Sophomore Seeks to Alter Views of GU Right to Life

Ellie Hook (COL ’12) leads a busy life: She is on the College Academic Council, works at Lauinger Library and is on the Career Center Advisory Council. The activity she cares most deeply about at Georgetown, however, is her role as the president of Georgetown University Right to Life. Hook spoke to The Hoya about her involvement in Right to Life, the nature of the organization’s aims and her plans to guide the group to greater heights this year.

Why did you become a part of Right to Life at Georgetown? Were you involved in something like this in high school?

We didn’t have a club like this in high school, but I was really excited when I heard about Right to Life — mainly because I was such a strong believe[r] in the [right-to-life] movement. My grandpa used to protest abortion every morning at 6 a.m. and my mom is a nurse and place[s] a high value on life and raised me with that type of thinking. I guess no matter how cynical I am, I can’t forfeit the belief that everyone deserves a chance and has the right to life.

Besides being against abortion, what other issue does Right to Life address?

Right to Life is against four key issues in life: euthanasia, the death penalty, abortion and genocide.

What other on-campus groups does Right to Life work with?

We work with several different groups on campus. We helped a little with the DarfurFast, so STAND: [A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition] — it was a genocide event. Monthly, we help the Knights of Columbus with diaper drives to get diapers, baby formula, different supplies for the Northwest Pregnancy Center, and we help them out with that — they host it, but we help volunteer at it. We’re looking to have a death penalty speaker … we’re planning it right now, so we’re trying to find other groups to co-sponsor that with us.

What sort of notable activities has Right to Life done, or plan to do?

This month we’re having a diaper drive. We also have our general meeting and weekly we have board meetings. We are involved with 25 Days of Service, help[ed] with the DarfurFast, and we’re also having a pregnancy forum this month. We are hoping the forum will raise awareness about different resources for pregnant students and student mothers have on campus. If these mothers are not receiving something, we want to be able to help them get it from different areas and aspects on campus.

Do you worry about the club having a stereotype of being solely about abortion?

Yes, I think that’s one of the main issues. Abortion is such a political issue, and I think people feel that if they are pro-choice they can’t be involved in Right to Life. I would like people to know that we focus on different areas and are really dedicated to doing service events. I would love for people to participate when we do things against the death penalty, genocide or euthanasia. I would love to make sure people know they can get involved in other aspects of our club.

What would a Right to Life member say in response to people that feel that stem cell research could save thousands of lives by finding cures for currently incurable diseases?

I think a Right to Life member would say something along the lines of: ‘Is it really worth it to take an aborted fetus to research to save lives?’ So to take a killed life to save lives is sort of hypocritical, especially because you can research through umbilical cords without having an aborted fetus.

What would a Right to Life member say if a friend came to him or her saying, ‘I’m pregnant, and I’m trying to decide whether I want to abort my baby or keep it’?

I think that if someone came to me, I would first make sure they knew that I am there for them. I would also make sure they knew that there are so many campus resources and that they don’t need to be rushed into making a decision [about] what to do if they find out they are pregnant. Rather, they can receive counseling, go to the [Northwest] Pregnancy Center — they can help them there every step of the way — and that they do have a chance to save a life rather then forfeiting a life just because it’s hard and inconvenient. I would also really stress them talking to student mothers on campus and how they made the decision to keep their child and how that’s impacted their life. I think each and every one of these mothers would say that they made the right decision.

What do you think President Obama should do in regard to health care?

I’m not sure that my stance aligns with [that of] Right to Life’s in general. Right to Life is against the fact that Obama’s plan will have tax-funded abortions, which we are against. Overall, I do not think Right to Life has much of a stance on health care though.

Is Right to Life a predominantly Catholic or religious club?

Right to Life is not associated with a particular religious or political group, so we are non-partisan. A lot of times the Right to Life movement aligns with Catholic beliefs, so it’s natural for people that are involved in Catholic groups to filter in to Right to Life. Something I would really like for the club is diversity, and even though there are a lot of Catholics in the club … and I enjoy and respect working with every one of them, I would really like to see more diversity and awareness on campus. I think Right to Life is a really great club, and I wish there were more people involved.

Do you think your career will have something to do with Right to Life?

I have no idea what I want to do, but potentially, [yes]. If my career was not Right to Life-focused I could definitely see myself doing volunteer work for Right to Life on the side.

What do you see in the future for Right to Life? Are there any changes that you hope to implement this year? What is your vision for the future?

I want the club to be diverse, but also to make sure that people know Right to Life is not just about abortion. I want the whole campus to know Right to Life’s presence, and that we have four different life issues — not just abortion. Finally, I would love to have more people around campus from different groups and backgrounds to join Right to Life. The life issue crosses racial, economic, religious, political, age [and] gender backgrounds. I would really love for more of a diversified presence in Right to Life.

Are there any challenges Right to Life has to deal with on campus?

Not really, I think that the campus overall is relatively supportive. We’re [Student Activities Commission]-funded, and I think most of our events are supported by the campus in general.