I Ouree fi r Orehundred eleven yaso feditorndlfreedom *ri NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 764-0557 www.michigandally.com Thursday November 8, 2001 AVLCXIN .: AnAro ,i&o000 TeMihgaial Soldiers near key Taliban outpost JABAL .SARAJ, Afghanistan (AP) - The Afghan opposition O claimed its fighters edged closer to W the strategic northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif yesterday,'and U.S. special forces reported northern alliance fighters on horseback charged Taliban tanks and armored personnel carriers. Officials of the ruling Taliban denied losing territory but acknowledged fighting was intense. In Washington, Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace said the fighting south of Mazar-e-Sharif was "very fluid" and that the opposition appeared to be making progress. Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said of the alliance fighters: "They're taking the war to their enemy and ours." Capturing Mazar-e-Sharif would be a major victory for the northern alliance because it would open sup- ply corridors to neighboring coun- a tries, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and cut Taliban supply lines to the west of Afghanistan. U.S. bombers were also in action yesterday across northeastern Afghanistan, pounding Taliban artillery positions near the border with Tajikistan. Reporters at this village 45 miles north of Kabul could hear the roar of warplanes and the thud of distant explosions after sundown. The private South Asia Dispatch Agency also reported air attacks around Kandahar in the south and Jalalabad in the east of the country. After 10 days of heavy air attacks along the front lines south of Mazar-e-Sharif, opposition spokesman Ashraf Nadeem said the northern alliance had captured Shol Ghar district and that some opposi- tion units were within 10 miles of the city. In Kabul, Taliban officials denied losing Shol Ghar but said they were rushing 500 fresh troops to front lines south of Mazar-e-Sharif to block the opposition advance. The claims could not be indepen- dently verified. The border with Uzbekistan, 35 miles north of Mazar-e-Sharif, is closed, and Western reporters in northern alliance-controlled territory more than 150 miles to the east cannot reach the area without crossing Tal- iban lines. However, reporters stay in daily contact with commanders by tele- phone. Pace confirmed that U.S. special forces teams were with opposition forces near Mazar-e-Sharif "to help in directing airstrikes." The general said the American soldiers reported cavalry charges, with opposition fighters on horses going against Taliban armor. "These folks are aggressive," he said of the alliance. The commander of Shiite Muslim fighters in the alliance, Mohammed Mohaqik, said opposition officers would confer over the next two days on plans to capture Mazar-e- Sharif without incurring large civil- ian casualties. President Bush launched airst'rikes against Afghanistan on Oct. 7 after the ruling Taliban mili- tia refused to hand over Osama bin Laden for his alleged role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan, reportedly said yesterday that the Taliban will never hand over bin Laden and will * fight America if necessary for 100 years. Zaeef made his comments dur- ing a dinner for Pakistani editors in Islamabad; one of those who attended provided details on condi- tion of anonymity. Earlier, Pakistan told Zaeef to stop using the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad for propaganda against any third country after a series of news conferences in which he Sky blue edesco to step down as p rovost Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Paul Courant to take over post By Rachel Green Daily Staff Reporter Interim Provost Lisa Tedesco has decided to step down after only two months on the job, citing a desire to devote more time to the search for the next University president. Tedesco will be replaced Jan. 1 by Paul Courant, associate provost for academic and budgetary affairs, said B. Joseph White, who will become interim presi- dent when Lee Bollinger steps down at the end of the semester. The change requires final approval by the University Board of Regents at its scheduled meeting Nov. 15 but is not expected to encounter any opposition. "I've been serving both as interim provost and vice president and secre- tary to the University, but I will go back to my singular duties on January 1," Tedesco said. "She put the University first again," Teaesco White said, adding that Tedesco's deci- sion to leave the provost's office was her personal choice. Regent Olivia Maynard (D-Goodrich) said she believes Courant is an excellent candidate for the interim provost posi- tion and does not anticipate any dissent among the other regents. "I know Paul professionally.... When Nancy Cantor was provost he worked on the budget and he's really top notch," she said. Cantor stepped down as provost ear- lier this year to become chancellor of the University of Illinois. See PROVOST, Page 7A JONATHON TRIEST/Daily A sculpture outside the G.G. Brown Building on North Campus sits against the crisp, blue fall sky. ' grading policies go- under review By Shannon Pettypiece Daily Staff Reporter The question of whether it is appropriate for University administrators to change students' grades without the consent of the professor will be discussed at the next meeting of the Universi- ty's chapter of the American Association of Uni- versity Professors this coming Tuesday. According to a U.S. District Court ruling last May regarding the University's Dental School, an administrative change to a student's grade is not a violation of the First Amendment rights of the faculty member who assigned the grade as long as the faculty member is not forced to change the student's grade. "If a grade is changed administratively as opposed to requiring the educator to personally alter the grade marking, then such a situation does not rise to the level of a constitutionally pro- tected First Amendment right' the ruling in the case Yohn vs. Board of Regents stated. The case involved an incident in which an administrator overturned a failing grade a professor had given. This ruling has caused the AAUP to become concerned that professors will take their grading less seriously, which could result in grade inflation. Currently, when a student receives a grade they are dissatisfied with, each college has a grievance proto- col that students must follow. Colleges are recom- mended to adopt a procedure designed by the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, which suggests a faculty committee hear all grading com- plaints. But not all schools follow this procedure. "It really is an attempt to mediate, not change a grade," said Donald Brown, former director of the University's Center for Research on Learning. "Generally the issue gets resolved there - the student may go away dissatisfied, but if the stu- dent then feels that they still have a grievance, most of the colleges then have a procedure where they then can appeal above the department." While some schools have a faculty committee that students go to when they are dissatisfied with a grade, others schools, such as the Medical School, send grade grievances to an administra- tor who has the ability to override a grade issued by a professor. The AAUP also said it believes the faculty will begin grading students more generously in order to avoid any confrontation between the student and See GRADES, Page 7A How safe are campus parties? By Jacquelyn Nixon Daily Staff Reporter Along with the increased freedom stu- dents experience upon leaving home for col- lege comes the often overlooked risk of falling victim to the complications that can arise from social drinking, House and fraternity parties, an integral part of weekend rituals at most universities, bring risks such as alcohol poisoning, black- outs and, as illustrated most recently at the University, sexual assault. Two freshmen have recently made allega- tions that they were drugged and raped at an unregistered party at the Beta Theta Pi fra- ternity house. The environment at house and fraternity parties can be the most dangerous because students are often deceived and believe the party atmosphere is "safe," said Department of Public Safety Lt. Joseph Piersante. He said students are often unaware of the type of alcohol in their mixed drinks or the amount of alcohol they are drinking. Awareness about alcohol at this time of year is critical because many people are encountering new social situations, Piersante See PARTIES, Page 7A emoods affeced by seasony By Lisa Hoffman Daily Staff Reporter DAVID) ROCUHKIDJ/Daily Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie looks on at a gun control debate yesterday as author John Lott speaks. Frearm control laws di*sc(.,ussed By Shabina S. Khatd Daily Staff Reporter Yoshihiro Nishizaua said he is confused about the number of people in the United States carrying guns. "In Japan the regular person is not allowed to possess guns. I have no idea why people in this country are allowed to pos- sess guns, but maybe today I can understand." This visiting scholar from Japan, along with about 130 other students and members of the University community, The last leaves of fall continue to drop onto the streets, signaling the need to dig out hats, gloves and winter coats from storage in preparation for the freezing cold days of winter that lie ahead. For many University students, it also means less productive days and increase in time spent on the couch. ' "I get a lot more tired, and I get crankier," said Nursing sophomore Eric- ka Gess. "I don't want to do anything. I just want to stay inside. My class atten- dance drops about 50 percent." LSA freshman Nick Rutledge agreed. "When you go outside and your face LSA sophomore Lauren Leyser sits under an umbrella yesterday. Many students report feeling depressed during winter months. Rutledge also said that earlier sunsets cause him to get less work done in the evening. The seasonal mood change experi- enced by many students resembles a much more serious condition known as seasonal affective disorder, a specific low or depressed do not really have sea- sonal affective disorder," said Ziad Keonfol, the Medical School's director of psychiatry . "It affects function and shows a physical change in appetite, weight, sleep, energy and motivation for weeks or even months." , I .I