Maybe some day Louisville will get something this cool. [Fast Company]
Remember all the hot messes former University of Louisville president John Shumaker got into while he was the big man on campus? Yeah? Guess it’s only fitting that UofL would rename the Belknap Research Building the Shumaker Research Building. Makes tons of sense. [Just Thinking]
More violence in Jefferson County Public Schools and problems with cell phones? And what the heck is with these kids taking photographs of their patootie with a cellphone? Do parents no longer do their jobs? Jesus H. [WHAS11]
Today at noon Republican Todd Lally will make his candidacy for the U.S. Congress against John Yarmuth official. He’s making an announcement in Tyler Park. [Press Release]
Gas Station Governor Steve Beshear got punked AGAIN. This time by Harley-Davidson. Meanwhile, Kentucky is going to hell in a handbasket. [Page One]
You may also be super-interested in reading this, uh, dumb thing about tax reform from Beshear’s fancy new spokeswoman we all know and love in Louisville. [More Page One]
Unemployed and waiting on a benefit exertion check? Keep waiting. [C-J]
Remember that fancy Florida job Gilles Meloche applied for? We hear he didn’t get it. Read this old story about it for a refresher, just for old time’s sake. [FatLip]
16 responses so far ↓
1 Novena // Nov 20, 2009 at 8:11 am
“Shue’s Tinsel-Town Legacy”
Naming the new science building at UofL after Shumaker bridges the gap between science and the humanities. Before becoming a glad-handing administrator, Shue was a classics scholar. He was genial, knew everyone’s name, and would do anything to get a buck and please any audience. He was a great fund-raiser–one who led UofL on the path to serving the Almight Dollar at all costs. We celebrate in the name of gold, silver, parties, glitz, non-stop publicity, glorified sports, and personal expenditures galore. What a legacy for future UofL students.
2 Richard S // Nov 20, 2009 at 9:18 am
Re: Maybe some day Louisville will get something this cool.
We almost had something like this with the Belvedere. I remember going down there as a kid and playing in the fountains when it first debuted in the ’70s. I only moved back to town a few years ago so I haven’t followed the history, but I don’t recall having seen the fountains work the few times I’ve been down there.
3 fleur-de-gris // Nov 20, 2009 at 12:22 pm
i was also surprised to hear about UofL naming a significant building after shumaker. i thought i remembered his leaving being somewhat like a dishonorable discharge-type resignation.
4 fleur-de-gris // Nov 20, 2009 at 12:26 pm
oh, and, regarding the park in st louis: waterfront park ain’t bad! it’s had a similar effect for the northern part of our downtown.
5 Novena // Nov 20, 2009 at 4:39 pm
“Message to Fleur”
You are probably thinking more of Shu’s escapades at the U. of TN., though he did some weird maneuvers at Belknap as well. The UofL Board allowed him to do just about anything so long as he brought in the big bucks. He resigned at UT after a whole series of wild antics, e.g. many mysterious jet flights to Birmingham (to see we know whom), additional and unneeded costs to further building on the president’s mansion (the wine cellar was not big enough for him), costly plans for a UT Cafe in China, placing a big red rug at 40K in his office–when UT blazes orange, and purchasing an overly expensive BBQ grill (among many other things). I really think it was the grill that did him in with UT citizenry and the folks around Knoxville. John forgot he was no longer in Louisville, where the coffers ran nonstop for the Shu.
6 cain chase // Nov 20, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Chase Cain!
7 Charles Springer // Nov 20, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Why not name the building after Shumaker? He did a great job at U of L and he didn’t do anything criminal at Tennessee.
8 Novena // Nov 21, 2009 at 10:33 am
“The Debate on Shumaker”
Springer, it depends upon how you define “great job.” Shu was a master fund-raiser, and he did pump up grants, graduate programs, PR, and athletics. Much of it was glitz. The matter of substance and paying less attention to students (especially undergraduates) makes his legacy much more questionable–as does the matter of how all that money from the UofL Foundation was spent. Also, the Mighty Dollar values he extolled leave another big question mark. As for TN, that state thought about prosecution, but dropped the idea once he agreed to leave.
9 Rico // Nov 21, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Our new standard “He didn’t do anything criminal”
10 Novena // Nov 22, 2009 at 9:22 am
“Standards & Scorecards at UofL”
Rico, very good point. It seems that the ridiculous “Scorecard” that Shu brought to the campus also ushered in a “hidden curriculum” of getting away with anything so long as it made for good PR appeal for UofL. The silly “scorecard” continues under JR and hides any real substance behind the quantitative morass of statistics that can be interpreted as wondrous, dubious data for all to applaud– and faculty and students who wonder why and how their university’s academic reputation went to pot and shame.
11 Mark H (Not Hebert) // Nov 23, 2009 at 9:15 am
Pet peeve of mine:
Why do we name buildings, airports, roadway, etc. after politicians or other people who simply tax or beg (er.. fund raise) for the money to build them?
For example, just because Hal Rogers takes taxpayers’ money and using it to his district to expand or build a highway, we should name it after him? He didn’t pay for it, it just reallocated those funds.
If you want to bone up your own money to build the thing, then I don’t have a problem with it.
The University should name buildings after teachers or alumni that have actually contributed something great to society, not because they were an effective bureaucrat.
12 jake // Nov 23, 2009 at 9:17 am
Mark H: I’m in agreement with you.
Unless someone wants to name a building after me.
13 Mark H (Not Hebert) // Nov 23, 2009 at 9:44 am
And what kind of building should be named after you?
14 jake // Nov 23, 2009 at 9:57 am
Some gigantic thing. Maybe something about 100 stories high. Good for the ego.
15 Mark H (Not Hebert) // Nov 23, 2009 at 10:10 am
Hey they sold the naming rights to the Sears Tower once, maybe you can call Lt. Dan and tell him that you figured out a way to make the rest of that $700K in Medicaid money disappear.
16 jake // Nov 23, 2009 at 10:15 am
Anybody have an extra $700K I can have?
Need to buy some naming rights…
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