Pitt a cappella group holds event to fight sexual assault

A Pitt group sang to slam sexual violence Friday night.

A capella group C Flat Run organized and hosted the ACASLAM charity concert Friday night, with proceeds going to the Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR). The concert raised more $2,000 before the doors opened and earned at least another $300 before the event finished. A member of C Flat Run presented a mock check of $2,300 to Ashley Bright, a PAAR representative, during the intermission.

The concert featured the co-ed C Flat Run, Case Western Reserve University’s all-male Speakeasy and Wagner College’s all-female Vocal Synergy. C Flat opened and closed the event, ending the concert with a rendition of Journey’s “Lights.” All three groups used beatboxing, an ever-rotating cast of solo singers and selections of both modern pop and classic songs.

Bright briefly spoke to the crowd before accepting the check, addressing the statistic that one in five women and one in six men will be victims of sexual violence at some point in their lives.

“We want to raise awareness on how to battle this horrible statistic,” Bright said.

Bright works with PAAR to address the severity of rape-related issues on college campuses and speaks to students about the importance of consent.

Shreya Raghuraman, a sophomore in charge of C Flat’s social outreach, said she learned about PAAR through Facebook and approached the organization about setting up the charity event. 

The overall proceeds exceeded expectations, Andrew Dolan, C Flat’s business manager, said.

According to Dolan, the original goal was around $1,300. 

“I’m overwhelmed by the response,” Dolan said.