Starting in the fall of 2017, Whitworth will not accept credited internships or service learning opportunities affiliated withPlanned Parenthood. Students were first notified of this through an email from President Beck Taylor last Tuesday.

On Friday, April 21, the unchartered pro-choice club, Generation Action protested outside of the HUB.

The club is a movement of young people across identities and issues that organizes with, by, and for their generation in order to achieve reproductive freedom, according to Generation Action Facebook page.

“I felt very betrayed, because Whitworth to me has always been a place where it looks at the people first and the students first and I don’t see that happening right now,” Aust said.

Aust said she believes that by cutting Whitworth’s ties with Planned Parenthood, it’s a powerful statement from the trustees and administration that the priority is money and not the people.

She says she doesn’t think that is what Whitworth stands for.

“Students should be able to choose what kind of organization they want to charter or intern with and be able to follow their passion,” sophomore Gian Mitchell said. “And if their passion is interning with Planned Parenthood, they should be able to get credit for that.”  

Freshman Emily Marsh expressed similar feelings as Mitchell and Aust. “I understand the reasoning of why Beck cut ties with Planned Parenthood, but at the same time it’s unfair to students who need internship hours,” said Marsh, a biology major.  

According to Planned Parenthood’s website, the organization is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care for men, women and people at a young age, and the nation’s largest provider for sex education.

Since last Tuesday multiple petitions have been started up by students and alumni to voice their concerns and frustrations with Taylor’s decision.

Contact Kristen Grattan at [email protected]