Oh, October. A month of midterms, decisive football, candy and chilly weather. Clemson’s Homecoming Week kept things moving right along, even packing an eventful twist to the weekend. Students hunkered down and made use of their $300 textbooks in preparation of “midterm szn”, and tensions ran high as the assignments were piled on. Bowman Field was transformed into a sea of tissue paper and hard hats as students pulled all-nighters for their sororities and fraternities. The weekend kicked off with Tigerama, an annual event featuring the likes of the Tiger Band, Coach Swinney and President Clements. The night finished off with a beautiful display of fireworks, which kept the morale high leading into the ACC football game of the season.
Saturdays are for the Tigers, and this past Saturday was no exception. Over 80,000 Clemson and NC State fans took to the Southland, creating a sea of orange and red in contrast to the cool blue skies. The Tigers, however, tamed the Wolfpack with a commanding 41-7 victory, thereby winning the “battle of the unbeatens” and tarnishing the previously perfect NC State record. Clemson improved to 7-0, and is projected to rank second in the AP Poll, thanks to an unranked Purdue blowout over #2 Ohio State.
The celebrations did not stop with the final whistle; students and fans excitedly participated in the Clemson tradition of rushing the field at the close of the game. Afterwards, students took to downtown to continue the rally, doing what college students do best. Things were going well the rest of the night until reports of an incident started coming about in the early morning hours. An off-campus apartment complex, The Woodlands, was home to a party gone wrong. The clubhouse floor collapsed under the weight of the people, and it dropped into the basement below. Reports showed upwards of 30 people sustaining injuries, and several were airlifted to nearby hospitals. Videos of the incident went viral, all of them showing a graphic and scary scene. Though injuries were reported, no fatalities were disclosed as of Sunday afternoon. The Clemson University Police Department led the way in handling the ordeal, and Police Chief Jimmy Dixon was in contact with news outlets across the country as the event gained national attention.
With all of this, it is easy to say that Homecoming Week 2018 was busy from start to finish. Prayers and well wishes are with the people affected by The Woodlands ordeal, and reports will be updated online at The Tiger News throughout the week concerning it as well. For the students of Clemson, good luck with midterm exams!! Pain is temporary, but GPA is forever. And lastly, for the Wolfpack, well…. it sure does feel good to be at the top.
