Students For Life held a peaceful annual rally on Central Campus Wednesday afternoon.

Forty people held signs and posters promoting pro-life messages including 12 children were also holding signs alongside their parents. Many of their signs thanked parents for choosing life.

Ryan Babbitt, junior in computer science and president of Students for Life, urged fellow members to be “respectful to everyone you see.” Babbitt said it demeans their cause to yell when they want to respect life.

The goals of the pro-life rally were to raise awareness in the community about pro-life beliefs and make people question abortion and realize there is another life involved, Babbitt said.

October has been chosen for the pro-life rally because it is Respect Life Month. Babbitt said the rally coincides well with the month and the weather didn’t hinder the effort.

Students For Life was started in spring 2000 by Lisa Duppong, graduate student in agronomy. Duppong said she was motivated by a love for all human life and believes the “opposite of love is not hate it is self.”

Students For Life is not affiliated with any religious or political party, Babbitt said.

“No other rights will long be guaranteed by a society that subjects the most fundamental right to life to another person’s convenience and choice,” Duppong said.

Both students and community members were showing pro-life support. Barbara Kolner, an Ames resident and pro-life supporter, held a sign to “show a joyful solidarity with other pro-lifers in Ames and the university community.”

Amid the quiet rally, one male student yelled from farther down the sidewalk, “Women have the right to choose.” He was not close enough for people to see him. The yelling was the only verbal protest. Many students chose to avoid the sidewalk lined with people and signs, instead walking on the grass.

Alicia Ebaugh, freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication, said she wore a shirt saying “My body, my child” in protest to the rally. Ebaugh said she wants “reproductive freedom.” She said if men could have children, abortion would not be an issue. She said she wanted to dispel stereotypes by emphasizing that pro-choice people do not want to kill all children. Three other students joined her in protesting the rally.

Ebaugh and Babbitt said they discussed their opposing views, but enjoyed learning about the other’s view. Both agreed the topic of pro-life vs. pro-choice would “be an issue for a while.”

Students For Life is also trying to work against the stereotype of pro-lifers. We are “not a bunch of gun-toting clinic bombers,” Babbitt said.

He appreciated the peaceful and respectful atmosphere of the rally by both supporters and protesters.