The Space, a Villanova club dedicated to having conversations surrounding reproductive rights and advocating for reproductive justice was established in 2023-24 academic year. While the club has been on campus for the past two academic years, this semester the group feels that it has a quieter voice within the Villanova community as the University has barred the organization from hosting certain events.
“We’re really frustrated because we’ve met with the administration a lot in the past couple months, and we don’t really get clear answers,” co-President of The Space, Caroline Keegan, said.
Earlier this week, the group attempted to host an event on campus called Catholics for Choice. However, its privileges to host that event were revoked the day before it was held.
“We really pushed [Catholics for Choice] because as a Catholic community, we wanted to give students another perspective on reproductive justice through the Catholic lens because a good majority of the school is Catholic,” Keegan said. “And that was shut down because Villanova cannot associate with any organization that is pro-choice, even though it’s Catholics for Choice. And that might upset alumni or donors.”
When asked about the reasoning behind canceling the event, The Villanovan was directed to the student handbook by the University Director of Public Relations, which states: “It is understood that some assemblies and demonstrations may support and defend positions that differ from Catholic Church teaching. The expectation is that they will do so in a responsible fashion, be open to questions and challenges from members of the community, and respectfully acknowledge, and not disparage, Church teaching. If in the judgment of University officials an assembly or demonstration presents a serious risk of violating these principles, the university may impose provisions and restrictions.”
While campus organizations can host events opposing Catholic Church teachings, the University reserves the right to impose restrictions if it anticipates serious problems, as demonstrated in its actions regarding The Space. Co-President of The Space, Sophie Lemmons commented on the matter.
“It’s especially frustrating because our entire mission statement, if you look up the space on VU groups, the words choice and reproductive justice and reproductive health care are all embedded within our mission statement,” Lemmons said. “That is the purpose of our club. That is why we exist on campus. We, in theory, should have the right to host events and advocate for those topics and issues like any other club. And yet time and time again, we have been told no this semester.”
The Space was hoping to change the organization’s name to “Villanovans for Reproductive Justice” or “Villanovans for Choice.” However, this was denied by the University.
“I feel like [at Villanova] there’s a lot of emphasis on embracing freedom of thought and differing perspectives and engaging in dialogue and conversation,” Lemmons said. “Yet, we are the only club on campus, I believe, that cannot have a name that reflects our purpose, identity and written mission statement. We are not allowed to bring on off-campus speakers or host virtual events or use the words in our mission statement.”
When asked if they thought the University was treating their organization differently compared to other student organizations, Keegan stated on behalf of members that The Space feels very targeted and singled out by the University due to the fact that they are not allowed to host any events or express their opinions in the way they wish to.
“You have Villanovans for Life. You don’t have Villanovans for Reproductive Justice,” Keegan said. “Just looking at that, like no matter your stance on the issue, I think that Villanova prides itself on being a welcoming community to all, but that’s not to all. That’s saying we agree with one side, so we’re not going to look at the other side. We are at a democratic institution where you should be able to speak your opinion in a safe space and have every side to every issue.”
The Space believes that now more than ever, it is important to keep fighting for reproductive rights and making its voice heard. When asked about the importance of having a club such as The Space on Campus, Keegan was eager to note the sense of empowerment and solidarity that members gain from gathering together.
The Space also wants it to be known that it is not solely a group for people who identify as pro-choice. The organization wants to host events on various subjects related to reproductive health that will target a wider University audience.
“A big part of our club is being pro-choice, among other things too, because reproductive justice is not solely obviously just about abortion,” Lemmons said. “It’s about sexual health, gender identity…”
While The Space is still struggling to get permission from the University when it comes to its ideas, the club intends to keep planning events until the end of the semester and into next fall.
Recently, The Space has been in collaboration with organizations such as Sexual Assault and Awareness Club (S.A.P.A) and various others to run events during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).
Along with the kick-off at the Riley Ellipsis that took place on campus last week, the Space and a variety of other organizations will be hosting different events throughout the month.
Students can check out The Space’s instagram for more information and updates (@thespacevillanova).
