Thursday's rain did little to dampen the spirits of those involved in the free SF State concert for the environment and human rights this afternoon.

The concert didn’t kick off until an hour after the scheduled 12 p.m. start time. But as the clouds started to clear, more and more students gathered in Malcolm X Plaza to hear the music and to look at the informational booths and photo exhibits that were set up near the stage.

“The objective here is to promote critical thinking on issues that are really serious in today’s society,” said event coordinator Paul Warnow, who works with various universities to set up similar events through the organization Progressive-Alliance.org. “Our country is spending $1 trillion on war. We’re spending money on weapons when we should be focusing our resources on issues that are far more important.”

The event started with a short speech by Ken Burrows, faculty adviser for the student organization at the Holistic Health Network. Environmental studies and international relations professor Glenn Friedman followed with a brief talk about environmental issues and sustainable living.

Keeping with the theme of the event, award-winning San Diego hip-hop/funk band K23 Orchestra performed to a crowd that quickly grew from about 80 people to 150 people. The group’s political messages were showcased through their music as they rapped about pop culture, the war in Iraq and environmental issues.

“We’re trying to get people to open their eyes and look at what’s around them,” said bass player Matt LaBarber. “We want to get them to ask questions, not just accept things the way they are.”

The event was co-sponsored by the Holistic Health Center, which was celebrating its 30th anniversary, as well as UNICEF at SF State. Both organizations had informational booths set up with literature and brochures available to interested students.

“We’re trying to raise awareness, to educate about issues that are affecting people everywhere, like the Darfur genocide and environmental issues,” said child and adolescent development major Theresa Navarro, who is also a UNICEF member.

Complementing the concert and the booth was a photography exhibit, which showcased photos from award-winning and internationally acclaimed photographers Gary Braasch and Ron Haviv. Braasch, who later spoke to the attendees, displayed photos that depicted the effects of global warming with side-by-side comparisons of the Pasterze Glacier in Austria in 1875 with the same area in 2004. Haviv’s photography focused on the genocide occurring in Darfur in 2005.

Midway through K23 Orchestra’s performance, five women started dancing in the plaza, some integrating hula-hoops into their movements.

“The event seems pretty cool,” said psychology major Alex Alvarado, who walked over after hearing the band performing. “They gave a pretty good, concise speech at the beginning for more practical uses of environmental-friendly products.”

Biology major Lex LaFortune, 24, was drawn to the event on his way to get lunch at the Cesar Chavez Student Center.

“I’m really interested in this photo show,” he said. “I can get more information on global warming, genocide — you know, all the fun things people like to do to each other.”