Alumni & Club News

 
Couch Season
Clemson Clubs and other alumni groups rely heavily on football watch parties and other fall events for their fundraising. When it became clear those events wouldn’t be possible in 2020, the Alumni Association’s engagement team brainstormed a solution: Couch Season, a play on Clemson Football’s “Ring Season.”
 

As of November 2020, the Alumni Association had sold 2,942 packages and raised a total of $123,596.74.

 
For $15, Couch Season package patrons received two Tiger Rags, tailgating recipe cards, two koozies, two coasters, four “Beat” stickers for every game, one chip clip and two commemorative tickets — all emblazoned with the Couch Season logo, which was modeled after the famous couch on the TV show Friends, said Stewart Summers ’98, M ’01, associate executive director for engagement. “We just embraced the crazy,” he laughed.
The Alumni Association also asked alumni who purchased a package to give to their local Clemson Club, alumni group, scholarship fund or the Clemson University Foundation. As of November 2020, the Alumni Association had sold 2,942 packages and raised a total of $123,596.74.
 

Diversity-Based Affinity Groups
In partnership with the Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center, the Alumni Association is excited to feature a series of virtual events highlighting diversity-based affinity groups: Hispanic Latinx, LGBTQ+, Clemson Black Alumni, Women’s Alumni Council and Clemson Corps.
All alumni are welcome to participate in affinity groups and group events. For more information about how to join a group, and to view the calendar for upcoming virtual events, visit alumni.clemson.edu or follow the Clemson Alumni Association on social media.
 
Tigers Tackle Series
In an effort to provide a variety of events to Clemson Clubs and groups across the country during COVID-19, the Clemson Alumni Association created Tigers Tackle, an exciting new engagement series that highlights different alumni, campus leaders and interest areas. Fall events ranged from a Halloween wine tasting and Clemson sports trivia with fan-favorites Tim Bourret and Kelly Gramlich ’14 to creating the perfect holiday flower arrangement or upgrading your game day spread with lifestyle guru AnnaLouise Carter ’11. Be sure to check out the calendar for upcoming opportunities to tackle something new with fellow Tigers!Virtual Tailgating
The Philadelphia Clemson Club hosted several virtual tailgating events via Zoom in the fall of 2020. Alumni participated in Q&A sessions with guest speakers, such as Nick Tully ’02 of Clemson Pawcast and Denzel Johnson ’19, former Clemson safety. Clemson Football trivia and score prediction games were also part of the fun. “One of the biggest ways we were able to grow our viewership was livestreaming our virtual tailgates on Facebook,” wrote Will Croswell ’06*, club president.
 

Food Bank Fundraising
Following their 2019 College Colors Day Food Drive victory, The Villages Chapter of the Central Florida Clemson Club has developed a reputation for generosity and willingness to help. The Daily Sun newspaper reached out to the chapter after checking in with local food banks; there was one in particular need, Beyond the Walls Food Pantry, a ministry of Heritage Community Church. The Clemson Club raised $3,200 for the food bank. “Colleen Brooks, the director of the food pantry, was in tears when she saw our very generous gift,” wrote Amy Graef Huckaby ’79*.
 
Improve It!
Members of the Atlanta Clemson Club joined improve it! founder Erin Holbrook Diehl ’05 on Zoom for a “laugh break,” a session of short-form improv games. Improve it! is a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow through workshops that leverage improvisational techniques to improve employees’ skills in corporate settings.
 
Send-off Parade
The Colleton County Clemson Club hosted a student send-off parade on July 30, 2020, in downtown Walterboro, S.C. Sharon Hazel Witkin ’99, the club secretary, told The Press and Standard, “Students were invited to decorate their cars and parade downtown to receive well-wishes and support from club members.” Incoming freshmen received a handmade dorm blanket, and returning students were given Tiger Paw-stamped $2 bills. “Especially during times of uncertainty, we are happy to show students our support before returning to Clemson for their fall studies,” added club president Josh
White ’96.