Adam Jones Emerald
Amber Coates of the Justice Not War coalition provides information to attendees of Friday’s benefit concert for local peace groups.
In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, many organizations are doing what they can to help Americans heal while educating them on the global issues that have arisen from the event. In an effort to help some of these local organizations, the Lorax Manner Student Co-op hosted a benefit concert Friday night, showcasing three local bands.
The Courtesy Clerks, the Free Radicals and Chevron all shared their musical talent. Visual art also was part of the experience: The Lorax displayed several pieces of art expressing the artists’ feelings about Sept. 11 and America’s subsequent attacks on Afghanistan.
Chevron included a collage of video images with their musical performance. With their song “Weather Attack,” they showed footage of New York City and clips of news coverage on the war in Afghanistan. They also used images of a video game and news reports of holiday sales figures, among other things.
Matthew Rutman, a resident at the Lorax and coordinator of the benefit concert, said the proceeds of the concert will go to three local groups: the Justice Not War Coalition, Students for Peace and Partners in Solidarity.
“We’ve done these kinds of concerts in the past and raised $1,000 to $2,000 per show,” said Rutman. “We have a unique opportunity to give a lot of money to these groups because there’s not a lot of overhead cost and all money generated goes to the cause.”
Mark Garner, the membership coordinator of the Lorax and master of ceremonies for the event, said the concert offered “a chance for us to enlighten the public about what’s going on.”
Along with the art and music, information tables for various activist groups were available. The Justice Not War Coalition was founded “as a community response to the events of Sept. 11 and the subsequent military actions,” according to its mission statement. The group plans to use their portion of the benefit money to reserve spaces for speakers at forums, Rutman said.
“At such a heavy time, it’s nice to come together in celebration of our beliefs,” Rebeccah White said of the event. “This is our chance to network to speak out against violence.”
White, a 1998 University graduate, is a member of Justice Not War and had artwork showcased at the concert. One of her works, called “Transform Our Tears,” was a way for her to express how her personal sadness could be transformed into a positive force, she said.
Kara Westervelt is a freelance reporter for the Emerald.