Princeton Pro-Life and Pro-Choice, possibly the two most fervently opposed campus organizations since Whig and Clio made peace over a century ago, have joined forces to create a pamphlet titled "Pregnancy Options at Princeton University." It addresses a range of concerns for pregnant women, including the decision of whether or not to terminate a pregnancy, and gives information about childcare options, housing, financial aid, academic issues, and taking time off. The text also provides information to male students whose girlfriends or wives are pregnant, whether or not their companions are students. Since the incidence of pregnancy on campus is "a very small number" (according to Karen Gordon, the university's director of health education), the pamphlet's importance goes beyond the practical information it provides. It is also a powerful symbol-showing that pro-life and pro-choice supporters on campus have some common goals.
Mary De Marcellus '96, vice-president of Princeton Pro-Life, approached the Office of the Dean of Student Life about collaborating with Princeton Pro-Choice on a guide for pregnant students. De Marcellus's friendship with a student who was trying to write a thesis and complete her senior year while pregnant motivated her to act. "As far as I know, it had never been attempted before," she said. "And there was no kind of support for her." De Marcellus then spent the 1995 spring semester off campus, working at a pregnancy center. While there, she was frustrated by the lack of resources for women who decided to keep their children. "Sometimes I felt troubled about being pro-life, because there wasn't enough support given to these women. They needed things like diapers, formula, and housing."
At the time, she expected to have to muster support for the idea all over again upon her return to campus the following fall. But to her surprise, Catherine Saint Louis '96, the vice-president of Princeton Pro-Choice, had already written the text of the pamphlet. Saint Louis says she wanted "to lay out all of a pregnant student's options-be they termination of the pregnancy or taking it to term. In collaborating on this project, Mary and I sought to fill in an information gap that university policy didn't cover. Namely, the steps a pregnant student must take in order to raise a child and finish her education at Princeton."
Assistant Dean of Student Life Sandra N. Silverman organized and financed the project. She said the pamphlet will let students know they can stay at Princeton and continue their educations even though they have a baby. "It's hard, but it can be done. And if people know something's doable, it may affect their decision to become a parent," she added. "That's why it was a good collaborative project for Pro-Choice and Pro-Life." Silverman said the pamphlet will also give peer counselors like resident advisers and minority affairs advisers the information they need to help fellow students.
The pamphlet is also an argument that pro-choice and pro-life advocates may be able to do more good through compromise than opposition. De Marcellus says that by working with Princeton Pro-Choice, she wanted to demonstrate that Princeton Pro-Life will support women who choose to carry their child to term. "We realized that Pro-Choice supports the decision to keep the child as well, and that we had some common ground." De Marcellus was also disappointed with the tactics Princeton Pro-Life had used in recent years, focusing on "debating, and not positive action."
Saint Louis agreed that working on the pamphlet with Princeton Pro-Life had opened new lines of communication on the issue. "This collaborative project showed that pro-choice does not necessarily mean pro-abortion and similarly that pro-life does not mean anti-choice. For Mary and me, the issue was about a woman's choice, regardless of our personal opinions."
The pamphlet is available at the Dean of Student Life Office, the SECH (Sexuality Education Counseling and Health) Office, and the Financial Aid Office.