My Clemson Experience
Part II
… continued from My Clemson Experience - Part I →
CLEMSON FOOTBALL
I always wondered… “How crazy could it be?” We do have cricket stadiums in India too, and it’s crazy. Well, at least colleges back in India don’t have stadiums. I was excited for the Fall semester to begin so I could watch football games in our very own Clemson’s Death Valley Stadium!
When the football season arrived, there was a wave of energy and enthusiasm on campus. My friends told me to go early if I wanted to experience the craziness on game days! On my first game day, I put on my new orange T-shirt and walked to campus 4 hours before kickoff. Clemson was packed with cars, the crowd on the streets increased by five times, the fields were filled with a sea of orange tents with people playing corn hole, having a cook out and pre-game partying. People called it ‘tailgating.’
The events leading to the Football game is an experience in its own. It was the coolest feeling watching the players march to the stadium as a 100,000 fans gather around the stadium; seeing the band perform at the amphitheater, followed by a huge parade to the stadium, watching the buses being escorted by State Troopers with blazing blue lights, and finally watching the football players get off the bus and run down the hill into the stadium as thousands of orange balloons are released in the air, along with the LOUD chants of the crowd, fireworks shooting off and fighter planes flying over the stadium ALL at the same time!! I never missed a football game after that.
Being a photography enthusiast, I started borrowing DSLR cameras from the library and self taught myself (see link to Clemson’s article about me → ). A lot of people encouraged me to contribute my photos to the Yearbook. In my last semester, I was appointed as the Sports Editor of the Clemson University Yearbook. I was offered a sideline season pass to shoot all the games, which I happily did.
The experience of being on the field is unbeatable. Every football game, I equipped myself with a camera, an energy drink and wandered in this orange world of mine. I made so many friends on the sidelines and got a chance to interact with some of the players and the coaches. Then came the opportunity to shoot the conference games, the bowl games and the National Championships. I was lucky to witness Clemson winning its first National Championship after 36 years. Thanks to Clemson, I continued to shoot the games for 3 more years after I graduated as a hobby. I couldn’t be happier by the opportunities Clemson has given me inside and outside the classroom.
CLEMSON FAMILY
I had always heard about the term ‘Clemson Family’ but it never struck to me so personally until an incident occurred with me. I lost my phone as I hopped taking photos in the packed crowd of 80,000 in Death Valley Stadium. Three days later, a school teacher from a nearby city messaged me on facebook mentioning that he found my phone. I thanked him for his generosity and collected my phone, when he said “You don’t need to thank me, it’s all about the Clemson Family”. That term has been close to my heart ever since.
The best thing I love about Clemson is it’s community. Clemson is surrounded by a wonderful aura of friendship. There have been so many interesting coincidences with me. I met a boy from high school while sitting on the ledge of a cliff waiting to watch the sunrise; a year later he enrolled in Clemson and became a good friend of mine. I danced with a high school girl for 5 minutes at an event in another city, and we ran into each other again at Clemson and became good friends. I had a nice conversation with an old couple at a church event, they still keep in touch with me, check on me once in a while and take me water skiing every summer. I have visited 49 states in America and met all kinds of people, but I’ve never come across more friendlier people than I did at Clemson.
One of my most favorite memories from Clemson was randomly running into 30-40 friends every time I walked to class and back. It’s been such a joy to make so many friends from grads to undergrads to employees to staff to security guards to bus drivers to police officers to shop keepers to professors to athletic directors to the Football head coach to the president of the University.
THANK YOU CLEMSON
I wanted to convey a ‘Thank You’ message to Clemson University as I graduated. On my graduation day, I decided to mount a replica of a DSLR camera on my graduation hat. I also had a picture with President Clements in the camera screen. He has a special place in my Clemson experience. But most importantly, I have his picture because I admire his friendship with students, and consider him a role model. He never misses an opportunity to inspire and encourage students to see the best in themselves. I am grateful to call him my friend, and happy that we keep in touch with each other even after four years of leaving school. He's my favorite person in Clemson!!
Another person who inspires me is the football head coach, Dabo Swinney. I briefly met him after winning a football game to shake his hand. Although, being one of the busiest and most popular football head coaches in the country, he showed interest in getting to know me, introduced me to his family and team. Coach Swinney has always encouraged me to be strong in my values and beliefs, empower others and live life to the fullest. He is one of the most personable and humble people I’ve ever met.
Today, I can only take out time to say Thank you. Someday, I will be able to do more to contribute to my Clemson Family, for all it has taught me, for its hospitality, and for making me a better person. I will take immense pride in being a Clemson alum for the rest of my life.
