Rock For Choice last Saturday in HUB Alumni Hall was a not only a night of pride, but one of awareness where many different voices were heard.

The event was sponsored by Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) and co-sponsored by Lambda Student Alliance and Late Night Penn State.

Rock For Choice is part of a series of events centered on Penn State's 15th Annual Pride Week, which continues this week through Saturday.

The week's events will occur at venues throughout the community and Penn State's campus to support freedom of choice and to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community members.

On Saturday, Michelle Yates, president of Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (senior-women's studies), greeted visitors and sang pro-choice praises.

Inside Alumni Hall tables were lined with T-shirts, brochures, fliers, bumper stickers, pins and other informative materials.

American Civil Liberties Union, Men Stopping Rape and students supporting Animal Rights activism showed their support by providing their own promotional materials and literature inside the Hall.

Wendy Silverman (graduate-extension education), a member of Men Stopping Rape, helped explain how the group fit into the stream of the evening.

"We stress respect and communication," she said.

Although the event was free to the public, students were encouraged to make donations toward the Feminist Majority Foundation's Clinical Access Project, the umbrella organization for FMLA.

"The Clinical Access Project helps create access to abortion clinics and aid moms who need an abortion," Yates said.

"We're here to establish awareness about women's right to choose on any reproductive level . . . people can choose to look at tables or not to, or to simply listen to music."

John Ovelman (senior-architectural engineering), who frequents Rock For Choice events, stood outside the auditorium cradling a sign which he had drawn up moments before, even though he admitted that his procedures may have appeared tasteless.

One of his signs read: "Don't donate to feminist majority foundation's clinical access project, which aims to stop anti-choice activity around clinics. . ."

"I'm here to promote options. I understand pro-choice but I'm here to emphasize other options," Ovelman said.

The HUB was half-full at the beginning of the program and Yates thrived in the atmosphere where students sat on the floor.

As Yates introduced Sarah Moore (senior-philosophy), better known to her friends as Andy, a warm round of applause arose from the listeners.

Moore, a lone guitarist, sat on a chair to perform.

"It's nice to see such a good showing, and I hope we have a good time tonight," she greeted.

Despite her dark lyrics, Moore's spirits appeared to rise when a friend joined her to provide back-up vocals.

"I know there's a lesson hiding out there in this pain . . . my life has corners I have yet to unfold . . . the hardest part of life is finding room to grow. . ."

To the delight of the audience, Moore also performed "The Dog Song." According to Moore the song was inspired by an overwhelming experience she had in college.

She also hinted that the lyrics for "Desire," a compilation she wrote herself, are self-explanatory: "My head is spinning 'round, I have found myself bound by desire. . ."

"Play another one! You rule!" yelled the audience following Moore's last rendition.

Forced to produce another one, she appeared bashful yet unfettered.

"Hmm, I'm not prepared, I think that's the first time I've gotten an encore performance," Moore said.

During intermission Yates highlighted the Unity Prom to take place Friday at Knights of Columbus.

"I'm very happy with the turn out," Yates said in response to the crowd.

Moore's smitten renditions quickly changed to poetic snippets when acoustic guitarist Dan Bern assumed center stage.

A baseball cap and worn shirt marked Bern's boyish tendency toward humor, and the depth of pain in his lyrics was apparent. The audience remained eager to be transported into his personal experiences as well.

Aaron Foulk (graduate-acoustics) enjoyed hearing the guitarists.

"I saw them last year at Take Back the Night," said Foulk.

Silverman agreed: "I thought they were cool and very good."

"Like most American men, I'm a little messed up about sex . . . while on the subject what do I think about Viagra . . . do I need to take it just to stay competitive?" crooned Bern.

At times it was difficult to tell if he was improvising his material.

Bern, who sometimes performs with a five-person band, used harmonic accompaniment to add twists to his music. The audience applauded supportively.

Melissa Mazzaferro, co-director for Penn State's Womyn's Concerns, who helped organize the event, said there were originally supposed to be three to five performers, however UPAC cut a portion of the funding.

"We've done three or four 'Rock' performances but this is the first time we did an acoustic rendition," said Mazzaferro (senior-English).

"For three years I did nothing but drive . . . I have a dream . . . of Michaelangelo . . . a new American language . . . new beginnings ... I dream most about love," bellowed Bern into the wee hours of the morning.