SLU Students Join March For Life, Celebrate Life
Eric Winters
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“The march is a peaceful demonstration to communicate to other people—including the legislature—how important the pro-life movement is to everyone involved,” explained Angela Chierek, co-president of SLU for Life.
Setting out on the journey at 8 a.m. Saturday, SLU For Life and other concerned students left St. Louis in a caravan of five 15-passenger vans.
Early in the fall semester, SLU for Life offered the oppotunity for any SLU student to travel to Washington D.C. for the 27th National Pro-Life March.
The cost per student was $50 plus food.
A large snowstorm on the way forced SLU students to spend Saturday night at Wheeling Jesuit College, W.V.
After arriving in Washington, D.C., the students shopped, toured and watched the Rams game.
On Monday, thousands of people from all over the world gathered near the Washington Monument. While waiting for the march to begin, SLU students joined Flint Michigan Church of Christ in singing “Amazing Grace.”
Numerous signs were scattered throughout the crowd: “I am adopted and alive” “Abortion … neat, quick, easy way out … for men,” “Pro-Life is Pro-Love,” and “Abortion IS the natural choice.”
During the march from the Washington Monument to the U.S. Supreme Court, songs were sung, prayers, recited and chants, shouted.
The SLU students were vocal amid the masses leading such chants as “Hey! Hoe! Roe v. Wade has got to go!” and “Pro-choice is a lie, babies do not choose to die!”
“The group from SLU was much more energetic,” said Kate Larsen, treasurer of SLU For Life. “You could say ‘spirit-filled’.”
Jana Evers, co-president of SLU For Life, was impressed by the number of young people present at the march.
“These are the leaders of the future,” Evers said.
Jesuit Scholastic Phil Hurley also attended the event with the SLU group.
“What struck me was the number of young people,” Hurley said. “They added youthful enthusiasm to the march.”
The march included people from a variety of faiths, which helped create an atmosphere of unity.
“I was touched by the ecumenism of the weekend—it’s not merely a Catholic issue,” said Tim Chik, a senior at SLU and seminarian at Cardinal Glennon College Seminary.
“There is a common bond in the belief that the unborn have a right to life.”
Hurley added, “This issue goes well beyond religious boundaries.”
The success of the march is sometimes questioned. However, Larsen believes it is important because it “raises public awareness.”
A marcher with another group commented, “It’s about unity—showing that we are unified in this belief.”
With the success of this year’s trip, SLU For Life hopes to have many more students join in the demonstration next year.
“We’ll be looking into acquiring a tour bus,” Chierek said.
“This was an experience of a lifetime,” said freshman Ray Harter.