President Tricia Cole and 12 other members of SVSU’s pro-life group Cardinals for Life recently attended the March for Life in Washington.
The group has 50 members, and its goals include promoting a culture of life on-campus while educating students on abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem-cell research.
Cardinals for Life left Thursday, Jan. 26, and traveled with the Michigan chapter of Students for Life.
The rally began around noon on Friday, Jan. 27, at the Supreme Court building. From there, the students marched for two-and-a-half miles and heard from many speakers, including Utah Congresswoman Mia Love and Vice President Mike Pence.
The most memorable part of Cole’s experience was the march itself and the enthusiasm for the cause of those who attended.
“It was an overall joyous atmosphere, and it was incredibly difficult to not smile the whole time,” Cole said.
Last year, weather complications prevented the group from attending the event, but fair weather prevailed this year.
Kate Waskevich, a second-year nursing major, said that Love’s speech was the most memorable part of the march.
“She has such an incredible story, and it gave so many people hope and reason not to have abortions,” Waskevich said. “She had the whole crowd in tears. It was truly life changing.”
According to third-year mechanical engineering major and Cardinals 4 Life executive board member Nathan Binder, Vice President Pence emphasized the importance of protecting vulnerable populations within a society, including the disabled, seniors and unborn. Furthermore, Pence expressed a desire that the pro-life movement be characterized by its gentleness, love and compassion.
“He stressed the importance of having compassion and winning hearts only after our own hearts break for young mothers and children, and urged the pro-life movement to meet mothers where they are with generosity instead of judgement,” Binder said.
After the march, the group went on a bus tour to see the monuments in Washington for the remainder of Friday.
Saturday, some of the members of Cardinals for Life attended the Students for Life of America conference at the Glen Arden Event Center. The conference contained many significant speakers from the pro-life community and focused on educating those in attendance about a variety of topics. Saturday night, some students attended mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, the largest Catholic Church in the United States. Sunday, the group returned to SVSU about 11 a.m.
Binder, along with other group members, try to emphasize love, support and indiscriminating nature through their efforts.
“The only thing I want others to know is that the pro-life movement is not anti-immigrant, anti-BLM, or entirely pro-Trump/conservative,” Binder said. “This movement is about helping others through love and resources. The reason abortion is our main focus is the loss of 58 million children. These children were black, white, children of immigrants, children in rich families, impoverished families and would be born into almost every walk of life imaginable.”
Cardinals for Life will hold its next meeting Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Brown 205.
