The Students for Human Life club addresses and discusses issues jeopardizing the respect and dignity of human life. Four BSM group members went to the Minnesota State Capitol on a student day on March 14 to listen to presentations and an official hearing from representatives.

Ashley Ortizcazarin, Kailyn Pedersen, Ava Lundburg, and Julia Hoover were the ambitious members of BSM’s Student for Human Life Club who stepped outside of their comfort zones to participate in such a controversial discussion. Although these girls are highly informed on facts and statics surrounding abortion, they walked out of the presentations shocked. “It was super horrific and there was a point that I was near tears because it was so awful, dehumanizing and degrading. I was surprised because I am pro-life, and I didn’t know a lot of the statistics and the ways that they kill children with abortion,” freshman Julia Hoover said.

The experience was exciting and educational for these passionate BSM students. The girls were able to see a board hearing debating on whether a bill should be passed to require all abortion clinics to be licensed, and after the hearing, they talked with a human life lobbyist who was a pro-life advocate. “My opinion changed, becoming stronger. I realized how hard it is to pass laws that are pro-life. The law we were trying to help pass that day wasn’t even pro-life. It was basically a pro-women bill. It was supposed to keep women safe at abortion clinics, and hopefully restrict abortion clinics a little more so people understand this is serious,” Hoover said.

The students were able to lobby with a real senator and representatives. When representatives walked out of the board hearing, the Students for Human Life members approached them to try to talk with them about their opinions. “There were a couple times when it was intimidating trying to convince them of something that they strongly disagreed with, however, it did make me want to do something similar in the future,” sophomore Kailyn Pedersen said.

The representatives of the BSM Students for Human Rights club who went on the field trip have strong pro-life beliefs; these students are passionate about what they believe in and they want to voice their opinions into society. “Being pro-life is fighting for the life a baby who can’t control what happens to them. It’s a cause that has been dear to me my entire life, and I just want all babies–no matter how small from conception–to be protected,” Pedersen said.