MANHATTAN, Kan. - Women, have you ever been walking home alone at night, and jumped at every twig that snaps, or has your heart skipped a beat when a shadow crosses your path, do you go over self defense scenarios in your head? Many of us are aware of the rules for walking alone at night: do not listen to your headphones, do not talk on your phone, have your keys ready in your hand. The reality is often times, women do not feel safe walking alone after dark. Many women I know will not even walk alone at night on the K-State campus, a place where we feel safe and at home most of the time. It is time to "Take Back the Night"!

TOPEKA, Kan. - Do the No Concealed Carry signs posted on numerous buildings around the state make you feel more safe, or more vulnerable? Different answers to this question led to a long debate on the House floor on Tuesday, March 23, when a bill was heard to loosen conceal carry laws for the state of Kansas.

House Bill 2685 would allow individuals (including employees) with a conceal carry license to be able to carry a weapon into a public building unless that building has "adequate security measures" in place. What kind of security measures would it take to make the proponents of this bill feel safe? Metal detectors, wands or full time security guards at every entrance to the building for example. Public buildings would be required to take down their No Concealed Carry signs.

MANHATTAN, Kan. - On Monday, March 8th President and Michelle Obama celebrated International Women's Day. They were joined by Madeline Albright (the first female US Secretary of State) to mark the progress women have made in the United States and to draw attention to the problems women still face all over the world. Madeline Albright pointed out many struggles women all over the world face and said that while some may claim these are cultural differences and should be left alone, she believes "it is criminal and we each have an obligation to stop it." Michelle Obama pointed out many accomplishments women have made. She also made it clear that this day was not just to honor the famous women who have made history, but the "quiet heroes;" the first women in board rooms, on playing fields and battle fields.

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Early last week the First Lady, Michelle Obama launched her Let's Move campaign to take on the serious issue of childhood obesity and improve youth's quality of life for the future. In her interview with Larry King, Michelle Obama told about her own wakeup call to the problem. A doctor told her that her children's BMI (body mass index) had slightly increased while they were campaigning due to too much fast food and an unstable schedule. She claimed that small changes such as smaller portions, more home cooked meals, and choosing milk and water over sugary drinks and soda made a big difference in her family, and encourages the families of America to follow suit.

MANHATTAN, Kan. - A college campus can be a scary and intimidating place at times. Students can often feel like outsiders, become victims of bullying, or some cases, worse. Kansas State University has a program which rejects prejudices and discrimination of all kinds, and promotes non-violence and respect among every person. SafeZone is a program devoted to helping students who feel threatened or troubled. Student's troubles can range from dealing with hate crimes or bullying, to homophobia, to sexual violence or any distressing situation where they may need somebody to talk to. In these cases a student can seek out a SafeZone ally, who have the SafeZone symbol posted in their office or backpack, or are listed on the SafeZone website.