On Jan. 18, the University of Colorado and the St. Thomas Moore Society hosted a debate on abortion on the university's Boulder campus. The chair of philosophy at the University of Colorado, Dr. David Boonin, represented pro-choice, while Dr. Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College, represented pro-life.

The speakers hit a few key notes with each of their arguments, including the morality of abortion, the legality and the discrepancy between the mother's responsibilities in maintaining a pregnancy and the fetus's right to life. Roughly 300 people attended the debate, filling not only the large lecture hall, but spilling out into the surrounding hallways and stairwells with people from various corners of the state.

Jane Brennan commuted in the snow from Centennial to see the debate.

"Dr. Kreeft was very good,"Brennan said. "But I don't think the debate swayed anyone one way or the other; it was the same old argument."

Michael Wells disagreed, arguing that there were various new statements about the abortion debate that were mentioned throughout the lecture.

"I like how they brought in new angles, " he said.

One new angle Michael found compelling was the balance between the mother's responsibilities and the fetus's rights as a person that both Dr. Kreeft and Dr. Boonin mentioned from the pro-life and pro-choice perspectives.

CU students Becky Paulson and Cacia Steensen were pleased with the overall success of the event.

"I'm impressed at the number of people, whether they are pro-life or pro-choice, who came to this because they wanted to have an opinion on the subject," Paulsonsaid.

"It was refreshing to hear the argument without religion or personal ties, it made the pro-life and pro-choice sides really clear," Steensen explained.