Buzzing with activity THE CHRONICLE In addition to the Homecoming activities, the THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1991 Duke Forest labeled as Anderson potential landfill site released By PEGGY KRENDL is used for research, recreational The Orange County landfill and educational purposes. Over by captors search committee voted unani­ 400 graduate students have used mously to start testing 853 acres the area for research or for their By CHRIS HEDGES in Duke Forest for a landfill last theses. N.Y. Times News Service month. University officials are Several research projects are DAMASCUS, Syria — Terry critical of the choice, suggesting being conducted in the area. Anderson, the last American and it may be one of political conve­ Christensen is working on an ex­ longest-held hostage in Lebanon, nience. periment in which satellites moni­ was set free on Wednesday night "Duke is only one voice, other tor the forest's ecosystems in the by his kidnappers after nearly sites can generate lots of voters," specific area the county has cho­ seven years in captivity. said John Burness, senior vice sen as a landfill site. "I've thought about this mo­ president for public affairs. "It In September Christensen told ment for a long time and now it's doesn't mean it's the best option the landfill search committee that here," he told reporters at the but instead the one with the least the land should be protected be­ Syrian Foreign Ministry here. political fallout in Orange cause: "I'm scared to death. I don't know County." • Researchers use the forest for what to say." "I have a feeling that this site is research projects. The site con­ Anderson, who was chief being picked because it is politi­ tains information dating back 40 Middle East correspondent for cally expedient," agreed Norm years. The past information is The Associated Press when he Christensen, dean of the School useful to researchers who want to was seized in Beirut on March 16, of Environment. see the long term effects on the 1985, said he was in good health. Though the University is not environment. He smiled and laughed as he rec­ ruling out the possibility of a law­ ognized old friends in the press • The site will affect residents corps assembled here for the suc­ suit against Orange County, the as well as people at the Univer­ first tactic of resistance to the cessive release of three American sity. hostages in as many days. decision is to better inform the • The site is not appropriate for SCOTT BOOTH/THE CHRONICLE search committee members. a landfill because the depth of When asked how he survived The site, voted on by the land­ bedrock is too shallow and parts You better watch out. the ordeal, Anderson, who is 44, fill committee on Nov. 20, is lo­ ofit are in wetland areas. Santa visited campus last night to witness the annual said he did it through persistence and perhaps a little stubbornness. cated east of Old Highway 86 and Christensen is also concerned lighting of the University Christmas tree. north of Eubanks Road. The site See LANDFILL on page 4 • "You just do what you have to do," he said. "You wake up every day, summon up the energy from somewhere and you get through Merged board of .education proposal blocked the day, day after day after day." Anderson's release followed By PEGGY KRENDL election process because of com­ The county commissioners met 5-2] plan," Eshelman said. what has become a familiar pat­ The resubmitted election pro­ munity disapproval of the plan, on Nov. 26 and voted 3-2 to The representation plan has tern. His kidnappers in Beirut cess for the merged Durham city- said Vannesa Jeter, a spokesper­ resubmit the single-district, met with controversy because supplied him with new clothes county school board ran into an­ son for the state board of educa­ seven member plan. members ofthe Durham commu­ and drove him to a Syrian mili­ other barrier Wednesday after a tion. "The voting process is the "The school boards take their nity view different proposals as tary installation. From there, the meeting of the state board of sticky piece of the plan," Jeter lead from the county commission­ ensuring differing degrees of mi­ Syrians drove him to Damascus. education's business personnel said. ers. If they want us to work on the nority representation on the There were false reports ear­ committee. Last month, citing community merger with the county board, merged school board. lier in the day that he had been The committee voted 4-1 not to disapproval, the state board of we will," said Curt Eshelman, a The proposal before the state released, when in fact, Anderson recommend for approval the education rejected the same elec­ member ofthe city board of edu­ board would guarantee at least was still a prisoner. He said wryly Durham county commissioners' tion process section ofthe merger cation. three districts that would have a that he was playing solitaire in proposal for a single-district, proposal. The other plans discussed by black majority. his cell when he heard the BBC seven member school board. The The state board of education the county commissioners include If the state board does not ap­ report that he was on his way to state board of education will vote asked the Durham County Com­ a 5 district member board with prove the merger plan, it will be Damascus. on whether to approve the pro­ missioners to try to compromise two at-large members. very difficult to meet the March Anderson was the ninth West­ posal today. on another plan to elect members "There is no chance for a black 1992 deadline for school board ern hostage to be freed since Au- The committee rejected the to the merged board of education. to win an at-large position in [the elections for the merged system. See ANDERSONon page 4 • Automated registration scheduled to begin this morning By MICHAEL SAUL Harry Demik, the associate reg­ said. shorter and the system will ulti­ Students should prepare to fe­ istrar. The mainframe computer that mately become less congested as verishly dial 684-1111 because Students' class schedules will checks the students' courses and each caller becomes more famil­ the registrar's office is scheduled be available at the registrar's of­ the device that lists the different iar with the system. to be automated by 7:30 a.m. fice at 8 a.m. and some students options to callers have been tested Students originally registered Thursday. are planning to line up outside carefully, Demik said. The for spring courses with the tradi­ The automated computer en­ the office in the morning to see registrar's office, however, was tional system by handing cards rollment system allows students whether or not they successfully unable to accurately "stress-test" into the registrar's office in the to drop and add courses by phone registered for the classes they the system to determine whether Allen Building. for spring 1992 courses. Students desired. a large number of callers would who have conflicts with their But Demik said he would be be problematic. Registration for fall 1992 should schedules are supposed to use surprised if a huge crowd of stu­ The system can take 24 callers be completely automated, Demik the system to find alternate dents rushed the office demand­ at a time, but the registrar's of­ said. Students will be divided by courses. ing schedules in the morning. fice was unable to simulate hun­ class and allowed to register dur­ The University is the fourth dreds of simultaneous callers. The ing specified windows beginning school in North Carolina to imple­ The system was carefully office asked about 45 people to in March. ment an automated registration tested and should run smoothly, call repeatedly as a test and the Due to the warm up period, the system. Hundreds of schools but with a new system anything system operated without any system will be available for use by throughout the nation have al­ is possible, Demik said. problems. 7:30 a.m. It will be shut down at 7 ready automated. "I feel good about it. It's doing Students may be frustrated p.m. nightly. It operates five days The computer system is sched­ the things we expected it to do by a busy signal Thursday, Demik per week and students can call to CLIFF BURNS/THE CHRONICLE uled to be turned on at 7 a.m., but and it's not doing the things we said. The time it takes for each register or get information from it takes time to warm up, said didn't expect it would do," Demik call to get through will become anywhere in the world. Harry Demik PAGE 2 THE CHRONICLE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5. 1991 World and National Newsfile Israelis fail to show for second round talks By THOMAS L FRIEDMAN Associated Press jected to their being held here — outside N.Y. Times News Service the Middle East — which is where the Junk king convicted: Charles WASHINGTON — Syrian, Lebanese, Arabs wanted them. Israel, he said, re­ Keating Jr. was convicted Wednes­ Jordanian and Palestinian negotiators gath­ peatedly tried to make those objections day of securities fraud for deceiving ered at the State Department on Wednesday known directly to the Arab side since the the public through the sale of junkbonds for the second round of Middle East peace Madrid conference a month ago, but never at his Lincoln Savings and Loan. Inves­ talks, but they quickly departed after Israeli got a response.