By Jackie Todd, Office of Media Relations
Honored. That’s the way faculty and staff from the College of Business and the College of Education felt as they were recognized on the field at Memorial Stadium at recent Clemson football games.
The practice of honoring faculty and staff during Clemson football home games began last season. Those recognized sit with Jim Clements in the president’s box during the game and are honored in a ceremony on the field during the event.
Sally Widener is used to experiencing “Clemson LOUD” from the upper section of Memorial Stadium. The accounting professor in the College of Business realized during the Nov. 5 game against Syracuse, just how much louder it sounded on the field.
“Being recognized as Professor of the Game was amazing,” said Widener, an accounting professor in the College of Business. “It was great hearing from former and current students who were at the game and seeing how excited they were. I always thought it was noisy from my usual spot in the nosebleed seats but it was incredible to be on the field and get a true sense of just how loud it is. I want to thank President Clements and Provost Jones for making this opportunity possible and hosting my spouse and me in the president’s box.”
Joining Widener, was Sebrina Clayton, whose birthday is in November. An administrative specialist in the College of Business, Clayton celebrated her birthday month being celebrated by more than 80,000 fans.
“It was truly an honor and pleasant surprise to be chosen as Staffer of the Game,” she said. “My cousin and I enjoyed the event. I could not imagine a better way to start celebrating my birthday month and sharing the day with Dr. Widener was very special. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the School of Accountancy and College of Business.”
First time on the field
It was during the Nov. 12 game against Pittsburgh, that Cynthia Sims did something that she’d never done before. She watched a football game – on the field.
According to Sims, an assistant professor in the College of Education who was recognized as Professor of the Game, everything seems bigger when you have the best seats in the house.
“We were waiting at Pitt’s end zone,” Sims explained. “Everything seemed so much bigger – the players, the game post, the scoreboard. What was intriguing to us, was just another day for the coaches, and apparently the children who were playing there. We were warned that the cannon could be startling, but we still jumped anyway when it went off. At one point, it appeared as if the ball was coming right at us, but Charlie Whitehurst, who was standing in the end zone, caught it.”
Christie Ackerman’s husband works as a photographer for Clemson Athletics, but even with her husband’s access to the field, she never dreamed that she would be on the field during a Clemson football game. That all changed on Nov 7. When Ackerman, administrative coordinator to College of Education dean George J. Petersen, was recognized as Star Staffer of the game.
“Clemson University means a lot to me since I grew up in Clemson and have fond memories of attending every football game with my father who was director of retail sales at Clemson,” she said. “President Clements and all of his staff made me feel so very special and made sure I was having a good time and enjoying myself. Clemson University is very dear to me and could not imagine working anywhere else.”
