In the wake of the disaster in Japan, it is clear that the citizens of the United States are not giving monetary support as generously as they did for other natural disasters in the past several years. Philanthropic donations from the U.S. one week after the earthquake and tsunami amounted to approximately 25 percent of what was given to Haiti in the same time frame. The one exception to this trend is corporate America: Corporations across the nation are donating large sums of money, mainly as a result of having offices and colleagues in Japan.

Over break, Chancellor Wrighton sent an email to the Washington University community notifying students of the disaster and the University’s response. But as of yet, neither the University nor Student Union have organized a fundraiser to help those affected by the disaster. By contrast, in response to the disaster in Haiti, SU organized a fundraiser that raised more than $9,000.

We understand that the student body and the rest of America have different perceptions of Japan and Haiti. Haiti is a developing country, plagued by poverty and poor political infrastructure. Japan, on the other hand, has the third largest economy in the world and a very good infrastructure for dealing with tsunamis and earthquakes. Japan is a country with famously little civil unrest, which could contribute to our lack of interest or empathy.

But despite this, and even though the crisis in Japan happened over spring break, we have no excuse for not trying our hardest to raise money and awareness. The earthquake in Haiti occurred during winter break in 2010, and the student body responded generously.

Just because we don’t necessarily see the troubles that Japan is dealing with at the moment doesn’t mean that the nation doesn’t need substantial international aid. Especially given the unpredictable consequences of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan clearly needs all the help and support, that it can get. It doesn’t help Japan that commentators across the U.S. are very concerned about the status of nuclear power plants on their own soil. While this is a serious issue, it should not be raised in the stead of the set of crises happening in Japan.

We think that the University—both the administration and the students—should be taking action to help alleviate the suffering in Japan. A handful of student groups have been trying to raise money and awareness, but they could benefit from more official backing.

Over break, newscasters covered and debated the bombings in Libya, Egyptians approved a new constitutional referendum, and the House of Representatives ended federal funding for National Public Radio. Even if we don’t have a fundraiser for Japan, when we go away for break, the world doesn’t stop turning. Now that school has resumed, we urge everyone to take the time to stay engaged.