Students for Life group sponsors talk by pro-life speaker

When Angelica Rosales’ mother was pregnant with her, she was advised to have an abortion. Instead, her mother risked her life to continue her pregnancy. Today, her mother’s courage is a motivation for Rosales, who founded a pregnancy center shortly after graduating from college. She continues to run it in her hometown in the Southwest.

On Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in Kimball Theatre at Holy Cross, Rosales will give a talk titled “Did I Deserve the Death Penalty? I Am That Exception.” Rosales is a college outreach program speaker for Feminists for Life, a pro-life feminist organization.

The talk is sponsored by Students for Life, an on-campus organization that attempts to foster increased concern and respect for human life. Marissa Athanasiou ’09, a history major, and Emily Turner ’10, an English major, invited Rosales to the College to encourage dialogue on the issue of abortion.

“Many women feel trapped when they become unexpectedly pregnant and often feel great pressure to have an abortion, says Athanasiou. “Spreading the word about the need for greater resources for pregnant young women is necessary and makes people more aware of the hardships young women go through when making life-altering decisions. This topic is also important because it gives hope to people who have had abortions, who have considered having one, or who would not. The message is that women are important and deserve to have every resource available to them especially in their times of need — feminism at its best.”

Athanasiou and Turner hope that students who are not members of Students for Life — or pro-life — will consider attending Rosales’ talk and listen to her message.

“We believe that Feminists for Life promotes an important aspect of the pro-life movement and we believe that their message will appeal to many students from different backgrounds and beliefs,” says Athanasiou. “Feminists for Life believes that ‘women deserve more than abortion;’ that they deserve to have choices and resources available to them so that they may have their child without giving up on school or other life goals.”

Students for Life is part of a national dialogue on this issue. On Oct. 17 at 8 p.m., the organization will hold its annual 3 on 3 basketball tournament in the Field House. The proceeds from the tournament will be used to fund a coach bus that will bring students to Washington, D.C., in January to participate in March for Life, the annual pro-life rally protesting abortion.