I launched a new Students for Life of America (SFLA) group at my school, Joliet Junior College, in the leafed Chicago suburbs with excitement. It is important to speak up for the preborn as a member of my generation—a generation flooded with propaganda by the abortion lobby and social media.  I was excited to gather and organize with emerging young voices in the Life movement. But problems surfaced before we even held our first meeting.  

Students promptly tore down flyers advertising our kickoff. Ironically, anti-bullying posters cover the walls of my school, promising support for students facing harassment. I naively believed those promises applied to pro-life students. 

Since we chartered our group in February 2025, students have hurled vulgar insults at me, disrupted our events, and repeatedly questioned why Students for Life belongs on campus. Professors have even disparaged our organization during lectures. I’ve urged the administration to take action, but they’ve ignored my concerns. They quietly attempt to silence the pro-life message. 

I sat with the Deputy Chief of Campus Police at Joliet Community College and wondered: Do other groups go through this?  

He politely offered to have an officer escort me to my car after events. I never imagined needing a police presence at campus gatherings. 

They’ve imposed special rules and requirements that seem to target socially conservative clubs: barriers designed to slow us down and hinder our effectiveness. I must find a faculty advisor willing to attend every single event: meetings, tabling, fundraisers, and field trips. No exceptions. On a college campus near Chicago, that’s no easy task. Other clubs don’t follow this rule. 

When we request funding for an activity, other clubs vote on whether we receive it, and they openly oppose us. 

The administration pretends not to notice. Every month, they require all clubs to attend a Collegiate Clubs Council meeting. I must present updates for our group. When I speak, the same students who preach tolerance and inclusivity laugh and mock me. The administration looks the other way. They even excluded me from the Student Leadership Summit. 

Other clubs made it clear we’re not welcome at their meetings. The administration blamed our problems on being “too vocal” and labeled our pro-life stance “too controversial.” Their only solutions involve changing how we run our club. They suggested we meet online to avoid disruptions and proposed we censor ourselves, so other students won’t feel compelled to harass us. 

They claim they’re doing everything they can to stop the hate we receive, yet they refuse to disclose whether they’ve punished anyone for harassing Students for Life Joliet Junior College (SFL JJC) members or vandalizing our materials. 

In the nine months since we launched our chapter, the persecution of students who fight for Life has continued. I find it hard to believe the administration is doing anything when the culture shows no signs of change. 

But the Pro-Life Generation (PLG) doesn’t get intimidated. While our school’s administration, faculty, and parts of the student body try to silence our voices and our movement, we refuse to be dismissed. With support from SFLA’s legal counsel, we sent a demand letter to the administration. We called out their failure to uphold the Constitution, protect our property, and address the bullying and vandalism targeting SFL JJC from students, faculty, and staff. 

Administrative roadblocks won’t silence our cries for change or our fight for human rights. We won’t let our peers extinguish our fire for justice for the preborn. 

The challenges we face strengthen our resolve. They push us to rise, speak louder, and work harder. 

READ NEXT: No Matter the Cost: The Reality of a Pro-Life Student in a Place that Won’t Listen