Multi-colored handprints covered the folded pieces of paper spread out across three tables on the ground floor of the HUB-Robeson Center, but these were not the handiwork of children.

Will Snyder (graduate-printmaking) designed 800,000 as his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) thesis project to "acknowledge, remember and renew" the memory of an estimated 800,000 Rwandans killed in 1994 during a 100-day period of tribal genocide.

"I was trying to think of how to respond to this genocide. ... 'Why not make a book?' I thought, to spread awareness of the event, memorialize the people and raise funds to help them," Snyder said.

The book, made up of 200,000 folded sheets of paper, will be about 50 yards long when finished and have a page for each of the 800,000 victims. Each page will have a handprint of a person who donated $1 or more for relief efforts in Rwanda.

"This is a work of public art -- some would say a questionable form of art ... but I get to work with people and hopefully make a change," Snyder said.

Participants said they believed this hands-on experience was a gratifying way to make a difference.

"If someone takes the time to do a project on something that doesn't affect them directly, I feel like I should take the time to help as much as I can with it," Sarah Kloecker (sophomore-women's studies and sociology) said as she lifted her hand, covered with orange paint, from a white page.

Abraham Eric Landes (senior-printmaking), who helped fold papers, said he believed the book would be a symbol that encourages action.

"I love being part of art like this because [it] can spur discussion for things that are normally really hard to talk about ... and that is what gets things done," he said.

Snyder's friends and other volunteers split up into groups within the HUB yesterday -- some collected donations and stamped the hands of donors, while others folded papers into groups of 10.

"The hardest thing to do is to get people aware of it. ... I think it is such a strong issue that if people know about it, they will get involved," Julie Bistline (senior-French) said as she helped people make their handprints.

The Paul Robeson Cultural Center helped sponsor the hand-stamping event.

"It's big projects like this that we [the university and students] need to take on," said Debra Simpson-Buchanan, the cultural center's assistant director. "We don't have $800,000 to give, but 800,000 of us definitely have $1 to give."

Although it was located among many other student group tables in the HUB, 800,000 caught the eyes of a number of students.

"Out of all the tables here, this is definitely the thing I care about most, and there is not enough concern for it," Anuja Ghate (senior-psychology) said.

Puja Gandhi (junior-marketing) said she believed the book would help spread the word about important issues.

"There are AIDS and genocide victims that people need to hear about. ... This will help them do it," she said.

The simple signs, bronze-colored handprints on black advertisement posters, send a strong message, Anjelica Caraballo (senior-advertising) said.

"The simplicity and importance struck me. I mean, we can all spare $1 -- we spend that on gum," she said, lifting her purple hand from a page.

Snyder said he expects the book to be finished in two to three years. For now, more hand-stamping and paper-folding events will be happening on and off campus. Future event dates are listed at www.eighthundredthousand.com.