A Transformative Place
From my window in Sikes, I have a wonderful view of students coming and going from the newly completed Douthit Hills residence halls across the street. I can also see the business school building as it begins to rise out of the ground. On Friday afternoons, I can hear the sounds of Tiger Band as they prepare for the upcoming game. Like every fall, it is a time of energy, enthusiasm and change, this year maybe more than most.
In the midst of all the change, Clemson continues to be a transformative place for students. On page 7, you can read the inspiring story of recent graduate Chastyn Webster who is using her past experiences and education to help improve the lives of young girls at our Youth Development Center in Aiken. On page you can also read about the life-changing experiences our students have through our study abroad program. Biological sciences professor Vincent Gallicchio leads a trip each year to provide pre-professional health students the opportunity to get global clinical shadowing experience while they help deliver health care to people in need. Stories like these make me optimistic for the future of our students and our communities.
If you haven’t been back to campus in a while, I invite you to join us this fall for a football game. On page 28, you’ll find a guide to tailgating at Clemson. It’s an experience like none other, if only for the way Clemson fans welcome opponents to town, sharing the shade of their tailgate tents. That’s an institutional value that sets us apart from many other schools, and I love getting letters from people who have been amazed at the reception they have received. I hope that never changes.
As you read this magazine, I hope you will reflect on your own Clemson experience — and those faculty members who influenced your life and those friends with whom you shared a freshman hall, or played intramurals, or tossed a Frisbee on Bowman Field. I encourage you to rekindle those memories and reconnect with some of those people.
I hope to see you on campus this fall!
GO TIGERS!
James P. Clements
President