Japan experienced four high-magnitude earthquakes April 14 and 15. The four cities affected were Ueki at noon (which received a 6.2 magnitude), Uto at 3 p.m. (6.0), Kumamoto-shi (7.0) and Ozu (5.7), which both occurred within the 4 p.m. hour April 15. About 40 people have been pronounced dead after these earthquakes.

In addition, at about 11:30 p.m. April 16 a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country of Ecuador. Nearly 600 people have been pronounced dead after this earthquake.

Miyuki Nishimura, originally from Japan, is a senior mass media major, and her family was directly impacted by one of the earthquakes in Japan.

“When the first earthquake happened, a picture frame that was hanging on a wall hit my sister’s face and it woke my sister up. All my family said [to] me they woke up suddenly because of sound of shaking ground, falling and breaking stuff in the house.”

Nishimura wanted to let the students, staff, faculty and supporters of Washburn know that you can donate money to help the rebuilding of the country: “What I want people to do the most is to know about this happening and pray for people in Japan.”

Alejandro Valarezo Plaza, originally from Ecuador, is a freshman finance major, and although his family wasn’t directly affected by the earthquake, he feels he should be able to help.

“It has affected me because I know that I could be helping a lot of people from my country while being there,” Plaza said.

Plaza spoke highly of his home country in reference to rebuilding after the earthquake.

“After the earthquake, all the Ecuadorians immediately started helping the people that were affected by the earthquake giving a lot of donations… But that’s what I like about Ecuador: the union that we show as a small country.”

Those wanting to donate to the Japanese earthquake relief fund can do so at https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/kumamoto-japan-earthquake-relief-fund/.