You approach the OC expecting another sleepy Thursday morning – students staring zombie-like into the screens of their laptops, mouths too dry to strike up any sort of meaningful conversation.

However, shortly after passing through the doors, an entrancing mix of electronic beats penetrates the earwax you forgot to clean out this morning, and you beeline your way towards the main floor.

To your amazement, the tables are full of conversing students, looking up appreciatively at the small stage on which sits OU’s own rapper, J-Fed.

Before you can wonder what is going on, you notice the labeled collection cans set out on a table in front of the stage: US Department of State, Pakistan Relief Fun, UNHCD (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Save the Children, Edhi Foundation.

Even though the Pakistani Benefit Concert was somewhat down to the wire and had no funding from student organizations, its passion stemmed from its enthusiastic promoters, team leader Saman Waquab, Robo Robb, Kirby, Alexa Van Vliet, and Chris Jozwick.

With a PA system borrowed from the university’s radio station, WXOU, and a laptop, the show went on, and on, in fact all day – from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Eight or nine artists were scheduled to perform, among the more well-known including rap group The Left (Mello Music Group) who will be in NY next month and Jon Conner.

In July, monsoon rains flooded a fifth of Pakistan, destroyed 1.8 million homes, killed 1,800, and affected 20 million. The UN estimates that 12.4 million people are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, according to http://www.nytimes.com.

Students admitted they knew of the tragedies occurring in Pakistan, but that a student-sponsored concert to raise money had more impact on them than just reading a news story.

“I think it’s a good idea to raise money,” English STEP major, Deelia Robin, said. “I knew about it but I haven’t donated until now.”

As to how the event came to be, Robo Robb said, “We did Haitipalooza last year. Saman contacted me about another Haitipalooza for Pakistan, so I decided to help with this one…booking people…making it happen.”

And happen it did. Although a surprise to most students filtering onto the main floor of the OC, the event turned out to be a success in the name of human awareness.