MEREDITH RODRIGUEZ
Staff Writer
Emmy Winner and Honorary Chair of Feminists for Life of America Patricia Heaton caused a ripple effect through campus fall semester. Her speech “Women Deserve Better than Abortion,” presented in Elkins has prompted both administrators and students to take steps in transforming Pepperdine into a place where pregnant and parenting students can easily find support and alternatives to abortion.
The first official wave of change came in the fall, when a new policy allowing children to live in George Page Apartments took effect. Complications arise out of such change, however, according to Dean of Students Mark Davis.
“The question is, ‘When we’re trying to allocate so many (housing) requests, do we give it to the single mother or to the graduate student family,’” Davis said. “This is policy issue that we need to review.”
A second wave on the horizon aims to help solve to such complications. On April 16th, during dead week, Serrin Foster, president of Feminist for Life of America, will mediate a forum in the Hahn Fireside room. Her visit has a twofold mission, according Christopher Barlow, a Service for Life member who worked closely with SFL advisor Dr. Yuengert and Davis to bring Foster to Pepperdine.
“First we are simply going to talk about what resources are there already on campus for students and how we can make those better known,” Barlow said. “The second part is ‘What can we add or improve?’”
The forum will include representatives from Academic Advising, the Health and Counseling Centers, Financial Aid as well as student representatives, according to Davis and Barlow. All students are welcome to watch the forum and contribute comments and questions.
While policy issues will likely come up, this upcoming forum aims primarily to improve communication, according to Davis.
“Lots of students don’t know where to go to find answers,” Davis said. “The questions often are, ‘Will I get in trouble at Pepperdine?’ We are basically trying to make it clear that we are here to help.”
Improved communication may take the form of updated RA training and NSO sessions, a change in the Student Handbook and the development of a Frequently Asked Questions Web site.
Some of these projects will be developed in preparation for Foster’s visit. A group of student leaders and administration representatives are already researching and devising a packet detailing what our campus is doing in this area and how we plan to improve. After the forum and after Foster critiques the group’s research, she will come up with a revised blueprint, which will in turn be implemented this summer in preparation for next year.
“Summer is the perfect timing for us to update student handbooks,” Davis said. “A lot of times we start updating Web sites and all that kind of stuff.”
Davis, SFL members and other leaders on campus who are sponsoring this event have high hopes for Foster’s visit. Barlow specifically hopes the forum will encourage women to look into the various pregnancy resources available around campus, such as the Women’s Pregnancy Resource Center in Santa Monica, which is there to help students keep their babies and stay in school.
“It’s just supposed to be a really good discussion to get the ball rolling for changes,” Barlow said. “It’s nothing radical, but I think it will have a good impact.”
02-08-2007
