Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

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Loren, Please Don't Go

A groundswell is building on the UT campus to implore highly regarded Provost Loren Crabtree to stay on. To the distress of faculty and administrators alike, Crabtree has agreed to be considered for the presidency of the University of West Florida.

Kathy Greenberg, president of the Faculty Senate, anticipates a senate resolution "showing support from the university community for him and letting our next president know it's important he remain." She goes on to say that, "I hope we continue with the agenda that he's established so beautifully. We've seen a real change in the culture of the university because of his leadership. He's brought trust and hope that we haven't seen in a long time."

Chancellor emeritus Bill Snyder, who's keeping active as an engineering professor, echoes Greenberg's sentiments: "Crabtree has given a very positive and valuable academic leadership, and his leaving would be a serious loss to this university."

Coming as it did on the heels of a statement by incoming president John Shumaker that he's "leaning toward" reinstating the post of chancellor that predecessor J. Wade Gilley had abolished, Crabtree's move could be interpreted as a sign of fear that he'd become subordinated. On the other hand, sources close to the situation say that Shumaker's statement can be interpreted as an inducement to keep Crabtree.

In any event, both Greenberg and Snyder are clear that Crabtree would make an excellent chancellor. "I can't imagine a better chancellor. I think he's absolutely perfect," Greenberg says. To which Snyder adds, "Loren is the ideal person for that position."

Discourse or Discord?

At his flag-waving fiesta at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Monday, George W. Bush had just finished explaining why terrorists despise Americans—"They hate the fact that we believe there ought to be honest political discourse," he said—when a protester began heckling the president from the stands.

"Stop this racist war!" shouted Chris Irwin, as those seated nearby booed him and yelled "Shut up!" Bush raised his volume to continue speaking over the cacophony, which continued until Secret Service agents led Irwin out of the Coliseum.

Irwin's protest followed chants by five fellow activists during Bush's speech. Bob Poeschl and a partner shouted "Bush and Enron, hand in hand" shortly after the president began speaking, and Paloma Galindo led a trio in "Make friends, not nukes" when the commander in chief brought up his military budget. Poeschl and Galindo both work with the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance but say they protested as individuals. The Secret Service questioned the protesters for about an hour before releasing them. According to the next day's New York Times, it was one of the few instances of heckling Bush has encountered during his recent trips around the country. "I think that a lot of people were upset by our message," Poeschl said after being released. "They didn't want to hear it, but they needed to hear it."

Larry, Larry, Quite Contrary

OK. So incumbent Republican County Commissioner Larry Stephens was going to run for re-election, but changed his mind after it was already too late to withdraw, leaving little-known challenger Rob Sanders as the only qualified candidate who actually wants the job. Stephens wasn't going to campaign, thereby handing the seat over to Sanders, whom he'd checked out and found to be a good guy. But now, however, sources close to Stephens say he's changed his mind again and intends to make a race of it.