Scores of students shuffled into the pews of Harkness Chapel on Friday evening to hear six A Capella groups “Rock the Dot.” As April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the concert was the first of several planned on-campus events highlighting the importance of activism on campus. The Green Dot program teaches violence prevention strategies to students, encourages bystander action, and focuses on cultural influence to change abusive behavior. Since the program was implemented in September of 2010, more than 645 students have participated in the 6-hour Green Dot training, vowing to be thoughtful and ethical and establish a sense of responsibility in others.
Before the groups took the mic, Darcie Folsom, the Director of Sexual Violence Prevention & Advocacy on campus, read a quote by Frank Zappa, stating, “Music is always a commentary on society.” Much of what is heard on the radio today is degrading and disrespectful towards women. The seemingly constant sexual objectification of women in the media does not help to create a moral atmosphere on campus, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. Recognizing this, the A Capella groups wanted to celebrate love rather than lust, and chose to sing songs from the 2000s that exemplify healthy relationships.
Featuring songs such as “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat, “Beautiful Soul” by Jesse McCartney, and “Everything” by Michael Bublé, the concert was an endearing kickoff to a month of very important advocacy. A TEDx event, lacrosse game, several discussions, and Green Dot training are among some of the events planned for April by the Think S.A.F.E. Project (Sexual Assault Free Environment). “The main reason that Green Dot has been so successful at Conn is because students from across the entire community have been invested. Prevention of power-based personal violence cannot be done by one entity all on its own; this is a cultural issue that everyone can be a part of to make the crucial change that is necessary,” Folsom said. Green Dot continues to partner with different organizations across campus, including SAC and A Capella groups, in order to reach more students and deeply root the values of the organization into the campus culture.
As a bonus at the end of the concert on Friday, SAC announced the Floralia 2015 headliners. MisterWives and Cash Cash are set to perform at the all-day music festival in May, among several other artists and bands. Both of the groups feature pop and electronic dance music, and are quickly gaining wider fan bases.
MisterWives is an indie-pop band based in New York City, most famous for their song, “Reflections.” With upbeat music doused in hypnotic melodies, MisterWives is said to put on a great show and undoubtedly will not fall short at Conn. Cash Cash has a similar sound to MisterWives, with their highest charting song being “Take Me Home.” Cash Cash has produced three full-length albums and also has provided official remixes for artists such as Krewella, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars. Having performed at several music festivals including Firefly and Lollapalooza, Cash Cash is worth getting excited for.
SAC, A Capella, Green Dot and SafetyNet are among many of the on-campus organizations that collaborate to put on student events such as Rock the Dot, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and an amazing and safe Floralia. While so many schools struggle with sexual assault on campus and do not know how to go about fixing the problem, it is good to know that here at Conn, we have events and discussions planned to make a change, and that at least 645 students will be actively looking out for one another while singing along to Cash Cash and MisterWives.
