Indeed, Collins says, “At Harvard, students aren’t necessarily any more responsible than students at other schools. But here, a lot of it gets brushed under the table. There’s not a lot of dialogue. Religious schools have lots of networks and support systems in place — there’s married student housing. BC puts out a big pamphlet with information about pregnancy. But the traditional stereotype is kind of going out the window now. I wouldn’t say we’re encouraging people to give birth as teenagers, but people shouldn’t feel trapped. An unplanned pregnancy doesn’t have to ruin your life.”

Collins is realistic; she doesn’t expect the administration to stage SpongeBob SquarePants viewing parties on the quad. But the Coalition is taking steps to reflect the increased acceptance of young pregnancy. For instance, at Harvard, “Students who are parenting can’t live on campus for a variety of reasons. And that’s a hard thing to say to someone. Your house is a big part of your community and your life. We’re working on ways to make that available to them.”

The Coalition is pushing for special financial-aid loans designed for parenting students, as well as student health plans that cover children. They also plan to appoint a dean to coordinate the many different offices — from financial aid to housing — that affect parents-to-be, hoping to reduce red tape.

“Right now, the information is more skewed toward prevention, but once someone is pregnant, [Health Services] refers you out to an abortion specialist. It’s assumed that a lot of people choose that, anyway. We want to show people that there is an alternative here.”

Jamie-Lynn, maybe Harvard is in your future, after all. But get your GED first.

Kara Baskin, who’s old enough to know better, can be reached at kbaskin@thephoenix.com .