The Black Student Alliance partnered with the Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta and Sigma Gamma Rho sororities to host a Project 2025 Forum Tuesday evening in DSU Nite Class.
Scott Lasley, WKU Department of Political Science Chair and professor, and Saundra Ardrey, retired WKU political science professor, spoke to students about what Project 2025 is and how it could impact the nation in the upcoming election.
According to Lasley, the Heritage Foundation, an organization that dates to the twentieth century, is driving Project 2025.
The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative public policy research institution based in Washington, D.C. The foundation aims in “building an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity and civil society flourish,” according to their mission statement.
Ardrey said that Project 2025 is a proposed presidential transition project that is proposed of four pillars. According to Ardrey, the first pillar outlines overhauling policies, the second talks about creating a database of personnel, the third talks about training candidates and the fourth is an outline of a 180-day plan for a new president.
Ardrey and Lasley discussed some of the main issues outlined in Project 2025 that impact government structure, abortion rights, immigration policies and curriculum in educational institutions.
Lasley said that one way to think about Project 2025 is as a “wish list.”
“Think about how these things would be implemented,” Lasley said. “It’s not like all of the sudden you have an election and things are implemented automatically.”
Lasley said Project 2025 would eliminate some positions civil service and increase the number of politically appointed people in office.
“I think it’s trying to do is really change the way the bureaucracy operates,” Lasley said. “They want to get rid of a lot of, or at least some civil service positions.”
Lasley said in an interview with the Herald that it is always better to know more information when approaching the ballots.
“I’d say it’s important for folks to know as much as they can about everything and not just get caught up in headlines,” Lasley said. “Dig deeper because nothing is as simple as it seems.”
Ardrey said in an interview that she was asked by Divine Nine on campus to come and talk at the forum. She said that she is an advocate of making sure that young people know about these issues because they are the future.
“I think the most important thing about Project 2025 is the conservative agenda on restructuring our government,” Ardrey said. “This is, at all levels, restructuring the executive branch, legislative branch, and the way we do bureaucracy.”
Ardrey said that a trolley will be coming to Cherry Hall every hour on Election Day to take students to vote. She said this means that there is no excuse for not voting.
“The main thing is, if we can vote, if you vote, then this will be just a proposal,” Ardrey said. “So I encourage young people to get out there and vote. No matter what your ideology is and partisanship is, be able to get out there and vote.”
Avery Wells, a senior Political Science major, attended the forum to hear other people’s thoughts and perspectives on what Project 2025 meant to them. Wells said he knew about the main issues outlined in the proposal before coming to the forum, but he said that he still learned a couple things from the event.
“I think Dr. Lasley and Dr. Ardrey did a good job of bringing balance to the perspective so that it was a good opportunity for all of us to be able to hear both sides of the argument and see if there was a place for us to find each other in the middle,” Wells said.
On’dria Gibson, a senior Film major and attendee of the event, said she came to the forum to learn more about the specificities of Project 2025.
“I kind of knew some things, but I feel like I got a more general idea of what the project is,” Gibson said.
Gibson said people should seek out the facts while avoiding propaganda and controversy when voting in elections.
“Going to stuff like this on campus that’s about informing and not being biased, I think that’s a good way to help formulate your own opinion,” Gibson said.
News Reporter Abigail Vickers can be contacted at [email protected].
