Japanese Flourishes Mark Dedication of Willamette's Kaneko Commons

SALEM, Ore., Feb 19, 2007 The booming of taiko drums and the beauty of 1,000 origami paper cranes were just two elements of WillametteUniversitys traditional Japanese dedication ceremony Feb. 15 for Kaneko Commons, a $17.5 million residential community project.
The ceremony reflected Kanekos focus on Japanese heritage, a unique characteristic stemming from Willamettes long-standing relationship with Tokyo International University (TIU) in Kawagoe, Japan. TokyoInternational University of America (TIUA), located next to Kaneko, is TIUs only campus outside Japan.
Students, builders, faculty, and dignitaries from Japan, including the president of TIU, were among those in attendance at the dedication ceremony. This is a new era for WillametteUniversityand one worthy of our mutual commemoration, said Willamette President M. Lee Pelton.
With new and remodeled construction complete, the 72,000-square-foot Kaneko Commons features two community kitchens and nine different student room options, including four-bedroom apartments. A three-story atrium houses Kaneko Café, which features numerous food choices, including Japanese cuisine. More than 350 students live in Kaneko Commons, 151 of those in the new addition. Kaneko opened its rooms to students in August, but the atrium was recently finished.
The development of the commons takes our relationship with TIU to a new level, said Gunnar Gundersen, TIUAs executive vice president. By working on such a major project together, one that has such a huge impact on Willamette, it symbolizes a unique mutual commitment.
The relationship allows numerous Willamettestudents and faculty to travel, study or teach in Japanyearly, and TIU students spend a year at Willametteas fully integrated undergraduates.
Another distinct element of the Kaneko project is that it introduces the residential commons concept at Willamette. Rooted in the college models at Oxfordand Cambridgein the 13th century, Willamettes commons model features graduated housing arrangements for all classes of students, is self-governing with elected student officers, and includes a substantial faculty presence. A wide array of programming elaborates on the sites three themes sustainability, Japanese heritage and community service and encourages intellectual stimulation beyond the classroom.
Kaneko Commons also was built to meet the standards for LEED silver and possibly gold certification. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a U.S. Green Building Council rating system that is a benchmark for sustainable building practices.