Bentonville Pro-Life Club Finds Its Footing

BENTONVILLE -- A Bentonville High School club devoted to ending abortion faced challenges getting off the ground, according to those involved with it.

Students for Life Bentonville finally did get school administrators' approval and launched this fall. In recognition of the organizers' efforts, Students for Life of America named the club its High School Group of the Month for November.

Jessica Nyden, 16, decided more than a year ago she wanted to start a pro-life club at the school.

"Abortion is a human rights issue," Nyden said. "You should protect every stage of life. The pre-born are no different from the already born."

Nyden, a junior, said she made three attempts over the course of about a year to get approval for the club. She enlisted the help of Students for Life of America, a nonprofit organization that works with and trains pro-life student groups at high schools and colleges nationwide.

"We had some pushback from (Bentonville High School)," said Missy Stone, the organization's national high school program coordinator. "They were uncomfortable with it, which makes sense, but at the same time, you can't limit free speech because you're uncomfortable with the topic."

One issue had to do with the club's similarity to an existing club called Growing As Parents, a support group for students who are parents.

"We had to prove to the school this was not the same kind of club. To lump them in with a club that's really for parenting mothers is really limiting them," Stone said. "We said we want to be a pro-life club that focuses on education, that brings in speakers, that raises money for parents in need."

Students for Life of America was on the verge of getting its attorneys involved in the Bentonville situation before club approval was granted, Stone said.

Chad Scott, Bentonville High School principal, differed with Stone's characterization of the approval process. He said the process was "normal."

"Obviously there are some clubs and organizations within a school that, due to their very nature, they might be addressing things that are sensitive to the public," Scott said. "As an administrator I have to consider lots of things, and I sure have to be careful the school itself is not doing anything where it might be perceived the school is taking a stance on some societal issue. There are multiple things you have to consider as a principal when students want to do things like that."

He called Students for Life a positive thing for the school.

"This club is obviously wanting to do some positive things," he said. "It's a club that's a little bit more cause-related, but all of our clubs have a cause. They all have to be service oriented at some level to be a club."

Stone said some of the other students Nyden was working with didn't want to cause any problems when they faced resistance from the school.

"They were hesitant to really stand up for it, but (Nyden) was the one who really pushed," Stone said.

Students for Life has clubs at about 300 high schools and more than 500 colleges and universities, including the University of Arkansas. High school and college students account for a little more than half of all abortions nationally, Stone said.

It is normal for public high schools to hesitate to grant approval of a pro-life club, Stone said.

"I think they have good intentions, because they think starting a pro-life club would be disruptive," Stone said. "Every single public high school group we've gone to has faced some sort of obstacle. (Administrators) have always backed down."

Though the pro-life movement is often associated with religious groups, Students for Life is not affiliated with any religion, Stone said.

One of the challenges was finding a staff member to serve as Students for Life's sponsor. Many were afraid to get involved with the club, Nyden said. Leanna McCollum, a math teacher who also co-sponsors the Young Republicans Club, agreed to do it.

"She's great. She's real helpful. She's really easy to work with," Nyden said.

Students for Life Bentonville has about 18 members, Nyden said. One of its first projects was a large banner with 3,300 hearts finger painted on it, representing the approximate number of abortions in the United States each day, Nyden said.

The banner was on display at the school for one day in September before an administrator took it down, Nyden said.

Student reaction to the club has been mostly positive.

"They've been pretty open and kind to us," Nyden said.

The club plans a trip to Little Rock on Jan. 18 for the Arkansas March for Life. All students are welcome to join the trip.

The club's goal is simple, Nyden said.

"We really just hope to change hearts and minds of people at our school and make a difference on their view of abortion," she said.

As of last month, there were nine pregnant or parenting students at Bentonville High School enrolled in the school's Building Bridges program, according to School District Superintendent Michael Poore. Building Bridges offers care for infants and toddlers.