January 27, 2001
Calvert teens learn to back up beliefs
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
Teens from Calvert High School learned this week that it's important to take action in support of your beliefs.
They also saw that many others, just like them, felt the same way.
Fifty-one Calvert students boarded a charter bus early Sunday morning to travel to Washington, D.C. This was the first time a large group of students, organized by the school, have taken part in the annual Right To Life activities in the nation's capital.
This year marked the 28th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade, making abortion legal. Calvert's religion teacher, Father Mike Dandurand, felt it was important for the students to have a presence at the event.
"Primarily because I believe in the importance of it,'' Dandurand said. "More and more I hear about how the Right To Life movement is attracting more and more young people. There were not many gray haired people in the march.''
All students were offered the chance to go on the three-day trip, for a cost of $85. Those who went comprised about one sixth of the student body of 280.
After arriving Sunday afternoon, they attended a Mass at the National Basilica, at which 9,000 people gathered.
After spending the night on the gym floor of Catholic University, they took part in a breakfast sponsored by Steve Forbes, at which he was the keynote speaker. Ohio senators George Voinovich and Mike DeWine were present.
From there, students joined more than 30,000 others to a rally by the Washington Memorial. The rally lasted one and a half to two hours.
The march itself started late. "There was three hours of standing,'' junior Chris Mileski said. The march took a route along Constitution Avenue, from Washington Monument to the steps of the Supreme Court.
Students saw no pro-choice protesters, and were impressed by the diversity of those participating in the march.
Buddhists were represented, as were those of the Jewish faith. Other Christian religions were represented as well, and one student saw a group holding a sign that read, "Gays and Lesbians Support Life.''
Many parochial schools from Ohio were there, including Sandusky St. Mary's, and Delphos St. John's. "There were a lot of people from all over,'' Dandurand said. "And it was really a young movement; that was one of the messages stressed at Mass.''
"I didn't realize that there were that many people our age that cared that much,'' said junior Andy Elchert. Senior Dana Panuto felt it was the opportunity of a lifetime. "It was something not usually offered here and it was for a good cause,'' she said.
"It's important to not just believe in something,'' added senior Natallie Jones. "But to do something about it too.''
Ben Stover, a junior, said that he learned that there were many people that also supported life. "Of all the things I've done, including Boy Scouts, this is the only thing I've actually done that can make a difference; at least so far,'' added Mileski.