Mark Newman, president for Speaker for Life, presented on pro-life regarding abortion titled “Called to Greatness” on Sept. 10, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Memorial Union. The lecture was attended by about 20 community members and campus students. It left many feeling strongly about the topic.
Newman’s talk focused on the development of babies and the benefits of going to a women’s medical center for alternative treatments to abortion centers. The presentation also provided information on how women’s treatment centers can provide more support than abortion clinics for unplanned pregnancies.
Attendees learned more about the process of abortion and the Insight Women’s Center in Lawrence, Kansas, a local resource for women with unplanned pregnancies wanting options other than abortion.
Caitlin Bina, freshman in political science, said her biggest takeaway from the presentation was that, “the importance of backing pro-life stances is with scientific evidence.”
Bridget Smith was a community member, who also works at the Insight Women’s Center, came to hear Newman’s lecture and to support him.
“My biggest takeaway is that abortion is not an issue; it’s an act,” Smith said.
However, everyone in the audience wasn’t in favor of what Newman had to say. Moriah Shelton, freshman elementary education major, felt very strongly that Newman’s presentation wasn’t doing justice to women’s choice.
“It’s not right for men to have control over women’s bodies and [it] makes it worse when religion is brought into the topic,” Shelton said.
“[It] was very informative; some stuff I have heard before but [I] felt that I needed to be more informed about,” said Bryson Leon, freshman computer information science major.
Newman’s presentation asked the audience to make sure that their own views on abortion, especially for pro-life, be backed up by facts and sources, and that they give the other side of the issue a say as well.
Newman also said that personally, he wanted others to hear that every life is worth living and to understand the importance of human beings that God created in his image.
Edited by Anushma Dahal and Anson Appelhanz
