EDITORIAL: TRUMP’S COMMENTS UNACCEPTABLE
IT’S FALL Y’ALL. CHECK OUT FALL FESTIVAL COVERAGE LIFE & PHOTO, PAGES B1 & A6
OPINION, PAGE A4
TTHURSDAY, HURSDAY, OOCTOBER CTOBER 113, 3, 22016 016 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 992, 2, IISSUE SSUE 1144
President Gary Ransdell chats with Red Cross worker Kate Abbgy during the WKU Beat MTSU Blood Drive on Wednesday, Oct. 12, in the Preston Center. “In my opinion, every healthy citizen should give blood,” Ransdell said. “The Red Cross needs it and even more importantly the people in need need it. We should all be there to serve others.” Ransdell said he tries to donate blood a few times a year and has participated in the WKU Beat MTSU Blood Drive since its beginning approximately seven years ago. The event has attracted around 300 participants over the last two days. KELSEA HOBBS/HERALD
Major Redz leave section due to safety concerns BY BRYSON KELTNER HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU
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he Major Redz dance group was moved to a different location for the WKU football game against Houston Baptist University on Saturday, Oct. 1 for safety concerns, according to Major Redz members and the WKU athletic department, and may remain there for future games, including homecoming. The dance organization began protesting during the football game against Vanderbilt University on Saturday, Sept. 24 when they knelt during the game’s national anthem. After the women experienced backlash, the WKU athletic department
University to change internet network BY CALLIE MILLER HERLAD.NEWS@WKU.EDU WKU’s Information Technology division will begin a project next week to increase security on the WKU network by changing the way the network can be accessed by outside users. IT’s goal is to prevent the majority of unsolicited traffic into the WKU network from the rest of the Internet, according to a press release. Greg Hackbarth, director of enterprise systems, explained what the end result of the project will hopefully accomplish.
SEE WIRELESS PAGE A2
moved them to a different location in the stadium for the next home game. Louisville junior Brittany Perry has been dancing with the group since her freshman year. She described her experience during the first protest. “To be honest, it scared me when we did it the first time because people don’t get searched at the games,” Perry said. “You don’t know what could have happened. With everything that’s been going on lately, you don’t know how it could have turned out.” The women faced opposition during the first protest as a spectator threw a beer can at the group and other members of the crowd shouted profanities. Backlash continued after the game through social media. However, the adviser for the Major
Redz, Josclynn Brandon, instructed the dancers to not react during the protest or after. “It was pretty hard for us when the backlash started,” Perry said. “Most of us are outspoken people on the team and we were told ‘Don’t react. Just keep smiling. Just be there. Don’t respond because that’s giving them what they want.’ You have to prepare yourself mentally for that. We have to be strong enough to handle it.” Tahjena Muldrow, a freshman from Louisville, also shared her thoughts on having to keep quiet. “It’s hard because I want to explain it to some people, not to argue with them, because I believe it can be misconstrued,” Muldrow said. “We are
SEE MAJOR REDZ PAGE A2
Professor joins Board of Education BY MONICA KAST HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU A WKU professor has been appointed to the Kentucky State Board of Education. Gary Houchens, an associate professor in the department of educational administration, leadership and research, was appointed to the Kentucky Board of Education by Gov. Matt Bevin earlier this year. Houchens said he was contacted to see if he was interested in serving on the Board of Education. After that, he went through an application and approval process through the secretary of education’s office. Houchens was approved in May and sworn in this past June. Houchens is the first WKU faculty member to be appointed to the Board of Education in Kentucky, according to Mary Ann Miller, the policy adviser for the Kentucky Board of Education. “It’s a great honor,” Houchens said. “It’s certainly something that I had
not ever anticipated.” Houchens graduated from WKU, and has previously worked as a middle school teacher, school principal and district administrator. Houchens said he has been interested in improving education and education policy “for a long time,” and views his appointment to the Board of Education as a way to help make improvements to education in Kentucky. “I’m heavily invested in the work of trying to improve our schools, primarily by guaranteeing high quality leadership at all of our schools,” Houchens said. “I’ve also been interested in education policy for a long time, so this is really a great opportunity to bring the perspective of having worked in and around schools for the last decade to this important work of helping set education policy for the entire state.” At the time of Houchen’s appointment, four others were also appointed to the Board of Education. Houchens’ term will expire in April of 2020.
“I am very impressed with the talent, experience and knowledge of the newest members of the Kentucky Board of Education,” Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner said in a news release at the time of Houchen’s appointment. “Our prime responsibility as adults is to prepare the next generation for their most fulfilled life, and that responsibility starts with providing a high-caliber education to every student. It is tremendously important that Kentucky has the best leadership available for the board so that we can move with a new resolve in meeting the needs of all our children.” Houchens said that he believes there are several main issues that the Board of Education will be discussing in coming months. He said the main priority right now is improving an accountability system for schools. “The number one priority for us right now is working on revisions to
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