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£ Volume 101, Issue 76 A century of editorialfreedom Serving the students and the University community since 1893 IN THE NEWS Top stories from the state, nation and world Israeli Parliament Ratifies Mideast Peace Agreement JERUSALEM Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin declared he won “freedom of action” to pursue peace after Parliament ratified the historic Israel-Palestine Libera tion Organization accord on Thursday. Rabin said the 61-50 vote allowed the government to implement the agreement on Palestinian self-rule in the occupied lands and continue attempts to reach peace with Israel’s Arab neighbors. The margin was less substantial than Rabin had hoped for, but it put a convinc ing end to calls for early elections or a national referendum that would have slowed down the peace momentum. Still, opponents to the accord said the government’s mandate was slim, and they would try to force changes in the accord. Blacks to Be Granted Role In South African Politics CAPE TOWN, South Africa Parlia ment voted Thursday to allow blacks a role in governing South Africa for the first time, and angry white right-wing lawmakers warned the decision could lead to civil war. “Thismakespermanentpeaceimpos sible,” said Ferdi Hartzenberg, leader of the white Conservative Party, who led his followers in walking out of Parliament after the vote. The vote creates a Transitional Execu tive Council, composed of representatives from the 26 black and white parties that have participated in the talks on ending apartheid. The body, which one official said might function as early as next month, will be a watchdog of the government. It will help oversee the holding of the country’s first multiracial election April 27. Yeltsin Opponents Losing Support of Citizens, World MOSCOW President Boris Yeltsin called for presidential elections next June, and there were signs Thursday of growing government impatience with hard-liners barricaded inside the parliament building. Yeltsin ordered Interior Ministry police to “secure” public safety after accusing his political opponents of distributing dozens of automatic weapons to demonstrators. Yeltsin's foes seemed increasingly des perate and isolated, denied support by the people, the military and the international community. Late Thursday, unidentified gunmen tried to storm the Moscow headquarters of the commonwealth military command and wounded two policemen before being re pulsed, news agencies reported. Sydney Beats Out Beijing To Host 2000 Olympics MONTE CARLO, Monaco Sydney was selected Thursday to host the 2000 Olympics, beating out Beijing for the Sum mer Games in a choice of stability over the political uncertainties of China. The decision to return the Games to Australia for the first time since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics was announced live to a worldwide television audience by In ternational Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch after secret bal loting by the committee’s 89 members. Sydney’s victory, following unsuccess ful Australian bids for the 1992 and 1996 Games, resulted from steady insistence that the harbor city could provide state-of the-art infrastructure and cater best to the needs of athletes Clinton Begins Campaign To Pass Health-Care Plan WASHINGTON President Clinton dispatched Cabinet members coastto coast and opened the White House lawn to a thousand allies Thursday to get the sales campaign for his health-care plan out of the starting blocks. “We have to do it right, and we have to do it right now,” Clinton declared. As Clinton began his push, everyone with an opinion, friend and foe, weighed in with judgments about Clinton’s proposal. Sen. John Chafee, R-R.1., urged Demo cratic leaders to impose strict deadlines, such as a wrap-up of initial hearings by Thanksgiving, committee votes by next April, a floor vote by June and a bill to Clinton by August. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Weather TODAY: 30-percent chance of rain; high 75-80. SATURDAY: 50-percent chance of rain; high mid-70s (Eli? Saily alar listi Asbestos in Dorms May Pose Bisk BYKELLYNEWTON STAFF WRITER University housing officials tried to solve the problem of exposed asbestos three to four years ago when they painted the ceil ings in three South Campus residence halls to seal off the cancer-causing substance. But a N.C. industrial hygiene officer says the paint is only a temporary solution, and the asbestos eventually needs to be removed. “Latex paint is an acceptable method, but it’s a temporary method,” said Pat Kurran, industrial hygiene supervisor in the N.C. Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources. “It's cost effective to do that, and it would seal it on a temporary basis.” The paint seal, which prevents asbestos from being exposed to the air, would break down if a pipe above the ceiling leaked and water came in contact with the paint, Kurran said. A building survey done by the University’s Health and Safety Office said the asbestos on the ceiling was in a form that could be easily crushed and crumbled to release asbestos fibers. The only mate rial that prevents asbestos from crumbling is a layer of latex paint. “Basically, we just spray-painted it,” said Ray Hackney, biological safety and BCC Site On Agenda ForBOT BY HOLLY STEPP ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR The UNC Board of Trustees again will discuss the site of the free-standing Sonja H. Stone Black Cultural Center during its meeting today. The BOT has received a statement from the BCC Advisory Board thanking BOT chairman John Harris for putting the site issue back on the agenda. The advisory board requested that an advisory board representative and BCC Director Margo Crawford be allowed to speak at the meet ing. The statement also stated that advisory board members thought the BOT needed to hear from individuals who were not invited to speak at the BOT’s closed meet ing this summer when site decision was made. According to the statement, “Uni versity administrators and others with par tisan views were allowed to present their cases against the Wilson-Dey site without adequate rebuttal.” In July, the BOT approved building the BCC on the Coker site, located next to Coker Hall and the Bell Tower. BCC sup porters preferred the site located next to Wison Library and Dey Hall. The advisory board statement also cited a lack of “adequate discussion of the aes thetic requirements for the Wilson-Dey site” that could accommodate a 200,000- square-foot building. Accordingto the state ment, such a building could rise six stories or more. Student concerns about the site issue dominated an open forum between five BOT members and about 25 student lead- Crime, Fiscal Issues Highlight Candidates’ Forum BY KELLY RYAN CITY EDITOR Putting Chapel Hill residents first was the message of town council candidates Thursday night during the first campaign forum of the election season. Tax Watch, a local fiscal watchdog group, sponsored the forum at Chapel Hill Town Hall for town council and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education candi dates. UNC political science Professor Dick Richardson moderated the council forum, which lasted about an hour and a half. Each candidate of- For Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board candidates' forum Please see page 3 fered introductory and closing statements and answered two questions prepared by Tax Watch and three from the audience. Eleven candidates are vying for five open seats. Most of the 10 candidates who were present candidate Jim Protzman did not attend spoke about the need for a more efficient council, increased police protection to curb rising crime and better planned streets and housing communities. Rosemary Waldorf, who ran for mayor in 1991, said she plans to petition the council Monday night to amend its budget to fund more police officers for a better Chapel Hill, North Carolina FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24,1993 industrial hygiene officer in the Health and Safety Office. Wayne Kuncl, director of University housing, said the Health and Safety Office told him that removing asbestos from the rooms was more dangerous than leaving the ceilings intact. “The recommendation of the Health and Safety Office was to encapsulate and paint the asbestos,” Kuncl said. Hackney said the painting was an ac ceptable means of preventing asbestos ex posure. “Asbestos is not a hazard as it is, only if it is damaged. Students shouldn’t hang things from the ceilings, but there’s no hazard as long as it is intact.” When students moved into Craige, Ehringhaus and Hinton James residence halls, they received letters warning them not to scrape orhit the ceiling and that lofts should remain three feet from the ceiling to prevent exposure to asbestos. The letter also tells students not to throw balls or sharp objects at the ceiling. Damage to the ceiling could result in chipped paint and exposed asbestos. The letter from Kuncl to Ehringhaus residents states: “As an Ehringhaus resi dent, you need to be aware that the acous tic ceiling tiles located on floors one Please See ASBESTOS, Page 7 DTH/IUSTIN WILLIAMS Student leaders Maleikka Hardy, Karen Greene and Holly Bridges and Board of Trustees Vice Chairwoman Annette Wood, talk about the Sonja H. Stone Black Cultural Center at a meeting at the Carolina Inn on Thursday afternoon. ers Thursday. The forum included repre sentatives from the Black Student Move ment, the Campus Y and the Office of the Student Body President as well as other student organizations. The forum was divided into three dis cussion groups with BOT members Harris and Bill Jordan in one group, Annette Wood and Anne Cates in another group and Cressie Thigpen in the third group. Campus Y cabinet member Kevin Sheenan told Thigpen that he thought the BOT should allow formal presentations on the viability of the Coker site and then revote on the issue. “The issue will not be settled until there is some real discussion over the site,” Sheenan said. police presence downtown. She also said a four-year council term would give her a chance to pursue better fiscal management and better plan neigh borhood develop ment. “I think it’s so important our ELECTION 93 Chapel Hill Town Council elected officials set priorities and stick with them until they are achieved,” she said. Local restaurateur Paul Tripodi, who ran for a council seat in 1991, said he thought the council should return to basics and bring its citizens more affordable hous ing, better town-gown relations and con trolled property taxes. “I hope to bring business sense and common sense to the council,” he said. “We need stronger legal action against crime and violence.” Jeff Snyder, a former Chapel Hill police officer who now works for Durham Police, said crime was out of control and added that funding more police officers was not necessarily the solution. “We need to re evaluate services provided and how they are given to the citizens to give higher quality services at a lower rate.” Political newcomer Ken Rudo said Chapel Hill no longer was a safe haven for Cows are my passion. Charles Dickens Effects From Asbestos Go Unnoticed For 20 to 40 Years, UNC Official Says BYS.TEBBENS STAFF WRITER Many University students may not know exactly what asbestos is or where it may be found, but they should know the substance can cause cancer. Once a person is exposed to asbestos the effects are not noticeable for de cades, according to Nagui Rizkallah, safety supervisor for the University. “Lung cancer has a latency period of 20 to 25 years from the first exposure to see symptoms. Sometimes it can be up to 40 years,” Rizkallah said. Asbestos is found in room ceilings in Ehringhaus, Hinton James and Craige residence halls. Housing Director Wayne Kuncl sent letters to residents of those dormitories warning that damage to the ceiling could cause asbestos to flake off. If asbestos is breathed in, it can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and cancer of the stomach and colon, according to a national report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the Thigpen said that for the site decision to be changed, a motion would have to come from a member who voted for the Coker site. “Essentially, it would have to be a board decision to change the site,” he said. Thigpen, who said he didn’t vote for the Coker site, said the members who sup ported the Coker site said it was a size issue. “They said that the Coker site was the best utilization of space for the BCC,” he said. Other students said they wanted to know when the BCC issue finally would be re solved and why the BOT was wavering on its original decision. Tyler Hill, Student Recreation Center president, said he didn’t understand why its residents and the council should pursue a four-year moratorium on growth to plan development better. “The council has turned Chapel Hill into Anytown, USA.” Scott Rad way, a member of the town's planning board, said the town needed to respond to its changing population and address crime and growth-management issues. “In spite of a well-meaning govern ment, our quality of life is deteriorating,” Radway said. “We are in a transition to a middle-aged community.” Council incumbent Alan Rimer said he had started several projects that could be finished ifhe were elected to a second term. He added that the council should reduce crime by providing police with the right tools and uphold harsher punishments for those who commit crimes in town. “I want to give back something to the community that has given me so much since I lived here, ” he said. “Chapel Hill is a special place, but it’s changing.” Lifelong Chapel Hill resident Barbara Powell said she was seeking her first full term eliminate crime in the town’s streets and pursue more aggressive affordable housing strategies. Powell was appointed to the council last year to replace former council member Roosevelt Wilkerson, who resigned in Sep tember. The candidate who receives the Please See COUNCIL, Page 2 thin-membrane lining of the chest and abdomen. Symptoms of mesothelioma are shortness ofbreath, pain in the walls of the chest and abdominal pain. The cancer can go unnoticed for up to 40 years after initial contact. It occurs in people “who were first exposed to as bestos at an early age,” according to an OSHA federal report. “Mesothelioma is always fatal.” But the report states it is difficult to attribute cancer directly to asbestos ex posure. Asbestos fibers take a long time to affect the lungs, and there are many other causes of lung cancer. The report also states, “The risk of lung cancer among exposed workers who smoke cigarettes is greatly increased over the risk of lung cancer among nonexposed smokers or exposed non smokers." Asbestos is a mineral fiber found in the earth. It was used in construction to insulate metal pipes and to fireproof ceilings and doors before it was banned Please Sec HEALTH, Page 7 the Wilson-Dey site could not be used for the BCC. “Everyone assumes that if the BCC were to be built on the Wilson-Dey site it would take up the entire site,” Hill said. “It could be built as to allow space for other buildings. It doesn't ha ve to be smack dab in the middle of the site.” Jordan said the University community needed to be informed of the purpose of the BCC. “People have to understand that this BCC will not be a black student union, ” he said. Other issues discussed during the forum included the pilot 24-hour visitation policy, undergraduate teaching, operating proce dures in the athletic department andUNC’s slip in national rankings. Campus Y Events May Become Part of Official Bicentennial Celebration BY KEVIN MCKEE STAFF WRITER Bicentennial officials have offered to include the Campus Y’s planned activities in the official observance, but Campus Y leaders have yet to decide whether to join the celebration, said Kevin Moran, Stu dent Bicentennial Observance Planning Committee chairman. After learning of the Campus Y’s plans to hold a separate Bicentennial observance, Moran talked to Campus Y representa tives Wednesday about combining the ob servances, he said. Michelle LeGrand, co-president of the Campus Y, confirmed that an agreement had not been reached. Planning for the Campus Y’s celebration will continue, she said. “This is a celebration of hope,” LeGrand said. “It's not in opposition of the University, but it is a statement saying the University did not include these (groups) in the Bicentennial Observance that have been a bigpart of the University’s history.” News/Features/Aits/Sports 962-0245 Busmess/Advertising 962-1163 C 1993 DTH Publishing Corp. All rights reserved. Students Rally for English Professor BY STEVE ROBBLEE ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR As three members of the UN C Board of Trustees met in South Building to hear the tenure appeal of Mary Kemp Davis, assis tant professor ofEnglish, about 35 ofDavis’ supporters gathered outside and urged trust ees to grant her tenure. “We just hope that our presence will allow those who have been given the deci sion-making power to see that students do support her and think that she is deserving of tenure,” said Michelle Thomas, a UNC graduate student and last year’s president of the Black Student Movement. Supporters held signs reading, “No ten ure, no peace”; “Tenure for Davis now”; and “We support Professor Davis.” As trustee Angela Bryant walked into South Building to attend the meeting, Tho mas urged her to support Davis’ tenure appeal. “We support Dr. Davis,” Thomas said. “Please grant her tenure. She’s an excel lent teacher. She really is.” Davis has appealed to the BOT because she said someone in her department im properly changed the English department’s Committee on Rank and Tenure report before it was sent to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for review. The BOT could make a decision as early as today about whether to grant Davis tenure. If the BOT denies Davis tenure, her last course of appeal would be to the Board of Governors, which oversees the entire state university system. Thomas said she thought Davis was denied tenure because she did not have the backing of some English professors and because she was black. “1 think she was denied tenure because she was a black woman who did not have strong people pushing for her (within the English department),” Thomas said. “I think it was wrong that she was de nied tenure because, one, in her evaluation it said that she was an adequate and com petent teacher. Asa student who had her, I can confidently say that she is a superior teacher.” Chris Baumann, a 1992 graduate of the University, took Davis' African-American literature class and said he was surprised when he heard that Davis had been denied tenure. “(Davis’ class) was one of the classes that really kept me into school, ” Baumann said. “I was really shocked when she didn’t get tenure. She’s a good teacher, too, which is so important to keep good teachers in the classroom.” Thomas said Davis cared more about her students and had a higher level of expectation than most professors. “Often you find at classes at this Univer sity that professors rarely take the time to get to even know your name, much less care whether or not you learn the mate rial,” Thomas said. “She looked at it, I think, as part of her responsibility as a teacher to get to know the students and to encourage them individually to excel.” The Campus Y’s Bicentennial activities will honor groups such as the UNC house keepers and Carolina Indian Circle, which Campus Y officials feel have not been properly represented in the University’s official Bicentennial events, LeGrand said. Moran said that the Bicentennial plan ning committee had tried to incorporate all groups represented, both on campus and in the University’s history, in the observance but that he understood some of the Cam pus Y’s opinions and complaints. Steve Tepper, executive director of the Bicentennial Observance Office, said people should not base their opinion of the University’s Bicentennial Observance on the first two days of the celebration in October. “It's important for people to realize the first two days are just the beginning of an eight-month long celebration. During those eight months, we will have a chance to include everyone in the celebration.” Tepper gave several examples of in- Please See CAMPUS Y, Page 2
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