26 / JOURNEY
This Place We
Call Home
by Mary Leidig, executive director of University Relations
I recently met with Knox Heritage
Executive Director Kim Trent who talked
about our Southern Highlands region in
glowing terms. The regional preservation
leader added that "Appalachia is the new
buzz word" in tourism, education, history
and in culture.
I couldn't agree more.
Carson-Newman University sits right in the
middle of this spectacular region. And we
are within a day's drive of half the nation!
Break it down a little more, and we are an
hour's drive of the nation's most visited
national park and a world-class national lab.
Even closer is a state park, two lakes and
the vibrant city of Knoxville. The Southern
