Magnificat High School - Magnifier Yearbook (Rocky River, OH)

Page 152 text:

WJ A bit of Wa rmth in the cold Stouffer’s Inn on the Square provided a welcome refuge. As businessmen in three-piece suits left the lob¬ by after a pleasant lunch, they stepped over four high school girls who had shed their shoes in an effort to revive their frozen toes. As the Youth Pro-Life rally came to a close at Public Square, the number of girls seeking warmth from the January cold in¬ creased. The three pairs of sock s, two pairs of gloves, long underwear, leg warmers, and two sweaters provided limited protection against the -32° wind chill factor. But not one of the members of Magnificat’s Right to Life Chapter complained. Suzanne Marques ’84 had just emceed a rally in which six Mags girls had given speeches. “The opposition” was minimal because of the weather. Mary Ann Wirtz ’84 received extensive me¬ dia coverage to promote the pro-life movement. And there was that guy who drove past in the heavy traffic tooting his horn and giving the thumbs-up sign to the bunch of high school kids singing songs and giv¬ ing speeches in the middle of Ohio’s second largest city during a Saturday noon rush hour. Little things like that had a way of warming (continued on page 149) Before an audience of chapter members and their parents, Sharon Ehrbar ’86 explains the various issues addressed by Right to Life. Sharon served as treasurer of the chapter. Photo by J. Murphy. DOES THIS UPSET YOU? IT SHOULD reads the caption un¬ der a picture of a fetus aborted 19 weeks after conception. The poster is dis¬ played at the youth rally, where Frances Schmidt ’87 listens to a speaker. The pro¬ lifers wore three ribbons around their arms: pink for girls, blue for boys, and black for death. Photo by A. Sheri¬ dan. 148 RIGHT TO LIFE

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Designated as Magnificat’s Right to Life spokesperson for the press, president Mary Ann Wirtz ’84 answers a reporter’s questions. The youth rally was covered on WWWE radio. Channels 3 and 5 news, and in The Plain Dealer. Photo by A. Sheridan. Discussion during a meeting is the focus of Amy Somrak’s ’87 at¬ tention. Thursday after school meetings were spent planni ng projects, listening to guest speakers, or catching up on current events. Photo by A. Sheridan. Warmth in the cold (continued from page 144) a frozen spirit. The noon rally was the second in three days for Right to Lifers. Freshmen Anneen Norris, Carolyn Goins, Lisa Savarino, Frances Schmidt, and soph¬ omore Sharon Ehrbar went with moderator Miss Brenda Frantz to Columbus on January 18. There they participated in the March for Life rally. They also had a chance to discuss prolife legislation with state sena¬ tors and representatives. Those two rallies led up to the big event on the eve of the eleventh anniversary of the Supreme Court deci¬ sion to legalize abortion. The night of January 21, chapter members participat¬ ed in the Right to Life Me¬ morial at the Cleveland Masonic Auditorium. There Fr. John Powell addressed an audience of 2500. The frostbitten toes and hoarse throats proved that Right to Life was a lot more than sitting in a cozy classroom writing letters to Congressmen. 0 —Anne Sheridan RIGHT TO LIFE 147

Page 153 text:

Her notes flapping in the bitter cold wind, Lisa Savarino ’87 delivers a speech at the noon rally. Lisa was one of seven Magnificat students to speak in support of life. Photo by A. Sheridan. The chapter pledge is recited by the members at the induction banquet. In reciting the pledge, students promised “to promote and support human life at all stages of growth from pre-birth to death.” Photo by J. Murphy. A phone booth provides little protection from the stinging wind for Michelle Petonic ’85. Michelle spoke to both stu¬ dents and adults at the noon rally. Photo by A. Sheridan. RIGHT TO LIFE