friday, november 6, 1987
vol. xxxiv, no. 7
MasqueradeBall is Halloweenfun
The Masquerade Baff, sopnsered by the sophomore class, was held in the Widener Center Gathering Area on Sat., Oct. 31. Brian Tripoli and Dede Beckett, sophomores, are out on bail for a night of fun (above left). Arny Lennon, sophomore, and friend Bill Mullins show that childhood is really not over for them. (left). Ann Gleavy, senior, shows her devilish side. (above). (photos by Rosanne Rosse/lo)
Unplannedpregnanciesofferedoptions by Jacqui McCleroan It is Halloween night and Jackie Mock, 20, prepares her four-year-old son to be a Ghostbuster. She is coping with being a college student as well as a mother. Ruthann Vogt, 24,isanticipating the birth of her first child in March. She deals daily with family and friend's reactions. Jane, 20, if not for a decision she made last year, would be seven months pregnant. She now attempts to handle the various repurcussions of an abortion. These three women, no matter how different their circumstances, share one common bond. They all experienced the shock of an unplanned pregnancy. Barbara Rinto, associate director of Planned Parenthood, said, "The majority of unplanned pregnancies occur in young women between the ages of 18 and 26." In a society flanked with sexual awareness it is plain to see that college age women fall in the heart of this statistic. Women have numerous options and agencies available to them. The important aspect is communication with the father about these options. A male, 25, said, "If you are there to go to bed with your girlfriend then you have to be there to help her too." Mock was 16 and a junior in high
inside perspectives 2~3 news ............ 4-6 features.........7-9 sports ...... 10-12
school when she found out she was pregnant. "First I thought about abortion but more or less I was trying to convince myself because-it was the easiest thing to do. But I couldn't do that." She went as far as to call an abortionclinicand inquire,but no further. "The difficult thing was that no one told me what to do because it was all my decision and that is rough on a 16-year-old." Rinto points out how vital it is that a woman make the decision without any persuasion. "We encourage women to make their decision and then exercise it whether it entails making an appointment for pre-natal care or an abortion." "Our job is to offer as much information as possibe and not advocate any choice as we are a pro-choice oragnization," she said. ''We want women to make the best possible decision for the status of their lives at the time, however we must have all of the information at our fingertips." Mock was tom between adoption and keeping her child. Up until the baby was born, she was still unsure but then after giving birth her choice became evident. "W aying the pros and the cons is difficult but he was a part of me and I couldn't give him up, maybe I am seifish," she said. Mock's mother had heard of Cora
Counseling Services and therefore they made contact. Sister Nora Dennehy, a psychologist, heads Cora's Lifeline Program in Northeast Philadelphia. "Sister Nora, is excellent with the program," Mock said. "I went with either my mother or the father and the support group made me realize I was not the only one." A male, 25, said, "I would definitely go to counseling with my partner because that is a difficult time and no matter what they tell you, friends and family do not understand how it affects the two people involved." "We saw films and girls who have been through it come back and talk," she said. Cora primarily caters to teenage pregnancies offering support from many angles. Dennehy said, "We attempt to find out about medical services and family involvement. After this we encourage women to stay in school and overcome or remove some of their obstacles," she said. She added, "This can be done through housing, resources in the community and counseling." Where Planned Parenthood elects to stay impartiai, Cora presents adoption and expects the women who come to them to know about it, but never sug-
Person .of the week: Peggy Emmerich (page 8)
gests abortion, according to Dennehy. Mock also spoke ,vith Catholic Youth Services. This organization attempts to find families suitable for adoption, however Mock opted to keep her son. Support not only comes from outside organizations but also from within. As Mock said, "If it weren't for my parents I could have never done it. They made the difference." However in some cases the parents are not always supportive. "My mother acted like a maniac and that this was the worst possible thing that could happen to me," Vogt said. She added that her mother is slowly beginning to accept the unplanned pregnancy. For Vogt the decision was cut and dry. "When I found out I was pregnant, the father's first thought was abortion, but there was no question in my mind," she said. "Abortion was out of the quest.10n and I know that after carrying a child for nine months I would never be able to give it up." The abortion option was never considered by Vogt. "Maybe r am too stubborn or self-centered but this happened at an unexpected time in my life," she said. "I know an abortion would come back to haunt me later in life both mentally and physically."
more UNPLANNEDPREGNANCYon 8
Fall
sports wrap-up (pages 10-11)