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Staff Changes

Two new staff members have joined Metro Pulse. John Wright, a UT philosophy and sociology graduate and former school director and marketing manager, is the new managing editor. Josh Coldiron, a Knoxville graphic designer, is the new art director. Josh won an Addy award this year for cover design for the Southeastern Post. He has also designed national advertising for Verizon Communications. Scott McNutt, the former managing editor, will continue to contribute with his Snarls column and other assignments. Martha James was the former art director.

-The Editor.

Parking Can Be Pretty

Thank you Metro Pulse for providing your readers [June 19, June 26] with information regarding the candidates for the open City Council seats. It is a start to helping us make informed decisions come voting day.

As for the candidates' platforms, they were generally the same. Yes, we need downtown redevelopment. Yes, we need more parking downtown. No kidding! Hopefully someone has some vision to go along with these general ideas.

I won't pontificate about ideas for redeveloping our downtown. Just ask any downtown resident, business owner, employee, or tourist. They know and have first-hand experience of what is needed. However, I do have one soapbox issue.

As for parking, please don't plan to build yet another boring, unattractive, formed concrete, sticks-out-like-a-sore-thumb structure called a parking garage.

The small town of Staunton, Va., did it right. When city planners developed their latest parking deck, they had the foresight to do something different. Their structure has a false brick facade that blends in with the surrounding architecture. It actually looks fantastic and has won design and architecture awards.

We don't need another concrete box in our downtown. Please, whoever has the foresight to see the need for additional downtown parking, think outside the box!

Chip Barry
Knoxville

Involve UT Faculty More

Like Barry Henderson (Metro Pulse, June 26), I applaud UT president John Shumaker's initiatives to internationalize the student body. For this effort to succeed, it is crucial that his "foot soldiers," the university's faculty, be fully involved in this effort.

Often in the past, UT's administrators have made sweeping pronouncements about bold, new programs, such as the ill-fated on-line degree initiative fostered by former president Wade Gilley, without consulting or working directly with the faculty who would implement them.

Another consideration President Shumaker needs to keep in mind is the critical importance of cultural awareness for our students going abroad. UT's Center for International Education already provides pre-departure training for outgoing students, but much more could and should be done in this direction. It is also important to address the issue of the imbalance between male and female students studying abroad. In general, women more willingly undertake such an experience.

To expand the number of UT undergraduates studying in other countries, the university must focus on the many social and cultural forces that often stand in the way of international education.

John B. Romeiser
Knoxville