Last week, the free speech area on campus was home to a pro-life group trying to spread an anti-abortion message to the Bakersfield College community. They handed out pamphlets, brought multiple seven or eight feet tall standups covered with pictures of dead fetuses, statistics, and research supporting their belief that abortion is wrong.

Their bold approach created an interesting environment in the free speech area. Some students openly showed their admiration for the group by yelling “Yeah!” or by helping them hand out pamphlets. Other students supported them in subtler ways.

Kobe Wright, a BC freshman, didn’t witness the group when at their peak, but he didn’t mind their message.

“I didn’t really get to see them, but I am pro-life. I think if you have done the things required to make a human being then it’s not the baby’s fault, so they shouldn’t be killed,” he said.

Wright was not alone in his feelings about the group. Single mother Bailey Moore felt similar.

“Yeah, I saw them when I was on my way to then cafeteria. I agree with them. I think abortion is wrong. I think about it like this. If you can make a baby, then you better be ready to take care of that baby,” Moore said. “When I was pregnant with my son I second guessed myself, but looking back if I would’ve done that I don’t think I could live with myself.”

Around noon, many more people began to come into contact with the pro-life group with scrunched up faces at the stands ups and rolling eyes when they were approached by the volunteers.

A pro-life group set up the same type of posters on the BC campus five years ago, and things did not go as smoothly. Last time around, pro-life and pro-choice protestors started to argue with one another and some fights nearly broke out. This time, Public Safety made its presence known while the group was on campus, and things were a lot calmer. But still, still people did not fully appreciate the way they went about things.

Art student Kayla Faubus felt strongly about the way they went about things.

“I think they have the right to protest, but I don’t like the way they’re protesting with the signs. I believe that women have a choice on what she decides to do with her body,” she said.

“I think that their points are so invalid because they haven’t been in the situation of having to get an abortion. It’s something easy to protest by people who will never experience that.”

Shanice Watson, a political science major, also felt a little uncomfortable when coming into contact with them. “It made me feel uncomfortable, because the last thing you would want to see after an exam or class at all is a bloody fetus towering over you.”