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1,000 crane movement at BYUH

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Paper cranes filled the Brigham Young University-Hawaii campus as part of a marketing campaign for the Ke Alaka’i. The cranes were scattered throughout campus on Friday, September 26th for students to collect.“We knew we wanted to do something that would draw attention to the magazine, but be mutually beneficial at the same time. That’s when we thought of the cranes. At first, we were only going to make a couple hundred, but 1000 just had a ring to it,” said Austin Meldrum, a senior majoring in international cultural studies from Colorado and creator of the 1000 Cranes Movement at BYUH explained.When opened, each crane featured a short biography of one of five leaders.Meldrum explained, “These fliers are one of five people. We chose people who inspired us in our own lives, common figures, people from different cultures, races, genders, different walks of life, that are pretty recognizable and people we can all learn a lesson from.”The five people featured were Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Frida Kahlo, Bob Marley, and Erik Weihenmayer.“The students open the crane, read a short message, and hopefully leave inspired,” Meldrum continued. “They each have a story to tell. They each overcame a struggle.”Meldrum and Astle decided on paper cranes because in many cultures, cranes are symbolic of hope and wishes.“I feel like this project will spark people to think more creatively,” James Astle, co-founder of the 1000 Cranes Movement, added, “It’s a simple thing, but if the students take a second to open one little crane and read the message, it could change their outlook on the day. The project was meant to inspire people, and that’s hopefully what it did.”Astle continued, “The project was a chance to give the Ke Alaka’i a pair of their very own wings so they could lift the students higher than they’ve ever been. Although it may have been a shock, it is the start of a new campaign for marketing.”For a behind the scenes look on the project, watch the video at the Ke Alakai news YouTube channel.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkVUcXMLk8g&list=UUDE6VSNHRODNyU-Snpj711w
Writer: Emily Halls ~ Multimedia Journalist