The two sides of the abortion controversy and their respective clubs on campus.
By Luke Gentle
Staff Writer
One of the most controversial issues faced today is the ability of a pregnant woman to have an abortion. It is a subject with strong emotions on both sides of the debate. You may have heard of a club on campus that represents the anti-abortion side of the debate, Pro-Life Club. But you may have not noticed a new club on campus called GERRL. GERRL stands for Gender Equality and Reproductive Rights League and represents the pro-choice side of the debate.
Pro-Life Club is a club that was established four years ago. According to the advisor Jennifer Liberty Clark, the club hopes to “Educate students about issues related to the value, dignity, and truth of human life and to provide students with alternative information and resources.” At their meetings, Pro-Life Club engages in discussions on abortion and plans school-wide events.
Throughout the year Pro-Life Club hosts events such as recruitment booths, awareness events, and education events. Pro-Life Club is run by group of students with Philip Andrew as president. If you are interested in joining Pro-Life Club you could email the club at [email protected] for information. Their meetings are every other Tuesday from 10:00-11:00 a.m. in room SC175. This time may change to 2:00 p.m. to accommodate more members.
On the other side of the debate, is GERRL, a new club formed last spring that supports the pro-choice side of the argument. While the club isn’t exclusively focused on the abortion controversy it does represent the pro-choice side of it. GERRL hopes to provide information to students on reproductive rights and gender equality. According to the club’s student president Anne George and advisor Lisa Becker, the club was formed because students felt there was a need for the club as there was a pro-life club, but not a club that represents pro-choice.
It was last year’s transgender bathroom controversy that caused discussions leading to the formation of GERRL. GERRL plans on hosting events such as a speakers on gender equality and Planned Parenthood, and booths for events such as World Aids Day. Students can email Becker at [email protected] for information. Their meetings are on the second Monday of the month in SC172 and the fourth Tuesday of the month at 1:50 p.m. in the Student center.
We asked Pro-Life Club for a response to the newly formed GERRL club and they responded by saying that Pro-Life Club and GERRL both have similar missions of working for women, just different methods of completing these missions. Pro-Life Club hopes to provide tools and information like GERRL club, but “through the lens of Christ.”
