Students for Life reject graphic abortion displays
Joel Pavelski
Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: News
The Students for Life leadership voted against hosting photos of aborted babies on campus, as proposed by the pro-life organization Genocide Awareness Project, in a meeting two weeks ago.
Junior Marissa Farrell, president of Students for Life, said GAP members travel with a photo exhibit that compares graphic abortion images to images of genocides past. Farrell's group declined a campus visit from GAP.
"The shock value is good and useful, but may not be right for Hillsdale's campus," she said.
According to its Web site, The Genocide Awareness Project travels to college campuses around the country with 24 graphic signs that it places in public locations to show "what abortion actually does to unborn children."
Last semester, an alumnus offered to contribute money to bring the exhibit to campus, and proposed scheduling it for homecoming weekend so it could affect a larger group of people, Farrell said.
Senior Karen Williams, the Students for Life treasurer, said the group threw around the idea but eventually decided not to allow it this year.
"There's a place for that important message, and we're open to the possibility in the future," she said, "but it's a very graphic display and we wanted it to be the right time."
Michael Jordan, English department chairman and faculty adviser for Students for Life, said the group considered the matter carefully. If it ever hosts the exhibit in the future, it will likely relegate it to a discreet place and inform the campus community in advance about its time and location.
"William Wilberforce said, 'You want to know what slavery is like, smell it,' and took them to the ships," Jordan said. "But here, it might be preaching to the converted."
Junior Marissa Farrell, president of Students for Life, said GAP members travel with a photo exhibit that compares graphic abortion images to images of genocides past. Farrell's group declined a campus visit from GAP.
"The shock value is good and useful, but may not be right for Hillsdale's campus," she said.
According to its Web site, The Genocide Awareness Project travels to college campuses around the country with 24 graphic signs that it places in public locations to show "what abortion actually does to unborn children."
Last semester, an alumnus offered to contribute money to bring the exhibit to campus, and proposed scheduling it for homecoming weekend so it could affect a larger group of people, Farrell said.
Senior Karen Williams, the Students for Life treasurer, said the group threw around the idea but eventually decided not to allow it this year.
"There's a place for that important message, and we're open to the possibility in the future," she said, "but it's a very graphic display and we wanted it to be the right time."
Michael Jordan, English department chairman and faculty adviser for Students for Life, said the group considered the matter carefully. If it ever hosts the exhibit in the future, it will likely relegate it to a discreet place and inform the campus community in advance about its time and location.
"William Wilberforce said, 'You want to know what slavery is like, smell it,' and took them to the ships," Jordan said. "But here, it might be preaching to the converted."
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