B-Note May 23, 2019
May 23, 2019
Greetings fellow Tigers!
The Clemson Corps will host a community-wide Memorial Day service honoring the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military on Sunday, May 26, at Clemson University’s Scroll of Honor Memorial. This year’s ceremony, which will begin at 4 p.m., recognizes the 75th anniversary of World War II’s D-Day landings. The guest speaker will be retired Army Lt. Col. Claude Cooper. Cooper, a 1967 graduate of Clemson University, served two tours with the Green Berets in Vietnam and also completed assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 7th Special Forces Group. He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, Combat Medic Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge and the Master Parachutist Badge. The memorial service will feature the placing of a wreath, a 21-gun salute and the playing of “Taps.” You can read more here.
Like many of us, Clemson has enriched Kimberly Bruce’s life. Now she is sharing that enrichment with future generations of Clemson students through the Kimberly A Bruce ’92 Graphic Communication Endowment – specifically those who will follow in her footsteps in the graphic communications program. But the graphic communications program is not where her path at Clemson began. It wasn’t until later during her freshman year when she heard a friend discussing his graphic communications classes that her interests were sparked. She sat in on one class – and that was all it took. She realized she had found her passion. Shortly after, she changed her major to graphic communications, and coincidentally, changed the course of her life. Kimberly credits the program with preparing her for success after graduation, providing her with the capabilities to adapt to our ever-changing world. Through this endowment, Kimberly will provide future generations the same enrichments she was able to experience as a student. Thank you, Kimberly, for making your mark on our University through a gift that will have a powerful impact on future generations of Clemson students! You can read more about Kimberly and her thoughtful gift to Clemson here.
Clemson University welcomed athletes from across the country as it hosted the 25th annual Southeastern Regional Wheelchair Games (SRWG), May 18 and 19. Aside from offering adaptive sport athletes the opportunity to compete, the event aims to stimulate awareness of wheelchair sports, promote the rights of wheelchair competitors in sports and recreation, educate individuals with disabilities through athletic competition, and focus positive attention on the abilities of athletes with disabilities. Most importantly, the games help young athletes improve their mental and physical health. The SRWG has been held in Myrtle Beach for the past 24 years, but Clemson assistant professor of recreational therapy and event director Jasmine Townsend orchestrated the move to Clemson this year to better accommodate athletes. You can read more here.
B-in the moment.
As you join together with loved ones this weekend, I hope you will take a moment to remember and recognize those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to our country.
If you haven’t visited Clemson University’s Scroll of Honor, I encourage each of you to take the time to visit the monument during your next visit to the Clemson campus. The memorial is in the form of a barrow ringed with stones upon which the names of 493 alumni who died on active military service are engraved. The memorial stands as a steady, silent tribute to these heroes and provides visitors with an opportunity to remember those who have given their lives for our country.
Happy Memorial Day and Go Tigers!
Brian O’Rourke