Region

Taliban offers conditional surrender

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban agreed Thursday to surrender Kandahar, their last bastion and birthplace, if their warriors were not punished and safety was guaranteed to leader Mullah Mohammed Omar who once vowed to fight to the death. America said it would not accept any deal allowing the cleric to go free. The promise to give up the city and begin handing over weapons as early as Friday marked the final collapse of the militant movement that imposed strict Islamic rule on Afghanistan for five years.

Preventing burglary over break

As many IU students leave the area to head home for winter break, the crime rate increases. Areas where students live are more vulnerable to burglary because people know that most students are not in town. "It's not all due to the students leaving. It is also due to the fact that people want Christmas presents and money to buy presents," Sergeant David Drake, an officer with Bloomington Police Department, said. "Therefore they're more prone to committing acts of theft."

Council approves hike

The Bloomington City Council gave final approval of a proposed water rate hike Wednesday night. The proposal passed 8-1. Council president Patricia Cole, citing a concern for residents on a fixed-income, was the lone dissenter. Director of Utilities Mike Phillips said that the average residential user would see about $1.70 more in monthly charges, which are expected to be implemented by March of 2002.

Men should be men

IU teems with students who have not fully come to terms with their personal identities. Different students compensate for this in different ways -- some join clubs, others sink into drugs, and several decide to protest anything that might harm something with a shadow. I admit that I have been granted neither the wisdom nor the insight to solve everyone\'s identity crisis, but I have managed to ascertain a fool-proof method for helping the men of IU. Men, by God, we must be men.

Better to give than to receive

Mary is nineteen years old. Battling autism, her mental capabilities are that of a 6-year-old. She is stuck in the second grade, where she has been for the past two years. I try to show her how to put together the same pattern of blocks over and over again, and as she does her very best we start to talk about Christmas.

IU should give Davis contract

March 21 of last year, then-interim men's basketball Head Coach Mike Davis was allowed to take the "interim" off his title and was named the first black head coach in the history of IU basketball. Davis signed a package valued at $400,000 per year, plus a first year summer camp guarantee of $100,000. The package also comes with the opportunity to earn additional income through future summer basketball camps.

Freshman swimmer strives for Big Ten success

Even though freshman Erin Smith has only been on the IU campus since August, she has already left her mark on the Hoosiers women's swimming team that is looking to vie for the Big Ten Championship in March.

Junior Schulze leads team, betters skills

In his third season on the swim team, junior David Schulze has become one of the squad's most experienced swimmers as well as one of its most respected leaders.

Decision made with hope for a brighter future

He had his best season -- five wins is far from the word "best" deserves -- and he got fired. Or as IU's media relations department and Athletics Director Michael McNeely put it, the program is "changing leadership."

Football season full of highs and lows for Hoosiers

The IU football team found out yesterday that its season ended as turbulently as it began. Cam Cameron's firing was the final blow for a team that experienced the ultimate highs and the disappointing lows that accompany team sports. But what a crazy four months it was. "There were a lot of ups and downs this season, but it was fun," senior center Craig Osika said. "Fun" isn't exactly the term used looking back to the first game of the season.

Remembering the Dead

Sophomore Daniel Farahan knows all about terrorism in Israel. Farahan, who lived in Israel for two months, read his short story about the experience Wednesday outside the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center at a vigil for the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Israel. "I wanted to write something from a different perspective," Farahan said. "I have a lot of family in Israel, and the attacks really hit close to home. (The vigil) helped the people who were here to understand and be close to other people who are being affected by this.

A taste of summer in December

I am rarely ready to relinquish warm weather. I shiver over the grill for a few more barbecues, crank up the heat so I can sit around in shorts, or, alternatively, swath myself in fleece to relish my freezer's final Popsicles. So despite my yearnings for hearty stews and casseroles to ward off the evening chill, this warm weather spell has me sneaking tastes of summer into my December evening meals. My favorite fragrant reminder is cilantro.

Players react to dismissal

Cam Cameron may not have achieved a winning season during his five years as IU's head football coach, but his impact on his players was undeniable Wednesday afternoon. Just hours after IU Athletics Director Michael McNeely announced his decision to let Cameron go, the players met with their former coach for an emotional meeting. "(The meeting) was very silent," senior linebacker Justin Smith said. "Most of the coaches weren't there because they are out recruiting right now. But coach Cameron was very emotional and you could feel the emotion. This program is full of people with character, and we've been through a lot together.

BREAKING THE MOLD

Swan song is essential zydeco

Fulks uncovers obscure gems

Rockers band together

Dr. Dre and Snoop clean up

Warm the soul with winter treats

Pop folklore single style