October 25, 2000

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Former Duke basketball star Chris Carrawell was waived yesterday by the San Antonio Spurs See page 23

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Grad school rEarly voting leads to controversy sees fewer applications By JAMES HERRIOTT The Chronicle

Nationwide, fewer students are choosing to pursue graduate studies. At Duke, administrators hope to reverse that trend. By STEVEN WRIGHT The Chronicle

While some students strut their consulting prowess to McKinsey, Andersen or Bain, others are showing the academic prowess they have to offer. The season of graduate school applications has begun, and as many seniors plan their futures, fewer of them are selecting graduate school. Since the 19905, the number of students applying to graduate school nationwide has gradually decreased. While exact numbers are hard to gather, Trinity College officials estimate 200 students chose to pursue graduate studies last year, compared to 250 a decade ago. To remedy this trend, the University currently offers a handful of events to

encourage undergraduate interest in graduate education. Last week, the University hosted its biannual graduate and professional school fair, in which dozens of graduate and professional schools participated. Dean of Trinity College Bob Thompson said while such programs are helpful, much of the inspiration for undergraduates to attend graduate school comes from the classroom. He said introductory chemistry and biology classes, See GRADUATE STUDY on page 21 ¥■

North Carolina’s new early voting initiative has been heralded by local election boards and Democrats as a way to increase voter turnout, but some Republicans fear the program fails to comply with federal election laws and could lead to voter fraud. The new system allows North Carolina voters to cast their ballots up to three weeks before the traditional Election Day, which is the first Tuesday in November. “We still have concerns about early voting because of the manner in which voter registration records are kept in North Carolina,” said Dan Gurley, political director for the state Republican Party, adding that a lack of a centralized, state-wide database of voter registrations creates new opportunities for voter fraud. “I could be registered in five counties and I could start driving at eight in the morning and vote in all of them,” he said, implying that the larger voting window allows people to vote more easily in multiple counties. “If a county doesn’t do proper list maintenance, you have problems like you had in Durham County where there were more registered voters than people eligible to vote in the county.” Scott Falmlen, executive director of the state Democratic Party, believes the early voting system will be beneficial to the political process. “I think it’s going fairly well,” he said. “Anytime you can expand the opportunity for people to cast their votes it’s a good thing.” Johnnie McLean, deputy director of See EARLY VOTING on page 12 la-

THE EARLY VOTING PROGRAM allows North Carolina voters to cast their ballots before Election Day, as this man from Durham County did yesterday.

Duke students abroad encounter risky situations Three students stay to study in Jerusalem, despite violence By TESSA LYONS The Chronicle

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DUE TO THE CONTINUING VIOLENCE, Israeli border guards watch over a Jewish settlement in southern Jerusalem.

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Far away from the Gothic wonderland, Duke juniors Marissa Miller, Marc Eida and Ann Elliot are studying in Israel this semester, a nation currently plagued by violence. On Oct. 12, the United States issued a warning on travel to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The statement requested that Americans not travel to these areas at this time. But for those already there, the decision for most is to stay. After a two-week vacation, Miller and Eida returned to Hebrew University in Jerusalem this week to continue their program, scheduled to end Jan. 9. “The first few days back in Jerusalem have been filled with uncertainty. No one knows who’s coming back,” Eida wrote in an e-mail.

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Several American universities, including California state schools, have already pulled their students from Hebrew University. But after discussion with his parents, who were first opposed to the idea, Eida plans to remain in Israel. For Miller, the decision was a little easier. “Israel is the only country in the world I wanted to study abroad in,” she wrote. “I knew there were intrinsic risks with this place, but I was willing to take that risk.” Elliot, the third Duke student studying abroad, is visiting Israel through Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center, which has been operating for 23 years. Debbie Peterson, the center’s student programming coordinator, said that while officials are monitoring the situation, they have not decided to cancel the program—a choice See SAFETY ABROAD on page 22 P-

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