Life as a class project

On April 2, 2003, parents and friends filed into St. Thomas More Academy in Burton, Michigan, to eat hors d'oeuvres and hear 10 students give speeches. The students were preparing to give the speeches at the Right to Life of Michigan oratory contest. The students, who come from a high school of about 25, gave speeches on a variety of prolife issues. This was helpful practice for the upcoming local oratory contest.

The students also used this opportunity to raise $527 for the Right to Life of Michigan Education Fund, specifically to help pay for yellow page ads that will feature RLM's toll-free 1-800-57WOMAN number as a last chance for women who are in a crisis pregnancy.

Michigan's abortion statistics show that 85 percent of women who abort refer themselves to an abortionist, meaning that most women find someone to kill their child by looking in the yellow pages.

The students' teacher, Phyllis Cory, requires all of her high school English students to give a prolife speech during the school year. After a conversation with an RLM employee that "planted the seed for the fund-raiser," Phyllis decided to have her students do a lenten service project to raise money for RLM. The idea of "speech practice with hors d'oeuvres table" emerged after discussing various ideas with her 11th and 12th grade English classes. The students, most of whom attended the 2003 March for Life, felt this would be a good opportunity to share their prolife views in front of an audience. The strongly prolife students wholeheartedly embraced this project and went to work by making posters and approaching parents, teachers and visitors during the entire week.

One of the student speakers, Amy LeBlanc, went on to win North Oakland Right to Life's oratory contest and competed in the state oratory contest on May 10.

This project shows that everyone, regardless of age, has the ability to make a difference for life. Thanks are due to Phyllis Cory and the St. Thomas More Academy high school students for their innovative thinking and generous hearts.