The suit explicitly mentions admission policies at the system's historically black universities--Fort Valley State, Albany State and Savannah State--but two of the plaintiffs are white students whose admission applications were rejected by the University of Georgia. Atlanta lawyer Lee Parks, whose lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the majority-black 11th congressional district led to its dismantling by the U.S. Supreme Court, is representing the plaintiffs.

NCAA imposes sanctions: The Committee on Infractions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association on March 5 placed UGA on probation for two years for violation of NCAA rules concerning recruiting and extra benefits. The committee also adopted as its own those penalties the university had already imposed on itself, including reducing the number of football scholarships, football official visits and football coaches who may undertake off-campusa benefits. The committee also adopted as its own those penalties the university had already imposed on itself, including reducing the number of football scholarships, football official visits and football coaches who may undertake off-campus recruiting trips. Most of the violations involved the activities of a youth-sports organizer who was found to be a de facto representative of the university's athletic interests; the NCAA report said that he may not have realized he had taken on that role and that there was no evidence the university knew he was providing financial support for prospective football players.

President Charles Knapp acknowledge UGA's embarrassment but said,"We are pleased that the findings of the NCAA Committee on Investigations substantiate those of the university's own investigation. We are aware that it is rare for the committees to accept an institution's investigation and self-imposed sanctions without additional penalties, and for that we are grateful."

Law students chalk up more wins: Two mock trial teams from the UGA School of Law advanced to the finals of the ABA Regional Mock Trial Tournament held recently in Atlanta. Of the ten schools competing, only UGA had two teams in the finals.

In a mock trial competition, law students act as attorneys and witnesses. This year's hypothetical scenario was a criminal case against a prominent doctor charged with conspiracy to obtain controlled substances by fraudulent prescription.

UGA students also did well in two moot court competitions held in February. At the Jessup International Law competition in Miami, the UGA team of second-year students advanced to the semifinals and captured the best-brief award and two top oralist honors. Students argued a hypothetical appellate court case concerning a custody dispute between two countries: one had rescued 400 children from death in a volcanic eruption in the neighboring country, but refused to return the children a year later because they had already been adopted by its own citizens.

The following week another UGA team won the championship and another best-brief award at the 26th annual Spong Invitational at the College of William and Mary. UGA posted a perfect 5-0 record in the competition, in which 24 teams were invited to participate. The students argued a constitutional law case involving a hypothetical First Amendment challenge to a statute that allowed for the firing of state employees who declared their homosexuality.

HBO documentary to premiere in Athens: : A new documentary about the rise and decline of TV talk shows will be premiered at the Classic Center at 7 p.m. on March 13, co-hosted by the Peabody Awards, UGA's College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Home Box Office and Intermedia. The documentary's filmmakers, producer John Parsons Peditto and director Eames Yates, will be special guests at the screening.

The documentary, part of the America Undercover series, investigates how far producers and hosts are willing to go to book coveted guests and win high ratings. "Talked to Death: Talk TV" examines how the TV talk show--just a few years ago the fastest-growing genre on TV--sacrificed credibility and prominence by unscrupulous booking practices. Current and former hosts Phil Donahue, Morton Downey Jr., Maury Povich and Geraldo Rivera offer candid insights.

"A lack of ethics combined with a madly competitive marketplace led to the decline of talk TV," says Barry Sherman, director of UGA's Peabody Awards program. "If ever there was a time for students to incorporate a respect for ethics into their media education, it is now."

Classes in the journalism college will see an earlier screening of the documentary followed by a panel discussion among authorities in the field. The March 13 screening at the Classic Center is free and open to the public.