Senbazuru at Randolph College

As students flock to the Randolph College campus over the next week, they’ll find a flock of 1,000 paper cranes in the hallway of the Dean of Students office.
Several members of the College community worked together this summer to create a senbazuru—a collection of 1,000 origami cranes suspended by string. The colorful decoration now hangs in the Dean of Students office hallway. It sports the College colors as well as a variety of bright, eye-catching hues on origami paper with intricate designs.

A Japanese legend promises good fortune or a wish to someone who creates a senbazuru.

“We thought it would be an excellent symbol of good will and optimism, things we want to foster on campus this year,” said Terry Bodine, interim dean of students.

Laura-Gray Street, an English professor, Jeannie Plybon, grants coordinator, and Karin Warren, environmental science professor, find some colorful origami cranes in the Dean of Students office.

The Dean of Students office employees folded the cranes, with help from staff, faculty, summer students, and friends of the College.

After accumulating hours upon hours of origami practice this summer, everyone on the Dean of Students staff now knows how to fold the cranes and are happy to teach others. “In fact, we’ve already started teaching the skill to various student leaders,” Bodine said.

For those who want to learn how to make origami cranes but do not want to wait until arriving on campus, Google lists more than 150,000 sites that will tell you how, including some with video instructions.

In addition to the thousand cranes hanging by string, the office has a basket of cranes for people to take for free. The delicate paper creations are spreading themselves around campus as people come to see the masterpiece.