Rock Against Rape deemed a success

By Grace Meiners

Published April 11, 2008

The Cherry Street Artisan was filled with dancing, music and humidity from the day’s rain during the fourth annual “Rock Against Rape” Thursday.

One of the four musical acts, Los Desterrados, encouraged patrons to dance to its Latin-style music. During their performance, patrons filled a small space in front of the stage with their dancing.

The event benefited The Shelter and the L.E.A.D. Institute, a resource for assault victims who are deaf or hard of hearing, L.E.A.D. executive director Stephanie Logan said.

MU Rape Education Office Coordinator Hannah Bush said she hoped Thursday’s event would raise awareness about sexual assault prevention.

“We want the problem to be talked about,” she said.

The event was alcohol-free because alcohol is the No. 1 date-rape drug, Bush said.

Kourtney Mitchell, a peer rape educator and a member of Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault, also said he hoped the event would alert more people to sexual assault. Mitchell is a former staff member of The Maneater.

“This is a problem,” he said, “and there are things we can do.”

Mitchell said there are many misconceptions about rape and sexual assault, namely that women lie and fake their assaults.

The entertainment started with Shirrelle C. Limes and the Lemons, who sang ballads while accompanying herself on an acoustic guitar.

After Shirrelle C. Limes and the Lemons, Columbia musician E. Marino took the stage dressed in a gray tuxedo jacket with tails and a light blue tuxedo shirt in the style of a 1980s prom-goer.

She started her set with a piano rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and continued to sing ballads from that decade.

During her performance of “Almost Paradise,” by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson, two couples came onstage and slow danced while she sang.

Marino said she hoped people felt energized and positive in the movement against rape.

She said she wanted to “add a laugh” to the evening with her attire.

“I don’t take myself too seriously,” she said.

Before his band performed, Chris Robinson, a member of Los Desterrados, said he works for The Shelter and helps women and men discuss rape and sexual assault.

Robinson said he approached The Shelter a few years ago about helping young men as well as women.

“I think there are a lot of young men who have a strange concept of masculinity and aren’t quite sure what it means,” he said.

Robinson said he now heads workshops at The Shelter about what it means to be a man.

He described his five-person band as a type of “dance therapy” and beckoned for those in attendance to dance. The room was soon filled with music and people moving to it.

Between four musical acts, members of Stronger Together Against Rape, who organized the event, raffled off prizes from area businesses.

Once Los Desterrados finished performing, Peer Rape Educators and members from STAR and MARS came to the stage to thank everyone for attending and to encourage involvement in the different rape awareness groups on campus.

Then the audience of about 250 people quieted down as the last performers of the night came onstage. The a capella group The Naturelles began their set with Katrina & the Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine.”

Bush said the turnout was much bigger than previous years, but at press time she said she did not know the amount of money raised. The organizers were able to pay back the Artisan completely and had extra money to donate to The Shelter and the L.E.A.D. institute, she said.