Fritz Efaw wrote:

> Allow me to draw on one more metaphor, this time from Sen. Phil Gramm of
> Texas, who, in a slightly different context, used to talk about those who
> rode the wagon vs. those who pulled the wagon....
> Some, like Prof. Novobilski and the high-flying academic
> funambulists in the Cosim Cemter may choose to ride the wagon.

Nothing like getting personal to try to make a point, is there?

I know Dr. Novobilski quite well, and he is just about the last person I
would accuse of riding, rather than pulling, anyone's wagon.  He works
his tail off for this university and its students.  Maybe he's not
helping pull the particular wagon *you* want him to pull, but I suspect
he is not interested in riding it, either.

I don't know the SimCenter guys as well, and one can argue either side
of the question of whether they should have been invited here in the
first place, but they *are* here (and, I trust, doing their best for the
university and the students as well).  Insulting them or attempting to
divide them from the rest of the campus certainly isn't going to solve
any problems.

At any rate, some of us have several other "wagons to pull" and simply
aren't interested in being represented, directly or indirectly, by a
labor union.  If you are, fine; last I checked it was a free country.
Just don't equate lack of agreement with your approach with lack of
interest or effort as regards our university.

> But the
> more of us who help pull the wagon by joining our brothers and sisters at
> Knoxville, the sooner you can have an answer that is encouraging as far as
> UCW's goals and accomplishments.

Happy "pulling", and I'll see you around this fall.

Joe Dumas

--
"One man with courage is a majority." -- Thomas Jefferson