‘She’s Aloud’ show raises funds for Dakota Access Pipeline protest

‘Fellow human beings were being mistreated and we wanted an end to it’

Last night at the Undergrounds Café, the Women’s Student Union called its audience to action at its fourth annual installation of She’s Aloud.

The show is normally a place for people to showcase their abilities in a safe, accepting space. However, this year’s show was different from previous ones. The proceeds of the event will be donated to help protesters at Standing Rock Native American Reservation in North Dakota who are fighting the implementation of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The Dakota Access Pipeline has been a source of protest after its construction was rerouted so that it would run through the Standing Rock Reservation rather than 92 percent white city of Bismark, potentially contaminating the reservation’s water source.

“When we need help, they say we are sovereign,” said Kandi Mossett, an organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network has said. “But when it comes to the development of our resources — oil, gas, coal, uranium, water — then they step in to see how much money they can get.”

The talent show brought together the abilities of Binghamton’s campus, which are multifaceted to say the least. The acts varied from music to poetry to standup comedy and even a hula-hooper.

Mika Itkin-Weinstein, a sophomore whose band Natural Born Kissers performed their first ever show at the event, remarked, “The WSU is such an awesome and supportive organization, and I am lucky to be a part of a community like that. I’m very happy that this was Natural Born Kissers’ first show because the Pipeline is an infringement on people’s lives and we stand with the water protectors.”

Throughout the show, WSU’s executive board gave the audience the opportunity to learn more about the Dakota Access Pipeline and the general plight of indigenous peoples in this country. They pitched trivia questions to the crowd and if they heard the correct answer, they would toss candy in the general direction of the voice.

This interactive segment made me remember why we were all there: fellow human beings were being mistreated and we wanted an end to it.

When asked what it was like to be an audience member at this event, sophomore Brianna Simpkins said she felt more connected to her classmates who performed after watching them onstage. “They let their hair down,” she said. “It was nice to see a side of them I don’t see often, or never saw at all.”

Creativity and performance are both very important things in the struggle for equality. Alina Bernstein, a freshman who recited a poem at the show said, “I think that in the most troubled times, art and creativity are the greatest refuges for any and all people. Everyone should engage in a creative outlet of expression; it’s more powerful than many people believe.” Brianna Simpkins added, “I think the key to creativity when it comes to the arts is the vulnerability aspect. You let people get to know you in a way you never considered, and you feel closer to them because of it.”

Binghamton University’s Women’s Student Union meets on Thursdays at 8 p.m. in UUWB07.

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