Students from Cornell, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Northeastern and the University of Wisconsin, were among those who traveled to Dartmouth for the annual Ivy League Coalition for Life Conference this weekend.
Prestigious pro-life speakers, such as Helen Alvare, a representative from the National Catholic Conference of Bishops, also trekked all the way to Hanover in order to attend the annual conference, "Women Choosing Life."
"The conference was amazing," Jennifer Wan '00 said, "Especially Helen Alvare's talk about the aftermath of abortion. It was a real eye-opener for me."
Tom Hardy of the Caring Foundation, Shannon McGinley of New Hampshire Right to Life and Molly Pannell of Feminists for Life also lectured on abortion and the fundamental right to life.
This year's conference was designed to focus on the reasons and means by which women choose life.
"There were a variety of speakers talking from different viewpoints about varied aspects of the abortion issue -- people talked about pregnancy resulting from rape, the aftermath of abortion and crisis pregnancy centers -- among other things," said Christine Percheski '01, president of the Coalition for Life at Dartmouth and vice president of the ILCL.
The lectures were interspersed with panels and discussions, all designed to explore the social and ethical implications of abortion, as well as to promote greater choices for women who face unexpected pregnancy.
"I think it was important for the campus to discuss some of these issues," Percheski said.
The events were generally well attended. Approximately 45 Dartmouth students joined those from other schools. Percheski said she was pleased with the turnout, especially considering that many other schools are currently in the middle of finals.
The conference was hosted by the Coalition For Life at Dartmouth, a student organization dedicated to promoting a non-violent, pro-life message on campus. The group strives to promote education, assist pregnant women in the local community, encourage alternatives to abortion and to coordinate legislative action such as letter writing campaigns.
The Ivy League Coalition for Life was founded in 1990 by a Yale student. The group assembles pro-life students from prestigious colleges in the Northeast with the mission of training the next generation of pro-life leaders. It also endeavors to present an intellectual argument and presence for life on campuses around the region.
The group sponsors annual fall and spring conferences. This is the second time the conference has been held in Hanover.
