Author: callara

Clemson and NFL football legend Levon Kirkland will speak about his new book, “Run Bonnie Run!” at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, October 22, at 7 p.m.

Kirkland’s book is the true story of a young boy, Bonnie, who dreamed of playing football in the NFL, despite never playing on an organized team. The story is based on Kirkland’s on life and is intended to inspire children to chase their dreams and overcome challenges, regardless of their background or circumstances.

“We are excited to host one of Clemson’s all-time football greats as he shares his story in this new book,” said Clemson Libraries Dean Chris Cox. “We hope that his talk will be an inspiration for readers of all ages to follow their dreams and pursue their passions.”

Hosted by Clemson Libraries and the Brooks Center, the event is free and open to the public. Click here to register to attend.

A native of Lamar, South Carolina, Kirkland played linebacker for Clemson, earning consensus All-American honors in 1991. He is a member of the Clemson Ring of Honor and Clemson’s Hall of Fame, as well as the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 1992 NFL draft, he played nine seasons with the Steelers and later played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a two-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection and named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.

After his playing career, Kirkland was a linebackers coach for the Florida A&M Rattlers. He returned to Clemson in 2023 and serves as Director of Sophomore Transition and Player Development for the football team. He earned his bachelor’s in sociology in 2004 from Clemson and a master’s in psychology in 2023 from Grand Canyon University.

Clemson Libraries has tons of resources for students and faculty to help them with their work, such as access to books from across the globe to countless online resources and databases. But there’s a lot more to the libraries than meets the eye. Here are 10 things available to faculty, staff and students through the libraries that might surprise you:

1. Access to Ancestry.com – Clemson Libraries has a subscription to the library edition of Ancestry.com, giving users access to millions of records for family research, such as census data, vital records, military records and more. While it does not have as many features as an individual Ancestry account, it is still a good place to start your genealogical research.

• Online newspaper subscriptions – Libraries users can access dozens of newspapers, from local papers, such as the Anderson Independent-Mail, to national outlets, such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. There is also a collection of magazines that patrons can browse on the fifth floor of Cooper Library near Starbucks.
  
  
• Rosetta Stone – Interested in learning a foreign language? The libraries can help with that through access to Rosetta Stone, which offers lessons on reading, writing, speaking and listening skills for 30 different languages.
  
  
• State parks passes – The libraries is making it easier to explore the Palmetto State by offering passes for S.C. State Parks available to patrons. A park pass allows free vehicle entry into all 47 of our State Parks.
  
  
• Technology check-outs – From digital cameras to voice recorders to projectors, faculty, staff and students can check out a wide range of technology from the library services desk in Cooper Library. Forget your phone charger on the way to campus? You can check those out at Cooper, too.
  
  
• Audiobooks, e-books and children’s books– Access hundreds of audiobooks and e-books through Overdrive, which features popular fiction, non-fiction and literary classics, which you can download straight to your phone, tablet or other e-reading device. Looking for something new for your kids to read? Check out our childrens and young adults collection located on the third floor of Cooper Library. The Education Media Center located in 212 Tillman Hall also has a collection of children’s books.
  
  
• Video and audio studios – The Adobe Digital Studio located on the fifth floor of Cooper Library has two state-of-the-art recording studios, one for video recording and one for audio recording. The studios are equipped with high-end hardware and software, and interns are available to assist users with learning how to use the equipment.
  
  
• The Cooper Makerspace – Also located on the fifth floor of Cooper, the Cooper Makerspace has equipment such as 3D printers, fabric printers, a vinyl cutter, a button maker and more to help any creative project become a reality. While the Makerspace is a student-run organization, it is available for faculty and staff to use as well. Users must take the Makerspace course in Canvas to become certified before using the equipment.
  
  
• DVDs, CDs, magazines and popular reading books – Cooper Library also has a number of more popular items available for check out, including DVDs, CDs and popular reading books. If it’s available at your local community library, chances are, Cooper has it as well. Faculty and staff are allowed to check out up to 10 popular reading books, CDs, DVDs and audiobooks at a time for up to six weeks. Click here to learn more about borrowing privileges for all kinds of items available at the libraries. If there’s something you are looking for that we don’t have, chances are we can get it from another library for you from across the state or the world through PASCAL Delivers or Interlibrary Loan.

1. The Data Visualization Lab – Need help analyzing or presenting data? The Data Visualization Lab located in room 413 Cooper Library can help with that. Our team of expert graduate assistants can assist with a variety of software applications such as Excel, Tableau, PowerBI, Python, MATLAB and more, and we also have presentation screens and other equipment to help with data presentation and visualization.

It’s time to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a national campaign that raises awareness about various disability issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. The Office of Access Compliance and Education, the Commission on Accessibility and Student Accessibility Services have partnered to host several events in October. 

Book club

A book club discussing Margaret Price’s Crip Spacetime will meet weekly beginning Wednesday, September 18, ahead of Price’s keynote address. Faculty and graduate students will lead discussions of the book each Wednesday at noon via Zoom and free copies of the book are available for the first 12 people to sign up. Book club registration is available via Google Forms.

Ohio State professor Margaret Price to keynote National Disability Employment Awareness Month events

NDEAM events

In addition to Margaret Price’s talk, one-hour “Let’s Break to Educate” sessions will cover a wide range of disability and accessibility topics. NDEAM events this month include:

• October 9, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Accessible Design with Canva, Adobe Express, and Friends
• October 10, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Disability Studies: An Introduction
• October 16, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Music is more than a major: A student’s journey and watch a performance
• October 17, 2-3 p.m.: An introduction to Aira, CU’s visual interpreter service, its functionality and live demo
• October 21, 3-4 p.m.: Mental Health in Academia: Its Access, Failures, and Accountability By Dr. Margaret Price
• October 23, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: The Career Center and what’s in it for YOU?
• October 24, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Learning How to Effectively Communicate With Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• October 28, 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Invisible and Dynamic Disabilities: How to Empower Through Awareness and Innovation

The full schedule of NDEAM events is also available at the Clemson Accessibility Portal.

Find more information and to register visit: https://www.clemson.edu/accessibility/learn/ndeam.html. 

#NDEAM2024 

Getting your MBA has never been so easy – live where you want, learn how you want, and let Clemson help cover the cost with Employee Tuition Assistance! Learn more during our upcoming virtual info session on Tuesday, October 8th, from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Can’t make it? No problem! Please email us to set up a call with our team: mbaprogram@clemson.edu

Register here: Interactive Online Info Session | Clemson MBA Tickets, Tue, Oct. 8, 2024 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite

Help save lives and receive $40 in eGift Cards by donating blood at the Staff Senate Blood Drive! The Blood Connection will be on campus on Tuesday, September 17th, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on Calhoun Dr. between the Carillon Garden and Bowman Field.

Sign up today using sponsor code 8CSS!

Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass

Friday, September 20, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $35 adults/$20 students

Sponsored by Bill Dowler

The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass is America’s premier large brass ensemble. A group that always reflects the diverse makeup of men and women in the American culture, RMPBB is dedicated to the notion that music is a gift to be enjoyed by everyone. The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass is a family-owned and operated business that began on the streets of New Orleans. On the advice of family patriarch Ellis Marsalis, the group created a concert format that breaks the usual barriers between genres and strives to create a connection between the audience and performers. Enjoy pieces by Bach, Sousa, Wagner, and Elvis Presley, to name a few, in this Big Brass program.

“No one plays absolutely beautifully all the time…unless you’re my cousin Rodney.”  – Wynton Marsalis

Music in the Air XX – Carillon Concert

Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Bring a picnic, enjoy fresh air and unwind as University Carillonneur Linda Dzuris performs on our 48-bell instrument. Listening areas include Bowman Field, the Military Heritage Plaza, Cox Plaza, and the Carillon Garden.

 

Borromeo/Verona Octet

Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

Cost: FREE – no ticket required

Lillian and Robert Utsey Chamber Music Series

The 38th season opener of the Utsey Chamber Music Series features the Borromeo String Quartet of New England Conservatory and the Verona Quartet of Oberlin Conservatory. This concert explores three masterpieces of the string octet repertoire: Enescu’s Octet for Strings,

Op. 7; Shostakovich’s Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11; and Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings, Op. 20. The renowned Borromeo Quartet performed at the Brooks Center during its first season 30 years ago. Shortly after the Verona’s performance at the Brooks Center in 2022, their second album, SHATTER, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Chart.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

September 30 – October 5, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

and October 6, 2024 at 3 p.m.

Cost: $15 Adults, $10 Students

Presented by the Clemson Players

Beatrice and Benedick are totally in love. They’re also locked in an endless battle of wits that’s legendary to behold. Hero and Claudio are also totally in love. But not everyone in Messina is eager to see them tie the knot. As a series of secret plots blur perception and reality, the stubbornly single Beatrice and Benedick must reckon with the forces trying to sabotage the young couple and confront their feelings for each other while they do it. Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare at his wittiest – a high-stakes comedy that will make you laugh, break your heart, and then put it back together again.

To get it out of the way, when most people meet me, they ask if I have ever watched, “The Office,” and yes, I am a huge fan of the show!  For that reason alone, you should come and see me in the Ombuds Office.  I am very excited to be the new Associate Ombuds here at Clemson University, and I hope to have the opportunity to get out and visit with all of you very soon.

Just a little bit about myself, I am a US Air Force Veteran who retired in 2021 after serving 23 years on active duty.  I was privileged to join the wonderful team in the Office of Human Resources through an internship as part of the DoD SkillBridge Program (ask me about it) during my last 180 days of service.  During that program I had the opportunity to work with every team in HR and became familiar with the services they provide to the staff and faculty of Clemson.  Upon completion of the four-month program, I was honored to accept a role within Staff and Faculty Relations and then Talent Acquisition where I was able to give back to the Veteran Community by managing the Veteran Preference and DoD SkillBridge Programs.  I have also been an active participant in the Veteran’s Commission, partnered with the Military and Veteran Engagement Center on several projects and serve as a member the Military-Connected Service and Support Committee.

Throughout my entire career, both in the military and HR, I have been a mandatory reporter and not able to keep the confidentiality of those I have supported.  I pursued this opportunity in the Ombuds Office to help all members of the Clemson Family through confidentiality, impartiality, informality and independence.  I also hope to spread of awareness and increase access to our services throughout the state to all of our geographically separated team members.  I am not only passionate about helping all of you but of what the Clemson Family does to support the people of South Carolina.

Please reach out to me if you ever have questions, concerns, or just don’t know who to talk to.

The Clemson Area Bosom Buddies (CABB) is a support group founded by breast cancer survivors in the mid 1990’s. The support group offers regular informal meetings, guest speakers, holiday events, craft projects and outreach efforts.  In addition, through word of mouth, newly diagnosed breast cancer patients are the recipients of a card shower (current members send cards of encouragement) as well as chemo bags distributed to local cancer centers for those breast cancer survivors undergoing chemotherapy.

Over the past 6 years we have worked with a variety of Clemson University classes/students who have provided a variety of support and materials to further our goals.  In the Spring of 2018 a Clemson University graduate course (ENGL 8320:  Content Strategy and UX Design for Professional Communicators) developed a well-researched content strategy plan for CABB.  The results provided information about how current communication and outreach strategies could be improved.  The class recommendations included multiple ways to provide information to newly diagnosed patients, including a timeline of the average breast cancer journey and when interventions by a support group could be helpful. They developed a template for an informational flyer/brochure, recommended increasing presence through Facebook or a website, and developed branding materials, including a logo, word mark and color palette. Using that information, CABB leadership received non-profit status.  Since then we have received two Dabo Foundation grants which help us provide chemo bags, program and outreach activities. And we have continued to work with Clemson University classes/students.

Our chemo bags for breast cancer survivors are currently being distributed at the Seneca Prisma Health Cancer Institute, the AnMed Cancer Center and the Easley Prisma Health Cancer Institute.

For more information, contact Wendy Howard at ClemsonAreaBosomBuddies@gmail.com

Members of the Clemson Staff Senate took a peek at some of the behind-the-scenes work that goes on at Clemson Libraries with a special tour of the Library Depot. Located at Clemson Research Park in Anderson, the Depot is home to offsite shelving, technical services and collection management, the digital imaging lab, and the University Records Center.

During the tour, senators saw presentations on topics such as acquisitions and e-resources, continuing resources and government documents, metadata services and records management. They toured the off-site store unit and the digitzation lab and then went to the Strom Thurmond Institute for a tour of Special Collections and Archives.

Staff Senate President-Elect Stacey Miller said the tour was part of the Senate’s continuing effort to learn more about various departments and functions across the University.

“We learned so much but were amazed at how much libraries have changed over the years,” Miller said. “They are leading the way regarding digitizing books, photos, and theses, ensuring you have the information and technology needed to do your job while preserving history.”

Senators learned about the process of requesting books or articles from offsite storage for delivery, how photos and documents are digitized, the work that goes into acquiring and making collections searchable, the important role of records management, and the work Special Collections and Archives is doing to preserve and share Clemson’s history. They got to see a number of items from Special Collections, including a 400-year-old book, old recipe cards from the dining halls, a brick from the first building on campus, and Tiger Band uniforms.

“The Collections and Discovery division of the Libraries works hard to elevate our library collections and the ability of our students and researchers to find the resources they need. We were delighted to be able to share our work with our colleagues in the Staff Senate. Their kind words and appreciation of our team truly made our day,” said Ariel Turner, associate dean of collections and discovery.

Article contributed by Angela Nixon, Director of Marketing and Communications, Clemson Libraries

Whether you’re exploring new income streams or turning a passion project into a business, this free course is designed to equip and provide you with practical insight and strategies. Topics will be ranging from Finance, Legal, Marketing and Value Proposition. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to earn a certificate upon completion. Module sessions will be held every Wednesday from 12:00 -1:00pm from July10 through July 31, 2024.

Come learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship beginning July 10. Click HERE for free registration can be found on the Launchpad link below.