September 21 is International Peace Day. Here at Xavier, it was celebrated for the first time.
The Peace Crane Project is a worldwide project that Xavier has decided to participate in this year. People make paper cranes. The paper cranes symbolize hope and healing. If a person folds one thousand paper cranes, it is believed that she is granted one wish.
Natalie Weatherwax ‘25, who helped fold paper cranes this year, said her favorite part of this experience was “learning about the history behind the Japanese tradition of making one thousand cranes.”
We Are Xavier (WAX) club’s paper crane wish is “for a safe and prosperous school year for all members of the XCP community and for peace throughout the world, especially in the areas affected by war, famine and strife,” wrote Zach Carlson, a WAX club moderator and fine arts teacher.
WAX started creating the paper cranes with the goal of 1,000 made by September 21. They began on August 21 and surpassed this goal by this time. The estimated number of paper cranes made totaled over 1200.
WAX put up a display outside of the Attendance Office with papers stating the club’s wish and showing a QR code for the contest. Along with this, the papers included background information on International Peace Day, what the paper cranes signify, and a prayer. The display is also decorated with some of the paper cranes that WAX folded.
WAX held a contest to see who could guess the amount of paper cranes the club had made. Whoever had the closest guess won a gift card. Bella Woods ’24 and Kasia Smigielski ‘24 had the closest guesses.
Xavier is going to send the cranes to Hiroshima, Japan. Carlson explained, “The paper cranes being sent to Hiroshima is a demonstration of world peace.” Many schools around the world do this as well.
The WAX club would like to continue this tradition in the future. “We will probably do this every year or every other year,” Carlson added.
Reagan Perez, a junior who was actively involved in the project, said her favorite part was “making the cranes with her friends.”
This demonstration of peace helps the students of Xavier learn more about traditions around the world and what can be done to make a positive impact on others.
