Respect for Life, a new out-club, allows the girls of Academy to come together to learn and discuss ways to fight for the continuation of life in all aspects. There are five committees within the club. Each committee receives two months to teach their topic in morning meetings. Abortion and Contraceptives, Suicide, Stem Cell Research, Euthanasia, and Death Penalty are the five topics. Each committee is also required to create an activity in relation to its topic.

For the months of September and October, Katie Martin, founder of the Respect for Life Club, led two meetings based on the Catholic teachings regarding Abortion and Contraceptives. After Katie’s presentation ended, the girls openly discussed their opinions and feelings regarding abortion.

Sophia Baldor, a junior at the Academy, declared, “One of my friends had an abortion, and she is definitely not the same person anymore. She has to live with her decision every day of her life.”

Darby Meade, also a junior at the Academy, shared, “My mother, because of health problems, had the option of abortion when she was pregnant with me. I thank my mom every day for choosing life.”

Hearing both Sophia and Darby share their personal experiences, opened the other members’ eyes to reality.

Jacqueline Stine noted, “Through the living co-member, Darby Meade, I learned that abortion is wrong in all aspects. It is not right for us to say who lives and dies. It is completely up to God.”

For one of their monthly activities, The Respect for Life Club placed small, white crosses out on the grass near Bayshore to symbolize the deaths of innocent, aborted babies. Women wrote the names of their aborted babies on these crosses as a healing process. The girls in the club prayed for both the unborn babies, and as well the mothers.

Respect for Life Club also organized a prayer service at the Abortion Clinic on October 30. Ten girls from Academy, ten boys from Jesuit, and two girls from Tampa Catholic prayed in support of the current 40 days for Life Campaign. The sign for the clinic did not indicate anywhere that it was an abortion clinic, so those who drive past would never know its purpose in the absence of the protestors, or in their own search for an abortion. While there, the abortion clinic blasted classic rock music in an attempt to intimidate the peaceful protestors.

After the group of teenagers prayed a rosary out loud, Father Hermes remarked, “This was probably the first time in Tampa that the youth of the community gathered to pray for the end of abortion outside a local clinic.”

As the calendar changes, the months of November and December begin the Months of Hope. These next two months will obtain knowledge and movement towards Suicide Prevention. The Suicide Committee is in the process of brainstorming ideas in fundraising for To Write Love on Her Arms, which is non-profit organization that contributes aid and hope to those who struggle with depression.

Jamie Tworkowski, founder of To Write Love on Her Arms, writes, “The vision is better endings. The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships. The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love. The vision is hope, and hope is real. You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.”

Audriana Bruno expressed, “Being someone who has kind of been in situations when I felt like I needed some kind of comfort, or safe haven, it was nice to know that there was an organization like To Write Love On Her Arms, that provided hope and security through their stories. To Write Love On Her Arms created a community for me. I now know that I am not alone. I found hope.”

In planning for January, the Respect for Life Club has organized a trip to Washington, D.C. for March for Life. Thirty-three girls are all participating on this trip.

 “Going on the March for Life my freshman year was a remarkable, yet frightening experience. There was such a sense of community among all of the marchers and it was intense praying in such an immense group for something as important as an end to abortion. It was also extremely stressful at times, having pro-choice advocators screaming profanities as we passed by and also seeing the pro-life extremists holding posters with enlarged photos of maimed, aborted babies on them. Overall, the experience was life changing. Even though it may take years, if ever, to revoke the law allowing abortions, I felt like I was making a difference by exercising my right to stand up for my beliefs and being a part of something larger than my own small community,” declares Kelsey Langston.

Katie Martin emphasized, “I would like the girls in the Respect for Life Club to gain a greater understanding of why they stand for prolife. By educating ourselves, we become better able to articulate our beliefs and share our views with others. I hope that the girls will be able to carry on the work we have started this year so that a greater respect for life will develop in our school and community”.