Genocide Awareness project seeks high school audience

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform took its picture display to a new audience Friday morning.

As buses and cars entered State College Area High School, students found themselves faced with the Genocide Awareness Project -- a display of images from the Holocaust and racial violence combined with images of aborted fetuses.

The display was not supported by the high school administration, but could not be removed because it was not on school property, said Patricia Best, assistant superintendent.

"We want to be very sure that members of the community who drove past our schools (Friday) morning and saw these displays understand that there was nothing we could've done to have this not be displayed at the school," Best said.

- Chaim Steinberg, State College Area High School senior

Gregg Cunningham, director of the center, said the high school students needed to see the realities of abortion.

"A high school is going to be a more sensitive place, because kids are younger. We know that seeing an abortion is traumatic, but having an abortion is more traumatic," Cunningham said. "We also know that people who see an abortion are less likely to have an abortion."

Bethany Walk, a junior at the high school, said she supports the display because she is pro-life.

"I think it causes enough disruption in the community that people will think about it more and maybe some will change their views," Walk said.

Chaim Steinberg, a senior, said he found the display offensive because it was so close to school property.

"This is absurd -- I'm almost motivated to violence. I want to go and kick (the signs) down," Steinberg said.

Sarah Meeks, a sophomore who is six months pregnant, said the decision to abort a child should be left to the individual.

"I'm pro-choice only because I believe it is a person's individual decision. I kept my baby because I knew that I could never go through with (abortion), but I know other people could and everyone is different," Meeks said.

Each student responded in his or her own way to the display, because abortion is an emotional subject, Best said.

"I think the students react as much as any other aspect of the community, in terms of having very different opinions about this. I think it's a difficult way for them to have to start their school day," Best said.

Gregg Rogers, a teacher at the school, said he was concerned about the display's effect on the learning environment.

"I'm supposed to go and teach these kids today, which is now impossible. It's one thing to offer this debate to adults on the University campus, but it's obscene to assault kids with this without their parents' consent," Rogers said.

Eric Mastrofski, a senior, said there are better ways for the center to convey its message.

"If they want us to see it, I think they should have held an assembly or something," Mastrofski said. "I don't think it should be here; it's disgusting."