Rowan Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) hosted one of their biggest events this past weekend, bringing the community together through live music, vendors, and free food.
On Friday, April 17, YDSA hosted The Revolution Will Be Amplified, which is an event for alternative culture, to bring awareness to harm reduction, and to create a space that’s curated by people who care about inclusivity, which has always been the message of this annual event.
“We’re living in a time and place that requires so much extra. Things are bad on a national level, and we need stuff like this to remind ourselves that we have each other… harm reduction, stuff like that, can be properly addressed that brings us all together,” said Jimmy Floco, the event coordinator and 20-year-old sophomore.
Rowan YDSA is a student-run organization focused on educating students on political, economic, and social issues. They have continuously created an accepting and welcoming environment of campus for activism, encouraging the fight for social and economic justice.
Rowan DIY Music played a huge role in the production side of things for the event, making sure all of the live music ran smoothly throughout the day, maintaining the order during the switching of bands, as well as the sound quality.
“I think that it’s really important to bring people together through art and music because, especially in times like this when the social climate is rough, we need to bounce off of each other in order to feel the fulfillment and joy,” said Alexander Quinn, a 22-year-old music industry major and monitor engineer for the show. “I think that music is a really important part of that.”
There were also numerous vendors present during the event, helping with the fundraising for YDSA. The vendors at the event, and most events similar to these ones, are almost or always Rowan students presenting their businesses and products, typically getting involved by having connections or being friends with those involved in coordinating these events.
“I’m friends with a lot of people who host the shows, so I’ll ask them if I can sell my stuff…I love all the bands playing, and I love the people putting it together. They’re good people,” said Skylar Lyle, a 19-year-old politician science major who was a vendor at the event.
Many people who came out heard about this event through their friends, many of those being people who were either involved with planning the event, vending for the event, or playing live music there as well. Being able to socialize and make friends with people who share common interests was a big reason why many came out, as well as to listen to bands that they are big fans of.
“I was here a little bit earlier to see Estrogents because they’re absolutely amazing, so I’m just really excited to see what the rest of the bands have,” said Azra Winters, a 20-year-old psych major. “I always think it’s really nice to form a sense of community, especially in today’s world. It’s really nice to get together in the middle of the day to meet with a bunch of people that have the same interests.”
Events such as these are very common on campus in order to bring the community together, in order to bring awareness to what’s going on in the world, but to also create an environment that lets you know that you’re not alone. YDSA is always aiming to bring awareness to political, social, and economic injustice in the world, frequently hosting events to teach and talk about these issues.
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