THUMBS UP
Xavier University's competitive cheer team
recently became national champions. The squad won the National Cheerleaders Association national title in the advanced large coed National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics division, and earned a shout-out from actor Gabrielle Union, who led an all-Black cheer squad in the movie “Bring It On.”
THUMBS DOWN
Louisiana State University
allows fossil fuel companies to pay to influence research, journalist Sara Sneath reported. A document used by LSU’s fundraising arm outlines how chemical companies donating to the university can weigh in on faculty research or participate in the review of a study, calling into question the school’s academic freedom. Both Shell and Exxon have donated to the levels that get the companies access, and Shell has a seat on the advisory board that influences research at LSU’s Institute for Energy.
THUMBS DOWN
Cade Brumley,
the state’s superintendent of education, is telling school districts to ignore new federal protections for LGBTQ students. The U.S. Department of Education April 19 revised Title IX regulations to include protections for students based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In a letter to districts, Brumley said schools should follow state law, which already targets transgender student athletes.
