CMYK
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS • FOUNDED 1922
VOL.
101
I S S UE 3
reflector.uindy.edu
OCTOBER 12, 2022
IN SB 1 temporarily blocked Indiana Congress passes legislation banning abortion, state judge temporarily blocks enforcement By Kassandra Darnell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-ONLINE EDITOR
Indiana became the first state to approve abortion restrictions on Sept.15,following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June. However, after a lawsuit was filed by Indiana abortion clinic operators claiming that the new law would strip the rights of those seeking abortion care, according to AP News, the law is now on hold. A preliminary injunction was issued by Owen County Judge Kelsey Hanlon that essentially prevents the law from going into effect until the lawsuit is complete, according to Politico. The law, which went through the Indiana legislature as Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) during a special session over the summer, makes changes to when during a pregnancy an abortion can be performed and terminates the licenses of abortion clinics in the state, according to the text of SB 1. The bill content outlines that a pregnancy can be terminated in cases of rape or incest and serious health risks that complicate a pregnant person’s medical condition (not including psychological or emotional conditions). Within these conditions, an abortion may be performed within 20 weeks of pregnancy if it is to prevent serious health risks or death to the pregnant person or if the fetus is diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly. An exception is made within 10 weeks after fertilization if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. Additionally, the state health department will only
license and regulate hospitals, ambulatory outpatient surgical centers and birthing centers to provide abortions, as long as they fit the criteria outlined in the bill. Abortion centers are no longer permitted to terminate pregnancies when this law is in effect. State Senator Jack Sandlin, R - District 36,voted in favor of SB 1 and said he thinks giving unborn babies the opportunity for life is a good thing.He and his wife identify as pro-life and have interacted with other pro-life people in the community, as well as contributed to charities and non-profits that support teen mothers. Sandlin said he thinks there are a lot of people in the Indiana community that are opposed to terminating pregnancy. “It's not about my personal belief, but it's about where public policy comes down,” said Sandlin.“And there are arguments for and against exceptions for rape and incest. And I think that the bill, the way it came down. . . induced me to vote for it, quite frankly. And I thought the amendments that were offered were reasonable…I think that having the exceptions that are in the bill reflects the state,” Sandlin said. With the issuing of a preliminary injunction, SB 1 has been halted until the lawsuit is complete, meaning that for the time being, abortion access is the same as it was prior to passing the bill, according to Politico. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Indiana has become an important regional hub for abortion care, according to an email statement f rom the spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana and Kentucky Nicole Erwin.
She said the organization will continue to see an influx of out-ofstate patients as other states begin to pass abortion restrictions as well. “ We’ve been preparing for this moment,so months ago we began a thorough evaluation of our patient needs, operations costs, and the future of care in each of our health centers,” Erwin said. “We’ve invested in our patient navigator team so that we can stay close and help guide patients through the process of getting care out of state, connecting with abortion funds, and providing follow-up care in their home states–this preliminary injunction is more critical than ever in making sure Hoosiers and patients outside of Indiana have access to time-sensitive, basic care.” City-County Councillor Graphic by Hannah Hadley right of persons to choose what happens to their Ali Brown of Indianapolis bodies, and she said it was written with District 5 has been focused on advocacy the intention of showing constituents work for abortion rights protection that the city’s beliefs do not always line up since the Supreme Court’s decision was announced in June.In July, she authored a with what is coming from the statehouse. resolution that Indianapolis supports the The resolution passed along party lines.
“I have been working with different departments inside of Indianapolis, talking with organizations across the country, talking with other councillors in similar positions– Blue [predominantly Democrat] City [inside a] Red [predominantly Republican] State kind of thing–and talking about what we can do…,” Brown said. “I hope to have a couple of more protections for pregnant people inside of our county limits, hopefully before the end of this year,passed or at least introduced.” Brown’s main focus right now is pushing through legislation that could help pregnant people, she said, and is doing her best to advocate as a private citizen and using her political podium. She said she has been working to register people to vote in the upcoming midterm elections and is raising money and knocking on doors to help more prochoice candidates get elected. “Democratic voices are underrepresented; pro-choice voices are underrepresented. We know like 80% of the state is prochoice. And that's not reflected in our legislature,” Brown said. “So everything we can do–we're going to call for every vote for everything, and we're going to hold them accountable every which way we can. . . . We're not going to make this easy for them.”
as Christians on campus, Gibbs said that it is important to continue the tradition of supporting these people, as well as to connect them with likeminded students. The Interfaith Scholars, a group of students that are mentored by staff, attend retreats and design regular campus programming to fulfill the second goal: promoting Interfaith, according to Gibbs. These students have worked with the Ecumenical and Interfaith staff to provide religious services and f ramework for every student on campus, Gibbs said, regardless of their traditions. An example is the Resident Assistant (RA) chaplains on campus, who serve primarily in freshman dorms. They work to provide representation in their resident buildings for every student ’s religious traditions by providing suppor t to students, according to Gibbs. “ The interfaith programming has been primarily about creating a structure so that our students who are religious, but not Christian, have opportunities to get the support that they need, but also to be able to create conversations across religious traditions,” Gibbs said. One of the key projects that the interfaith program has been working on is a virtual interfaith holiday calendar, Associate Chaplain Reverend Arionne Lynch said. She has been working with the Interfaith Scholars on this project in order to make an easily accessible calendar available online to students, faculty and staff that highlights different holidays across various religious traditions. The
in some cases, just be able to give the students the space to be able to observe their various holidays [at UIndy],” Gibbs said. Giving students the facilities to advocate for themselves and for their needs is incredibly important, especially for students in minority religions, Gibbs said. Lynch said it is important to understand students of different faiths. She said that the more people learn about people of various cultures other than their own, the more open society will be able to be. To Lynch, one of the most interesting things about interfaith is finding ways to connect across differences. “As a chaplain, it doesn’t [matter] what my faith is versus yours, it’s how can I show up and be a supportive presence for you regardless of your beliefs… How can I support you? How can I help you navigate the world that you’re in, that we’re all in? And for people to not feel alone, that’s one of our biggest goals for students,” Lynch said. Both Lynch and Gibbs said that there are ways in which everyone on campus, beyond just the staff at the chapel, can be a system of support for students of different religious traditions. “I think the most important thing that people can do, that the average student or faculty or staff members can do, is to make sure that they extend hospitality to [all of ] the folks here [at UIndy],” Gibbs said. “I just encourage folks to recognize the ways in which the church affiliation allows us to be able to have the support that folks need, not as an impediment.”
UIndy Methodist Church affiliation
Photo by Kalenga Juma
University Methodist Heights Church Pastor David Neuen prays at the pulpit during the University of Indianapolis' chapel dedication. The dedication ceremony was on Sept. 30.
By Olivia Pastrick STAFF WRITER
The University of Indianapolis has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1968, according to UIndy’s website. Despite 50 years passing, the university continues to maintain the relationship, according to UIndy ’s University Chaplain Reverend Jeremiah Gibbs. With the new dedication of the University Chapel on Sept. 30. Gibbs thinks it is more important than ever for students and faculty alike to understand how UIndy continues to work with and for students, regardless of whether or not they are Christian.
Gibbs also said that it is because of UIndy’s Methodist affiliation that the university is able to provide a robust interfaith effort. "Because of our United Methodist affiliation, we have that full-time staff of four in my office that our entire job is to help facilitate the religious lives of students, including students of other religious traditions,” Gibbs said. Working to support UIndy students and providing them a more fulfilling religious life while on campus takes form in two trajectories, according to Gibbs. One of these directions is the Ecumenical side, which seeks to provide opportunities and support to Christian students on campus. With a large portion of students who identify
INSIDE: OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 FEATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ENTERTAINMENT . . . . . . . . . 7 RETROSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . 8
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calendar is an extensive, collaborative effort. W hile the calendar is being completed, Lynch said that she does not want students to miss out on having information regarding holiday observances. For example, in response, an email was sent out by the Office of Inclusion and Equity on Sept. 26 informing the UIndy community about the Jewish religious observances for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which Lynch helped prepare as a preliminary look into what the calendar will be like. Gibbs said that it is important to recognize observances for holidays
...for people to not feel alone, that’s one of our biggest goals..." across different religions. One year, Yom Kippur fell on the same day as UIndy’s homecoming. In the Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur is a day of mourning and grief, so to have conflicting celebrations going on at UIndy at the same time was significant, said Gibbs. The interfaith holiday calendar will provide a good educational opportunity for the UIndy community to learn about a diverse variety of upcoming holidays they may not be aware of. “We really wanted to be able to give the campus information that would allow them to be able to celebrate with the students who celebrate, or,
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CELEBRATING DIWALI
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Lights all aglow, the festival of Diwali is celebrated on Oct. 24. Read about the traditions, origins and how the university is bringing awareness to the holiday.
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