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My name is Shannon Loughrey and I am a senior studying International Politics at Penn State. Students for Life has allowed me countless opportunities to learn and share about being prolife! Among these is the opportunities to attend Marches in countless cities. Of course, the one that many will recognize is the main March for Life in January in Washington D.C. but in September of 2021 I along with many in the state of Pennsylvania got to experience something special and closer to home.

The March for Life is synonymous with a large rally of Pro-life individuals coming together in the Nation’s capital to protest abortion as well as the mistreatment of human beings universally. In Washington D.C. we exclaim our voices in hopes that we may one day live in a nation in which abortion is unthinkable and life is respected with dignity through all stages of life. Though September posed a different arena for many in Pennsylvania. This was the First Pennsylvania March for Life. Held in Harrisburg, the states capital, thousand upon thousands of pro-life individuals came to protest for pro-life laws to be passed in Pennsylvania. As a student at Penn State this was an incredible opportunity to attend a march without having to go far from school and being able to march in the State in which I live. If there are pro-life laws passed in Pennsylvania these laws will mean so much to me being a resident of the state. So, this march felt so much more meaningful in that way.

The day started off with waking up quite early and picking up our car full of friends and driving from State College to Harrisburg. Once we arrived, we could already see many school students with matching hats and many families and individuals who were making their way to the March. As a Catholic student it was fitting that a few of my friends and I attended the Mass that took place before the March. After Mass we made our way over to the capital building steps in which we waited for the speakers. I personally have attended a few marches and this one felt just as electric, just as full of life and a love for the human person! Standing on these steps you were able to see more and more people arrive. The crowd kept growing. What I thought would be a small crowd of 500 people for the first PA March for Life turned into a crowd of 5000+ people and actively growing each minute.

The Speakers were incredible. While I wish I could highlight all of them the one I wish to highlight is Toni McFadden from Relationships Matter. She shared a personal testimony of how she was lied to about Abortion and how her life has been changed since. Her story reflected that many purposely lie to vulnerable women about the realities of human life in the womb and these women are easily convinced that their abortion is nothing but a usual procedure and not the ending of a human life. Toni’s testimony is a reflection on how education and truth about abortion can truly inform women and save human lives.

If you ever have the opportunity to go to a March for Life whether it be in Washington D.C. or in a state capital go for it! Make your voice heard and stand up for the voiceless and the vulnerable!

My name is Madison Buchinski and I am a junior at Penn State this year studying Early Childhood & Elementary Education. I am so blessed to be able to say that Students for Life has opened my heart and my mind to so many new experiences, thoughts, and people. One of the most impactful days from my past year was when a group of Penn State students traveled down to Washington D.C. to experience the Pro-Life movement in a new way.
Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the March for Life 2021 was moved online to a virtual format. Although the students at Penn State were disappointed, it could not stop us from attending in person to make our voices heard. We got in our cars around 4am and carpooled down to the nation’s capital to stand along the highway leading into the city. The temperature was definitely below freezing, if I can remember correctly it was somewhere around twenty degrees with a strong, chilling wind. We grabbed our signs and stood alongside the highway cheering, holding posters, and praying. We knelt down to pray a rosary together for the intention of the unborn.
After the highway protest, we went into the heart of the city and met up with groups of other people who had traveled to support the cause. We decided to march to the Supreme Court. Usually, the March for Life is high energy, with people chanting and cheering, and waving signs and flags. This past year was different. It was a solemn march. We walked in silent prayer and even sang some hymns together. It was so beautiful to see everyone come together united in Christ for the lives of all babies and mothers. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be involved with Students for Life, and I ask for many prayers for the cause.

Jill Albertson –

I have spent the last few years searching for ways to get involved in the pro-life movement. I have been to the March for Life and different pro-life events gathering information and a formed opinion on apologetics of the pro-life movement. This is necessary and great, but I was always left with the question, “what do I do now?” written on my heart. Maybe it was God calling me to step out of my comfort zone, or maybe it was the practical side of desiring a more tangible aspect of my prayers for the increased respect of human life from natural conception. I longed to see my efforts and prayers come alive in the people I served. Whatever it was, I knew I was called not only to pray, but to act. I decided to email the Pregnancy Resource Clinic in State College after filling out a simple volunteer application. Mariele Schechter, their wonderful Office Manager and pal of mine, replied quickly to set up a clinic tour, to teach me about the mission of PRC, and to welcome me to their volunteering staff.

I was elated to hear that the mission of PRC is to empower men and women to make informed and healthy decisions. The clinic relies on Divine Providence in each element of their work from client meetings to supplies in their baby boutiques. They provide women who are carrying the burdens of an unexpected pregnancy genuine love and support throughout their pregnancy and motherhood. They offer abortion recovery groups, motherhood classes, STI and STD testing, ultrasounds, and so much more. Through working at the office each week, I learned that PRC is a golden community resource, offering a gentle place for recollection once burdened with the worries of life. They provide extensive support and information to each of their clients, no matter the client’s faith and individual circumstance.  Each week, I went into the office and did simple cleaning tasks, administrative tasks, or helped prepare for their next big fundraising event. I remember wishing I could do more to help the organization, but each week, I was gently reminded by Mariele and the rest of the staff of the importance of small acts of service. “Because you matter” is their uplifting way of life in the office. (If you visit, you will know this as each staff member reminds one another and any one coming through the doors of 423 Pugh). I am happy to say that I made meaningful relationships through volunteering each week that I will carry past my college years, all from being reminded that I matter to the staff, and our work matters, too.

It is tempting to believe that supporting the pro-life movement only looks likes bold and courageous public acts of service, debate, or public witness. For some of us students, that may be exactly what you are called to do. However, we have a pertinent calling to love fellow community members and classmates at Penn State through resources like PRC.  Their mission is only made possible by volunteers, donors, and community members to meet the demands of our college campus and their growing desire to serve! They offer varying time commitments and ways to get involved! Other ways to get involved to support life in our local community is to be a friend to all kinds of people, so that you may be their soft place to land in times of trials! Help nanny for local families to support the culture of life, pray for opportunities to introduce the pro-life perspective to classmates, visit the elderly and dying at local nursing homes (pandemic restrictions are lifting, too, so it is the perfect time for this!) There are so many ways to help the pro-life movement come alive in your life and community, so do it!

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Owen Finkbeiner –

Ever since around the 1960’s, almost any political movement that takes off in this country does so largely through the efforts of young men and women on college campuses. Like any other campus, Penn State is home to numerous student groups committed to a certain policy change that the participants would like to see out of Washington. Somewhere among that list of groups, you will find the Students For Life chapter, dedicated to protecting the unborn from the evil of abortion. For a couple reasons that I will go into, I believe that SFL’s goals make this organization stand out from all of the other “political activism” clubs at Penn State.

My name is Beatrix Stickney, and like many passionate pro-lifers, my first exposure was at the March For Life in Washington, DC. My first trip was in elementary school, and I loved the peaceful atmosphere and the throngs of people gathered to celebrate and defend life. However, as I moved into high school and then college, I became certain that I wanted to do more. The pro-life movement is vast and multi-faceted, and abortion seems like an insurmountable problem in our society. Where should I even begin?

As a freshman at Penn State, I decided that my first step would be to get in touch with the Students For Life (SFL) group. From there, I was connected with the State College Pregnancy Resource Clinic. By the second semester, I had taken a tour and went almost every week for a volunteer hour. I hadn’t been quite sure what to expect, but I quickly fell in love with the clinic and the work they do.

Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to know some of the staff, who are, without a doubt, some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. My tasks are usually things as simple as stuffing envelopes or vacuuming. However, it’s gratifying to know that my menial service is allowing the staff to do the important and life-saving work of the PRC: administering pregnancy and STD tests, ultrasounds, running support groups, and providing material support to new parents.

Are you in the place where I was last year? Perhaps you want to get more involved in the pro-life movement but don’t know where to start. It might sound cliché, but all you can do is take one step forward. Because of my volunteer work at the PRC, I’ve become passionate about taking a more active role in Penn State’s SFL chapter. I’ll be serving this year as the Supportive Services Coordinator, and I received a fellowship from the SFL national organization to further this work. One step has led to another and I’m excited about what this year holds.

What one step should you take? Consider what you’re passionate about. Students For Life puts forth five pillars of pro-life activism: effective education, rapid response, industry impact, public policy, and supportive services. Are you passionate about politics? Consider learning about pro-life bills and calling or emailing your senators and urging them to support these initiatives. Do you feel called to support pregnant mothers in your community? Find out if you have a local pregnancy resource center. Can you volunteer there, or donate money or supplies?

Wherever you are, you can make a difference in the pro-life movement. Something as simple as educating yourself in pro-life apologetics could have an impact down the road in a heart-changing conversation. There are plenty of pro-life books and great resources to be utilized like the Students For Life national webpage out there to be read . Whatever step you choose to take, take it with the faith that the next step will come. Are you ready to make a difference?

Earlier this month on May 7, Penn State and Pitt students, along with activist groups like 40 Days for Life, Sidewalk Advocates for Life, Students for Life, and Rehumanize International stood outside of the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning to protest Pitt’s unethical fetal research, which uses tax payer dollars to purchase the bodies of aborted children from Planned Parenthood.  This rally was the result of recently publicized information which revealed Pitt’s authorization of the scalping of 5-month-old aborted fetuses to stitch onto lab rats in their labs, as well as exportation of fetal kidneys nationally, and killing infants delivered alive for liver harvesting.

Pittsburgh’s local Planned Parenthood provides Pitt with aborted fetuses for experimentation in return for Pitt’s sponsorship of the city’s PP operations – a relationship that suggests a quid-pro-quo – illegal according to the 42 U.S. Code 289-2 and 18 Pennsylvania Statutes 3216.  Additionally, it is a felony to experiment on living a fetus or fail to provide immediate medical care to an infant born alive in the state of Pennsylvania (http://www.centerformedicalprogress.org/human-capital/fetal-experimentation-at-the-university-of-pittsburgh-and-planned-parenthood/).

As over 100 outraged citizens rallied outside of the Cathedral that rainy day, the demand for “Ethical Research Now” was heard repeatedly in between talks from a wide variety of leaders, who spoke not only on the issue of abortion, but on the importance of ethical research as a whole.

This past Friday, I along with about 15 other Penn State students traveled down to the DC area to participate in the Life Chain and unofficial March For Life. 

We left State College around 5am and started the drive through snow and darkness. Around 8:45am we arrived at Gravelly Point in Arlington Virginia. Once there, we joined about 100 other students to hold signs on the side of the highway as a witness of our Pro Life convictions to drivers driving by. At one point, a student from Penn State led a Rosary in which we participated in on our knees. 

After the Life Chain was shut down by the police, our group decided to move into DC. After scouting around for a while in an attempt to find other pro-lifers, we found a miscellaneous group of about 20 on the National Mall. We shared our pro life testimonies and set off into the city praying, cheering, and chatting. After stopping to pray a Rosary on a street corner we decided to march to the Supreme Court. About halfway along the route, we caught sight of the official March for Life. Our rag tag group, which had grown to around 50, joined up with the official March. Together, we somberly marched to the Supreme Court. On the way there, we were met with extreme military and police presence, but we continued on peacefully. 

Once at the Supreme Court we prayed, sang, and laid roses. After a few somber and prayerful moments in the back of the Supreme Court, we peacefully left.

Although this march looked radically different than most years, it was a beautifully moving experience.

-Mary

Last Saturday, on January 23, the Philadelphia Pro-Life Union organized a March for Life through downtown in response to the Washington D.C. March’s cancellation.

That morning, I, along with hundreds of others, attended mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, where a procession of ten priests, three bishops, and one archbishop took place in honor of the occasion.  From there, we joined with many others to march ten city blocks to the Philadelphia Women’s Center – a clinic that solely provides abortion services.  

Outside of the clinic, senior citizens stood shoulder to shoulder with college students, moms with strollers stood next to the Knights of Columbus, priests stood with pastors, and Catholic sisters stood with young children.  It was beyond inspirational to witness individuals from truly all walks of life turn up that morning to march in below freezing temperatures to fight for the humanity of the preborn.

Standing outside of that clinic, speakers shared the devastatingly high statistics of abortions conducted in that clinic as well as the extremely high hospitalization rates for mothers undergoing an abortion procedure in that facility.  As we continued on our march, we prayed and joined hands, ignoring the jabs and snarky comments from the clinic escorts.

The march ended at the Liberty Bell, where we heard from speakers with Live Action, the Pro-Life Union Board, as well as a pro-life Ob/Gyn., a reverend, and the very powerful speaker and author, Kathy Barnette.  Ms. Barnette is an African American veteran who shared her story of being the product of a rape.  She fought through tears as she shared that she was conceived when her mother was 11 through a violent rape – but choked out that her “life has value,” and that had her mother chosen an abortion, she, as well as her kids, would not be on that stage today.

She shared that the violence of abortion does not undo the violence of rape, and that through her mother’s decision to choose life, Kathy is now able to support her mother as her mother continues to heal from her trauma.  Ms. Barnette directed the crowd to her two young children as she listed off her life accomplishments, including being a proud wife and mother, author, adjunct professor, serving ten years in the Army Reserves and five years on the Board of a crisis pregnancy clinic, among others.  Kathy Barnette confessed that, while she does not enjoy publicizing this story, she could not stay silent if her testimony could save even just one life.

As the rally came to a close, there was a renewed sense of purpose among those gathered – that what we are doing really does matter.  That waking up early and marching in frigid temperatures has value and bears fruit.  One truth that was revealed to me throughout my interactions with the marchers was that the only way to truly win this war on abortion – and this is not a cliche´- is through love.

If we do not love the clinic escorts, if we do not genuinely care for those who are abortion minded, we are no better than the opposition.  This is what I learned from the determined silence of pro-lifers who were mocked and ridiculed by protestors and escorts.  A clever, biting retort would have stooped to their level and our mission would have certainly been diminished.

This isn’t about me or my pride or my ability to “win” an argument – it’s about entering into love with those around us.  And through this love, we can rest assured that the truth will inevitably arise.

Connections are one of the most valuable parts of the human experience.  Last January, I got to experience this firsthand while attending the March for Life in Washington, DC for the first time.  For those unfamiliar with Penn State Students For Life’s normal plans, we have historically taken a bus down with other PSU students and members of a local church, marched during the day, and driven back at night.  Altogether, this provided me with plenty of opportunities to realize how wide spread the pro-life cause really was.

                The March for Life is a great experience to realize the size of the pro-life cause.  A full Beaver Stadium on White Out is an overwhelming and large crowd.  However, this is miniscule in comparison to the throngs of citizens who converge yearly on our nation’s capital, all clamoring for the same goal: An end to abortion.  You can easily see at this event, that no matter who you are or where you are from, YOU have a spot in the pro-life movement.  Besides being part of the Penn State family, we are part of a larger group, who only ask our politicians and leaders to respect the right to life of all people in the United States, regardless of age or size.

                Additionally, for Penn State students, the March for Life is a great opportunity to meet a number of new students, who you already have a core value in common with.  I know firsthand that it can be scary to talk about being pro-life on a college campus, but here, you can meet students from all different majors and organizations who share a basic fundamental value with you.  This is can be incredibly beneficial in not only finding like-minded friends, but also establishing connections and associating with individuals on campus who will help you become more involved.

                This year the experience will certainly be markedly different than previous PSU experiences. This difference does not mean that the previous benefits aren’t there.  While we can’t have a full bus, we will look to organize smaller, more intimate and personal car rides.   While we might not converse and shake hands with as many individuals in DC, we will support one another with our presence.  However, most importantly, we will, as always, put pressure on politicians to end the culture of death currently plaguing our society.  The incoming administration has stated that they seek to expand access to abortion, which could be literally deadly to millions of helpless, unborn babies.  This time of crisis is the time to come together and fight for what really matters, and I hope to see you at the March!  For any questions on the March or how to get involved, please contact Lauren at (lxs5580@psu.edu) or me (Vince) at vpbirch@gmail.com.