By: Regina Wright ~Staff Writer~

In early April the Islamic State (ISIS) took over Yarmouk Camp, a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, Syria.

When Jacob Levy, a senior Xavier student, saw a photo on Associated Press of refugees lined up in Yarmouk for food, he decided to create “6 Hours for Syria.” “An unfortunate part of being an international studies student is having to watch the world burn from behind my computer screen,” Levy said. “After I saw a photo of the Yarmouk camp, enough was enough. A massive column of people stretched for miles through a burnt and broken city, waiting for food.

I decided it was time to do something and my colleagues agreed.” “6 Hours for Syria” was a six hour- long concert held on April 15 in Gallagher Student Center. The concert was sponsored by Levy, the Muslim Student Association and the Center for Interfaith Community Engagement.

“The importance of the concert was because I want to show people it doesn’t have to be this way,” Levy said. “We don’t live in a disconnected world anymore, and their lunch change can literally save lives.” The concert raised $373 for Doctors Without Boarders, which does work for refugees in Syria.

Doctors Without Boarders provides relief to people affected by conflict, disasters and epidemics. “My favorite part about the event was seeing that people actually cared, seeing broke college students dropping fives and tens into the collection jar,” Levy said. During the concert Levy spoke about the ongoing problems in Syria and why it is important to fund Doctors Without Boarders.

“The most important learning experience for me was that people are capable and willing to learn more about the world around them,” Levy said. Any students who wish to donate to Doctors Without Borders can visit https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/onetime. cfm.