Following the National March for Life on May 13, more than 100 people, predominantly campus pro-life students, joined together for the 2nd annual Campus Pro-Life Student Dinner at the Mambo Nuevo Latino restaurant in the nation’s capital. The National Campus Life Network, together with University of Ottawa Students for Life (uOSFL) and Carleton Lifeline, co-organized the evening that brought together students from 16 Canadian campuses and three American campuses for networking and inspiration.
The NCLN introduced its new executive director, Rebecca Richmond. She is the out-going president of uOSFL and is excited to continue her campus activism in this full-time capacity.
MP Rod Bruinooge joined the students to meet with and welcome them to the event. He acknowledged their hard work and encouraged them to keep up the fight for innocent and vulnerable human lives. Following dinner, Stephanie Gray from the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform spoke about how to make abortion unthinkable: first expose the injustice and then engage the culture.
(From left to right): Paul Taillon (Ottawa U), Charlotte Kerssens (SFU), MP Rod Bruinooge, Laura Kerssens (SFU, Katrina Beddoe (Algonquin), Rebecca Richmond (new NCLN Executive Director) and Alana Beddoe (Registered Nurse).,
Theresa Stephenson, incoming president for uOSFL, and James Carnegie, president of Brock Students For Life, shared their experiences with their campus clubs. Stephenson spoke of how she was able to change a friend’s position on abortion by discussing the issues over the course of a few months. This friend went from being pro-abortion to pro-life and is now actively involved in the campus club.
She concluded her speech by saying, “This past year, I made some incredible friends in the club. The strength and camaraderie in the group inspires me to keep fighting and working. And not only the members of U Ottawa Students for Life, but tonight as we gather from various campuses, we remain united in the goal to make abortion unthinkable.”
Carnegie’s speech focused on the new campus club at Brock University and plans for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year. They are excited to plan events and activities that will impact their campus and nurture a culture of life.
To close out the evening, Nathan McLeod, a 16-year-old singer, actor, dancer and songwriter, sang his song, “Unborn Baby.” It was a poignant way to end the night, as the chorus invited everyone to “join the cause, fight for those who died because there’s a child who waits to live and has so much to give to the world.”
