A record number of Fairfield University students were among the thousands of people who gathered in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 19 for the March for Life rally. According to the March for Life website, the rally “provides all Americans a place to testify to the beauty of life and the dignity of each human person.”
For the first time, the Fairfield Students for Life Club was able to fundraise in order to hire a bus to bring 20 students, the largest delegation of Fairfield students present in history.
Co-Presidents of the Students for Life Club Katie Curry ‘19 and Lauren Hart ‘19 expressed their support for both the right to life and Jesuit beliefs.
“We feel the most important Jesuit value that the March for Life upholds is Cura Personalis, which is a Latin term that means care for the whole person. As Catholics, we must care for every person, especially the most innocent,” stated Curry and Hart in a joint email.
The club was started in 2014 and the first march they participated in took place in 2015. Last year, nine participated, making this year’s participation more than double.
“We are very proud that Fairfield sent the largest number of students to the March for Life this year. After returning from the March for Life, we bring back feelings of hope and empowerment from seeing the thousands of people who all marched together for the same cause,” stated Isabel Mesquita ’20.
The students were able to not only interact with one another, but other pro-life supporters to discuss issues surrounding the Roe v. Wade ruling. Those who participated felt that they got the chance to stand up for their religious and personal beliefs.
“I believe that life is the single, most precious gift that God has given us, and to deny such a gift is the greatest issue we face as a society. To march is to hope for a day when all people have the right to life, as so articulated in this nation’s founding documents,” said Jimmy Lipko ’20.
The March for Life took place just a day before the Women’s March, a rally supporting several platforms, including a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion. According to Curry and Hart, the March for Life is also pro-woman.
“We believe that equal rights begin in the womb, and that young girls deserve a chance at greatness like every woman does. The Pro-Life movement is Pro-Women, as it deflects violence from women and lets people know that we can do anything, especially bring the miraculous gift that is life into the world.“
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