College Puts Morning After Pill in Vending Machines; Teen Launches Acceptance Letter Into Space

Plan B Is Back. Shippensburg University students can now purchase the morning-after pill from a vending machine, even though it’s unavailable on drug store shelves in the area. Students will now have the option of buying the emergency contraceptive for $25 from a vending that also sells condoms and pregnancy tests. “The machine is really used as much for privacy as anything else,” said Roger Serr, the school’s vice president of student affairs. Indeed, the vending machine now provides an alternative for many students who feel uncomfortable going into town to buy the pills. About 85 percent of Shippensburg students support the unorthodox vending machine, according to a university survey.[CBS News]

Progress at Penn. The University of Pennsylvania saw a significant increase in the amount of applicants identifying as LGBT in the early decision round for the Class of 2016, reinforcing the school’s status as the most gay-friendly college in the United States. “Penn consistently, and more recently, has been seen as an environment that is supportive and welcoming across the board of LGBT students and allies,” said Dean of Admissions Eric Furda. Though the Common Application doesn’t include a check box for applicants to indicate sexual orientation, many students choose to self-identify as LGBT through their essays and other written material.  [The Daily Pennsylvanian]

Not Going Quietly. Florida students protested outside the offices of state legislators in the wake of a resounding defeat in the state Senate of a bill that would have extended in-state tuition rates to U.S. born children of illegal immigrants. Though it failed in the upper house, the bill is also making its way through the state House of Representatives. The House version would also extend tuition benefits to undocumented students. “We reside here in [Florida],” said one such student. “We pay taxes, we belong to this community.” The activists say they’ll continue to protest in the coming days.[The Ledger]

Out Of This World. High school senior Erin King celebrated her acceptance into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by sending her acceptance letter on a space mission. Students admitted into MIT follow a tradition where they do something creative with the capsule containing the letter, and the Georgia teen sent hers 91,000 feet into the atmosphere. King produced a video documenting the feat and was remarkably able to recover the capsule after it returned to Earth by using two GPS-equipped radio transmitters. Looks like she’ll do just fine at MIT. [Huffington Post]

Graham White is a journalism intern for Campus Progress. You can follow him on Twitter @GrahamWhiteNY.

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