Caldwell College Students for Life Club Takes Part in 39th Annual March for Life

The Caldwell College Students for Life club sponsored a bus trip to the 39th annual March for Life in Washington D.C. on Monday January 23, 2012.

Caldwell College students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends joined hundreds of thousands from around the nation who braved the rainy weather conditions to march up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court to show their respect for all life.

Amy Ondrejack, sophomore and co-vice president of the club, said it was an incredible feeling to come together with many people from different places and backgrounds who all support life. “The best part is being able to give a voice to all of the unborn who can't defend themselves.” Attending the March for her second year in a row, she said it is crucial to make a stand and be heard. “We have been called the "pro-life generation" and it is important to me that I live up to that and do my best to defend life.”

For Lindsay Hulin, a sophomore and also co-president of the club, “The best part of the March for Life was being surrounded by so many wonderful people, including many young men and women, who braved the inclement weather to bear witness to a cause they were all so passionate about.” She was also attending for her second time. “It is such a peaceful witness and it is so beautiful to see everyone coming together and especially to see so many young people, both women and men present,” Hulin said.

Alexandria Pascucci , a senior and her sister Melissa Pascucci, a freshman, were attending the March for the first time. “ I feel blessed that I was able to be there marching for something I feel so passionate about. The March for Life gave me hope that one day there will be an end to abortion,” Alexandria said. “It felt great to stand up for all the lives in danger of abortion who cannot stand up for themselves,” Melissa said.

Prior to the March, students Sarah Sledgeski, Melissa Brady, Kaitlin Sheehy, and Kristin Wagner attended the Students for Life of America National conference in Bethesda, Maryland. The conference featured workshops and national pro-life speakers from all over the United States including Chai Ling, founder of the pro-life and social justice organization All Girls Allowed.

Sledgeski, Caldwell College SFL president, said attending the conference was one of the best experiences of her life. “Begin able to share a day with over 2,000 other pro-life students from across the nation, was like no other. I was so moved to know that I am not alone in supporting the unborn.”

Brady, sophomore and treasurer for the club, said she learned so much at the conference. “ I attended a workshop which focused on the fact that many physicians want to abort babies when they perform an ultrasound and learn that the baby has a disability, such as down syndrome. As a special education major, I found this shocking, because in the summers I work at a camp with children with disabilities. These children have taught me so much about myself and others. I was inspired to hear the speaker call children with disabilities "Teachers of the Soul". I immediately knew why God called me to become a part of the pro-life movement and to become a special education teacher.”

Words could not describe the experience, said Kaitlin Sheehy, advertising director for the club. “From the national Students for Life conference to the March for Life, it was all unbelievable. Making the long exhausting trip to D.C. is worth every bit of energy it takes to get down there, because I know that what I am doing is right and that every person makes a difference in defending the right to life.”

The Caldwell Students for Life club held fundraisers and events to support their trip and raise awareness. “It takes a lot of energy and dedication, but the feeling of unity and support that you get at the March makes the effort so worth it,” Ondrejack said.

The Caldwell group teamed up with Our Lady of the Mountains, Knights of Columbus #3533 from Livingston, NJ which helped provide support for the trip.