As previously reported by The Crimson Post, Indiana University recently received a tremendous amount of pressure from students, faculty, and state government officials to reverse their decision to require all students and staff to submit documentation proving they had received the COVID-19 vaccine. IU officials subsequently dropped the documentation requirement, now mandating that students merely self-report their “vaccination status.” Students will also now be allowed to request medical and religious exemptions in accordance with state law. One IU student, Kendyll Pennington, started a petition for the university to reverse the mandate that, as of this writing, has roughly 12,000 signatures. The Crimson Post had the opportunity to speak with Pennington about what compelled her to start the petition and her feelings regarding IU’s latest decision.
Pennington, 25, is a second year masters student in Social Work at IU Northwest. Her entire experience as a graduate student thus far has been virtual, meaning she has not even been to her campus yet. Her excitement to finally be in person this fall, while also beginning an internship, was brought to a sudden halt when IU sent out their first email regarding the vaccination requirement. It “felt like a punch in the gut,” according to Pennington, because she grew up with and still has religious opposition to vaccinations. She had not yet set foot on her new campus, yet her status as a student was actively being threatened, right after landing an internship no less. Pennington expressed strong concerns that she’d have to completely start over at a new school if she didn’t get the vaccine. Pennington had other concerns as well. “There’s a chance that the relationships I’ve built with faculty will be damaged, as staff may no longer be there if they don’t comply,” Pennington stated.
Pennington knew she had to take action, and with her background in social work, she knew how to gather people together and help amplify voices that were not being heard. She searched through Facebook posts made by each IU campus and found comments from individuals expressing similar sentiments. She then sent private messages to these people, which eventually became a Facebook group dedicated to protesting the requirement. This evolved into the petition that has been circulating around IU’s many campuses.
But these were not the only steps Pennington took. She also actively reached out to IU administrators and state representatives. The messages she sent contained well-researched arguments citing laws and providing ethical dilemmas that she was concerned over, particularly violations of religious freedom. Unfortunately, all the replies she received from IU were worded identically. They all contained a generic link to “COVID-19 vaccine information.” Pennington stated that she is “disappointed with how IU handled the situation,” but does believe that “IU’s original intentions were good, they simply went about it the wrong way.”
While success has been seen from her efforts, Pennington believes that there is still “more work to be done,” and the state representatives are “not done fighting for us.” For example, she expressed possible concerns over discrimination against exempt students. As the situation continues to evolve, it’s clear that Pennington and others will continue to fight.