Virginia College Students Organize for Life
How students at two Virginia universities are working for life
W&M Students for Life
by Jane Elizabeth Hertz
William and Mary Students for Life, the pro-life student organization at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, has flourished in recent years. Founded over a decade ago, it has grown steadily in membership, activity and influence. Today, we boast an impressive 150 members and are actively involved in both campus and community life. Our primary mission is to promote the sanctity of all human life by educating our peers, presenting positive alternatives to abortion, and raising awareness of abortion issues on campus. We host speakers from prominent organizations on various life issues, post flyers around campus dispelling the myths about abortion, fundraise for the local crisis pregnancy center, and write regularly to our government representatives concerning upcoming legislation. We staff the local crisis pregnancy center in the evenings so that more women can have access to pro-life resources. We also attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C., joining with students from Mary Washington College, Virginia Tech, and James Madison University in a show of solidarity for the unborn.This year it is more important than ever to make our voices heard as pro-life legislation is being introduced in the United States Congress and in states across the nation. In the fall, we hosted Dr. William Saunders from the Family Research Council who spoke about the dangers and immorality of stem cell research. Several of us also attended the Virginia Society for Human Life 35-year anniversary gala in Richmond, VA. We have written letters urging our government representatives to pass pro-life legislation and successfully raised over $500 for other pro-life organizations. Our most important mission, however, is to educate our own members and those in the College community. We believe that no single action is more effective than speaking out, firmly and charitably, to our friends and classmates on the abortion issue, and we urge all other college students to do the same!
[Jane Elizabeth Hertz of Leesburg, a W&M senior, is President of W&M Students for Life]
Spiders for Life
by Brian M. Mazanec
The central purpose of a university is the pursuit of truth and reasoned criticism while teaching students to become productive citizens of a pluralistic democracy. It would seem obvious that in order to succeed in this mission a campus must have multiple viewpoints present that are open to debate in the “arena of ideas,” but that was not the situation at the University of Richmond until recently. UR had no group representing the voices of the 1/3 of the university age generation that doesn’t have the chance to go to college, the aborted. There was no organized exposure to the pro-life message and serious ethical questions regarding the unborn were regularly left un-investigated and un-discussed in the community.This semester, we set out to rectify the situation through founding a new student organization: Spiders for Life. (The mascot of the University of Richmond is the arachnid; thus the unusual name.) We were immediately overwhelmed at the generous support we received from the pro-life community. Organizations such as Feminists for Life, Priests for Life, and the VSHL supported our effort through a myriad of resources.
What is typically the most pressing hurdle for new groups was our greatest stroke of luck, finding a faculty advisor. We expected it would take a search as intense as the one for Osama Bin Laden to find a pro-life faculty member on our campus, but thanks to Dr. Terryl Givens, the search was surprisingly brief. Not only was Dr. Givens enthusiastic to become our advisor, but he also has strong ties to the pro-life movement. We then began recruiting members and before we knew it we had over 25 students involved and a full plate of outreach activities.
Spiders for Life is dedicated to generating constructive discussions on pro-life issues through positive and peaceful activities that further the cause of those human beings whose lives are unprotected by law. We plan on doing this through volunteer work at nearby Crisis Pregnancy Centers, and through campus programming such as distributing pro-life materials in conjunction with hosting pro-life speakers and forums. Additionally, considering UR’s close proximity to the Virginia General Assembly we hope to become politically involved, working with the VSHL to support pro-life legislation in the Commonwealth.
Spiders for Life’s impact is already being felt on campus and will continue to grow along with our organization.
[Brian Mazanec of Cleveland, Ohio, a UR sophomore, is Co-Founder and Vice President of Spiders for Life]
Published in VSHL Lifesaver, April 2003
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