Student rallies to start pro-life club on campus

By Lomie Blum, Broadcast Editor

Adam Ostrander, a math and sciences major at HVCC, is looking to start a controversial club on campus regarding his view on abortion. He is determined to spread awareness and conversations about the pro-life movement.  

78% of students are pro-choice, while 22% are pro-life according to an unoffical campus poll. 

“In my heart, I am someone who deeply just believes that all human life is so sacred and should be protected, even those of us who are the most vulnerable,” Ostrander said. 

“I know I get that there are a lot of situations where it can seem like abortion is a good solution. Mentally, it’s not and we need to work together to find better solutions for these situations,” Ostrander added. 

The club still needs more signatures and a faculty sponsor, but Ostrander is hopeful and thinks that it will differentiate itself from other clubs on campus that might hold the same views on abortion by being more singularly focused on issues surrounding childbirth. 

He expects his club to actively engage fellow students in the cause and advocate for actions that require women (and girls) to bring their pregnancies to term.   

“We want to educate people to have that conversation with the pro-life people and also educate people who may not agree with us and have a polite conversation,” Ostrander stated.

“We have to provide help for people who decide at this time to not have an abortion,” Ostrander said. 

“For instance, stand on the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood and have discussions with people coming in and out on the street,” he further stated. 

Ostrander also discussed getting other organizations to come on campus. 

“Students for Life, that’s a great organization that can come on campus and give talks,” Ostrander said. 

Students who identify themselves as pro-choice shared their opinions and thoughts on the club. 

“​​I’m definitely more pro-choice and rather have a woman make her own decision about what they want to do for their own body, it’s personally how I feel. I grew up in a Catholic household but at the same time I don’t feel like I have a right to an opinion on that,” said Jack, a business administration major. 

“It’s freedom of religion and freedom from religion kind of thing. As long as it’s not being forced on me, I think students have a right to start any club they want,” an anonymous pro-choice student stated. 

Another pro-choice student, Julia Essenter, a criminal justice major shared her thoughts. 

“You can have your own opinions, but you should not push it on other people. I think that’s what they are trying to do with the club. That’s what the whole movement is about,” said Essenter. 

“There are 400,000 kids in the foster care system and what are they doing for them? They just want to control people’s bodies,” she added. 

Meanwhile, other students who identify as pro-life on-campus show support for the club.

“My main authority in life is the Bible and the word of God. Ultimately, I think that the Bible holds true and has shaped my entire life and I think it could help those who are also pro-choice and lead them to the truth. I think that we will have to come to the truth and those who are pro-choice are swayed by lies,” said David Arthur an HVCC student. 

“I would think about [joining the club]. It depends on when and how much time it would be. As long as it is a respectful group of people who are pro-life,” Arthur added. 

Another student talked about his stance. 

“I would consider myself pro-life. I would advocate for that point of view but never push that on somebody,” said Anthony, a computer science major. 

“I would potentially join,” Anthony further stated. 

The club is establishing itself in a time when many in the anti-choice movement are fervently hoping to eliminate abortion altogether.  Mississippi is bringing forth a lawsuit to the court’s docket that outright asks the Court to strike down Roe v. Wade.  Many in the movement speculate that adoption, foster care and abstinence from sex are all viable alternatives to abortion. 

The measure to make abortion illegal after 6 weeks in Texas has made national headlines when the Supreme Court ruled last month that the law which encourages citizens to sue those performing or potentially facilitating an abortion.  There are no acceptations in the case of rape, the health of the mother, or incest. Florida and other states are looking into enacting similar legislation. 

When asked about his thoughts on abortions in cases of rape and incest, Ostrander stated that there are better options than abortion. 

“We need to find a solution to that problem and why should that solution end with somebody else’s life being ended? We need to hold the people committing the crimes accountable,” Ostrander said.  

“I would say I can’t really support abortion in that situation. I can obviously support putting the child in the foster care system,” he added. 

Overall, Ostrander is set on spreading the pro-life movement on HVCC’s campus. 

“The main goal [of the club] really to is help improve the campus community and the local community, have a more pro-life outlook,” Ostrander stated.