Author: jpbarne

Beginning Nov. 4, S.C. Highway 93 on Clemson’s main campus will be reduced to one lane from College Avenue to Williamson Road.  Only westbound traffic toward Williamson will be allowed to travel through this area. The Mell Hall parking lot will be inaccessible during Fall Break on Monday and Tuesday, and will reopen on Wednesday as construction progresses from Mell Hall.

Sidewalks will be closed adjacent to Highway 93 in this area.

Highway 93 will be restored to four lanes of traffic during all home football game days.  This project will continue into early next year.

Outdoor recreation at Clemson is about to get even better with exciting changes coming to the area formerly known as “Y-Beach” over the next few semesters. Campus Recreation, Sherman Construction and Cooper Carry Architects are working with University Facilities to add fields and the Outdoor Education Center, which is currently undergoing construction. The project serves not only to capitalize on prime campus real estate and prevent a recurrence of playable field issues, but also to enhance the Campus Recreation for a growing campus population with additional recreation options. The new center will replace the “red barn,” which holds camping, hiking, and kayaking gear for rent to students and members.

Weather-resistant playing fields

The first phase of the project will focus on the addition of fields which are slated to be complete in November 2018. To ensure longevity and resilience to heavy rain, the fields will feature artificial turf.

A new center

The new Outdoor Education Center will be constructed during the second phase of the project. Estimated to open in fall 2019, it will mark a new chapter for the area that borders Lake Hartwell. While specifics on design and layout have not yet been finalized, the current plan for the interior space will feature a sports-lodge theme.

Additional Classroom Spaces

In addition to housing the recreation gear, the building will also include two classrooms for educational courses and leisure activities. Other property features are planned but not yet funded.

Find Out More

Additional information about this project can be found at Campus Recreation’s website, including videos that describe its potential impact to enrich the lives of students at the university.

As utility work continues on S.C. Highway 93 (Hwy. 93) on Clemson’s main campus, drivers should expect delays.

During October, there will be intermittent two-lane closures from Centennial Blvd. to College Ave. as workers install manholes in the road.

Also in that timeframe, workers will close two lanes on Hwy. 93 from Centennial Blvd. to Williamson Rd. as workers install chilled water lines to support the West Energy Plant. Despite the lane closures, two-way traffic will be maintained on the roadway.

All construction will halt on the Wednesday before a home football game to focus on restoring the roads for game traffic.

Hwy. 93 construction is expected to continue through summer 2019.

It’s never too late to think green. As a new academic year begins, so too does Clemson’s Zero Waste Challenge (ZWC).

Clemson departments, colleges, student clubs, and other teams participate by completing challenges like skipping the straw, incorporating a green tailgating tip, or volunteering for a sustainability event. When the challenges are completed, teams post their success on their social media accounts, tagging @CURecycling and using the #ClemsonZWC hashtag. Teams earn cool prizes, such as a reusable straw, sweatshirt with ZWC logo, or even a football signed by Coach Swinney! Challenges are tiered from level 1 to level 4, with the level number equal to the number of points earned for completing that challenge (e.g. team completes a level 4 challenge, it earns 4 points).

The ZWC is brought to Clemson by Recycling Services, along with its partners, Solid Green Club, EcoReps, Clemson University Student Government, Athletics, Dining, Clemson Home, Inside Clemson, and University Facilities.

As part of Recycling Services’ mission to support and foster a greener campus and encourage environmentally conscience decisions, the semester long challenge reminds students, faculty and staff to think green.

Check out the ZWC site for a complete list of prizes, the official ZWC scoreboard, and other information.

The ClemsonLIFE program continues to grow so much that its current headquarters on the third floor of Godfrey Hall is no longer adequate for its size. In response to a need for additional square footage, ClemsonLIFE will move to a new location on Clemson’s main campus.

Starting this summer, ClemsonLIFE will officially claim the garden level of Tillman Hall as its new home. With an expected 13 new students arriving this fall–increasing the program’s enrollment to 40 students–the goal of the move is to establish a larger, inviting ‘home’ for all. The additional space in the garden level suite will be converted into a dedicated conference room for faculty,  and feature three classrooms for students. Director Erica Walters credits Founding Dean of the College of Education and ClemsonLIFE advocate George Petersen for acquiring the space and arranging the move, and Rick Owens of University Facilities for managing the renovations required by the program.

“It has been a true team effort, with support from President Clements, Dean Petersen, Dr. Joe Ryan, Rick Owens and his team, ” said Walters. “In August, the students of ClemsonLIFE will walk into a high-tech, top-notch facility that matches the Clemson Forward vision in research, engagement, academics, and living. We are thrilled to be a part of the Clemson family and ingrained in the culture of Clemson.”

One of the renovations included a full-floor restoration. The work was completed by external contractors, two full-time employees from ClemsonLIFE, as well as additional program volunteers.

ClemsonLIFE students will also enjoy new living quarters beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year. Housing has arranged for the students to move from Lightsey Bridge to the new Douthit Hills suites at the beginning of the fall semester.

Spring Flower Planting

Before entering the new suite, visitors will notice a new flower bed on Tillman’s north side. That’s the work of ClemsonLIFE participants, who worked with Landscape Services to plant various flora, which included “Setsugekkas” (camellia sassanqua), “Big Blues” (Liriope muscari), and “‘Nana’ Dwarf Yaupon Holly” (ilex vomitaria). The north side will also receive a new building awning welcoming students, families and guests to the main entrance, while still keeping with the traditional visual of Tillman.

As part of a long-term project to restore and renovate Hunnicutt Creek in the woods between Highway 93 and the R-1 parking lot, University Facilities is using an unconventional tactic to tackle the first challenge of clearing the underbrush around the stream: Goats.

Restoring Hunnicutt Creek

Running east to west, Hunnicutt Creek crosses the Clemson campus through its wooded areas and ends at the Seneca River. With years since its last renovation, the creek bed has gradually lost sediment and a well-defined separation of the creek bed to its bank. Surrounding the creek is overgrown underbrush of varying invasive species and countless trees. These problems compound to make it a difficult task for equipment to clear the surrounding area. The goal of the restoration is to better define Hunnicutt from its bank and establish flood plains for the creek.

Bring in the Goats

Before contractors can properly estimate the work needed to restore the creek, the overgrown underbrush must first be cleared so that the soil is visible. However, due to the geography bordering the creek bed, modern equipment would be both expensive and difficult. University Facilities has decided instead to use a non-technological solution with goats.

Known for their large appetite for grass and other vegetation, the herbivores have been used in similar projects with successful results. The goats began grazing on the underbrush near the new Clemson water tower almost immediately after arrival on April 16. The six-acre area is estimated to be sufficiently cleared within one to two months.

A plan for perpetual maintenance

The restoration of Hunnicutt Creek marks the beginning of a continued effort of maintaining the stream moving forward. By using goats over costly equipment to clear the land, Facilities highlights its dedication of serving the campus, while keeping costs low.

The Hoke Sloan Tennis Center continues to undergo renovations that will lead to a modern facility for players and guests.  Now 24 years old, the Center was in need of significant remodeling for the expansion of the Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs.  Once complete, it will meet the needs of collegiate play for decades to come.

Current Progress

The project has concluded its demolition phase as evidenced by the Center’s complete deconstruction and removal.  The area will be entirely refurbished except for the varsity grandstands and courts. A new indoor tennis center will expand the covered courts from 4 to 6 and will be attached to a new clubhouse containing conference rooms, coaching offices, and discrete viewing areas for the courts. The new structure is a pre-engineered metal building that will run east to west to make the best use of the lot’s space, fitting in more area to play. As of this time, the pre-engineered building has arrived, and erection of the steel support pillars has commenced.

Currently without a facility, Clemson’s tennis teams have relocated their practices to Southern Wesleyan in Central and Nettles Park in Pendleton. Meanwhile, Anderson University has served as the host for official matches.

Going Forward

Once finished, the new facility will house locker rooms for both tennis and  soccer teams, the latter of which play at Riggs Stadium. The clubhouse will contain public restrooms and a concessions stand for spectators, and the area will now have its own dedicated lot for guest parking.

While the demolition phase of the project has concluded, there still remains a long road ahead for construction crews in the following months through Spring and Summer (with the project still estimated to be completed sometime in August of 2018) in building the facility. The result will be a complex that will better fit the needs of Clemson’s Tennis program for next year’s season and for many seasons to follow.

With the Spring semester concluding this Friday, much of the student body will be leaving campus until Fall. University Housing in collaboration with University Facilities is helping ease the move-out by providing disposal containers in convenient locations throughout campus, with donation drop-offs setup at various points.

Disposal Container Locations

Locations of disposal containers for the spring 2018 move-out can be viewed below. They’ve been placed specifically for the convenience of students living currently within residence halls.

Key:

Green – Cardboard
Red – Landfill
Blue – Metal
Pink – Miscellaneous

Donation Drop-Off Locations

If you have belongings that you wish to donate to charity, the visual below shows where items can be dropped-off.

Thanks in advance for taking advantage of these options to help Clemson reduce, reuse and recycle. Have a safe summer and we look forward to supporting you in the Fall!

Select parking spaces surrounding Sikes Hall will be closed for utility construction from May through June 2018. The below map gives a general overview of the parking outages, which will be implemented in phases, as well as the dates that parking spaces will be closed. Updates will be posted as construction progresses.

Currently, 14 parking spaces on the east side of the Sikes Hall lot are closed off for chilled water installation. These spots will be unavailable through May 12. Starting May 12, a total of 25 spots will be sectioned off to allow sewerbore installation, with 13 (indicated by light-blue on the map) expected to be reopened after a week. The remaining 12 spaces will remain closed until the end of May. From June 1 through 22, the installation of storm drains will close 35 parking spaces, including the entire west parking lot by Sikes (24 spaces in total) and 11 of the parallel spaces on Calhoun Drive, closest to Sikes.

All planned dates are the best current approximations and are subject to change due to unforeseen conditions and weather. During construction, access to the parking meter kiosk to the south of Sikes Hall will be maintained, and closed areas will be fenced off with a chain link fence.

Clemson University’s Recycling Services once again pulled ahead of the competition and scored first place in the EPA Food Recovery Challenge for Region 4. EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge includes organizations such as educational institutions, restaurants, sports and entertainment venues and others that pledge to improve their sustainable food management practices and report their results. Recycling manager Dave VanDeventer and recycling coordinator Brittany Morra recently traveled to Atlanta to accept the annual award.

Officials in this competition cited Clemson’s dedication to converting as much food waste to compost as possible. The victory is primarily based on the gross volume of compost recycled in relation to the school’s size. Over the past year, Clemson produced approximately 440,000 pounds of compost with waste converted onsite at the Cherry Crossing Research Facility. The compost is used for landscaping projects on campus and is also sold to the surrounding communities.

The increase in recycled food waste corresponds with a campus-wide increase in zero-waste events, such as summer orientation dinners and the annual freshman picnic. Thanks to Aramark’s participation and the generous work of student volunteers, most athletic games (basketball, football, etc.) have steadily approached zero-waste.

As part of this ongoing trend, Recycling Services has coordinated with Littlejohn Coliseum operations to sponsor a special zero-waste basketball game on Feb. 28. The department also plans on maintaining the competitive spirit by participating in the national Recycle-Mania against 600 other colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada.

Recycling Services is actively seeking volunteers to assist with events throughout campus and welcome students to help contribute to this effort. Those interested are encouraged to contact the department by e-mail at recycle@clemson.edu.