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July 1st,2022 | Special Edition Summer Zine - July
in today's zine...

TOTD (Thought of the Day)

The World is on Fire
By: Annabel Leonova, Women*s Student Services Graduate Intern

W*SS News & Announcements

  • Outdoor Movie Night

  • W*SS Summer Book Club

Campus Partner News & Announcements  

  • RSO Survey 

  • RSO Summer Key Updates

  • 2022 Summer of Service

  • Sexual Behavior and Consequences Study

The World is on Fire

By: Annabel Leonova, Women*s Student Services Graduate Intern

Welcome to the July Zine, the summer is flying by and I feel like the world is on fire. Especially after the SCOTUS’s June 24th, 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. For a little bit of the background, Roe v. Wade was the U.S. Supreme Court decision made in 1973 stating that the Constitution protects an individual’s right to abortion. This law also prohibited states from banning and criminalizing abortions. When the Supreme Court ruled last week, some existing laws on the books were “triggered” (or reinstated). For Michigan specifically, there’s an outdated law from 1931 banning abortions. While it's still on the books, it was temporarily suspended in May of this year after multiple lawsuits were brought against it, meaning that abortion services are still currently available. But even if abortions are legal in Michigan for right now, I’m impatiently waiting for the final court ruling. Abortion access is healthcare and taking it away means taking human rights away from folks who could get pregnant.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade affects everyone, but in this TOTD as I am a master's student studying student affairs, I would like to focus specifically on the implications for college students and institutions of higher education. To begin with, paying attention to abortion access is crucial, as more than half (59.5% in 2020-21 according to the National Student Clearinghouse’s enrollment data) of the student population in higher education identifies as women (Baker, 2021). And the percentage goes higher when you include trans, non-binary, and other folks who could possibly get pregnant. Reproductive care access remains a challenge even if the state overturns the 1931 law. “A lack of transportation, lengthy distances to the nearest abortion clinic, the high cost of the procedure, and abortion misinformation as well as stigma can make it hard for students who want an abortion to get the quality care they seek” (Kelliher, 2021). In addition, most on-campus health clinics don’t provide abortions, making it even harder for students to access the care they need. 

In addition, many colleges and universities aren’t prepared for the increase of pregnant and parenting students.  In an article titled “Colleges aren’t prepared for Roe’s fall,” by Biana Quilantan, the director of educational equity at the National Women’s Law Center stated “Colleges should be prepared for a larger population of students who are pregnant and parenting,” said Bayliss Fiddiman. “But we don’t even have a system in place to support the ones that we currently have.” For example, only 8% of universities offer family housing according to an advocacy group for student-parents Generation Hope (Quilantan, 2022). For decades, institutions have also struggled to provide flexible schedules, lactation rooms, and childcare necessary for the student to succeed. While MSU has resources such as the Student Parent Resource Center and child feeding rooms on campus to help student parents, is our campus prepared for a larger population of students with children?

Reading the recent news and looking at the statistics is hard. I, like many others, have been feeling and processing a lot of emotions with the help of my therapist, friends, and the W*SS community. If you’re reading this Zine, please remember that you’re a member of our community too. Our W*SS Director and Assistant Director are serving on the Student Reproductive Justice Campus Action Network and they shared that resources for students, faculty, and staff are coming soon, so please stay tuned. Also, MSU's GenCen has posted a page of resources related to the overturn of Roe. You can always reach out and stop by during our office hours if you’re in the area. I hope all of us know that no matter what, you have this community to support you. Also, please vote and donate if you’re able.
 

References

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/whats-next-after-roe-michigan-lawsuits-ballot-measure-and-uncertainty

https://www.diverseeducation.com/students/article/15114980/abortion-access-and-college-students

https://www.diverseeducation.com/students/article/15286400/how-abortion-care-on-campus-can-help-students

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/24/roe-decision-colleges-pregnant-students-00042246


Interested in sharing your own "Thought Of The Day" or TOTD? Come to WILD Wednesday or email us at wss@msu.edu.

Women*s Student Services and the Residence Halls Association (RHA) are working together this summer to bring you an outdoor movie! Join us on Friday, July 29th, 2022 at 9:00PM for an outdoor screening of Ocean's Eight at Benefactors Plaza on MSU's campus. Parking will be available in Lot 7 and Lot 8. The screening is free to all, and there will be snacks while supplies last. Bring a chair, blanket, or just yourself! Please watch our social media for updates on the event.
Join Women*s Student Services for the Summer 2022 Book Club as we read Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera! Our first meeting was last week and we had a great time discussing the first few chapters of the book. If you are still interested in joining the book club and attending the second meeting, there is still time! Sign up with the button below and head to the W*SS office in Room 014 to pick up your copy of Juliet Takes a Breath while supplies last. Meetings will be held via Zoom and if you have any questions, please email Makenzie Morales at wss@msu.edu  The next meeting dates are: June 30th, July 28th @ 5:30pm EST.
Sign Up Here

The RSO Team is already preparing for next year! And as we begin our inital convesations and planning, we want to hear from you! Please take a moment to complete the survey below. 

Topics we'll ask about is:

  • The benefits of free space on campus
  • Less fees
  • Resources/supplies RSOs need
  • Workshops/trainings you would like
  • Sharing successes of your year (for us to share out on our Instagram!)
  • Sharing challenges of your year to help us know where we can help and support you moving forward
RSO SURVEY
RSO Summer Key Updates

1) RSOs will be able to start reserving your Sparticipation space in June! We will have some limited spaces set aside for organizations who are new and/or need extra time to organize in preparation for Fall.
2) RSOs can begin requesting OUTDOOR event spaces for next year in JULY!
3) The first RSO Conference will be this Fall!! The goal for this will be to focus on skill building and learning logistical processes/policies and best practices as RSOs begin the year! More information will be released in the coming weeks!

Also, please know that you can reach out to us at any time throughout the summer! Just email involve@msu.edu!
Looking for ways to volunteer and explore community engagement while connecting with other Spartans this summer? Interested in learning more about social issues and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals? Registration is now open for the Summer of Service! 
How it works:
You’ll join MSU’s Center for Community Engaged Learning’s game on the Goose Chase App, a free scavenger hunt app. Each week starting May 16 at 8:00 a.m. EST, new challenges called “missions” will appear at noon on Monday. There are a variety of missions, so keep an eye out! The missions are flexible for what opportunities are available to you, wherever you call home in the summer, and whatever you have the means to do. Also, you can do as many or as few as you want. The missions close on August 15 at 10:00 p.m. EST. Each mission is worth a set amount of points, occasionally with the option of bonus points. The top point-earners will win prizes!
Where to start:
You can register by clicking here or logging onto Serve. Learn. Engage! with your MSU Net ID and looking for “Summer of Service 2022” under “Summer Semester, 2022.” Once you’re there, just click “register” and watch your MSU email for further instructions for joining the game. Any questions or concerns regarding the Summer of Service should be directed to Rebecca Gackler at gacklerr@msu.edu. Please note that all technical questions related to the app should be directed to Goose Chase. Thank you for your interest in community engagement and service!
 
You are invited to respond to a brief questionnaire to see if you qualify to participate in the Sexual Behavior and Consequences (SBAC) study. The questionnaire contains several questions to determine eligibility and should take five minutes to complete. If you are eligible to participate in the study, you will be invited to complete an online survey. Students who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing for one of ten $50 Amazon gift cards. In addition, you may be asked to complete an additional survey, where you will earn $10 for your participation. If you are interested in participating and would like to see if you qualify, please click here to learn more about the study and access the screener questionnaire: https://uconn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7We4wLSzIbDxR7o?loc=1 

Feel free to contact Tracy Walters at tracy.l.walters@uconn.edu with any questions.
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