Student will be jamming out for a good cause at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Knight Club.
Senior social work major Rachel Webb and senior psychology major Mark Mullins met in their gender and rationality leadership seminar course and decided to co-direct the event that will collect donations to be given to a local Erie women’s shelter.
Mullins is also a brother in the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity. He and Webb are bringing both groups together to make the concert possible.
The benefit concert will be in support of the Erie United Methodist Alliance (EUMA). The EUMA has been around since 1960 and, according to its website, serves more than 2,400 adults and children each year.
“[EUMA] is a refuge for homeless families in Erie, [and] since Gannon is located so centrally in downtown Erie, it’s important for us to support the Erie community,” Webb said.
“Poverty and homelessness is very high in Erie and if we can have an event that gives people some knowledge on current issues while raising money for marginalized groups, that’s sort of the ultimate thing we’re reaching for here.”
According to Webb, the event is based around non-violence toward women and is in support of the fight for female groups’ rights as a whole.
“With the current events that are happening in the United States, it can be pretty scary for women as well as many other marginalized groups, so events like this are important to gain support and shed light on issues that affect these marginalized groups, such as domestic violence,” Webb said.
Several musical performers will be featured at the event, including Mullins on guitar and fellow TKE brother Zach Hyman on bass during their performance.
Webb and Mullins are also looking for anyone interested in reading live poetry at the event, preferably centered on the event’s theme.
Students can either perform their own poetry or read somebody else’s that is relevant to the cause of the fundraiser. Any students who are interested should contact Webb or Mullins prior to the event at [email protected] or [email protected].
A portion of all food sales will be going to the EUMA, so as long as students bring their appetite, a donation will be made on their behalf.
Custom T-shirts and cookies will also be sold, and students can play a game of cornhole after dinner while listening to the remaining performers.
“It will be one groovy night,” Mullins said.
KYLE JOSEPH
