A representative of Catholics for Choice spoke to more than 350 people at last night's "Celebration for Choice" at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center.

The event, sponsored by Centre Countians for Choice and the Undergraduate Student Government's Department of Women's Concerns, marked the 17th anniversary of the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, which made abortion legal.

"This turnout represents an immense amount of activism," said Judy Katz, a member of Centre Countians for Choice.

Margaret Conway, of Catholics for Choice, spoke about the organization's philosophy that an ideological basis for being pro-choice and Catholic.

"Morality involves circumstances and no one can know the circumstances of every single person in the world," Conway said.

The Catholic Church has become politically active in the abortion issue, she said, not out of a concern for human life but out of an obsession with controlling the sex lives of its members.

"I won't believe the church values the sanctity of human life until it begins working to protect women's lives," Conway said.

She also urged members of the audience to become active in the pro- choice movement.

"We must accept the responsibility of keeping abortion safe and legal," she said.

Members of the audience said they agreed with Conway's view of the abortion issue.

"You don't have to believe in abortion to be pro-choice. I'm Catholic and I don't believe in abortion for myself, but I'm pro-choice," Kathi Mastridge (sophomore-elementary education) said.

"(Conway) pointed out the essence of the pro-choice movement. There is a lot of gray area. You have to define where you are in that area," said Undergraduate Student Government President Janyne Althaus.

The event's second speaker was Betsy Carr, Pennsylvania organizer from the National Abortion Rights Action League.

Carr spoke about mobilizing pro-choice voters in order to defeat pro-life candidates in the state legislature. Although 75 percent of the voters of Pennsylvania are pro-choice, the state legislature's recent actions do not reflect this, Carr said.

"You've just got to talk to these people and get them to go the poles," Carr said.

Carr introduced State College Borough councilwoman Jean McManis, who announced Wednesday she will be running for a seat in the state legislature as a pro-choice candidate.

"This anniversary is a milestone for women's privacy," McManis said.

Some audience members said they did not see much cause for celebration in view of the recent enactment of the Abortion Control Act of 1989 -- the strictest abortion control act in the nation.

The Abortion Control Act was passed after the Supreme Court's Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services decision this summer, which left the power to restrict abortions to the states.

"The idea of celebration is ironic in view of what has happened to abortion rights in Pennsylvania. I feel like there isn't much to celebrate at this point but you've got to get people out," Cathy Breznek (graduate-linguistics) said.

Tammy Foust, president of the USG Department of Women's Concerns, said this year's setbacks in abortion rights makes the anniversary of the Roe decision especially important.

"It's important to remember that you're fighting for a right you already have," Foust said.

"A lot of people see (the Abortion Control Act) as a blow for the pro-choice movement. It's important to have things like this to remind people that it's just a set back," Melissa Sands (junior-broadcast cable) said.

Participants in the event purchased desserts, listened to live music and talked before the speakers appeared.

Foust said it was appropriate to mark the anniversary of Roe in a more relaxed, than political, setting.

"If all you ever have is rallies, you get drained real quick," Foust said.