Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Kappa Alpha rocked the Bryan Center Plaza Wednesday night with their annual philanthropy event Rock the CASA.
Some of Duke’s top student vocalists and dancers gathered in the Bryan Center plaza for the third annual charity concert held in support of Court Appointed Special Advocate association—a volunteer organization that helps abused or neglected children navigate the court system. CASA is Theta's philanthropic organization, and the event is held annually.
Support for CASA programs is a national-level priority for Thetas, Arianna Uhalde, philanthropy chair of Theta, wrote in an email.
“As a national organization, Kappa Alpha Theta gave nearly $500,000 to CASA in 2010,” Uhalde said. “We try to set challenging fundraising goals for our chapter—last year that was $7,000, this year it's $10,000.”
For the past week, members of both Greek organizations could be found in key locations on East and West campus selling concert t-shirts for $10 each. Sale activity subsided during the concert, though several students opted to make a small donation of FLEX points using a conveniently provided card reader.
Theta and Pike will continue to raise money for CASA following the event through a letter writing campaign in which members will request additional donations for the cause.
Approximately 200 people attended the event, said Kate Pobuda, president of Theta.
A cappella group Out of the Blue opened the concert with a three-song set. Their all-male peers, Speak of the Devil, followed with several energetic pop arrangements—the falsetto strains of the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” even attracted our athletic mascot—the Blue Devil—to socialize for a few minutes between athletic engagements.
Ethan Settel, a senior and president of Speak of the Devil, said he was pleased by the open, public nature of the concert.
“It’s great because anyone can just walk by and enjoy this,” he said. “We’re really happy to be here. It’s always a blast.”
Paul Vanderslice, a junior and president of Pike, cited the outdoor, highly trafficked location as key to the concert’s success.
“Two years ago, this was all inside,” he said. “The foot traffic really helps. We have a lot more people [in attendance].”
Two high-energy dance troupes followed, their deft choreography catching the eye of many passing students. The joyful bhangra performance of Dhamaka and the Latin energy of Sabrosura—their uniform t-shirts shout “Read my Hips”—were notable crowd-pleasers, enticing passers-by into sitting for the rest of the program.
Sophomore Katie Hillyer said her attendance was entirely spontaneous.
“I just heard the music,” Hillyer said. “This is great!”
Another all-female a capella group, Deja Blue, gave those in attendance a welcome rest from high-volume dance soundtracks—but not for long. Dance troupe Momentum set rapid-fire hip-hop moves to the explicit lyrics of Big Sean’s “Dance." Defining Motion followed, executing precision multicultural fusion choreography and thrilling flips.
The final act—rock band Point Break—played an energetic 45-minute set for the remaining crowd. A major student band asset for Duke University Union-run record label Small Town Records, the five-man outfit ran through covers as well as several original, Duke-inspired songs—“When Your Weekend Starts on Wednesday Night” bordered on satire—with both musical talent and a sense of humor. Frontman Alex Starr led an unusual ska-rock rendition of Matisyahu’s “Jerusalem,” and Julian Jacobson’s tenor saxophone work on every number deserves high praise.
Deja Blue president Emily Sobel, a sophomore, offered perhaps the best summary of the event.
“Great cause, great crowd,” she said. “It’s that easy."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.