The third year for Options Domestic & Sexual Violence Services Rock Against Rape show moved down the street to the Home Event Center from the previous events locations at the Sip N Spin. Bringing in the largest headcount from previous years, there is no doubt that they will continue making this an annual tradition. “I will begin planning the next Rock Against Rape within the coming months for around the same time as we had it this year. Every year we grow, so hopefully we continue on with that trend.” says organizer Anniston Weber of Options. “We worked with Arcade 11 this year to provide 10% off food orders for individuals who had a RAR wristband. We worked with RANS who sponsored staff and band t-shirts. And, of course, we worked with the Home Event Center for their space and bartender.”
A little lineup change from last years show kept previous RAR veterans Adrian Parl, Cactus Collateral, and Free Minded, while bringing in Before the Winter and Dangerously Biased.
Weber continues, regarding the annual event, “The purpose of Rock Against Rape is to spread the message that you can drink as much as you want and still not expect to be sexually assaulted. Rapists oftentimes use alcohol to facilitate sexual assault, but it is not the alcohol or the act of drinking in and of itself that is the problem. Alcohol doesn’t cause rape, rapists cause rape. We want to create a safe, fun space where we can talk about these issues candidly.
We also use RAR to talk about our SafeBar initiative- where we train bartenders to recognize the warning signs of sexual assault and domestic violence within their bar. This is a FREE training that we will give to any establishment that serves alcohol. There’s also no limit on the amount of times we can come to train an establishment either. So if someone needs training once every month, we’d be happy to come do that!
“I’d like to thank our volunteers Brady and Anna for helping to man the door for the duration of the night. In terms of staff, I manage all of the planning and actual execution of this event! I’m grateful to the staff members who attend for fun and help spread the word about the event.” Weber concludes.
Adrian Parl
The Hays area rap artist continues to grow and build his library of songs. After performing at last year’s show, Parl continues to improve and build his following and set with each progressive show.
Before the Winter
The Garden City rockers followed with a lively set of originals and covers. Formed in 2022, this group of friends have been putting their noses to the proverbial grindstone playing shows across three states and many stages and there will no doubt be more to come as they continue playing.
Cactus Collateral
Due to something coming up for frontman Aaron this year, Cactus Collateral filled the role with Nathan Dozier, formerly of Murphy’s Mountain Kings. Filling in at the last moment for the group, Nathan knocked it out of the park, not missing a beat, as far as I was able to tell. Being one of two bands who have been a part of each Rock Against Rape show, this trio continue to bring life to the local music scene.
Free Minded
The second act to have played at each RAR show, Free Minded continues producing a full sound and soulful experience. Being a large, organized collective of musicians ranging from standard guitars and drums, to brass instruments, they all come together and hold their audience in the palm of their hands, keeping the energy and positive energy flowing through the evening.
Dangerously Biased
Closing out this year’s event was the Hays/Wichita duo, Dangerously Biased. Their first time playing at RAR, they had the opportunity to bring their bass and beats to new audiences. They seemed to gain a number of new fans this show, and hopefully, those new fans will continue to spread the word of each of the bands they saw that night.
“www.help4abuse.org, is a great place to contact us, read our blog posts, and donate! Oftentimes it’s not just actual funds that we need, but also physical items like clothes, sanitary items, furniture, and food.
We also have a 24 hour phone line (800-794-4624) and a 24 hour text line (text HOPE to 847411). We are also more than happy to talk to a person who prefers to just pop by our offices during office hours (Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm) in Hays or Colby. The Hays office is located at 2716 Plaza Ave, and the Colby office is located at 1480 W 4th St.
For me as the Campus Advocate, I spend dedicated days on the FHSU and Colby Community College campuses. So, if a student would like to meet with an advocate but not go straight to our offices, they can contact me. I can be reached by calling our hotline, using my email (Anniston@help4abuse.org), or by contacting the Health and Wellness department at FHSU or FHSU Campus PD to get in touch with me!”
