Andrew Reneau
Harding’s Students for Life branch held a panel discussion Oct. 28, discussing topics such as domestic violence, abortion and ways students can actively help in their community. Club president and sophomore Ashton Brophy moderated the panel which consisted of three women: Maria Oswalt, Jacqueline Abernathy and Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa. Nine students attended the meeting.
Brophy said the meeting was a success and a great beginning to her goal of promoting difficult conversations on Harding’s campus.
“As a group, that’s what we’re trying to do is just build connections and make sure people understand that it’s a complicated subject and it’s one that needs to be talked about, but it needs to be talked about from the place of compassion,” Brophy said.
Brophy said the organization will reach its pinnacle when the conversation around abortion is changed from accusatory to loving. She also wants the organization to be a place where women can come and receive help and comfort.
Brophy said the pinnacle of loving people could exemplify, “being a resource where people could come to Students for Life and expect help, or at least expect the resources they need to get help, to be pointed in the right direction.”
“When you finally start to change the conversation around abortion from it being hateful and aggressive to becoming empathetic and compassionate here on campus, then that will be the day that I will say, ‘Yup, that’s what loving people looks like. We’re doing something right,’” Brophy said.
Vice president and senior Caden Haustein said last year the chapter had focused on activism and ideologies instead of action. This year, he wants to switch the club’s direction and impact students with club events, while spreading information and tackling the club’s history of aggressive behavior.
“It was my goal with the event to start the conversation,” Haustein said. “In years past, we’ve been seen more as an aggressive group that doesn’t care about actually talking with people and more about forcing our opinions on other people.”
In response to a panel question on community involvement, Rosa said to be kind. She said others will feel comfortable sharing and asking for help if they know they will be welcomed and seen as a human.
“Don’t be a weirdo — if you’re a weirdo, nobody is going to listen to you,” Rosa said.
Rosa also encouraged the audience to talk to people with opposing views.
“Go out and have coffee with one of your pro-choice friends and have coffee and I will challenge you to listen more than you talk,” Rosa said. “Truly hear them, not to argue with them, not to try and convert them or bring them over.”
Brophy said they are considering future club events such as a diaper drive and a seminar to teach how to talk about abortion effectively.
