt that the school
closed the next day, the first autho
rized school closure since NCSSM
opened in 1980.
“Unlike after a heavy
snowstorm when we still had
classes, many staff members were
Fran Photos
BACKPAGE
not merely inconvenienced, but vic
timized by the hurricane’s wind and
water. Therefore, NCSSM staff had
to keep all of our students secure and
well fed.” said Executive Director
John Friedrick.
The day after the hurri
cane, Hunt had an all-day Interviz,
restricted to hall lounges in the hope
of creating recreational opportuni
ties inside, away from possible haz
ards such as downed power lines.
“We were trying to work
with the students to alleviate the
stress as much as possible,” the SLI
on 3rd East, Sandy Sanford, said.
The NCSSM staff moved
students bothered by water leaks
from the rain, noise and exhaust
caused by a generator to the cafete
ria and library. Students returned
to their own halls when power was
restored.
“It was really hot in the li
brary,” Junior Cooke Adams of First
Beall said, “People were sleeping
everywhere - on the tables, in the
chairs, on the floor. We were really
glad to go back to our rooms when
the power came back on.”
In the midst of all these
difficulties, the storm also had posi
tive effects. Agencies such as the
American Red Cross and Carolina
Power and Light Company prepared
themselves for the emergency and
quickly came to the aid of victims.
Local areas came together and of
fered tips to citizens on safety, what
to do about damage, and informa
tion on school closings. NCSSM
also received help from various
staff members and students.
, “The outpouring of help
from staff was pretty impressive.
Especially outstanding was the
work of the SLIs who were every
where helping out,” said Head of
Communications, David Stein.
Plant facilities crews
came twice to help clean up the
campus, in addition to a pick-up the
following Sunday organized by
school staff and carried out by more
than fifty caring students. Junior
Amita Sanghvi said she was
pleased with productivity of the
clean-up.
“The campus looked re
ally bad after the hurricane but we
spent a long time removing tree
branches and that made a big dif
ference,” Sanghvi said.
Although NCSSM always
had an emergency plan in the case
of a hurricape, Fran was the first to
test it.
“I was extremely proud of
the students and staff on how we
worked together as a community to
meet the challenges presented by
this natural disaster,” Director of
Student Life Dr. Joan Barber said.
“We are reviewing our plan and
will make any changes necessary
so it can be the best possible.”
ETC chemical
levels safe,
work resumes
JENNIFER Ll
Celeste Moore
After weeks of testing by
Law Engineering and Environmen
tal Services, Inc., the N.C. School
of Science and Math reported that
the amounts of harmful chemicals
at the construction site of the Edu
cational Technology Complex
(ETC) were too low to be hazard
ous.
On July 17, workers com
plained of scratchy throats, redness
around the eyes and a sweet odor,
said Director of Operations Ed
McBride. The construction was de
layed indefinitely until tests could
confirm that the site was safe.
“We smelled an odor so we
called for a testing agency,” con
struction superintendent Bret Recce
said.
“We went through tests for six
weeks,” McBride said. “Early on,
the symptoms suggested formalde
hyde [a pungent gas found in solu
tions used to disinfect and preserve].
But, since it was [not detected], we
kept on testing for others.”
“The end result was a very
low amount of formaldehyde,”
McBride said. “In the action levels
of formaldehyde, you measure in
parts [per] million. The amount we
found was 1,1(X) parts per billion.”
In addition to testing for form
aldehyde, Law Engineering and
Environmental
Services also tested for meth
ane, ethane, propane, metals, and the
pH level.
“They did find a metal.
Barium [a radioactive element], and
a pH level of 5 rather than 6 [nor
mal],” McBride said. “Now, every
thing has been corrected.”
The amount of formaldehyde
found was not enough to raise any
safety issuesalone but along with the
heat, long hours of work, and fa
tigue, the formaldehyde may cause
some health concerns. Construction
has resumed with the addition of
fans if needed and cooler tempera
tures due to the seasonal change,
McBride said.
Most students at NCSSM
continued on page 8