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However, a mammoth school with high-rise dorms and off-campus student housing in one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in the state (Fort Sanders) isn't for everyone. Considering UTK receives a heck of a lot more state funding than any other state university (even much-maligned MTSU, whose undergraduate class is now the largest in the state), it should have lots of accolades. But as most undergrads will tell you, they're tired of paying more and more tuition each year when the bulk of their lower level classes are taught my graduate teaching assistants, often in large lecture halls or even auditoriums (several freshman classes meet in the 800-seat Cox Auditorium).
Couple all of that with the mayhem that surrounds our men's athletics program (which is like a Jerry Springer show) and the never-ending nincompoopness of our arrogant administration (which needs to be on Dr. Phil), not everything is as peachey at UTK as some Knoxville boosters would like the world to believe.
In addition, UTK's campus is just ugly. Plus, I'm tired of going to a classroom to teach, only to find out there's no chalk, the audiovisual equipment doesn't work, and the a/c is on the fritz. But hey, we have a huge football stadium and the largest on-campus basketball arena in the country!
Slow down there, hoss.
As someone who lived in Fort Sanders for 4 years, to call it "one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in the state" is absolutely downright LUDICROUS. No doubt there is a fair bit of crime there, and that should definitely be on someone's radar if they are considering off-campus housing there...but let's be real here. We're not talking about the projects. Yes, there are homeless, yes there are shady characters. But the average person, taking precautions, will not encounter crime. There are a number of neighborhoods IN KNOXVILLE that are far rougher than the Fort. Get real.
I'm not going to pretend like I had no complaints about UT. I definitely did. The administration is run by a bunch of corrupt dirtbags. There are tons of inefficiencies involving things like registering for classes (or there were when I was there). The UTPD are basically a bunch of rodeo clowns in blue uniforms.
And really...lower level classes being huge? What's the problem with that? I probably hated taking them as much as the grad students or instructors hated teaching them. I didn't go to college to take a bunch of crap gen-ed classes to 'enlighten' and 'broaden' my education. Upper level classes were almost always in smaller groups (many of mine had 10-25 students, if that). And those were the most interesting classes.
As far as the athletics....now you're starting to sound like a professor...
I can tell you that many UT faithful, and alumni, are elated that Mike Hamilton has been ousted as AD. Dave Hart is well respected and should bring a tremendous improvement in integrity and honor to the program. I'm not going to say that the circus over the past few years was all Mike Hamilton's fault. No....wait....yes I am. He was the one that fired Fulmer and Delmonico...he was the one who hired Kiffin, Pearl, and Raleigh. Yep. It's his fault.
As for the "ugliness" of UT's campus...that's entirely subjective. I found some parts of campus to be very ugly...especially the 60s style concrete jungle architecture that was constructed while my parents were there. But there are also some very nice parts of campus. The Hill, of course, is very nice...and I can't complain about the new construction on campus.
I can tell you that many of the larger public universities I've been to don't fare a whole lot better when it comes to having a beautiful campus. Some are quite nice...but most aren't. I'll go ahead and be honest that Tennessee Tech's campus didn't really do anything special for me when I made my college visit (it was my safety school, btw ).
In the end, your outburst doesn't surprise me. I got that same feeling from a lot of the professors I had at UT. I'll give you the same response I gave to a couple of them when I had conversations with a few of them: sorry to hear that.
As someone who lived in Fort Sanders for 4 years, to call it "one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in the state" is absolutely downright LUDICROUS. No doubt there is a fair bit of crime there, and that should definitely be on someone's radar if they are considering off-campus housing there...but let's be real here. We're not talking about the projects. Yes, there are homeless, yes there are shady characters. But the average person, taking precautions, will not encounter crime. There are a number of neighborhoods IN KNOXVILLE that are far rougher than the Fort. Get real.
I'm not going to pretend like I had no complaints about UT. I definitely did. The administration is run by a bunch of corrupt dirtbags. There are tons of inefficiencies involving things like registering for classes (or there were when I was there). The UTPD are basically a bunch of rodeo clowns in blue uniforms.
And really...lower level classes being huge? What's the problem with that? I probably hated taking them as much as the grad students or instructors hated teaching them. I didn't go to college to take a bunch of crap gen-ed classes to 'enlighten' and 'broaden' my education. Upper level classes were almost always in smaller groups (many of mine had 10-25 students, if that). And those were the most interesting classes.
As far as the athletics....now you're starting to sound like a professor...
I can tell you that many UT faithful, and alumni, are elated that Mike Hamilton has been ousted as AD. Dave Hart is well respected and should bring a tremendous improvement in integrity and honor to the program. I'm not going to say that the circus over the past few years was all Mike Hamilton's fault. No....wait....yes I am. He was the one that fired Fulmer and Delmonico...he was the one who hired Kiffin, Pearl, and Raleigh. Yep. It's his fault.
As for the "ugliness" of UT's campus...that's entirely subjective. I found some parts of campus to be very ugly...especially the 60s style concrete jungle architecture that was constructed while my parents were there. But there are also some very nice parts of campus. The Hill, of course, is very nice...and I can't complain about the new construction on campus.
I can tell you that many of the larger public universities I've been to don't fare a whole lot better when it comes to having a beautiful campus. Some are quite nice...but most aren't. I'll go ahead and be honest that Tennessee Tech's campus didn't really do anything special for me when I made my college visit (it was my safety school, btw ).
In the end, your outburst doesn't surprise me. I got that same feeling from a lot of the professors I had at UT. I'll give you the same response I gave to a couple of them when I had conversations with a few of them: sorry to hear that.
Yeah I suppose it sounded like I was whining about UT athletics dominating academics. Part of me does lament that, but I did take a huge pay cut when I accepted a position at UTK just so I could move back to Knoxville and be able to go to more games, mainly football. I knew what I was getting myself into. It's still been a huge disappointment to see how the real world of big time college athletics works, from the inside. Mike Hamilton definitely had to go. The jury is still out on the new guy, although surely he can't be as bad as MH.
I guess I like stability. UTK hasn't had stability in its men's athletics program nor in its campus administration in years. They keep hiring money-hungry dolts as administrators who give themselves pay raises and posh offices while the rest of campus (other than athletics) goes without. It's interesting to note that UT's enrollment has barely budged in 30 years, although the number of administrators during that time has more than tripled.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. The Hill is certainly beautiful, but it is barely used. Most students hardly go there at all unless they happen to have a class around there. It's not convenient to where most students live, and it's certainly not convenient to the rest of campus; it's quite a hike up there. The Quad at TTU, the part of TTU's campus that is gorgeous (and yeah the rest of the TTU campus is drab, although at least they kept the same architectural designs for all campus buildings) is in the middle of campus and is intensely used. It's similar to The Grove at Ole Miss.
The same Princeton Review which named UTK (and TTU) as among the country's best education values also ranked UTK as having the 10th ugliest campus in the country.
At any rate, we all have tender feelings for our alma maters. I have three alma maters (UT being one of them) and my blood bleeds orange. That doesn't mean that I can't admit that other schools could be just as good an option and might, just maybe, even have a prettier campus.
---
its - possession
it's - contraction of it is
your - possession
you're - contraction of you are
their - possession
they're - contraction of they are
there - referring to a place
loose - opposite of tight
lose - opposite of win
who's - contraction of who is
whose - possession
alot - NOT A WORD
Mike Hamilton definitely had to go. The jury is still out on the new guy, although surely he can't be as bad as MH.
Don't ever say things can't get worse. I've done that and it isn't pretty.
Sorry I go all Volnation.
I've been to Harvard's campus, Holy Cross, Clark, Worcester Polytech Institute, and UMass at Amherst, where I got accepted. I've been to MIT, walk the buildings like I belonged there. Lots of people walking around with their shoes untied, probably including Gates and Jobs. It was around that time.
But to me, yes, UT is somewhat ugly, sometimes nice and I am holding out hope that the new construction will balance it out.
But Lauren may go there and if the other child stops being mad at me she may transfer. They will be the first in my family to graduate from any college and that makes UTK the most beautiful campus on the universe. Bar none. And I am seriously trying to make the December 1 admission filing for myself. I'm trying to keep it on the down low but I hold the filing fees in my hot little hands, right now.
But man, oh man, I didn't want to upset anyone, especially JMT. TTU is the bomb because he says so and that's good enough for me.
Yeah I suppose it sounded like I was whining about UT athletics dominating academics. Part of me does lament that, but I did take a huge pay cut when I accepted a position at UTK just so I could move back to Knoxville and be able to go to more games, mainly football. I knew what I was getting myself into. It's still been a huge disappointment to see how the real world of big time college athletics works, from the inside. Mike Hamilton definitely had to go. The jury is still out on the new guy, although surely he can't be as bad as MH.
Trust me, growing up as a kid in the 90s and watching Vols football, then attending the 2004-2008 football seasons was sobering...really depressing.
As far as the business works...if you're at a major D1 school, you know what you're getting into. But on the flip side, college athletics gives a school more exposure than academic reputation could ever dream of doing. So it's not all bad. Name recognition is still important, even if it may seem like it's for the wrong reasons.
I'm not sure how the jury is out on the "new guy." Everything I've heard about him from fans and people in the business say he's top notch...he's not the 'businessman first, f-the students' type that Hamilton was.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT
I guess I like stability. UTK hasn't had stability in its men's athletics program nor in its campus administration in years. They keep hiring money-hungry dolts as administrators who give themselves pay raises and posh offices while the rest of campus (other than athletics) goes without. It's interesting to note that UT's enrollment has barely budged in 30 years, although the number of administrators during that time has more than tripled.
No argument there. I think our last few governors have sh-- the bed when it comes to making sure the right people are in control of the state's flagship institution. Instead it's been a constant embarrassment with a new corrupt ego taking the reigns from his predecessor.
The university could have a better reputation than it does. The reputation isn't bad...but I think it's obvious that the potential of the school hasn't been fully realized because of the egos of the people in charge. Again, I fault the governors on this. If they wanted to really ensure that our higher education system would be superior, they would hire capable people to lead the way. They don't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. The Hill is certainly beautiful, but it is barely used. Most students hardly go there at all unless they happen to have a class around there. It's not convenient to where most students live, and it's certainly not convenient to the rest of campus; it's quite a hike up there. The Quad at TTU, the part of TTU's campus that is gorgeous (and yeah the rest of the TTU campus is drab, although at least they kept the same architectural designs for all campus buildings) is in the middle of campus and is intensely used. It's similar to The Grove at Ole Miss.
Barely used?? If you have math, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, or engineering class, you're pretty much certain to have a class on the hill.
Of course it's not convenient. There are very few ways to get there. Only road up (and one around), and a handful of walkways as access points.
People don't go there when it's not necessary because it's an absolute beeotch to walk up. Have you tried walking from Presidential to the Hill (Ayers and EPS for me) twice a day, 3 times a week? The only benefit is I have huge calf muscles now. Topography plays a huge role on campus.
As far as beauty...I think they have actually done a good job trying to improve that aspect. The Glocker renovation is amazing. I haven't been inside, but the Baker Center is a nice addition to campus. The renovations to several other buildings have turned out very well.
I think UT gets a lot of its drab reputation for the massive amount of construction that took place from the 1950s-1970s. Presidential, HPER, Morrill, Hess, Clement, HSS, and Circle Park could all be firebombed and I wouldn't care. But that's just how campus is. I got used to it. I grew accustomed to going to the block walls of Reece Hall every day freshman year. That was just part of the experience. Sometimes you learn to appreciate the ugly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT
The same Princeton Review which named UTK (and TTU) as among the country's best education values also ranked UTK as having the 10th ugliest campus in the country.
10th ugliest? That's pretty extreme. I can think of several off the top of my head that are uglier....in the SEC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT
At any rate, we all have tender feelings for our alma maters. I have three alma maters (UT being one of them) and my blood bleeds orange. That doesn't mean that I can't admit that other schools could be just as good an option and might, just maybe, even have a prettier campus.
I wouldn't call them tender feelings. I can buy a good bit of what you said. What set off the alarms for me was when you called Fort Sanders one of the most crime ridden neighborhoods in the state. That had me laughing for a good 10 minutes before I could compose myself and respond.
I do appreciate all the wonderful input regarding the school, athletics and overall appearance of the school. However, I don't much care for how "pretty" the school is, or (God help me for saying this) how great the sports teams are because my child will be going to learn, not play, he already has that one down pat To us the school could be number one on the ugly list if the teachers/professors put their heart and soul into teaching. Our home is nothing to look at, and at times after hurricanes our roof even leaked but our kids learned more here than anywhere else. As long as it is structurally sound, looks shouldn't be such a large part of your decision. A wise person once said "Don't judge a book by it's cover", sometimes the ugliest books have the most depth.
Is it mandatory that the freshman live on campus the first 2 years such as with Lee University? We were planning on our son living home and commuting since we will be so close.
Although we are not planning on our son gaining a football scholarship or anything like that we are looking forward to "bleeding orange" and showing complete respect and dedication to our new home teams
Is it mandatory that the freshman live on campus the first 2 years such as with Lee University? We were planning on our son living home and commuting since we will be so close.
I think you are required to live on campus for your freshman year. Definitely not after that.
I can tell you that most students are itching to get off campus ASAP (not really because living on campus is so terrible...but more of it's "cooler" to live off campus). There are some students who stay on campus all four years, or move back as upper classmen (many cases with fraternities). But your average student stays just for freshman year.
After that, the largest group (6-7,000) moves to the Fort Sanders neighborhood, adjacent to campus. There is a variety of housing there, from cheap, simple (sometimes fairly run down) apartments, historic houses (which vary greatly in condition), newer construction apartments, and new condos. The Fort has many pros and cons (which I can go over in more detail if you request).
A large number also move to student-oriented apartment communities across the river. These places have shuttles to campus, so driving back and forth isn't required.....but it can take a good 15-20 minutes just driving from point to point during peak times. Also, it is very difficult when trying to attend sporting events (whereas if you live on campus, in Fort Sanders, or downtown, you can walk).
Some students also choose random non-student oriented apartments or rental houses in other parts of town...I knew a number living in West Knoxville close to the mall, down Chapman Highway to the south, and even a few north of town off of Merchants Dr. Everybody has different wants, needs, and preferences.
Trust me, growing up as a kid in the 90s and watching Vols football, then attending the 2004-2008 football seasons was sobering...really depressing.
As far as the business works...if you're at a major D1 school, you know what you're getting into. But on the flip side, college athletics gives a school more exposure than academic reputation could ever dream of doing. So it's not all bad. Name recognition is still important, even if it may seem like it's for the wrong reasons.
Very true. After our 1998 BCS National Championship freshmen applications increased something like 50%.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nashvols
I'm not sure how the jury is out on the "new guy." Everything I've heard about him from fans and people in the business say he's top notch...he's not the 'businessman first, f-the students' type that Hamilton was.
Go back and read the comments at the News Sentinel web site when they made the announcement. A lot of people aren't happy. But I'm sure the trustees sought approval from the big time donors (Haslams et al) first so I'm sure it'll all work out. And, really, the euphoria of not having Hamilton anymore can easily cloud judgments. We're still in the honeymoon period with the new guy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nashvols
Barely used?? If you have math, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, or engineering class, you're pretty much certain to have a class on the hill.
Of course it's not convenient. There are very few ways to get there. Only road up (and one around), and a handful of walkways as access points.
People don't go there when it's not necessary because it's an absolute beeotch to walk up. Have you tried walking from Presidential to the Hill (Ayers and EPS for me) twice a day, 3 times a week? The only benefit is I have huge calf muscles now. Topography plays a huge role on campus.
You pretty much repeated what I said ("Most students hardly go there at all unless they happen to have a class around there..."). Thanks for agreeing with me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nashvols
As far as beauty...I think they have actually done a good job trying to improve that aspect. The Glocker renovation is amazing. I haven't been inside, but the Baker Center is a nice addition to campus. The renovations to several other buildings have turned out very well.
Glocker/Haslam turned out beautifully. Again, go read the News Sentinel online. The NS discussed it and how our architecture faculty don't like it. They're determined to raze classic buildings like Strong, Melrose and Hoskins and replace them with more "contemporary" crap. It's all part of the university's master plan. The uglification of UTK. (But I do like how they're trying to make the campus more pedestrian friendly with more commons areas, which is a gazillion times better now than it was when I was a student there in the 90s.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by nashvols
I wouldn't call them tender feelings. I can buy a good bit of what you said. What set off the alarms for me was when you called Fort Sanders one of the most crime ridden neighborhoods in the state. That had me laughing for a good 10 minutes before I could compose myself and respond.
Fort Sanders is indeed one of the most crime ridden neighborhoods in Knoxville, certainly in the top 10% of Knoxville neighborhoods for crime which would also put it among the top in the state (particularly if Memphis is taken out of the equation--poor Memphis). And it was some of my students who called it that. Granted, many of the crime reports that come from the Fort seem to start with the phrase "While a student was walking home at 3am after a night of partying on the Strip..."
Quote:
Originally Posted by mia_magination
I do appreciate all the wonderful input regarding the school, athletics and overall appearance of the school. However, I don't much care for how "pretty" the school is, or (God help me for saying this) how great the sports teams are because my child will be going to learn, not play, he already has that one down pat To us the school could be number one on the ugly list if the teachers/professors put their heart and soul into teaching. Our home is nothing to look at, and at times after hurricanes our roof even leaked but our kids learned more here than anywhere else. As long as it is structurally sound, looks shouldn't be such a large part of your decision. A wise person once said "Don't judge a book by it's cover", sometimes the ugliest books have the most depth.
Is it mandatory that the freshman live on campus the first 2 years such as with Lee University? We were planning on our son living home and commuting since we will be so close.
Although we are not planning on our son gaining a football scholarship or anything like that we are looking forward to "bleeding orange" and showing complete respect and dedication to our new home teams
Sounds like you have the right attitude! That's great. Your son will do fine. UTK is full of faculty who put up with things like lower pay and an all-consuming, omnipotent and omnipresent athletics department because we just love being there and love being part of the Volunteer Nation and care a great deal for our students. We do have awesome students at UTK.
(Side note: notice that I never made any disparaging remarks about our women's athletic department. That's because our female athletes are held to a much higher academic standard than our male athletes. My absolute best students have been our female athletes. If your son emulates the work ethic of our female athletes instead of our male athletes, he'll do great.)
Oh, and yes, freshmen are required to live in the dorms, just their freshman year. However, they can get a waiver to live at home their freshman year if it's in the Knoxville area.
---
its - possession
it's - contraction of it is
your - possession
you're - contraction of you are
their - possession
they're - contraction of they are
there - referring to a place
loose - opposite of tight
lose - opposite of win
who's - contraction of who is
whose - possession
alot - NOT A WORD
I did not know about the waiver regarding the dorms in the first year. Lauren will hate you, JMT, so I won't tell her you told me.
Regarding the comment section in The Knoxville Sentinel, I am sure that on occasion there are remarks that are edifying but for the most part they are a train wreck. They are made by a handful of people from origins unknown and have created much hand-wringing by journalists, Realtors and mother's of dead children. Proceed with caution. And I wish I was kidding.
Female athletics and Pat Summitt are what give me hope on days when I think that everything is wrong with the world, especially after reading the comments section of the local daily.
Oh and yes, mia magination sounds like us. We are from Florida, too, sorta. And we have fallen hopelessly in love with the area. I suspect you will, too.
Go back and read the comments at the News Sentinel web site when they made the announcement. A lot of people aren't happy. But I'm sure the trustees sought approval from the big time donors (Haslams et al) first so I'm sure it'll all work out. And, really, the euphoria of not having Hamilton anymore can easily cloud judgments. We're still in the honeymoon period with the new guy.
A lot of people who post on news sites like that have very extreme viewpoints. Frankly, I've just stopped paying attention to them. Almost everyone seems to fall into either the extreme negative, highly critical (of the writer, newspaper, etc) or the Pollyanna that just enthusiastically eats everything up that the writer has to offer. Not much in the way of middle ground. I can't stand that.
I know people in the department and in the business elsewhere. I trust their opinions on the matter...not the outspoken members of the fanbase. I don't think any candidate is going to be perfect...but this should be a big improvement over Hamilton.
I bet a lot of the complaining has to do with the fact that he came from Alabama. A lot of our fanbase (especially the non-alums) seem to have a problem with that. I have more of a problem with our Chancellor coming from UF.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT
You pretty much repeated what I said ("Most students hardly go there at all unless they happen to have a class around there..."). Thanks for agreeing with me.
Are their any non-residential areas (besides TRECS & Hodges) which are frequented at all times of day? Even the UC dies down after the afternoon classes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT
Glocker/Haslam turned out beautifully. Again, go read the News Sentinel online. The NS discussed it and how our architecture faculty don't like it. They're determined to raze classic buildings like Strong, Melrose and Hoskins and replace them with more "contemporary" crap. It's all part of the university's master plan. The uglification of UTK. (But I do like how they're trying to make the campus more pedestrian friendly with more commons areas, which is a gazillion times better now than it was when I was a student there in the 90s.)
I think it would be terrible to get rid of those three buildings...but from the cost perspective, I can see why they might want to go more contemporary. It's obviously very expensive to renovate these buildings and bring them up to standard...so they probably have to be picky with what buildings they choose to do that with. Obviously, pretty much everything on the Hill (& behind) is off limits to the bulldozer. Part of the problem, though, is that the buildings were neglected for so long that it will be very difficult to update all of them. I don't doubt that there will be a few tragic casualties on campus. But it would be in their best interest not to demolish Strong...or else Sophronia Strong will haunt their dreams.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT
Fort Sanders is indeed one of the most crime ridden neighborhoods in Knoxville, certainly in the top 10% of Knoxville neighborhoods for crime which would also put it among the top in the state (particularly if Memphis is taken out of the equation--poor Memphis). And it was some of my students who called it that. Granted, many of the crime reports that come from the Fort seem to start with the phrase "While a student was walking home at 3am after a night of partying on the Strip..."
Fort Sanders does have a pretty high crime rate for Knoxville...but it's still not as bad as a lot of the inner city neighborhoods, especially to the east and north of downtown. FS gets a lot of attention because it's where the students live, and people want to know if anything is happening to their baby angel snowflakes.
Trust me, I know the Fort very well. I worked in one of the apartment complexes while I lived there (with over 700 residents spread throughout the Fort). We had a number of reports of crime....the vast majority of which was property crime (theft)...and most of that fell into two categories -- 1) idiots left their doors open or windows unlocked and someone just walked right in and stole things -- or -- 2) students were engaging in illegal activities (mainly selling pot or pills) and someone knew they had a lot of money and decided to rob them.
The majority of students who took precautions -- locked their doors and windows when they left their apartments, walked in groups and used well-lighted streets late at night, didn't leave valuables in plain view in their vehicles, didn't leave items outside their apartment (such as grills or chairs) and didn't engage in illegal activity -- had very few if any problems.
The Fort definitely has it's issues...but those issues are intensified by people not using their God-given sense (like you say -- walking home from the bar, alone, at 3am, cutting through a dark alley). A lot of the robberies and violent crime are drug related (i.e., the victims bring it on themselves by being criminals themselves).
Also, one should consider the property that they choose for living -- things like security features (cameras, magnetic locks, metal doors, etc) can be quite a deterrent for criminals. While living in an older complex or house might be more cost efficient, one must consider that a lot of the savings come at the expense of security.
All this said, I think calling it one of the most crime ridden neighborhoods in the state is still a bit extreme. Yes, there is a lot of crime...but not as much violent crime as you find in many other neighborhoods in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and even Jackson. The police -- and the city -- could still do a much better job of making it a safer place by patrolling more, rather than aggressively targeting underage drinking (I can understand addressing noise complaints and busting up parties -- especially on weeknights, but spending a half hour checking IDs and writing citations, then sending the kids to wonder home is not time well spent IMO), and improving the lighting in the neighborhood. A lot of Fort Rats found it interesting that when Laurel was renovated as a sorority dorm, a new set of bright street lights was built right up 16th to the complex...while many other spots in the Fort lack adequate lighting. It was definitely perceived as the city & the university playing favorites.
Some problems will be slower to go away -- some of the nearly shanty-type housing caused by years of neglect. Some of the houses (even some of the older/historic ones) simply need to be razed because they are in too bad of shape. There are a lot of interesting permanent residents (non students) that live in the Fort. Not all of them are bad people (I got to know a number of them in my time living there). There are also a number of homeless that frequent the area -- most of them aren't bad guys -- they live off of what the college students leave behind (mainly beer cans...lol). Still, they have a negative impact on the perception of the Fort. My feeling was that a lot of the crime bled in from adjacent areas (mainly to the north, across I-40) -- a lot of opportunistic crime. Some of that won't go away as long as there are irresponsible students engaging in the various activities and behaviors listed above. There seriously should be a common-sense guide given to all the students that choose to live in the Fort. If the opportunity for crime is decreased, my believe is that the crime rate would drop considerably.
Regarding the comment section in The Knoxville Sentinel, I am sure that on occasion there are remarks that are edifying but for the most part they are a train wreck. They are made by a handful of people from origins unknown and have created much hand-wringing by journalists, Realtors and mother's of dead children. Proceed with caution. And I wish I was kidding.
Train wreck doesn't do justice to what happens on the comments section of news sites. It's a (nearly) unregulated free-for-all. People essentially use it as a platform to troll the journalists and/or news organization. There is a particular bitterness and nasty quality that I simply refuse to believe represents the common citizen. It seems a lot of these people have made it their life's work to complain about every possible thing, to find something wrong with anything. I have found plenty of political ranting that has little or nothing to do with the subject. Sometimes a completely non-political story is turned political. A story about firemen saving a cat from a tree could turn into a political flame-fest (about how the public's money was misused in saving a worthless, stupid animal).
I find very little worth in comments sections. I don't read them anymore. And if I had a news site, I would nuke that feature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiknapster
Female athletics and Pat Summitt are what give me hope on days when I think that everything is wrong with the world, especially after reading the comments section of the local daily.
I think, in general, women's athletics operate on a different standard from men's. I think money is a big part of the issue. Men's athletics generate a significant amount of money (primarily in football and basketball), and therefore the competition is quite cutthroat. That's why you see such a high rate of turnover in coaching jobs these days. You win or you're gone. So you have to win. How do you gain an edge? You bend the rules.
It's sad, but the nature of the game these days.
That said, I think our women's athletic department should still be recognized and lauded for running a clean, respectable, and stable program. That can't be stated enough.
It should be noted that only UT and UTexas are the only schools in D1 that have separate Men's and Women's ADs. This, of course, makes it a lot easier to see the contrast between the two departments. All I have to say is that we should be glad that Mike Hamilton was not able to ruin Women's athletics during his reign of terror.
Next year, however, the athletic departments will be reunited as one with Dave Hart as the AD. Joan Cronan, current Women's AD, will take the role as senior adviser to Hart and to Chancellor Jimmy Cheek.
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To us the school could be number one on the ugly list if the teachers/professors put their heart and soul into teaching. Our home is nothing to look at, and at times after hurricanes our roof even leaked but our kids learned more here than anywhere else. As long as it is structurally sound, looks shouldn't be such a large part of your decision. A wise person once said "Don't judge a book by it's cover", sometimes the ugliest books have the most depth.
