As students passed between classes on a cool, partly cloudy afternoon, women’s shouts were heard across Central Campus.

“Two-four-six-eight, we’re the ones who ovulate. Not the church, not the state, women must decide our fate!” was the protesters’ chant heard outside the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center Thursday afternoon.

In response to the decision this week by the South Dakota Legislature to ban abortions except to save the life of the mother, statewide protests were held in Iowa.

“We’re making sure everything that happened there doesn’t happen here,” said Alysa Mozak, protester and senior in child, adult and family services. “We want to make sure this stays legal because it’s the women’s right to choose her own destiny.”

Kathi Di Nicola, director of marketing and communication for Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, said Thursday was declared The National Day of Solidarity for South Dakota, which was mobilized by different affiliations in an effort to get signatures from across the nation to send to the South Dakota Legislature, showing them that what was happening there wouldn’t happen in Iowa and other states. Across Iowa, four areas were asked to participate: Des Moines, Ames, Sioux City and Iowa City.

“It’s wrong,” Mozak said. “It is embedded in our First Amendment rights.”

She said that the decision is something that she definitely hopes will never make its way to Iowa.

“It jeopardizes women’s health care,” Mozak said. “They’re cutting family planning and birth control.”

Belinda Frazier, regional educator from Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, said that it was important that women take an active role in the protest.

“We’re sending the message to other women to take a stand,” she said. “You can’t leave it up to someone else to stand up for you.”

Mozak said she was trying to inform others about something that could eventually affect the nation.

“It’s important to be aware of what’s happening in the nation. It’s shocking that so many people don’t know what is going on in their neighboring states,” she said. “Especially when it could effect someone you know or love.”

Shelley Taylor, program coordinator for ISU global agriculture programs, said she signed the petition because she felt the ban was against the law.

“Because it’s illegal,” she said. “It’s illegal – what they’re doing – and I don’t want to see that happen in Iowa.”

Alicia Morse, secretary for ISU Students for Life and freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication, said she held a different view.

“I am in total agreement with what they are doing in South Dakota,” Morse said in an e-mail. “A complete ban on abortion is the only just solution for all of the women harmed and the millions of babies killed by abortion.”

Morse said she hoped that Iowa would follow the example of South Dakota and draft a similar law. She said that often women will get abortions because they feel they have no other choice because of pressure from family or friends or feel that men won’t take responsibility.

“Abortion isn’t the solution to help women and never has been,” Morse said.