When the discussions wound down, people migrated back to the center of the room, and I realized it was my turn. I wasn’t given an opportunity to tell them what I wanted. They’d talked to my mom, and she’d shared what she thought I wanted. Dr. Carmichael, who had started the entire discussion, smiled at me.
“I understand that you need to be challenged. Your transcripts and test scores indicate you would be best served by our honors program. At our Clemson Honors College, we encourage our students to excel by offering specialized courses with Clemson’s best professors. We help our students create their own ideal education by sponsoring programs such as study abroad and undergraduate research. And we provide individualized funding for internships, educational travel, and professional development.
“From your different activities, I anticipate you will provide us with unique opportunities in developing a course of study for you. One thing we will want to do is to push you out of your comfort zone. I’d like to demonstrate that right now if that’s okay?” he asked me.
This was different, but I’d enjoyed the experience to this point, so I nodded my assent.
“I’d like you to sing for us,” Dr. Carmichael said, handing me sheet music.
My brain froze. What had he just said? Sing for him? My first reaction was, ‘Hell no!’ He knew what he was doing, though.
“Makes you nervous, doesn’t it?”
“Slightly,” I offered.
“Just give it a try. I want to show you something.”
If Dr. Carmichael hadn’t been so nice, I might have walked out. I didn’t get a vibe that he was doing anything other than trying to help me. I looked at the sheet music. The song was
“Shall we give it a try?” Dr. Carmichael asked.
“Sure.”
I noticed Brook and a couple of others, including my mom—the traitor—slyly pulling out their cell phones. But Dr. Carmichael raised his hand rather abruptly in a ‘stop’ gesture.
“I want you all to understand that this is not an exercise in embarrassing David or having a joke at his expense. So, I will ask you all to please put your phones and cameras away and not to record this. This is an exercise in going beyond comfort zones and trying new things. It’s not easy for anyone put in this position, so please give this the respect it deserves.”
I briefly thought of the belly-cams Fritz and I were wearing, but put it out of my mind. Fritz was, above all, a professional. Embarrassing someone he was charged with protecting would be the very last thing on his mind.
I also thought of the many ways Craig Wild had hazed me during the filming of
Dr. Carmichael pointed to one of the professors, and the professor put his phone on the table and tapped the screen. Music began to play. The song was sad. The underlying story was about a guy who felt no one took him seriously. I was surprised I related to it. I guess deep down, I had insecurities. Being a jock who also acted wasn’t a combination that was frequently encountered. It wasn’t easy to put yourself out there and wonder if people accepted you or thought you were a joke.
When I was done, everyone was quiet. I could tell that it moved them.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“I’m surprisingly okay. I usually don’t like to sing in public.”
Dr. Carmichael just gave me a knowing look. I had a feeling that I would learn a lot here, and not all of it would be from books.
◊◊◊
We were turned over to a tour guide to show us the campus. A guy in a Clemson football jersey showed us around. He introduced himself as Cole.
“Leaving home for the first time can be stressful. Clemson strives to offer everything you will need, including great housing, dining, transportation, health services, activities—everything that makes Clemson feel like a home away from home,” he said. Then he looked at the parents. “Of course, we don’t want to lose sight of the reason the little darlings are here. Clemson offers a great education.”
“What are some hot spots in town?” Wolf asked.
“The Esso Club is a must before games. I know that the ESPN crew goes there every time they televise a game. Personally, I think it’s kind of a dump, but it’s a tradition. They’ve been around since 1933 and are close to the stadium. They have the standard bar food and cold beer. It’s not like there aren’t better places to go, but you have to try it at least once.
“For later, there’s a late-night diner, just outside of town, that’s a local hangover-avoidance remedy. Unfortunately, the folks there know me by name.”
Cole wrote down the names of the places and directions on how to get there for us.
“What can you tell us about the town?” Brook asked.
