By Ana Cabezas

January 16, 2013

This month marks the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade — the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

A group of Dominican students also will be marking this event with a protest – also known as the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. The march is organized by pro-life activists to speak out on the issue of abortion with this year’s march being scheduled for Jan. 25.

Dominican students have begun a pro-life organization called Stars for Life, which picks up where a previous pro-life organization, ProVita, had left off several years ago. Melissa Budz, president of Stars for Life, along with two to three other students are planning on going to the march.

This year is Budz’s first time attending and she expressed the importance of March for Life in the pro-life discussion.

“March for Life is so important, especially when the dignity of human life, especially the lives of unborn children, is coming under attack in so many ways in today’s society,” Budz said.

“March for Life is a gathering of hundreds of thousands of people to protest legalized abortion and tell our government that every abortion ends a human life and that there are better options available for women and their unborn children.”

Last year about 450 people attended the event through the archdiocese of Chicago, according to Deborah Villanueva, of the archdiocese.

Villanueva is expecting 550 people to attend this year.

2012 Dominican alumna Mary Stroka attended the march in 2011, saying that she enjoyed the march and would like to attend this year.

Stroka also said that along with going this year, she would like to attend each year for the rest of her life.  “People need to be informed on this issue,” Stroka said.

“Everyone has a right to life.”

For more information contact Melissa Budz at budzmeli@my.dom.edu or check the Dominican’s “Stars for Life” fan page on Facebook.