Making waves to help victims of disaster

Several campus organizations will help launch an effort to aid tsunami victims Monday by introducing Making Waves, a community-wide initiative to fold 150,000 origami waves, each in memory of an individual killed in the disaster.

"[The waves] help us remember, because you're folding individual objects to remember individuals," said Bonnie Bernstein, education and outreach coordinator of the Cotsen Children's Library.

The initiative started when a young boy asked how to create a wave at the library's origami workshop immediately following the tsunami. The sentiment recalls the cranes folded in memory of Hiroshima victims, another project inspired by a child.

"We were touched that he had been moved to fold this symbol," Meridel Bulle '05 said. Bulle and Elona Toska '05 have largely coordinated the initiative on campus.

Bulle noted that Making Waves allows children to participate in relief efforts, even though they may not be able to contribute monetarily.

"Folding origami is fun, and it's something kids can do just as easily as college students or adults to respond to the crisis," she said. "It's also a great opportunity to learn about another culture and to conceptualize the numbers of people affected by seeing the combined displays of origami pieces."

Making Waves hopes to raise $150,000, a dollar for each wave. The money will benefit a special CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) fund for rehabilitation in the affected areas. To reach this goal, community groups — such as the Arts Council of Princeton, the Princeton Public Library, and several local schools — are sponsoring folding events from now through April. Individuals in the Global Issues Forum, Princeton Tsunami Relief and other campus outreach groups are also joining the effort.

"It's really kind of a coalition of volunteers on and off campus," Bernstein said.

The Princeton Japanese School will train volunteers Saturday, who will then teach others. The origami pattern is based on a pattern invented by a Massachusetts math professor, Bernstein added.

Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson and her staff will begin the initiative at her staff meeting in Frist Campus Center on Tuesday. The Cotsen Children's Library will then host the first large-scale folding event Feb. 12.

"The whole idea is that we'll get it started and just let it have a ripple effect," Bulle said. "Already the energy and commitment of people both on campus and in the community is tremendous. I really believe that it has the potential to be huge."