Dozens of orange paper cranes float strung together in rows on the lawn between the Schine Student Center and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Each crane represents $2 that will go toward relief efforts for northern Japan, which was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami nearly a month and a half ago.

The project has already collected more than $5,000 in one month, said Chao Dou, a senior architecture major. Some Syracuse University alumni were in Japan during the disaster and sent emails saying they appreciated the paper crane project, Dou said.

‘I’ve been getting a lot of personal emails from people I don’t even know,’ Dou said. ‘Some of them are really supportive, saying ‘Thank you’ and ‘I’m glad you’re doing this.”

Students in the School of Architecture organized the project a week after the March 11 disaster. The idea behind the relief effort came from Dou, who worked with other students, and Yutaka Sho, an assistant architecture professor born in Japan.

The project organizers hope to create 7,000 paper cranes, and therefore raise $14,000, according to an April 6 SU news release.

‘Lots of organizations were doing small projects on their own, like making wrist bands or paper cranes,’ Dou said. ‘And I thought instead of doing separate projects, it might be better for us to raise money all together under one umbrella and let the school make a bigger effort.’

Several SU student organizations are supporting the effort and contributing to the project, including the Japan Club, Asian Students in America, the Chinese Student and Scholar Association, the Korean American Student Association, Global China Connection, Taiwan Connection and the Hong Kong Cultural Organization.

Greek organizations Nu Alpha Phi, Kappa Phi Lambda and Sigma Chi are also participating, as well as professional organizations and interest clubs, such as the Society of Multicultural Architects and Designers, the Architect Student Organization and Work in Asia.

The project organizers have conducted paper crane-building seminars, where students help build cranes in their free time, for the past several weeks on Wednesdays and Thursdays in Slocum Hall. Dou said the students have come together by teaching one another how to make paper cranes.

‘On our first day I couldn’t believe how many people showed up to make cranes. I was very excited to see people who wanted to be involved,’ said Anastasija Gridneva, a graduate student in architecture. ‘Everyone made almost 500 cranes in three hours. I was amazed.’

The project organizers will host a paper crane marathon in early May on the Quad for students to make paper cranes or give donations, Dou said.

Heather Rogers, a graduate student in architecture who was born in Okinawa, Japan, said she felt she could give back in a small way through the paper crane project.

‘I feel so grateful to be a part of a project that raises awareness to other students and faculty here,’ Rogers said. ‘And their responses have been more than I ever anticipated.’

meltagou@syr.edu

Published on April 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Marwa: meltagou@syr.edu | @marwaeltagouri