Gaines Center receives new director

Classics professor Robert Rabel has been named director of the Gaines Center for the Humanities. The Center was created in 1983 to offer a unique program to foster appreciation for the humanities, according to the center’s Web site. Rabel will be the center’s third director and will begin serving Aug. 15.

At UK, Rabel has taught a full array of Latin and Greek language and literature courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels and has been an Honors Program faculty member.

About 12 Gaines Fellows, students selected for the two-year program following a rigorous application process, are selected each year. They take a specially designed class both semesters of their junior year and complete an independent study project their senior year.

SG supports NAACP trip

Student Government has approved a funding request to help UK’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People pay for part of its trip to the annual NAACP National Convention, which will be held July 12 to 17 in Cincinnati. Six students will attend the convention, and they will stay in two hotel rooms. SG will reimburse the organization for one of the two rooms.

At the weekly meeting, SG also passed an act to pay Senate President and Chief of Staff for their summer work of 14 hours a week.

UK offers online ride-sharing service

Parking and Transportation Services has begun an online ride-sharing service to help people in the UK community save money and conserve gas.

Anyone can join AlterNetRides free of charge by providing a valid e-mail address. From there they can search for people with similar transportation needs. Personal and contact information will remain anonymous until a user chooses to share it.

For more information, visit www.uky.edu/parking/transportation-ridematch.html.

Parking structure available for fireworks viewers

Anyone with a valid UK parking permit can park and watch fireworks for free on July 4 from the top of the parking structure next to Kennedy Bookstore on South Limestone.

The location provides a good view and eliminates the need to hunt for parking, said Director of Parking and Transportation Services Don Thornton.

The gates to Parking Structure No. 5 will open at 7 p.m. on July 4 and close half an hour after the fireworks display ends. Blankets, lawn chairs, and food and drink are permitted. However, alcoholic beverages, grills, open fires and all fireworks (including sparklers) will be prohibited.