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The Indiana Daily Student

arts

"Love Songs for a Lasting World" celebrates love of all kinds

Renowned musician Malcolm Dalglish and his Ooolite singers perform "Sail Away" during the "Love Songs for a Lasting World" concert Monday evening. The concert benefited Middle Way House, the only emergency shelter and rape crisis center serving six counties in southern Indiana.

The show began with a dancing deer, a talent scout and a spoken-word poem about the dangers of college students. Performers then broke out into song about an interspecies love affair between a frog and mouse.

The performance was part of “Love Songs for a Lasting World” on Monday at Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The event involved music, short skits and dance and supported the Middle Way House.

Donna Storm, Middle Way House triage specialist, said the focus of the event was love that goes beyond the romantic love that many focus on around 
Valentine’s Day.

“The event is about love for your friends and family and 
everyone around you,” she said.

Storm said this message fits along well with the mission of Middle Way House, which serves as a domestic violence shelter and sexual assault crisis center.

“Middle Way House is all about love and compassion and empathy,” she said. “It’s a celebration of love and community.”

Middle Way House volunteer Abby Mencl said the songs performed during the event are directly related to the people the Middle Way House is trying to serve.

“All those songs of love, I think, are meant to go out to those victims of sexual assault,” Mencl said. “It’s this whole message of love or people who need it most.”

The benefit event was an opportunity to raise awareness for the efforts of Middle Way House, Storm said. In doing so, it pushes domestic violence into the forefront of the community’s attention and prevents victims from feeling invisible.

Attendee Alan Backler said this mission of empathy for victims of violence is what attracted him to attend the event.

“We always have to support organizations in our community that stress compassion for all of its members,” he said. “That’s our responsibility to serve these 
people.”

Backler said the event not only emphasizes love for those in need but also the unconditional love of parents.

“The song ‘Unconditional Love’ really stood out to me because it speaks to that love between a parent and a child that often gets overlooked by those who immediately think of romantic love,” Backler said.

Middle Way House volunteer Christopher De Young said his favorite part of the event was the music. While he enjoyed the songs related to unconditional love, the songs he said stood out to him most were those related to a love for the environment.

“There’s this environmental message in a lot of the songs that I think is very important in this day and age,” De Young said. “A love for the environment is important, but not many people really think about it.”

De Young said the event’s overall message of love is vital to communities, especially today.

“It shows that love conquers hate, and we’re living in an environment where it’s easy to forget that,” he said.

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