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Kaki King laughs at a bra on her microphone. She performed last night at the "Pro-Choice or No-Choice Concert" fundraiser in Edwards Hall.

Student groups support abortion clinic in Mississippi with concert

By: Shaun Boutwell

Posted: 5/4/05

05/04/05 - Several University of Rhode Island student organizations co-sponsored a concert in Edwards Auditorium last night to benefit the only abortion clinic in Mississippi.

"It's an especially important issue," Benjamin Terry, vice president of URI Students for Social Change, said. "Mississippi has one of the highest rates of poverty in the country. By shutting down the last remaining clinic that provides abortions, it could have a long-time, crippling effect on the poor."

Terry said all donations from the Pro-Choice or No-Choice Concert are going to the Jackson Women's Health Organization, a state-licensed facility specializing in reproductive health care including emotionally supportive abortion care.

Cynthia Nuara, a member of the Raise Your Voice Campaign, came up with the idea for the event after reading a Newsweek article addressing the issue of Mississippi's increasing anti-abortion efforts.

"It's a very important cause for me," she said.

Nuara said she contacted staff at the Jackson clinic and they were very happy about the idea.

"They are so grateful and so glad that someone in New England knew about what was going on in a Mississippi abortion clinic," she said. "They are really excited about [the concert]."

URI College Democrats, Promoting Awareness for Gender Equality, Peer Advocates and the URI Musicians Guild also sponsored the concert.

"We love helping out other progressive groups whenever we can," Kate Gorton, director of events for the College Democrats, said.

"It's a great time," College Democrats Director of Communications Rob Pachico said. "Everyone is going to have a lot of fun and they are going to learn something while doing it."

PAGE members Colleen Hayes-Costello and Kelly Long said they thought the concert was a great idea.

"It's really nice to have unity among all these different organizations to show support," Long said. "I think having a concert was a great idea because it brings a lot of people in."

Hayes-Costello said she wanted to do whatever she could to help support the Jackson clinic after she read the Newsweek article. "[The article] was something that really bothered me," she said.

Students were treated to a number of bands, including Jesse Cook, Kreation, Chad Stokes Urmston and headliner Kaki King. Alan Hague provided the crowd with intermission entertainment between sets.

Kreation has been involved with various fundraisers in the past and recently helped raise $400 for nonviolence education. In regards to the concert, band member Kirk Benttinen said they hoped to "raise consciousness and help everyone have fun."

"We both wanted to do this concert," fellow band member Earl Jones said. "We felt like we could really help raise money."

Audience reaction was positive throughout the concert.

"It has turned out awesome," freshman Kate Pisano said. "A lot of people showed up and the bands are awesome."

"I came here because Kreation rules!" sophomore Stephanie Zanati said.

Jenna Marcus, a freshman, was very happy with the atmosphere.

"People are really getting into it," she said, "and that's really what we want."