Walking along the brick-clad pathways of Oregon State University’s Corvallis, Ore. campus on a warm, spring day, should not be an activity felt with the severity of a century’s worth of activism work gone to waste. But, it was. 

An initial draft majority opinion from the Supreme Court was leaked to the public. The draft opinion was concerning Dobbs v. Jackson, a case that argues Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act as unconstitutional.

The Gestational Act significantly restricts all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and if the Supreme Court does not rule it as contradictory to Roe v. Wade, it would open the door for states across America to place similar restrictions on abortion or make it illegal altogether.

As of now, from what we know from the leaked draft opinion, the Supreme Court is leaning toward declaring The Gestational Act constitutional, which would overturn Roe V. Wade and all the progress that has been built upon its shoulders.

The official decision will most likely not be released for several months.

This is the news that has been weighing on our fellow students’ minds as we go through our daily lives here at OSU, and here’s what they had to say about it:

Sophia Tapia – second-year studio art major

“Let’s see, where to begin? Personally, I am extremely upset about it and I am frustrated because I feel like women’s rights are being stripped from them. I think this is just the beginning of a way bigger battle, and it’s not really just about abortion. It’s something that’s much bigger and involves everyone from people of color to all women and just everyone at the end of the day.”

Annabella Eisner – first-year contemporary music major

“I think that everybody deserves to have bodily autonomy. It should be up to the person that is doing what they are doing to their body, what they’re gonna do should be up to the individual and not up to anyone else, especially not people who have never and probably will never experience having a uterus or the scare of getting pregnant when you don’t want to.”

Wikus Jansen Van Rensburg – third-year mathematics major

“Personally I am pro-choice, but I am a conservative as well. So, I think it’s not a bad thing because it gives power to the states and they can make their own decision.”

Laurell Pankoff – first-year marine biology major

“I’ll try not to say it in a vulgar way, besides just like, fuck the government. History is repeating itself. What’s the point in history if there’s no way to change the future into an equal one? The whole thing is dumb. I am pro-choice, and if I wasn’t, I should still be like pro-everyone-be-equal and having people’s bodies in their own control. There’s not much more I can say without being repetitive.”

Vivianna Perez-Wolfe – third-year interior design major

“I think that it should not be overturned, at all. People deserve to have the right to do whatever they want with their bodies is my opinion. I hope that it doesn’t get overturned at all. That’s basically it, short and sweet.”

Ashley Green – fourth-year graphic design major

“It’s scary. I’m glad we’re in Oregon, and it’s definitely affecting where I am considering moving after I graduate and where I’m considering applying. It definitely feels like we are moving backward. It’s been like 100 years and we still don’t have full bodily autonomy and I think it’s awful. That’s pretty much it.”

Nyana Deberry – first-year biochem major

“I went to the protest a little while ago, the one downtown [Corvallis, Ore.,] and we protested pro-choice. It was really nice because a lot of people gathered and [there was] a lot of diversity. I think pro-choice is a basic right and I think that’s really all.”