October 27, 2000

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mePav Punter Brian "Boomer" Morton (foreground) and kicker Brent Garber lead the football team's most impressive unit. See page 5

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Board examines helicopter crash

Sweet 3- eat

� After a fatal Oct. 16 crash, the National Transportation Safety Board is looking into possible causes. The helicopter had undergone maintenance 3 days before the accident. By AMBIKA KUMAR The Chronicle

According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Duke Life Flight helicopter that crashed Oct. 16 had undergone a transmission overhaul just three days and 3.5 flight hours prior to the accident. And despite a warning light indicating low transmission oil pressure, a mechanic, employed by Corporate Jets, Inc. of Pittsburgh, cleared the helicopter for takeoff. “Due to past years of problems with this switch as known by [the mechanic! and the pilot, they made the decision t0... hover the helicopter, and if there were no other indications... and if the pilot felt comfortable... the pilot would fly it back to Duke Hospital,” With last night’s Subway Series-clinching 4-2 victory over the Mets, the New York Yankees won their third World Series title in as many years. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Luis Sojo hit a single off Mets starter Al Leiter, bringing home catcher Jorge Posada with the game-winning run. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who batted .409 in the five-game series and hit a solo home run last night, was named MVP. Mike Stanton got the win in last night’s game, pitching only one inning for the Yanks, and closer Mariano Rivera earned the save, shutting down the Mets in the ninth. See stories, pages 21 and 22

the report reads.

The mechanic reported that he saw the pilot turn off his landing light and take off, and witnesses reported seeing the helicopter flying at a low altitude and said they heard a “low-velocity thumping noise.” See HELICOPTER on page 12

Duke lawyer Duke axes PPS program in S. Africa files post-trial motions By STEVEN WRIGHT The Chronicle

Now that the Mercer trial is over, Duke has asked the court to reverse its judgment or reduce the amount of punitive damages. ByAMBIKA KUMAR The Chronicle

The University filed post-trial motions in the Heather Sue Mercer case Wednesday, asking the court to either reverse its judgment, mandate a new trial or reduce the amount ofthe $2 million in punitive damages. “There was no legally sufficient evidentiary basis for a reasonable jury to find for plaintiff on her Title IX claim or to find that punitive damages were warranted,” wrote John Simpson,

Duke’s attorney. The 20-page report refutes claims by Mercer that she was unfairly discriminated against, reiterating arguments made at trial that Mercer was not a good kicker and that she could not contribute to the team. Nearly half the written report was dedicated to a request for the damages to be reduced, if the court would not reverse the judgment or grant a new trial. Simpson wrote that the award violated Duke’s Fifth Amendment due process rights and See MERCER on page 10

After receiving complaints from the University of Capetown and Duke students, the University has decided to end its public policy-oriented studyabroad program in South Africa. The program, created last year, consisted of a three-person inaugural class. “I actually visited the program and after talking with people here and from South Africa..,, we came to the conclusion that it would be best to discontinue the program,” said Trinity College Assistant Dean Margaret Riley, director of study abroad. Riley was not director at the time ofthe program’s conception. The University will retain its South Africa Direct program, which is similar to the Duke in Capetown program but does not include a public

policy internship. Difficulties with the program’s internship component—which students described as poorly structured—ultimately caused the new program’s cancellation. Two of the program’s three participants left their internships prematurely. Because of the significant cost difference between the Duke in Capetown and the South Africa Direct Program, Duke retroactively gave a $1,500 compensatory stipend to the public policy program participants. Students pointed to poor administration by the University of Capetown’s internship coordinator as

THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPETOWN housed three Duke students participating in the Duke in Capetown program last spring. The program was discontinued after its first year. the primary reason for the program’s Clark said that eventually, her infailure. In addition to months of delay ternship with Capetown’s housing dion the part of the organizers in finding vision required her to go door-to-door student internships, students said that in areas known for being dangerous. when they arrived at their designated Senior Josh Gartner’s also interned internship assignment, they were sur- with the housing division, prised to find mentors unfamiliar with “The internship was not well-prethe internship’s purpose. pared at all,” he said. “If a student “The internship people were com- had submitted this program as an inpletely unprepared for us,” said senior ternship I’m not sure it would have Lily Clark. “They basically had no been accepted.” clue what we’d be doing.” See SOUTH AFRICA on page 11

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N.C. RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDING FOR INTERNET, PAGE 4 � LMNG ROOM CONCERTS?, SEE RECESS, PAGE 6

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