At a time when abortion could have meant taking your life into your own hands, an abortion service sprang from a small consulting group and grew to an organization that illegally employed 125 women in an effort to save the lives of nearly 12,000 women.

Jane: An Abortion Service, a documentary about an abortion clinic that was illegally run from 1969-1974, was shown last night followed by a lecture from the co-producer and co-director of the film, Kate Kirtz.

About 30 students attended the event, sponsored by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance.

Kirtz worked on the film for three years and finished in 1995. She was still in college working as a waitress when she decided to do the documentary.

"I was shocked that such an important historical event was not yet covered," Kirtz said.

Kirtz said there were not any guarantees that any of the female employees of the service, called "Jane," would work with the filmmakers at the production's outset. None of the employees had ever gone public about their experience.

Michelle Yates (senior-women's studies) president of the FMLA, was in charge of bringing Kirtz to Penn State.

"What inspired me to get Kate to come and show the documentary was because it had to do with pro-choice rights. It was a group of women who came together on an issue that people thought was nearly impossible to do but did it anyway. They came together and did an incredibly empowering thing and shows that it could happen today," Yates said.

The documentary depicted a group of women that supported women who wanted abortions but had nowhere else to turn because they were illegal.

The women called the "Jane" number and were then referred to a facility to have the abortion safely and inexpensively.

The women started from ground zero. At first, they were only there to talk to the patients but soon began to perform the abortions themselves. After a woman went through the "Jane" service, she often times joined the group to help support others contemplating abortion.

"Jane" then grew collectively and soon the women began to run the clinic in a privately owned apartment.

"This documentary is about taking care of others in your community and standing up for your beliefs. Take action for your beliefs. It is so exciting to see young people who do stand up for their beliefs," Kirtz said. "We all have the power to change, we just have to realize it."

Following the documentary, a discussion of issues such as the presidential elections ensued. Kirtz discussed how the winner might affect abortion rights. She said a type of service similar to "Jane" could organize again if abortion was made illegal once more.

Kirtz said the anti-abortion position is a "calculated, political movement that is preying on women to scare them with post-abortion stress because it is marketable."

Students in attendance agreed the election might have an impact on abortion rights.

"It is a very relevant topic right now based on candidates' political standing and the open Supreme Court chairs. This could become another reality," said Shawn St Clair (senior-history).

Twilla Parker (graduate-agricultural economics) appreciated Kirtz's perspective.

"She is very nice and personable," said Parker (graduate-agricultural economics) who is a native of New Mexico, three miles outside of Texas. "I come from George Bush territory, and it is unique to see someone pro-choice."