One hundred eleven years ofeditoralfreedom ti NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 7640557 Tuesday December 11, 2001 B 9 f P 1 _ Deadline passes for - interviews with FBI By Jacquelyn Nixon Daily Staff Reporter Ten students and two University employees have chosen to participate in the U.S. Department Justice interviews as part of the FBI's terrorism investiga- tion, said Nick Roumel, senior attorney for Student Legal Services. Nine of the students and both employees already interviewed, and the remaining student is scheduled to meet with officials later this week, Roumel said. The U.S. attorney's office for the eastern district of Michigan said Friday that more than 200 of 566 men of Mid- dle Eastern descent from southeastern Michigan responded to a letter from the FBI requesting their participation in an interview about terrorism. U.S. Attor- ney Jeffrey Collins plans to release a statement about information obtained at those interviews this morning. Yesterday was the deadline for responding to the letters, and officials did not extend the deadline, as they did last week to allow more people to set up interviews and seek counsel. Roumel assisted with 11 interviews last week and said the response has been positive from the student partici- pants as well as the FBI.. "Students have indidated that they felt relieved. They're glad they went through it, glad to be done with it," Roumel said. "The FBI agents - to their credit - they've done everything they can to put students at ease." David Cahill, an attorney cooperat- ing with the American Civil Liberties Union's Washtenaw County branch, said the officials have conducted brief, non-hostile interview sessions. "They've cut down the list of ques- tions they ask," Cahill said. "The process is going well, although the process itself is a problefn." Ann Arbor Police Chief Daniel Oates said officers from his department have See INTERVIEWS, Page 7 S'U honors Bollinger's presidency By Rachel Green Daily Staff Reporter Students, colleagues and friends of University President Lee Bollinger yesterday praised his accomplishments and lamented the departure of the out- going chief executive and his wife, Jean Magnano Bollinger. "There is a great deal of gratitude toward and affection for Lee and Jean, and we wish them well," said English Prof. Ralph Williams, who spoke at the first of a pair of receptions at the Michigan Union. "You have ennobled the imaginations of what we might be." The ceremony, in which a plaque .commemorating Bollinger as the Uni- versity's 12th president was unveiled, BRETT MOUNTAIN/Daily was open to students. A reception Lee Bollinger and his wife, Jean, look over a photo album of Bollinger's four-year tenure as University president at a reception which followed in the Clements in honor of him yesterday at the Michigan Union. Regent Rebecca McGowan presented the Bollingers with the album and a Library was restricted to faculty and piece of artwork. staff. han'i ters stiveto reach possible hide-out Bollinger, for his part, expressed his own admiration for students. "I want to wrap you all and take you with us," he said. He also took time to thank his staff and co-workers and especially his wife for hard work and loyalty during his four years as presi- dent. Bollinger is stepping down Dec. 31 to become president of Columbia Uni- versity, where he attended law school. State Rep. Chris Kolb presented Bollinger with a plaque recognizing his achievements on behalf of the state House of Representatives. Kolb (D-Ann Arbor) commended Bollinger for "his commitment to free- ddm of speech and his recognition that diversity and affirmative action is something go to battle over." Other speakers noted Bollinger's commitment to the arts and life See BOLLINGER, Page 7 TORA BORA, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan tribal fighters battled their way through mortar and machine-gun fire yes- terday and pushed Osama bin Laden loy- alists from a strategic mountain valley leading to an underground complex where the terror suspect may be hiding. B-52s and other American warplanes battered al-Qaida mortar positions on the mountaintops as the Afghan fighters - helped by U.S. special forces - seized caves in the Milawa valley in the White Mountains. A commander said forces loyal to bin Laden had been pushed back to the main complex at Tora Bora about a mile away. U.S. Marines also intensified their hunt for Taliban leaders and members of the al- Qaida terror network around the southern city of Kandahar - the other region where Afghan and American officials think bin Laden may be hiding. Marine "hunter-killer" teams in armored assault vehicles and backed by combat helicopters set up a staging ground at the foot of a jagged mountain about 12 miles outside Kandahar, from which officials said they could intercept fleeing fighters on the roads. See WAR, Page 7 AP PHOTO Interim Afghani Prime Minister Hamid Karzal meets with tribal leaders yesterday in Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar's former residence. I Needlework Grad students question commitment By Rachel Green Daily Staff Reporterj With the two lawsuits filed against the College of Litera- ture Science, and the Arts and the Law School challenging 1 the use of race as a factor in admissions awaiting a deci- sion from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, students at A N ' , + the University's 17 graduate I schools have begun to look1 more closely at admissions policies, questioning the Uni-, versity's commitment to thesarch for diversity diversity.T arh ree-pars iey Angel Sanchez, a member Part two of a threepart seres of the steering committee for La Salud, the Latino student group for the School of Public to diversity Health, said he believes affirmative action is essential to maintaining a diverse student body within the graduate pro- grams. "I believe that affirmative action is essential to maintain a broad student body composed of all ethnic groups; thus allowing the student body to observe and experience differ- ent viedy points that otherwise would not be available if this mix of ethnic groups does not exist," Sanchez said. "How- ever, better standards and regulations need to be made in order to make it fair for everyone to attend higher educa- tion." Though Sanchez did not do his undergraduate work at the University, he said he was drawn to the School of Public Health because of its high national ranking. He said he would like to see the University's professional schools actively recruit minorities. "This does not mean that the University is not recruiting See ADMISSIONS, Page 7 Senate to vote on. eliminate straight By Louie Melzlish "We should be educating Daily Staff Reporter ers and saying to the vot pr( -tic g the vot- ers, 'You the races Bullard )posal to BRETT MOUNTAIN/Daily Tattoo artist Jeff Zuck adds body art to John Macintyre's chest at Name Brand Tattoo on Church Street yesterday. " " Master's in Judaic studies program tobe state's first By Michael Gazdecki well as a Middle Eastern studies focus aimed at graduate Daily Staff Reporter students. 3 Many voters will have to spend slightly more time at the polls if the state Senate approves the abolition of straight-ticket voting this week. A bill proposed by Sen. Bill Bullard (R-Highland Twp.) would remove the ability of voters to auto- matically vote for all candidates from one party by simply punching a hole or connecting a line. Bullard's proposal has drawn heavy criticism from Democrats, who say the bill is an attempt to ,reduce voter turnout and conse- quently help Republicans in the next election. Republicans say the change will force voters to make more informed decisions about wxhomn thev vo~te for. rather thran said. But Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer said the state GOP's motives are more about poli- tics than voter education. "The Republicans are simply doing this to create longer lines at the polls and discourage people from voting," he said. Brewer said the legislation is especially aimed at discouraging minorities, who usually vote Demo- cratic, from voting. Residents of Detroit, which is predominantly black, vote an automatic straight- party ticket about 80 percent of the time, compared to 40 percent in the rest ofthei state. he said. must be responsible for and who you vote for,"' ket 'voting thus creating more confusion for voters and decreasing turnout. Bullard countered that argument, saying, "It's the job of local clerks to predict how many people are voting and get the appropriate num- ber of machines" so there aren't long lines. Supporters of Bullard's bill say the proposed reform will especially force voters to look at the non-par- tisan races, such as judgeships. People automatically voting for one party mistakenly assume they are also voting for those offices, they say. In addition, state GOP spokesman Jason Brewer said vot- ers can still vote for all candidates from one party, the only inconve- nience being that they have to make several marks on the ballot, not lust Starting this January, the University will offer the state's first master's program in Judaic studies through the Rack- ham Graduate School. "One of our target audiences is a person who is not quite sure they want to commit to a full-fledged Ph.D. pro- gram," said Zvi Gitelman, director of the Judaic studies program. "About 1,500 students a year enroll in the Judaic studies (minor) program, which I feel is a clear sign of interest," Gitelman said. A few have said that they feel it would be a useful cre- dential in furthering their work in rabbinical studies, work- ing in Jewish communal-settings and teaching in Jewish schools. For a new master's program to be added at a public uni- v~rit, in ihionn it miict 1he.n arnvrci byh evei~rv nnivepr-