Archive for category: Alumni Profiles

My Clemson: Daniel Licata ’09

by Daniel Licata ’09/January 14, 2015/0 Comments

When I transferred to Clemson in the fall of 2006, I was looking for a better “college experience.” The university I had left behind was low on school spirit; they didn’t even have a football team.

Clemson did not provide me with an experience; it transformed my life. I found a new family in those “Hills.” The color orange was no longer something to add to my wardrobe, it became my wardrobe. And while the “Hills” were certainly special, “The Hill” was sacred.

In the long history of Clemson, approximately 50 other students have had the same perspective I did when I first stepped to the top of The Hill on Labor Day Monday in 2007. With limited vision, gasping for air and fighting off heat exhaustion, I stood in front of the Death Valley faithful, ready to lead our team on to the field. The “C-L-E-M-S-O-N” chant that overcame the stadium, physically shaking my helmet, will forever be engrained in my mind. As the cannon sounded, I knew my life would never be the same. During the 2007-08 school year, I prowled the sidelines during a 23-21 victory in Columbia and an ACC Tournament in Charlotte that had our team in the championship game.

After graduating summa cum laude in the spring of 2009, I returned to my home state of New Jersey to begin a career in education. I love exploring the subject of social studies with my high school students, but if you were to ask any of my students where my true passion lies, they would all answer, “Clemson!” My students know that the Tiger does push-ups after every score, that Friday is always solid orange, and that my mood on a Monday in the fall is largely dependent on the Saturday that precedes it.

Daniel Licata is a social studies teacher at Palmyra High School in Palmyra, New Jersey. He recently won the teacher of the year award and led the varsity baseball program to their second consecutive division championship, the first time for school since the 1930s.

William S. Gaillard Jr. ’40

by Sallie Culbertson/January 14, 2015/0 Comments

WWII Soldier

History and travel enthusiast, Rhonda Bailey Antonetti ’87 (NURS) of Charleston wanted to take Tiger Paw flags to place on the Clemson alumni WWII soldiers’ graves in the American Cemetery in Normandy, France. Little did she know the amazing, serendipitous venture this gesture would uncover. She was able to place only one flag on her visit, and she snapped a picture of the marker. When asked about her trip by a co-worker, Antonetti showed her pictures. This co-worker, Staci Gaillard, was surprised to see the name on the marker was a name familiar to her — one shared by her father-in-law, husband and son. The soldier was William S. Gaillard Jr. ’40, her husband’s great-uncle. The present generation of the family had not known much about his death and service. Antonetti assisted the family in researching information. On Clemson’s Military Heritage Day, his nephew, William S. Gaillard II; great-nephew, William S. Gaillard III ’03 (MKTG); William III’s wife, Staci Gaillard; and Antonetti visited his stone at the Scroll of Honor Memorial. Staci and William have a son, William S. Gailliard IV.

Celeste “Clete” Boykin ’79

by Nancy Spitler/January 12, 2015/0 Comments

Lifetime of Achievement

Clete Boykin graduated from Clemson with a degree in horticulture, so when she began working as a lobbyist for DuPont 21 years ago, her focus was on agricultural issues. Since then, her portfolio has broadened to include trade secrets, defense, transportation, chemical plant security, immigration and education.

The job and the issues demand flexibility and adaptability. “No two days are the same,” she says. “I start out the day saying, ‘I’m going to do ABC today.’ I end up doing D and Z. And you meet some of the most interesting people with different backgrounds.”

This past summer at the Washington Government Relations Group’s Annual Tin Cup Awards Dinner, Boykin received the Reginald “Reg” Gilliam Lifetime Achievement Award from the non-partisan volunteer association founded to enrich the careers and leadership abilities of African-American government relations professionals.

Her job may not be nine to five, but she still finds time every summer to get together with a group of 10 to 12 other Clemson alums who lived together on the fourth floor of Benet Hall. They call themselves the “Benet Babes.”

“After all these years,” Boykin says, “I still consider them my best friends.”
She’s a proud Tiger Band alum, and can still be seen sporting her Tiger Band jacket when the weather gets chilly.

Chris Bandy ’92

by Leah Vansyckel ’16/January 12, 2015/0 Comments

Spreading the Small Town Gospel

The American South and cotton have a troubled relationship. But thanks to Chris Bandy and his homegrown apparel brand, Southern Fried Cotton, things are changing.

When Bandy first entered Clemson as a textiles major, he hoped to have the same job that his dad had in the pulp and paper industry. Instead, he jumped straight into sales after graduating in 1992 instead of heading to N.C. State like he once planned.

Some 26 years later, he’s a co-owner of TigerTown Graphics — a Clemson tradition started by his partners, John Earle and Chuck Rice, in 1988, when Bandy was a freshman at Clemson. The three are also the proud co-creators of Southern Fried Cotton, a Southern-themed apparel brand that has grown from one store in Greenville in 2012 to a second store in Clemson and more recently, 200 retailers selling their t-shirts throughout the Southeast.

“I remember hand-combing cotton and learning those properties involved in making cotton softer. It has been very interesting being in the apparel industry as all the new blends change the T-shirt world, and some of the softest shirts are made,” said Bandy.

The sign in the back of the store is of a John Cougar Mellancamp quote: “I was born in a small town and I can breathe in a small town.” For Bandy, that’s what these Southern-themed T-shirts are about — “roots, being homegrown and small towns.”

That “small town” feel that his shirts evoke come from his heart. He and his wife Maggie, who he met while in college, have raised their two sons JT and Carter in Clemson. He helps coach local rec teams and volunteers at his church. Southern Fried Cotton is about sharing that feeling of belonging — the sensation of someone memorizing your coffee order — with people who have had to move on from their own hometowns.

“Almost 10 years after returning to Clemson to live, I still don’t take it for granted. I’m not getting special treatment; that’s just part of living in a small community,” said Bandy.

DeAndre “Nuk” Hopkins

by Nancy Spitler/January 12, 2015/0 Comments

S.M.O.O.O.T.H. operator

Former Clemson football standout and now starting wide receiver with the NFL’s Houston Texans, DeAndre “Nuk” Hopkins has always been a smooth operator on the football field. But he can be just as smooth off the field.

Hopkins teamed up with his mother, Sandra Greenlee, and founded S.M.O.O.O.T.H Inc. — Speaking Mentally, Outwardly Opening Opportunities Toward Healing — an organization devoted to helping women and children heal from domestic violence situations. Greenlee, a victim herself, along with Hopkins, wanted to help end the cycle of domestic violence through education and empowering women and children. Hopkins has stood by her side and shared his perspective as a child who witnessed a bad situation, lived through it and is now successful.

With the help of sponsors, they have been able to provide children with school supplies as well as food, secure educational speakers, and set up booths promoting self-defense, anti-bullying and higher-education opportunities.

“This is an important issue, and if we can do anything about it to help people get around it, then we want to,” Hopkins says. “So we want to show people you don’t have to have a lot of money to overcome this. It’s something my mom went through, and she wants to reach out to people and help them.”

Hopkins also serves as an ambassador and spokesman for the Houston Food Bank and Souper Bowl of Caring. He hopes to raise awareness about hunger and help bring about hunger relief throughout the Houston community through volunteer activities, appearances and nutrition education.

Tiger Mascots

by Kayla Murphy ’16/January 12, 2015/0 Comments

Celebrating 60 Years of The Tiger

Sixty years ago, the Clemson family grew by one, one who quickly became one of the most recognizable, lovable and iconic members of the family: the Tiger mascot.

He’s been to every football game since his welcome to the Clemson family, done thousands of push-ups, visited hospitals and even danced at weddings. But only the select few actually have had the honor of bringing life to the Tiger.

With around 350 appearances each year, committing to being the “man in the suit” is no small feat. These men must travel frequently and train extensively, spending hours brainstorming and executing creative and entertaining stunts, mastering the mascot’s mannerisms and practicing hundreds of push-ups in preparation for sporting events all while still balancing a full student workload.

Michael Bays ’97, M ’99, Tiger mascot from 1994 through 1997 and record holder for most push-ups in his career, organized a reunion of former Tigers during Homecoming to share stories and memories of their glory days behind the mask as a celebration of the Tiger’s 60th birthday.

“Not only did being the Tiger bring me closer to my school,” said Bays, “but it also brought me closer to many people and taught me that the most important thing is putting a smile on a person’s face.”

An impressive total of 35 alumni and former Tiger mascots gathered together to tailgate, reunite at Death Valley and honor the birthday of their beloved mascot. Among others, this group included several Tiger legends such as Zach Mills ’80, inventor of the push-up tradition, push-up record-setters like Bays, and the oldest living Tigers, Billy McCown ’60 and *Steve “Frog” Morrison ’63.

“I think all of us feel a special connection to Clemson that nobody else can ever understand,” said Bays. “When the Tiger is around, it is magic. All I can say is that with 35 Tigers around, the magic is indescribable.”

For more stories of Mascots though the years, go to clemson.edu/clemsonworld and click on “Alumni Profiles.”

Matthew C. Reinhart ’94

by Sallie Culbertson/January 12, 2015/0 Comments

“Pop-up” Engineer

Take a biology major, mix in a portion of art training and a large serving of creativity, and what do you get? A pop-up engineer!

That’s the combination that resulted in a successful career for author, illustrator and paper engineer, Matthew Reinhart.

Reinhart began his Clemson experience with intentions of becoming a physician, but he had always enjoyed art and took art classes to build up his portfolio. After graduation, he realized that medicine was not his true calling and took off to New York City.

Reinhart attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, majoring in industrial design, with a concentration in toy design. His focus soon shifted to becoming a paper engineer. More precisely, a pop-up engineer.

Cutting, folding and taping small pieces of paper to make model after model to create dancing princesses, open-jawed dinosaurs and flying super heroes became his passion.

Reinhart apprenticed with renowned pop-up bookmaker Robert Sabuda, and soon they were collaborating. Reinhart made his first big breaks into the pop-up world with The Pop-Up Book Of Phobias, Animal Popposites and The Ark. Many book collaborations with Sabuda followed, including a trilogy of New York Times best-selling Encyclopedia Prehistorica and the series Encyclopedia Mythologica. He co-authored Mommy? with the ever-popular Maurice Sendak, and Brava Strega Nona with famous writer and illustrator, Tomie DePaola.

Reinhart’s solo pop-up books include The Jungle Book, Cinderella: A Pop-Up Fairy Tale, The Pop-Up Book of Nursery Rhymes, and STAR WARS: Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy, DC Super Heroes Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe and Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros.

He continues to work and live in New York City, cutting, taping and folding paper into pop-up masterpieces.

Kendall G. Cochran ’12

by Nancy Spitler/January 12, 2015/0 Comments

A Ring Story

Kendall Cochran has a lot to be thankful for. In July, when he was on his way to work, an oncoming SUV crossed over into his lane and hit him head-on. Trapped in his truck with smoke filling the cab and the engine on fire, he managed to climb out the window.

Standing on the side of the road, watching his truck burn, the horticulture major called his dad to let him know he had been in an accident. After he confirmed he was okay, his next words were, “My truck is burning up, and my Clemson ring is in there.”

After the local fire department had put out the fire and EMS had cleared Kendall, he went to his charred truck to search for his ring, which he had placed in the driver-side door panel. It took the fire department’s jaws of life to rescue the ring, encased in the melted door panel. The firefighters cut out a chunk of the door panel with the ring embedded and handed it to Kendall. Not much else survived the fire, including a treasured Clemson horticulture jacket.

But he has his ring. He chipped it out of the plastic, buffed it a bit, and put it back on his finger.

SPANDEX

by Jonathan Veit/January 12, 2015/0 Comments

Alumni return to Brooks Center with “super” production

If you saw a bolt from the blue last October, it wasn’t Superman. It was Clemson alumni of the Wishbone Theatre Collective, swooping in to perform their super hero-themed play, SPANDEX, at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts.

The Chicago-based theatre company spent a week in technical rehearsals and student-focused activities before giving two performances of their original work in the Bellamy Theatre. The poignant comedy/drama questions ideas of perfection, bravery and the American superhero through the eyes of children and adults.

Wishbone Theatre Collective was founded in 2009 by former members of the Clemson Players, the University’s student theatre troupe. Since then, the organization has staged mostly original works written by members of the company, including Returning from Madness (by Laurie Jones ’08) and En El Corazon (by Jones and Mandy Stertz ’08), as well as the classic ghost story, The Woman in Black. In addition to several non-Clemson company members, Wishbone’s current roster includes Elizabeth Finley ’08, Katie Jones ’08, Laurie Jones ’08, Erin Lovelace ’10, Mandy Stertz ’08 and Kimberly Van Ness ’08.

SPANDEX premiered in 2011 at the Chicago Fringe Festival and later traveled to the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. “We created the play as an ensemble through the inspiration of our childhood superheroes,” says Laurie Jones, who co-directs the production with her sister, Katie. “Wishbone did a children’s camp one summer, and we kept hearing the kids talking about good guys and bad guys. We thought we would take this childlike version of right and wrong and apply it to a real-life situation.”

While in Clemson, Wishbone conducted an improvisation workshop as well as a Q-and-A session for students. They shared stories of performing in less than ideal venues (their production of The Woman in Black was staged at a creepy funeral home) and of the joys and challenges of creating a theatre company from scratch.

Katie Jones, who was in the first graduating class of Clemson performing arts majors, told students that state-of-the-art equipment is not a requirement to produce a show: “You don’t need much. All you really need is six chairs and an imagination.”

Walter L. Dantzler ’67

by Jonathan Veit/January 12, 2015/0 Comments

Family and farm
By any measure, Santee farmer Walter Dantzler is a blessed man. After graduating from Clemson’s advanced ROTC program in June 1967, he helped his father bring in the harvest before heading off to Vietnam. Then he served a 13-month tour of duty before returning to the family farm.

“I got home from Vietnam on a Saturday, went to church with my family on Sunday and was back farming by Monday,” Dantzler said.

Dantzler was named South Carolina winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. He visited with the other state winners at the Expo in October.
“It was good talking about the joys and challenges of farming with people who understand. To a person, they all talked about wanting their families involved in their operations,” Dantzler said.

Therein lies Dantzler’s other great blessing: His is a multigenerational family farm, with wife Maida Owen ’68, son Bryan — who attended Clemson, daughter-in-law Gina and 11-year-old grandson Dyson all putting shoulder to the wheel. And the Dantzlers aren’t just a farming family — they’re a Clemson farming family. Maida is retired after 39 years teaching science at Holly Hill Academy. Son David ’98, M ’07 works for the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia. Youngest son Brook, a Citadel graduate, is an agency manager for Farm Bureau Insurance.

“All three of my sons grew up baling hay and working in the fields.  I gave them the choice, and David and Brook chose to work away from the farm. That’s all right. I’m proud of all my children,” Dantzler said.

Dantzler farms approximately four thousand acres of corn, cotton, peanuts, soybeans and wheat, along with 512 acres of timber. He uses guidance systems for planting and irrigation, grid sampling to reduce fertilizer and chemical use, and strip tillage for better weed control and less erosion.

“The technology has changed some things, but farming is still a hot and sweaty job with long hours,” Dantzler said.

Dantzler is confident grandson Dyson will be the next generation to work the land. “Dyson shows a real love for being outside and working hard. When it’s his turn, we’ll have drones flying over these fields.”