As individual members of Penn State Pro-Choice gain a head start on activities, the organization awaits official recognition from the University Student Government's Supreme Court.

The organization submitted its constitution for review the first week of Spring semester, said Dennis Pollard, USG Supreme Court chief justice.

Pending their registration, members of the pro-choice organization will be soliciting signatures for two petitions and distributing purple ribbons near the University entrance to show support for the 17th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, said Elise Constantine, the group's co-director.

The two petitions will ask for increases in women's health care and on-campus day care.

The purple ribbons will symbolize the purple and gold worn by female suffragettes shortly after the turn of the century, she said.

Pollard said he expects to receive a review of the constitution by Monday and will notify Penn State Pro-Choice of the results by Tuesday. If the constitution contains no mistakes, the group will be registered by the beginning of next week, he said.

During the registration process, questions were raised about whether the organization would duplicate views already expressed through the USG Department of Women's Concerns, Constantine said.

Members of pro-life organizations on campus say the new group is not needed because of the Department of Women's Concerns stand on abortion.

"I don't see how the formation of this organization is justified in light of the fact that there's already an organization fighting for abortion liberty," said Courtney Malveaux, vice president of the Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Federation for Life.

However, Tammy Foust, co-director of the USG Department of Women's Concerns, said the organization will not duplicate services because the department deals with many issues, while the new organization will be able to focus attention on the abortion issue.

"This campus needs an organization that focuses on the abortion issue just as Penn State Students for Life focuses on the issue," Foust said.

Leah Sterling, a member of both the department and Penn State Students for Life, said the new organization will duplicate the political stand of the department for women's students.

"It is yet another University funded group that does what other groups on campus already do," Sterling said.