The Campus Citizen recently published an article highlighting the struggle of parenting students at IUPUI to find and pay for childcare.
While pregnant and parenting students are protected by Title IX, Indiana University does the minimum required to support them. Being a parent is difficult. Being a parent as well as a full-time student is even more difficult. This is a significant reason why many pregnant students opt for abortion, as touched on in the article.
As the President of Life Defenders, the pro-life club on the IUPUI campus, I understand abortion is a great injustice which takes the life of thousands of innocent children every day. It is sad that many women come to the point where they feel like they have no support and ending the life of their child is their only option.
As a club we seek to offer help to anyone who is faced with this situation. There are multiple external organizations that we direct students to for support, such as Let Them Live, which provides financial support through crowdfunding. However, there are limited resources that Indiana University offers to pregnant and parenting students.
One way we are seeking to change this is by petitioning the University to establish special parking for pregnant students. While this may seem like a small thing, it can go a long way to show pregnant students that they are welcomed and supported on our campus. Our aim is to either establish a new type of permit for pregnant students or allow them to qualify for a disability parking pass. In either case, this parking pass would allow them to park in almost any space on campus minimizing the distance they have to walk to and from classes.
There are multiple universities around the country, including Ball State, that provide this opportunity for pregnant students. It is time that Indiana University step up and show their support for pregnant and parenting students, and Parking and Transportation Services finally fulfill their aim to create an "equitable system for all individuals driving to campus."
Pro-choice or pro-life, support for pregnant students is one thing we should agree on. So, what can you do to help? Sign our petition here to show the University your support for providing these parking spaces for pregnant students.
Share it with friends and always be willing to lend a hand to those in need. Our club will continue to support those faced with planned or unplanned pregnancies even if Indiana University does not. If you or anyone you know needs help, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us on social media and at LifeDefendersIUPUI@gmail.com.
Editorial Note: Publishing a letter to the editor does not constitute an endorsement of the views therein by The Campus Citizen or its staff.
Caleb Manring is a sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in math. He is the President of Life Defenders at IUPUI.
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By Justin Haberstroh , Katie Wiseman , Jacob Stewart and Sahar Abdullah | Feb. 8Indiana University and Purdue University announced in August 2022 that IUPUI would split into Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI) and an extension of Purdue’s West Lafayette campus. While the excitement and nervousness of the transition has slowed as the school year has progressed, the editorial board thought it worthwhile to discuss our predictions for what IUI could look like in the future. Disclaimer: we are not a part of the transition board and our predictions are not definitive. This article is a piece of speculative fiction that visualizes some concepts that we believe may have the potential to become a reality at IUI in the future.
Office of the Chancellor launches new student-led mental health initiative
By Ashley Wilson and Katie Wiseman | Jan. 11The Office of the Chancellor has announced a new initiative, the Chancellor’s Student Mental Health Council, which began accepting applications on Dec. 16. According to the website, “The newly established Chancellor’s Student Mental Health Council connects decision-makers and students in the interest of ensuring student health and well-being.”
The Struggle to Find Childcare at IUPUI
By Jacob Stewart | Dec. 8Being a parent is a difficult task. Balancing an academic workload on top of that can make things even more challenging. 1,662 IUPUI students indicated on their FAFSA application that they had at least one dependent in 2020. Many struggle to find childcare. Many have suggested Indiana University should step in to provide childcare subsidies, but a cooperative childcare organization on campus might help where subsidies cannot.
