More than 500 Boston University students, community members and local as well as national and international dignitaries attended a sold-out show in the Law Auditorium Friday night to raise money for the victims of the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
The concert, called "Sharing Music ... Giving Hope," and which featured speeches by President Robert Brown, several diplomats from Egypt and Pakistan and a musical performance by Sufi musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek, was organized by the International Students Consortium.
According to ISC Vice President Jessica Sklodowski, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, the ISC collaborated with the Organization of Pakistani Students and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars to put on the concert. Sklodowski estimated the concert raised at least $25,000, all of which will go to the victims of the earthquake, she said.
Organization of Pakistani Students President Sarah Chaudhari, a College of Engineering senior, called the concert "something new and different" that BU has not seen before. Chaudhari said the OPS helped the ISC with promotion and advertising, but the ISC spearheaded the event.
Sklodowski said the ISC hosted the event because they felt there "wasn't enough done" for the earthquake victims. According to Sklodowski, the ISC wanted to get the entire Boston community involved. She said 15 different countries were represented at the concert, and that it represented "unity through diversity."
Brown opened the concert with a short speech, praising the ISC for its work for a "wonderful cause." After several other dignitaries spoke, including representatives from Egypt and Pakistan, Tekbilek took the stage.
Tekbilek, who was born in Turkey, began the concert with a "classical Sufi song" called Yunus.
CAS senior Jennifer Nu said she came to the event because it was for a good cause.
"A lot of people have already forgotten about the earthquake," she said, calling the event an "awareness builder."
CAS freshman Mike Boyd called the event educational. Boyd said he went because he knew he would "learn a lot about different types of music."
CAS freshman Katie Washburn, who said she came because Boyd invited her, said, the concert and other similar events are important for BU students to attend, and said students need to "step out of their comfort zones" and experience something new from time to time.
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