Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) hosted Rock Out for Roe, a concert and fundraiser for the Minnesota-based abortion fund Our Justice, at the Whole Music Club in Minneapolis on Saturday.

This event featured five Minneapolis artists: Human Error, Jada Brown, Party Foul, Jada Lynn and Rigby. The crowd was scattered and various groups of attendees were gathered loosely around a low stage. At times, the noise was almost overwhelmingly enthusiastic, while at others it was stiflingly quiet.

I had my doubts about the impact this event could have. Perhaps I am too cynical, but I found it difficult to believe that any small student organization could evoke meaningful change for an issue as contentious as reproductive rights.

Jasper Nordin has been a member of SDS since last fall. He said up to 100 attendees showed up to watch the performances and potentially donate to the cause. During the event, his task was to encourage people to donate in between sets.

SDS’ approach to event planning is nontraditional, Nordin said.

“The SDS is a sort of non-hierarchical organization,” Nordin said. “I, like all SDS members, attend meetings where we plan and organize all our events, actions and protests.”

I’m inclined to doubt the coherence and effectiveness of an organization without any set roles or hierarchy. This lack of role delegation in a political protest planning committee seems like it would invite lower event turnout.

They come across as disorganized and ineffective, especially for a student group that allows anyone to join in on their weekly planning meetings. Yes, student protests should be student-involved and anyone with an interest in the issues covered by such organizations should participate in those groups.

However, this type of large-scale event planning should have more delegation. If you want to effectively plan any kind of event, there should be a promotional media team, someone involved in outreach and an experienced planning committee. One hundred concertgoers isn’t much to write home about for an event covering an issue so important to the people of Minnesota.

Nordin said by the end of the nearly five-hour event, SDS had raised around $2,000. How much influence can $2,000 really have for the state of bodily autonomy? Two thousand dollars cannot bring back Roe v. Wade.

Perhaps that is completely beside the point of Rock Out for Roe. It does not matter how much of an impact such an event has on larger governmental politics at all. Instead, the event may just have been a way to create a sense of community among those at the University who have been most impacted by the June overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Or, maybe it was less about the overall impact of Rock Out for Roe, and more about the sense of purpose it gives those involved. Therein lies the final problem with SDS.

How self-important must one be to assume a half-organized student group can have any real impact other than inflating egos? If SDS wishes to help in the fight for abortion rights, they need to step up in their organization. They need to be more publically disruptive. If SDS wishes to work with organizations such as Our Justice, they should focus on student recruitment into groups that can enact real change.