A bus of Duquesne, Robert Morris and Art Institute students went to Washington D.C. to protest the Roe v. Wade court decision.
A bus of Duquesne, Robert Morris and Art Institute students went to Washington D.C. to protest the Roe v. Wade court decision.
Gabriella DiPietro | Staff Writer
01/25/18
Jan. 19 marked the 45th annual March for Life, where thousands of people gathered on the National Mall to speak out against abortion. Duquesne students and staff joined countless others, wishing to make their voices heard.
March for Life is the world’s largest annual pro-life rally, with people from near and far speaking out against abortion, including speeches from Pam Tebow, the mother of former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Trump via video satellite.
Duquesne hosts a bus trip to Washington, D.C. every year to attend the March, led by campus minister, Linda Donovan.
“The March is a lobby for change,” Donovan said. “The hope is for legislation that honors human dignity of the person including all issues that surround life and the quality of life issues.”
The trip included 29 students and three campus ministers from Duquesne, as well as some students from Robert Morris University and The Art Institute.
Annamarie Lovre, a second-year physician assistant student who attended the march, was taken aback by the mass of people supporting similar values to her own.
“It was inspirational to march on Constitution Avenue to the Capitol and Supreme Court and see the thousands of people ahead and behind me with the same goal of ‘Love Saves Life,’ which was the theme of the March,” said Lovre. “The Declaration of Independence guarantees the right to life, so I choose to defend this right for those who cannot defend themselves.”
This was the eighth time that Duquesne sophomore and comic artist for The Duke, Jordan Callahan, has attended the march to support his pro-life views.
“I march because I think of all the different people who have touched my life in some way and how they’ve enriched it and that I would miss them if they were not there,” Callahan said. “I march to stand up for all life that I believe is an inherently great gift from God and I hope to see a culture of life upheld within our country.”
Ryan Crawford, a junior theology major at Duquesne, found the occasion of seeing people from all walks of life stand up for their beliefs to be unforgettable.
“It was an uplifting experience, as a lot of young people were present,” said Crawford. “I do see positive strides being made in the fight for life, which encourages me. I am proud to be part of the movement.”
Linda Donovan also explained how the March for Life directly correlates to Duquesne’s mission and values.
“It is important for Duquesne to support this cause because we are a Catholic university with values grounded in the Spiritan tradition of care for the human dignity of each person, especially the poor and concern for those on the margins of society,” Donovan said. “Many of the life issues that are at the forefront of the March for Life are intricately connected to those values.”
