Lacrosse Scandal Puts Duke Under a Microscope

The lacrosse controversy also was discussed in the sociology class Haas monitored, "Social Inequality," which found groups of undergraduates making presentations about urban poverty, race, domestic violence and sexual assault and then quizzing their classmates afterward.

"How big of a factor did race play in the lacrosse issue?" a black male student asked his peers.

A white woman said she felt it had been overplayed by the media.

An African American woman disagreed. "History has shown that people are quicker to say that a white man didn't do something than a Hispanic man or a black man," she said. "And historically, the demonization of black females has also played a role in people's views: 'She was a stripper; maybe she had it coming.' "

How the controversy will affect decisions about whether to enroll at Duke next fall is unclear.

Duke has been tough to get into for decades, and this year it broke its own record for selectivity -- admitting just 19 percent of applicants (3,778 of 19,358). Of those admitted, officials expect 1,665 to enroll and have placed another 1,200 students on a waiting list to fill out the Class of 2010 if it comes up short.

Already rumors are circulating on campus that Duke is having to dip deeper into its waiting list than usual because so many prospects have been turned off by the scandal.

Christoph Guttentag, dean of admissions, says that's not so. One student admitted under December's binding, early-admissions process has asked to visit the campus again. Other than that, Guttentag says that deposits received to date are on pace with this time last year, and attendance at Blue Devil Days has been just as strong.

"In terms of the number of students indicating they're going to enroll, so far I haven't seen any difference," he said. "In case something happens, we'll be ready to admit students from the waiting list. That's one of the reasons waiting lists tend to be large: You don't know. Are you going to need people from the West Coast? How are we doing with musicians? So, you never know what gaps you may need to fill."

Educational consultant Shirley Levin doubts it will come to that.

"Duke represents a lot more than just athletics," Levin said. "That's the part that maybe gets the most media coverage, but it has a whole slew of absolutely outstanding academic programs. In a way, I think it's a wake-up call for the Duke administration. They're certainly aware that this is a pot that is bubbling all over the country."