Honoring Kortney and Jon’s Legacy

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

The term anniversary typically calls to mind a celebration, a time to joyfully count the years since an event first took place. Wedding anniversaries, the anniversary of birth, or even the anniversary of a sobriety date are all reasons to celebrate. However, some anniversaries are set apart to remember and to memorialize a tragic event, like the loss of a loved one.

Next Monday, October 8th marks the one year anniversary of the tragic car accident that claimed the lives of our friends Jon Sharfenberger, and Kortney Gordon, along with Kortney’s 20 week old pre-born daughter, Sophy. There remain no words to express the deep loss and sorrow we experienced, alongside their families and loved ones, on this day one year ago.

Yet, there has also been unexpected comfort and joy over the past year – as we have looked at the positive impact their lives had on those around them and on the pro-life student movement. Jon and Kortney lived out their lives as abortion abolitionists. They were defenders of the defenseless, they wanted the unwanted, this was who they were, and what they did.

We want to honor Jon, Kortney, and Sophy’s lives in a way that reflects their hearts for the broken world they have left behind and the calling that they had given their lives to, abolishing abortion. Will you join the Students for Life team, as we carry on the torch that Jon and Kortney passed on to us, by spending an hour in prayer in front of your local Planned Parenthood or abortion facility next Monday, October 8th?

We encourage you to give up as least an hour of your day next Monday to remember Jon, Kortney, and Sophy and carry their torch and defend the defenseless in front of your local abortion facility.

It’s about all 365…

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

It's about all 365...

By: Shara Guengerich, Students for Life’s 2012 Missionary for Life

While I see the value of internships, not everyone understands all the reasons what they can benefit from their time while interning. Often internships are treated simply as times where you try your best in the hopes of getting an offer for a full-time position or meeting someone who might offer you a job, meaning that you’ll be employed straight out of college. Other times internships are treated like a summertime extension of a school life full of goofing off and having fun. Of course, sometimes internships are grudgingly accepted because a particular program requires one for graduation.

While SFLA’s internship program does give me academic credit, opportunities to make connections, and some time to just have fun, none of these aspects account for the reason I sought after and accepted the SFLA internship.

The main reason is the knowledge that I must always find ways to integrate my identity as an abortion abolitionist with every other part of my life. This is essential if our side is going to win out. We can never put down the torch of being advocates for life.

It is all too easy to become burned out in the pro-life movement. I’ve seen it in others and in my own life. That’s why shifting focus every once in a while or taking time to recharge is essential. While shifting from a full-time pro-life advocate to college student gave me an opportunity to recharge, it didn’t let me off the hook of continuing to advocate for the preborn. While working on my degree, I’ve been able to start a SFL club on campus that has grown far beyond what I first envisioned it would be.

When I learned that I could literally combine my internship requirement with pro-life ministry, I was more than a little excited. If you are in an undergrad program that offers credits for internships, I would strongly encourage you to find a way in which the degree you are working towards can benefit the pro-life community while you earn academic credit.

Beyond college however, I still will be looking for ways I can integrate pro-life advocacy into my life, no matter which direction it takes. I know that I will do this because I am compelled to do so. Not only because it’s what we must do if we want to see success, but also because I never want to be living a life on the sidelines.

Thoreau’s famous statement that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation” refers to the fact that all too often our lives become taken over by a pursuit of success measured by wealth in order to feed our consumerism. This eventually becomes a pursuit devoid of any lasting hope. I refuse to submit to this lie that our culture attempts to feed us. Instead, the success of my life will be measured on how relentlessly I pursue the goal of bringing an end to the mass slaughter of preborn children in America. That will take not just a once a semester event, not simply a summer internship, but 365 days of unrelenting pursuit of the abolition of abortion.

We Are The Media

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

By: Shara Guengerich, Students for Life’s 2012 Missionary for Life

Our time as missionaries for life is now 1/3rd complete. What a whirlwind time it has been for us here in the D.C. area! Today as I write, Students for Life is present outside of the Supreme Court building waiting to see what the HHS Mandate decision will be, and praying that the Court will come down on the side of life, freedom of religion, and individual conscious. It’s great that we can operate day-to-day so close to Capitol Hill, so that if there is something going on in the political realm, we can make our voices heard in the public square, right where the action is happening!

One thing I have quickly learned as an intern is how important it is to stay connected with the news if we are to be a relevant voice for the preborn. I always have my Google newsfeed open in my browser with my special alerts for “Students for Life,” “Abortion,” and “Planned Parenthood” constantly updating throughout the day. That way I know right away if there is a relevant story concerning abortion that needs to be brought to the attention of not only my coworkers, but the broader pro-life community as well. It is a tremendous blessing for our cause that the time between the mainstream news getting a hold of a story and pro-life organizations accessing the same story has been cut to a minimum because of the internet.

It is not only exciting that we have access to this information, but it is exciting because what we are able to do with this information. For example, as we await the decision coming down from the Supreme Court, we are keeping an eye on SCOTUSblog.com, which gives us the same instant update on the decisions being given in the Supreme Court building in real time! This is the same source that every other news source and organization, including Planned Parenthood, is looking at to find out what is happening with the HHS Mandate decision. The leveling of the playing field in our favor is evident in this and so many other areas!

We no longer can say that the mainstream media consists of the “liberal elite.” As I’ve witnessed both in the classroom and during the course of this internship, WE are the media. Yes, there still exists large news organizations, but they no longer wholly encompass what “media” is any longer. We have just begun to utilize this fact in the pro-life movement, and we must continue to pioneer a path in all forms of new media so that our cause for LIFE will succeed!

Visualizing a World Without Abortion

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

Visualizing a World Without Abortion

By: Ruben Verastigui, Students for Life of America’s 2012 Missionary for Life

It sometimes seems hard to picture the world without abortion. We know it is possible, but in our current world, it just seems to be the norm. Every day in America our rights are getting ripped away from us and we are forced to do or believe in things we know are morally wrong. But why? Why do we let things just happen to us? Should we just give into the social norm or rise above it?

I ask you these questions because I want you to think about what you could do to change things. So what is it?

On June 3, 2012 a woman by the name Feng Jianmei in China was beaten and dragged into a vehicle by a group of Family Planning Officials while her husband, Deng Jiyuan, was out working. The officials asked for RMB 40,000 in fines from Feng Jianmei’s family. When they did not receive the money, they forcibly aborted Feng at seven months, laying the body of her aborted baby next to her in the bed. If you haven’t seen the photo of this online and are hearing this for the first time, all I can say to you is that it’s more gruesome than you can imagine.

The strange thing is even though the gruesomeness of this photo makes it difficult to view, I know it is going to do something amazing to the way we think. It will open our eyes to what is happening not just in our county, but around the world.

The One-Child Policy in China has exacerbated the preference for male children in China, and, as a result, there are over 37 million missing girls in China today. This tragedy occurs through pre-natal sex selection, infanticide and infant abandonment.

We as students need to rise above the status-quo of other indifferent students and do something that will show others the injustice that is happening all around the world, everyday. It is our time to stand up for all those that were killed by the worst human rights violations in history and tell the world, “WE ARE THE PRO LIFE GENERATION!” So are you going to take a stand?

Pushing on Ahead

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

Two weeks down, seven more lay ahead. Now that I have adjusted to working here in the Students for Life office, I now have a level of comfort and a clearer sense of mission in what I’ll be accomplishing here. Beyond simply finishing tasks like putting together emails or editing together videos, I am constantly watching newswires and feeds for the latest headlines dealing with pro-life issues. It’s exciting to always be aware of what is going on in our country and being working for an organization which needs to rapidly know and respond to abortion-related news. It’s the type of immediate and fast paced work that drew me in to studying communications and journalism in the first place. Being able to be involved in that environment as well as contribute to life-saving work – well, that’s icing on the top.

But I have hit a bump in the road during my time here – almost literally.

Last week I suffered an injury to my left ankle which resulted in a fractured Tibia and strained muscles around my ankle. While this injury certainly puts a limit on my mobility, I am grateful that it won’t keep me from completing my internship. As Sophocles put it, “There is no success without hardship.” So, while my time here is looking a little different now that I am dealing with an injury, I am hopeful that I will come out the other end of this time a stronger person for this experience. In the meantime, prayers for a quick recovery and no further complications would be greatly appreciated.

On a broader note, for those of us in the pro-life movement, we are certainly in the midst of challenging times. With the HHS mandate decision coming down from the Supreme Court anytime now, as well as a interesting and sometimes daunting election coming upon us, it is important that we see the opportunities before us as chances to build ourselves, not only as individuals but as a movement.

Until next week!

By: Shara Guengerich, Students for Life of America’s 2012 Communications Intern

SFLA on FoxNews Rallying for Freedom!

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

This past weekend thousands of pro-life advocates spoke out across the country against the forced funding of birth control through the HHS mandate. Students for Life of America stood with hundreds of fellow advocates for life at the Rally for Religious Freedom in Washington D.C. on June 8, 2012. Speakers such as Kristan Hawkins, executive director of Students for Life, Michelle Bachmann, David Bereit of 40 Days for Life, and many others voiced their opposition to the HHS mandate which would force non-profits and churches to pay for birth control for their employees.

Meet our 2011 Student Group Winners!

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

Our 2012 National Conference was a huge success – thank you to all who helped make it the largest pro-life student conference in the world!

On Sunday, our team was busy hosting 2,000+ students from across the country for a weekend of workshops, break-out sessions, and presentations on how to envision a world without abortion. Gov. Mike Huckabee, Congressman Chris Smith, Lila Rose, David Bereit, and other pro-life leaders graciously joined us at the SFLA National Conference and spoke to our students about what our nation will look like once Roe v. Wade is overturned.

In case you weren’t able to see all of the presentations we streamed live on Sunday, please visit www.sflalive.org to watch the recorded Morning and Evening General Sessions from the event!

At the Conference, our team was also honored to present our 2011 Students for Life National Awards. Many thanks and congratulations for your incredibly hard work and successful efforts in the past year!

Impact for Life Award – National Pro-Life Youth Congress
The PLYC is designed for students from 7th-12th grades who are ready to stand up in their community for the unborn in America. Every year, they organize four conferences, each one focused around one of their leadership themes: justice, temperance, fortitude and prudence. They provide education and guidance to develop excellent citizenship to fight for innocent Americans from conception through natural death.

New Group of the Year Award – University of Buffalo Students for Life
UB SFL has formed a coalition with community groups and built on that support to host a fundraiser where they raised over $2,500 for their pro-life efforts and have worked on campus to support adoption and pro-life legislation, while also capitalizing on their cultural diversity to promote Life in Asia. They have faced constant discrimination from the administration, faculty, student government and fellow students. In the past semester, they gained national media attention when both of their Cemetery of the Innocents displays were vandalized on campus. They bounced back to stand for their rights and for the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves, the pre-born.

Teen Group of the Year Award – Angels for Life, Holy Angels Academy, Buffalo, NY
Angels for Life participated in numerous events at their school and in their community over the past year, including a diaper drive and car wash fundraiser to support their local crisis pregnancy center. They helped the University of Buffalo stake crosses for their Cemetery of the Innocents. They participated in the National Day of Silent Solidarity, the National Night of Prayer and frequently prayed for an end to abortion outside of their local abortion facility. They screened movies with pro-life themes and partnered with other clubs to boost attendance, reaching students who otherwise would not have heard the pro-life message. During National Adoption Month, this club hosted a fundraiser at a Wendy’s restaurant which donated 10% of all sales one evening to the Baker Victory Services adoption agency.

Group of the Year Award – College of William & Mary Students for Life
SFL at the College of William and Mary have been participating in the Pregnant on Campus Initiative, fundraising to bring diaper decks to their campus and helping to make their school more welcoming to pregnant and parenting students. They have worked to combat the efforts of Planned Parenthood’s VOX group on campus by attending meetings and witnessing to the Truth. They have held a variety of events, including a screening of the documentary Blood Money, a pro-life flyering campaign and a Christmas Card campaign for local mothers. They also hosted a debate between pro-life apologetics speaker Scott Klusendorf and former ACLU President Nadine Strossen.

To all who made our 2012 National Conference our biggest success yet, we thank you for joining us in the fight for Life.

Students for Life Clinches Impressive Numbers during the Fall 2011 Semester

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

In just the fall 2011 semester alone, our team at Students for Life of America has managed to make a significant dent in pro-abortion culture on campuses across the nation – and we have the numbers to prove it.

In just four short months, our Field Team, along with members of our Pregnant on Campus Initiative and Medical Students for Life division, have traveled from coast to coast, organizing, building, and revitalizing student groups to nourish pro-life culture among college-aged students and to provide necessary resources, trainings and workshops to foster a supportive environment for pro-lifers.

Students for Life ended the Fall semester with a total tally of 678 active student groups that work with us, including 52 new groups we have helped start. We currently serve groups in 49 states and equipped pro-life students with leadership skills at 42 trainings in 16 states last fall.

In addition, our team visited 118 campuses in 21 states last semester, and our Medical Students for Life division founded 3 new campus groups to round out our total of 27 Med SFL groups in 17 states.

Our Pregnant on Campus Initiative that begun in July of 2011 was revitalized after the death of our dear friend and former PonC Coordinator, Jon Scharfenberger, and we were able to successfully welcome 19 pro-life campus groups into the initiative. We were also successful in establishing 28 high school and homeschool pro-life student groups last fall.

We look forward to continuing our successful efforts in the latter half of the academic year and working to abolishing abortion with this generation!

“Planned Parenthood Regrets” Earns the Great Northwest Chapter our Lowest Honor

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Kristan Hawkins

PP of the Great Northwest gets our Planned Parenthood Outrage of the Week nod for their well-timed “Planned Parenthood Regrets” nod last week.

In what is outlined as a kitschy outlet for PP chapters to vent their frustration at the ever-growing opposition to the largest abortion provider in the country, Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest had this to shrug off their shoulders:

Angst over the current Republican candidates shying away from their pro-death rhetoric,
Frustration over the decision by Health & Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, to reject the FDA’s recommendation to make Plan B, the abortion pill, accessible over the counter,
The $2.25 million dollar cut felt by Planned Parenthood facilities throughout the state of Washington (we’re especially excited about this one), and
In their own words, “big ol’ regrets that Gov. Chris Gregoire has recommended cutting another $1.8 million from “family planning funding” in her current budget proposal.

Why are we outraged?

Because PP of the GNW is deciding to twist their carefully-plotted rhetoric in true Planned Parenthood fashion. They’re not the largest contributor to abortions in the United States, they provide “family planning agency that provides high-quality, affordable reproductive health care for young and low-income women and men.” Taxpayer-funded abortions aren’t as bad as they seem when spun as a failure to “fund basic women’s health.”

…we think they mean “health care.”

We’re also outraged at the manipulative phrasing of the statement that Washington state “eliminated services for 7,500 low-income women.”

Do you mean to say you eliminated access to abortions for these low-income demographics, which are specifically targeted by Planned Parenthood facilities, or you eliminated access to the kind of breast exams women can do themselves in the comfort of their own homes? Because if you remember correctly, Planned Parenthood does not provide mammograms or other cancer screening services.

But we bet you knew that.

Have any other Planned Parenthood or VOX-related stories we should know about? Email us!

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