The parking lot was overflowing, and students were seen running to the auditorium.

It wasn’t a famous musician or a big-name official that drew a large crowd to the Anderson Justice auditorium April 8.

It was a nun.

Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, spoke April 8 to a capacity crowd about the death penalty. Her novel was made into a movie and the film received four Academy Award nominations. Susan Sarandon, who played Prejean in the movie, won Best Actress .

Prejean opened the speech with her thoughts of nuns and their existence in American movies.

“Sure, we did well in “Sister Act,” but nuns don’t do well in film,” Prejean said.

Prejean spoke about the Catholic Church and how nuns enjoy getting involved with social justice issues. That mentality led Prejean to a local housing project community in downtown New Orleans.

She wanted to help people.

“It was like I was in another country,” Prejean said. “It was like going on the other side of the American dream.”

Through her volunteer work, Prejean was given the opportunity to be a pen-pal writer with a death row inmate at Louisiana State Prison.

“I thought all I would do was write letters,” she said. “So, I wrote the man a letter.”

Over time, Prejean established communication with the death row inmates, victims’ families and a series of people in and out of the Louisiana criminal justice system. She understood both sides of the argument and knew the law inside and out.

“It’s easy to kill a monster, but it’s hard to kill a human being,” she said.

The audience was taken through Prejean’s experiences and how her life’s story led to a book.

“It was the first book I ever wrote,” she said.

Misty York, freshman nursing major, is against the death penalty. After hearing the speech, her opinion against the law only grew.

“It gave me focus and how the death penalty works,” York said. “I was surprised.”

Dr. Tom Simpson, associate professor of political science, introduced Prejean.

“She’s a dynamic speaker,” Simpson said. “I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Prejean’s speech was part of a series of speeches that have taken place for more than 10 years in conjunction with the Helen S. Boylan Foundation.

“She’s one of the best speakers I’ve ever heard,” said James R. Spradling, president of the Foundation.

Simpson said he was pleased with the response from the campus and the community.

“This was great,” he said. “This is what college is all about.”