This past summer was highly eventful, so this far-from-comprehensive timeline was an attempt to catalogue and keep track of some of the most eventful moments of the summer of 2020.

Clemson moves to online classes 

• March 12, 2020

• Through an Inside Clemson email that had long been anticipated, President Clements announced that classes would be online for the week following spring break due to the coronavirus scare. Then, a few days later on March 19, Clements announced that “classes at all Clemson University locations will be delivered online for the rest of this semester.” All employees, future events and Clemson-related in-person activities were postponed until further notice. 

South Carolina combats COVID-19

• April 6, 2020

• South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster enacted a stay-at-home order which included a mandatory “Home or Work” order and mandated capacity limitations to businesses still operating. 

South Carolina, open for business

• May 4, 2020

• After McMaster’s announcement, the stay-at-home order was lifted and it returned to a voluntary status. However, McMaster’s steps to reopen South Carolina came before the state met federal guidelines on reopening. 

George Floyd is killed and protests begin 

• May 25, 2020 

• For eight minutes and 46 seconds, former police officer Derek Chauvin had his knee placed on George Floyd’s neck while Floyd was begging for breath. About an hour later, Floyd was pronounced dead. Uproar ensued. The nation rallied behind Floyd and began protesting against police brutality not only all over the country, but all over the world. 

Protests break out in South Carolina, two cities placed under curfew 

• Late May / Early June

• Protests and marches were held in several South Carolina cities and towns, including Anderson, Fort Mill and Greenville. Charleston and Columbia were both placed under city-wide curfews in the aftermath of protests that turned violent. Both curfews lasted no more than a couple days.

U.S. continues to struggle with COVID-19 as the BLM movement grows

• Early June

• As Black Lives Matter protests happened nationwide, states also eased COVID-19 restrictions, and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases within the U.S. reached 2 million. New information concerning the state of a vaccine was released, announcing that one would be provided free for elderly and vulnerable patients unable to afford it. Trial testing of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment, however, was halted as research revealed it was ineffective in reducing death rates. 

Well-known Clemson alumni and social media accounts push for change 

• Early June

• As protests were held around the world, former Clemson football players DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson called for the honors college, then named the Calhoun Honors College to be renamed. Social media accounts such as @reclaimrename, @repealtheheritageact and others pushed for the same goal, while also calling for the renaming of buildings on both Clemson and USC’s campus. A petition was also started and circulated calling for the repealment of South Carolina’s Heritage Act.

Clemson Board of Trustees rename honors college, request permission to rename clocktower  

• June 12, 2020

• After 38 years of the reigning name of the Calhoun Honors College, Clemson’s Board of Trustees approved changing the original name of the university’s honors college to the Clemson University Honors College. On this same day, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution to return the name of Tillman Hall to its original name, the Main Building, commonly called “Old Main.” 

Football players organize peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration in Clemson 

• June 13, 2020

• Darien Rencher, Cornell Powell, Trevor Lawrence and Mike Jones Jr. organized and led a peaceful demonstration on Clemson University’s campus and through downtown. An estimated 3,000 community members attended, calling for further change at Clemson and more steps towards racial equality. “This is really our chance to make a difference,” Rencher said at the demonstration.

South Carolina cities struggle with social distancing 

• July 14, 2020

• As social distancing continues to prove problematic for the city of Charleston, an emergency ordinance was issued requiring residents and visitors to wear face coverings, to limit capacity in restaurants and bars, and to prohibit the playing of loud music past 9 p.m. in hopes of reducing the risk of exposure. 

Clemson decides to begin fall semester completely online 

• July 22, 2020

• As the end of summer neared and Clemson students were ready to get back to school, Clemson President Jim Clements announced that the start of any in-person instruction and campus move-in was pushed back until the tentative date of Sept. 21. Due to safety concerns, it was determined that everyone would still start classes on Aug. 19, but classes would all start completely online. 

Clemson has first day of online classes for the fall semester 

• Aug. 19, 2020

• As dictated in Clements’ email on July 22, the first classes of the fall semester were all hosted online and will remain so at least until Sept. 21. Students checked into Zoom lectures and watched pre-recorded introductions from their professors. Despite campus being closed, many students who live off campus have already returned to the Clemson area.