Hi everyone. We are the leadership team of Whitman College’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA), and we are writing to clarify information and false rumors regarding PPGA that were written in a previous issue. The article we are referring to is “Whitman’s Institutional Resources for Sexual Violence Fall Short.” 

First, we would like to address that none of our members were reached out to about this article. We understand that this is a violation to The Wire’s standards that any organization or person who is mentioned in an article is allowed to comment. 

Due to this violation of The Wire‘s standards, multiple false rumors were written about the collaboration between PPGA and the Welty Health Center, and we did not have the opportunity to correct them before publication. 

One of the false rumors was that PPGA had an urgent demand for STD testing, and the Welty Health Center resisted this demand. We would like to clarify that the Welty Health Center never resisted this idea. This project was large and costly, involving multiple meetings to work out the technicalities of turning this vision into a reality. Due to the scale of the project, there was no urgent need for free STD testing. Instead, we wanted to take the necessary time and consideration in planning how to proceed; and, most importantly, the Welty Health Center supported this idea from the very first meeting and continues to do so. 

Additionally, the article falsely alleged that the Welty Health Center’s resistance to providing free STD testing “forced Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) to deplete its budget.” In reality, we did not deplete our budget. We were the ones who proposed seeking funding from the Whitman Events Board (WEB) for a week of free STD testing alongside our event, Kinky Jeopardy. WEB approved the funds, which were added to our budget. This did not harm our budget at all. That was the first time we initiated a week of free STD testing, and it was such a success that both PPGA and the Welty Health Center decided to do a week of free STD testing each semester. We have since requested additional funds from the Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) when making our annual budget request. This leaves us with plenty of financial support from ASWC without worrying about running out of funds for other events and resources we need. We have since been content with the idea of a week of free STD testing per semester, especially as the Welty Health Center has found a new testing lab that allows for students to be charged $25 for a combined gonorrhea and chlamydia test – a fraction of what it cost for years prior.

Furthermore, the article falsely claims that the Welty Health Center took credit for the initiative, presenting it as their own success. In reality, the week(s) of free STD testing have been promoted as a collaboration. Neither PPGA nor the Welty Health Center has taken full credit for it. The Welty Health Center has never taken credit over PPGA for this collaboration. 

We asked the Welty Health Center Head Nurse Laura Norris if she had been contacted about these statements. She shared an email with us from the section editor regarding the PPGA rumors. The editor asked if they were true and for clarification by Sunday (Dec. 8), and Norris replied on Friday (Dec. 6), clarifying that the rumors were incorrect and providing clarification on our collaboration. Despite this, the rumors were still published. 

These rumors were quoted by an anonymous source described as a former member of Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP). While SVP and PPGA share similarities in terms of advocating for sexual health and wellness, they are completely different organizations. Inserting a statement about PPGA in the middle of an article about SVP without a proper transition blurs the distinction between the two organizations and risks confusing the Whitman community about their distinct focuses. Specifically, PPGA is specifically about providing education and resources regarding reproductive justice and sexual health. SVP specifically focuses on preventing sexual violence on campus and providing counseling support for survivors. While we have collaborated on events with SVP, such as during Sex Week, we believe it is important that people understand the differences between these organizations, especially because if someone is in need of specific support, they should know which group to go to. 

We appreciate the work The Wire has put into bringing news to the Whitman Community and appreciate that we are able to provide some clarification on previous statements. Thank you for your time. 

Sincerely, 

The Whitman College PPGA Leadership Team

The Wire’s response to this letter can be found here.

Editor’s Note: Sebastian Vera Cuevas serves on both the editorial board of the Wire and the leadership of PPGA. He recused himself of all involvement with either party concerning this issue.