Penn for Life hosts Republican state representative and alum

On the heels of proposed legislation to defund Planned Parenthood — and less than a month before a rally on Washington organized by many pro-choice organizations — a community of pro-life supporters at Penn gathered to express their views Monday night.

Penn for Life, the University’s pro-life student group, hosted Pennsylvania State Representative and 2007 College graduate Nick Miccarelli at a banquet with the goal of promoting the pro-life community on campus.

Penn for Life Co-President and College junior Teresa Hamill described Micarelli, a Republican, as “a pro-life politician with a very pro-life stance … and was in Penn for Life as a student.”

In his speech to an audience of about 25 people at the banquet, Miccarelli spoke about being a member of Penn College Republicans and how he felt isolated due to his beliefs. Comparing his own experiences to those of the members of Penn for Life, he urged the audience to “stay strong … you are the warriors of the pro-life movement and these are the front lines.”

Miccarelli encouraged the group by saying that although they may feel alone in their beliefs on Penn’s campus, there is a shift in national public opinion towards the pro-life cause. “America is behind you,” he asserted.

Full Measure, a Christian a cappella group at Penn, performed at the event. The a cappella group has no official stance on the issue of abortion. However, “any gig that comes our way we take them up on it as an opportunity to be a blessing,” Full Measure President and College junior Jabez Yeo said.

Penn for Life is “dedicated to defending the protection of life from conception to natural death,” Hamill said. According to member and Engineering freshman Allison Pearce, “Penn for Life does not only focus on abortion but also euthanasia, and other issues related to the premature ending of life. It is not associated with a specific religion, although naturally some religions are more attracted to the group than others.”

The group was founded in the late 1990s and has experienced a decline in numbers in recent years, according to Hamill. She and her co-president, Nursing junior Catherine Dierkes, have worked this year to bring up the attendance and hoped that this event would help with that goal and make the community “more receptive” to their cause.

Hamill clarified that Penn for Life had been planning the event before a bill de-funding Planned Parenthood passed in the House of Representatives and said that the banquet was not held in response to the bill.

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