Students wishing to learn more about the Darfur genocide in Sudan can educate themselves at benefit events this week, starting with tonight's fundraising concert at the Tall Shiva Hookah Lounge.

"The most important thing is that [Darfur] is the one clear genocide that is happening in the world today," said Penn State sociology professor Sam Richards, whose band, the Lost Faculties, will play two sets at the benefit, one of which will include Penn State President Graham Spanier.

Richards said Spanier's instrument, the washboard, is interesting because he has lots of percussion and other "bells and whistles" attached to it.

"It's not just a washboard," Richards said. "It's the washboard, the Graham Spanier washboard."

The Lost Faculties is made up of Penn State professors. Richards, who plays the drums, said the band plays a mix of originals and older standards, such as "I Put a Spell On You," "Who Do You Love" and the James Bond theme.

From 8 to 9 p.m., there will be spoken-word performances. The Lost Faculties' first set, which will feature Spanier, will be from 9 to 10 p.m. There will be acoustic and folk music from 10 to 10:30 p.m., and the second Lost Faculties set will run from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m., Richard said.

Richards encouraged people to try to come for the first or second half of the show to allow the small venue to let more people visit during the course of the night.

Alisha Balee (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies), who helped organize the spoken-word acts, said the purpose of the show is to help people understand the situation and become involved.

"We promised it would never happen again," Balee said about genocide. "Women and children are being run from their homes, and you think 'What if that was me?' Everyone's ignoring it, and we need to get it out there."

The $4 admission will go to the Doctors Without Borders program, which Richards said is a totally apolitical group that sends doctors into war zones to treat injuries. Richards said 85 percent of the money raised goes directly into humanitarian work, which he called a "five-star" rating for a charity.

Saturday's event at the HUB-Robeson Center will be more informative in nature. Organizer Rozina Gilani (sophomore-sociology and international studies) said one of her goals is to show people that Darfur is only one example of a trend.

"We are following the theme of the crisis in Darfur," Gilani said, "but at the same time we're also seeking to achieve a message of the universe struggles for peace and empowerment."

The biggest portion of the show will be the screening of Darfur Diaries, a film that explains the context of the genocide, which will play at 11 p.m. The show will also include student poetry, musicians and a demonstration of capoeira, a Brazilian martial art.

Several organizations, such as Amnesty International and Rescue Childhood, will be providing information at the event. Though independent students organized the event, Gilani noted that Amnesty International has the screening rights to Darfur Diaries and contributed by lending it for this event.

Gilani said she also hopes to have a Sudanese guest speak about his experiences in another conflict, the civil war that has been raging from the beginning of the decade.