Near the entrance of the Fairchild-Martindale Library on Thursday, Lehigh students drew colorful chalk messages opposing chemical abortion.
Rhema Hooper, ’26, draws with chalk outside of Fairchild-Martindale Library, Thursday. Hooper is the co-president of the Lehigh Students for Life Club. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
The event was hosted by Lehigh’s chapter of Students for Life, a nationwide anti-abortion organization. A similar chalking event was held last semester to protest funding of Planned Parenthood.
Words written on the ground included statistics from the Students for Life website, such as “36 women have died from these pills since 2000” and “the pills have hospitalized 1,000 women.”
Other messages included “Women’s bodies deserve the truth,” “You are not alone” and “You can be a parent and be successful.”
A message written in chalk outside Fairchild-Martindale Library, Thursday. Ryan Hatfield, ’26, wrote this message. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
According to the National Library of Health, chemical abortion is a process that uses two pills — mifepristone and misoprostol — to induce a miscarriage. It’s a non-surgical method of terminating a pregnancy within the first 11 weeks.
Rhema Hooper, ‘26, co-president of the club, said the purpose of the event was to create conversation between people with different viewpoints on campus.
“We’re kind of causing a stirring of dialogue between both pro-choice and pro-life circles of people and really highlighting the harms of the chemical abortion pill,” Hooper said.
One message read “Abortion pills can be reversed,” with a phone number for an abortion pill reversal hotline written below.
Benjamin Salvucci, ’29, writes a hotline phone number in chalk outside of Fairchild-Martindale Library, Thursday. Salvucci also wrote the Hail Mary prayer in Latin near the door to the library. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
Hooper said she thought the message would make people angry because they wouldn’t understand the medical meaning behind it.
She said following a chemical abortion, progesterone can be taken or injected within 72 hours of taking the first pill, which has the possibility of “reversing” its effects.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that abortion “reversal” isn’t sufficiently backed up by science and doesn’t support prescribing it.
Hooper said one objective of the event was to encourage people passing by to become curious and learn more about abortion reversal.
“A huge goal of the club is to foster dialogue, so that it’s not just violent language thrown around between people, but more of an understanding environment,” she said.
Angel Castañeda, ‘27, co-president of the organization, said there are many misconceptions about chemical abortion or Plan B.
Rhema Hooper, ’26, and Angel Castañeda, ’27, outside of Fairchild-Martindale Library, Thursday. Hooper and Castañeda are the co-presidents of the Lehigh Students for Life club. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
“We want to make the message clear that chemical abortion is not safe at all,” Castañeda said. “It’s a really bad option for many women to choose. In general, abortion is just an awful choice for women to make.”
Castañeda said while Students for Life isn’t religiously affiliated, he believes most members are religious.
He said he knows many atheists are pro-choice but wants everyone to be able to express their opinions and discuss abortion.
One member, Benjamin Salvucci, ‘29, wrote the Catholic “Hail Mary” prayer in Latin near the library entrance.
“It’s a prayer to the Blessed Virgin,” Salvucci said. “She’s the mother of the Catholics, the Christians, really everyone, so it’s imploring her to help save all of the innocent children who die to abortion every year.”
Benjamin Salvucci, ’29, writes he Hail Mary prayer in Latin near the door to Fairchild-Martindale Library, Thursday. The purpose of this chalking event was to create conversation between people of different viewpoints on campus, according to Rhema Hooper, ’26.
Tesu Beavers, ‘29, said she found the messages “disgusting.” She said she was sitting near the chalking while it was happening and was concerned about the religious undertones.
“It’s just shocking that in 2026, people still believe that abortion is a sin or something related to religion that should stop other people from getting them,” Beavers said.
Students outside of Fairchild-Martindale Library watch Students for Life’s chalking event Thursday. Mixed reactions were received from people nearby. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
Lee Cetinski, ‘28, said she felt offended and frustrated when she saw the messages.
“It feels like if somebody was really pushing for women’s health, they wouldn’t like to draw it on the sidewalk with chalk, they would be doing something a little bit more courageous and to people’s faces,” Cetinski said.
Cetinski said she found the statistic of 36 deaths frustrating, arguing it overlooked the reasons some women need the pills. She said the messaging felt like a persuasive tactic rooted in religion and that it’s misleading and offensive to those who have faced difficult circumstances.
Raimundo Ruiz, ‘28, said after the event concluded around 6:30 p.m., students unaffiliated with the group began pouring water on the messages around 8:15 p.m., after Students for Life members had left.
Ruiz and two peers initially poured water on the chalk to erase the messages, and later five other students joined them.
He said he’s worked in sexual education and learned about the effects of banning abortions in his classes at Lehigh.
“I was upset at it because I know how harmful anti-abortion rhetoric can be on people’s well-being,” Ruiz said. “I think especially with everything that’s happening with campus climate it’s our responsibility to make sure that we’re protecting the well-being of our most vulnerable populations.”
Ruiz said he doesn’t have a problem with conversations about abortion but felt the chalk messages could cause harm.
“Obviously, everyone has a right to their opinion and I know everyone who was there would have been willing to have a conversation,” Ruiz said. “It’s more about that being there with no context and people having to walk past that.”
Joseph Correra, ‘28, who was with Ruiz, said he wanted to show that many students disagreed with the messages.
“There was a good amount of people who poured water on the messages, so these beliefs that were written on chalk do not represent the majority of the population at the school,” Correra said. “If there are any students who would have to get an abortion or any type of reproductive care, we want them to know that it’s okay and to not feel embarrassed or ashamed of that.”
Rhema Hooper, ’26; John Yang, ’27; and Angel Castañeda, ‘27; pictured at chalking event at Fairchild-Martindale Library, Thursday. According to Students for Life America, this year’s theme was “Chemical Abortion Hurts.” (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
Rhema Hooper, ’26; John Yang, ’27; and Angel Castañeda, ‘27; pictured at chalking event at Fairchild-Martindale Library, Thursday. According to Students for Life America, this years theme was “Chemical Abortion Hurts.”
Benjamin Salvucci, ’29, outside of Fairchild-Martidnale Library, Thursday. Salvucci was participating in Students for Life’s chalking event. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
Students outside of Fairchild-Martindale Library watch Students for Life’s chalking event Thursday. Mixed reactions were recieved from passerbys. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
Rhema Hooper, ’26, is pictured with a chalk-stained dress. Hooper is a co-president of the Students for Life club. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)
Emma Lasure, ’28; John Yang, ’27; and Angel Castañeda, ‘27; pictured at chalking event at Fairchild-Martindale Library, Thursday. (Max Randall/B&W Staff)