JILLIAN KERSTETTER
LAYOUT EDITOR

What if one morning you woke up and couldn’t feel your toes? What if, while driving to school one morning, you made a wrong turn and got into a car accident causing you to lose your ability to walk? For some people, these questions are purely hypothetical and will always remain that way. However, for a few students at CSUSM, similar hypothetical situations like the ones mentioned have become realities that changed the course of their lives forever.

On April 4, a number of student organizations came together to put on a Battle of the Bands for students who are participating in a rehabilitation program called Project Walk. This program is especially designed for people who have suffered specific spinal cord injuries and are now ready to take on the challenge of re-teaching their bodies to use their legs again. Through various innovative methods including different strength training techniques and physical therapy, the professionals at this local clinic offer their clients hope and the most precious gift they can offer: the ability to one day walk again.

This innovative therapy doesn’t come without a price. Sessions for Project Walk are understandably quite expensive. Because of this, supporters of clients often throw fundraisers in order to help support the clients on their journey. This is exactly what the Battle of the Bands mission was, a fundraiser to help some CSUSM students participating at the clinic to more easily attend sessions and get back on their feet.

The whole event began smoothly and sported many entertaining and talented young performers. Participating artists represented many musical genres including rap, screamo and a little plain rock. The bands were judged by a pre-selected panel that looked at categories like crowd response, stage presence and overall likability and appeal. While most of the bands seemed to simply be participating in order to help their fellow students out, the main prize for the winning band was a chance to perform during Welcome Week on campus: a paid gig. Needless to say, all the bands brought their A game, and there was no lack of energy or enthusiasm the entire night.

It’s refreshing to know that, despite everything that is going on in our busy lives as students, some of us still take the time to help out our fellow classmates. Carrie Kresser, a senior majoring in Kinesiology, summed the event up nicely: “It’s just worth it to come out and support something that means a great deal to someone else. Sometimes you’ll participate in fundraisers, and you have no idea where the money goes. For this event you knew exactly where your admission [price] was going and who it was going to.” Truly, this event was altruism at its finest—a sincere effort by students to help support their classmates in a big way.

Photos courtesy of rossiproject.files.wordpress.com