DANVILLE, Ky. — Officials at Centre College are convinced that last year's vice presidential debate boosted the popularity of the small liberal arts school. And they have the num bers to back up that claim.

        Applications for the academic year that begins next fall are up 16 percent over the previous year. Meanwhile, 49.3 percent of Centre's alumni donated to the private college between July 1 and Dec. 31 of last year, a 10-percentage-point increase over the same period in 1999.

        The Oct. 5 debate was between Republican Dick Cheney and Democrat Joe Lieberman.

        “It's impossible to prove, but we're pretty much convinced that (the debate) has had a positive effect, not only in admissions but in fund raising,” said Mike Norris, director of communications for the 1,055-student col lege.

        Centre is the smallest higher-education institution to hold a presidential or vice presidential debate. Officials said last fall that they hoped the national exposure would lead to increased admissions applications and more alumni giving.

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