The Runway

In 2002, two years after the creation of the Hendrix Student Center, former Department Chair of the Arts Department, John Acorn, developed a creative art project titled Friday Flyers. Initially known as the John Acorn Project, Mr. Acorn designed and erected six, eight foot aluminum airplanes replicating the form of basic paper airplanes. At first, the airplanes were planned to be hung from the ceiling of the Hendrix Center. Upon student suggestions, the airplanes were scattered around Clemson’s campus as if they were each thrown from the Hendrix center in all directions. One still hangs from the ceiling of the main entrance to the Hendrix Center. The meaning that Acorn hoped to portray from this project was far more than just a randomized tossing of paper airplanes. Acorn said, "the random placement of these six forms symbolizes the importance of diversity and chance, innovation and human perseverance. The release of a paper airplane and its subsequent course parallels academia in the function of sending out the seeds of an idea for others to discover and explore.” One can look at the initial photograph of the airplane hanging in Hendrix and notice its direction towards the windows ahead. It is as if the airplane could take flight right from its hanging wires and venture off onto Clemson’s campus, just as freshman do upon arrival. Freshman visit Hendrix early in their first year, pick up their books for the semester, and all begin their unique flights which will last over the next four years. This series of six pictures will symbolize the journey taken by each student at Clemson University.