At a tabling event held on September 23rd, Choose Life at Yale garnered both inquisitive looks and hostile glares as they promoted life-affirming alternatives to Planned Parenthood. The reactions and conversations at this event illustrate both the progress CLAY is making and the challenges they face, highlighting the resistance many students have to engaging with pro-life arguments in good faith.
Grant Shanklin
Assistant Editor, The Beacon
At a tabling event held on September 23rd, Choose Life at Yale garnered both inquisitive looks and hostile glares as they promoted life-affirming alternatives to Planned Parenthood. The reactions and conversations at this event illustrate both the progress CLAY is making and the challenges they face, highlighting the resistance many students have to engaging with pro-life arguments in good faith.
Choose Life at Yale (CLAY) is an undergraduate organization dedicated to fostering a pro-life culture on Yale’s campus. At the heart of CLAY’s mission is dialogue, facilitated through weekly roundtable discussions, poster campaigns, and other public events. The group invites fellow Yalies to explore questions such as: What is the reality of abortion? When does human life begin? What resources and support are available to women facing unplanned pregnancies?
Throughout the day, volunteers reported having over 70 meaningful conversations. Many students stopped to learn more about alternatives to abortion and the resources available to women with unplanned pregnancies. Raleigh Adams DIV ’26, one of the tablers, recalled an interaction with someone who approached the table saying, “I disagree with you guys first and foremost, but I want to have a conversation.” Adams appreciated the gesture, remarking that the individual recognized the value of open dialogue, which led to a productive exchange.
Emma Ventresca ’26, CLAY’s president, shared a personal account of a conversation with a friend with whom she had never previously discussed politics—or abortion. “Even though he wasn’t quite sure what I was advocating, he was willing to listen,” Ventresca said. Her friend initially expressed uncertainty, explaining that he lacked experience with arguments on either side of the issue and felt he couldn’t have an opinion because he was a man. However, after nearly 30 minutes of discussion, “he was willing to dig deeper into the reality of abortion and said he would do further research on his own time.”
Reflecting on the conversation, Ventresca described it as the most fulfilling discussion she’d ever had. “We both took the time to listen to each other, honoring the moral gravity of the subject and even finding some common ground in the end.”
Some interactions during the event were less positive. A few students glanced at the table, recognized CLAY’s message, and walked away, politely saying, “I don’t have time for this.” Others dismissed the volunteers, suggesting they were failing to “acknowledge the nuance” of the issue. Adams remarked, “Honestly, that was fine. If someone doesn’t want to engage, the kindest thing they can do is say they’re busy and move on. But there were others who took it a step further—those interactions were harder to handle.”
While many students passed by the event with indifference or apathy, others responded in more overtly hostile ways. Some crumpled the materials being distributed, while others laughed or took pictures of the volunteers in a mocking manner. Adams observed that this type of behavior, particularly at a university like Yale, raises concerns about the students’ role in undermining the institution’s core values. “In a place that prides itself on cultivating knowledge and fostering intellectual exchange, students disparaging opposing viewpoints, rather than engaging with them, goes against the very mission of the university,” Adams noted. This highlights a critical distinction between faculty policies and the actions of the student body, which, through such behavior, can perpetuate a campus environment less tolerant of free speech.
CLAY members work hard to emphasize the moral urgency of the pro-life cause—not merely as an abstract debate but as an issue affecting the campus community, despite the hesitancy from some students to engage. Yet, Yale students continue to be hesitant to engage. Ventresca concluded, “This is an issue that affects college communities, and having honest, open discussions is the best way for us to create a culture of life on our campus.”
To continue to spur these conversations on campus, Choose Life at Yale will be hosting its annual Vita Et Veritas conference on October 25th-26th. More information can be found here.