School Spirits - Painting Greenville Purple and White, and Orange and Purple, and Blue and...

There are friendly rivalries raging in the Upstate!  Greenvillians are all about being true to their school(s).  It is hard to travel far with out spotting a Furman Paladin purple diamond or a Clemson orange Tiger paw and on game day (game week, game month…), street lamps, shop windows and private cars will be festooned in purple and white or purple and orange or both.  Convenient that the love of purple is shared by both camps!

For the Swamp Rabbit Inn and Properties, when it comes to families visiting for campus functions our focus is on the “Properties” part!  We have your fan base covered!  Our Furman Cottage and Swamp Rabbit Lodge are right next to the Furman campus and can accommodate even an extended family group comfortably.  If any of Clemson’s many satellite functions in downtown Greenville are your target, in addition to the Inn, the Swamp Rabbit Cottage and Townhouses can provide a cozy clubhouse.

“All hail the white and purple floating on high

Hear the shouts of triumph echo through the sky…”

Furman University is the picture postcard ideal of a cozy liberal arts college situated on 750 meticulously sculpted acres just north of the City of Greenville and nestled at the feet of Paris Mountain.  The private institution takes great pride in housing all of it’s 2700 students on campus for the full four years of undergraduate study.  They converge from 45 states and 53 countries.  This creates a tremendous sense of community which reverberates throughout Greenville’s cultural landscape.  A hub of intellectual, artistic and athletic life, there is literally ALWAYS something worth attending at Furman!  The Swan Lake and Asian Garden are sublime places to wander and reflect, both figuratively and literally.  The library and bookstore are substantial and elegant.  In addition to running and mountain biking trails around the campus, various areas are traditional meet up spots for groups like the Greenville Spinners cycling club and Greenville Track Club runners.

How about TEAMS?  Furman has 20 NCAA division 1 sports teams, 10 for men and 10 for women.  Women outnumber men on campus by the way - 57% vs. 43%.  Their primary rival is Charleston’s The Citadel. The Paladins are known for prowess in baseball, football, soccer, tennis, rugby and golf.  There are currently ELEVEN former Paladins on the LPGA tour.  The university has distinguished itself internationally for its beauty and nationally as South Carolina’s top liberal arts college.  Furman has set ambitious goals for physical and philosophical growth in the near term. Check out it’s Vision 2020 plans!

In addition to traditional sport, Furman’s long weekend of Homecoming and Reunion events include a carnival, floats, art exhibits, a golf tournament, tailgates, cheerleader clinic, and of course, pep rally and bonfire.  It’s a happy slice of American collegiate life!

Greenville Technical College is about getting down to business!  It has four separate campuses plus two other training facilities dotting the county, with it’s main hub, Barton Campus near downtown Greenville.  GTC’s two-year programs are dedicated to fast tracking students into technical careers to meet the needs of the Upstate’s burgeoning manufacturing sector.  Programs offering degrees and certificates include Arts and Sciences, Business, Technology, Health and Wellness, and Public Service.  Short term, job specific training courses are also available.

GTC is currently very excited about the development of the Center for Manufacturing Innovation, a collaboration with Clemson University to be located at the Millennium Campus next to Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).  As with the other programs at GTC this concept is strongly influenced by input from leaders of the corporations such as BMW, Michelin, and GE that call the upstate home. The motto for Greenville Technical College is certainly appropriate: “Keys to the Future”!

“ Where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness,

Where the Tigers play, here the sons of dear old Clemson reign supreme always…”

Hold That Tiger, Eye of the Tiger… why are there orange paws everywhere?!  Clemson is a household word.  Founded in 1889, about 40 minutes southwest of Greenville, on the banks of Lake Hartwell, this historic public university is focused on science, engineering and research.  The institution’s influence is felt across the state of South Carolina and beyond with an economic impact of 1.83 billion for the state.  Currently, hosting over 22,000 undergrad and graduate students combined who attend  six different colleges, is it any wonder these Tigers have their own forest?  They also enjoy three libraries including the Special Collections Library in the Strom Thurmond Institute which houses rare books and manuscripts.

With longstanding military roots and active programs like ROTC, cadets maintain a presence in campus life.  The Tiger mascot does pushups for every point scored at the football games and so do the cadets.  Military organizations include the K-7 Scabbard and Blade and the Clemson Rangers.  Did someone mention sports, or maybe FOOTBALL?  Clemson has won four national championships: one in football two in men’s soccer and one in men’s golf.  Primary rival? USC.  The Homecoming and Tigerama festivities are something to see.

As for student media, with a staff of 95 students, The Tiger, founded in 1907, can boast being the oldest student run newspaper in South Carolina.  The student run radio station : WSBF-FM broadcasts across the upstate and online.

The Princeton Review ranked Clemson 1st for town-gown relations, 2nd for happiest students, 2nd for jock schools, 3rd for everyone plays intramural sports (including a corn hole team), 8th for students pack the stadiums, and 9th for best career services.  Basically, Clemson is a fun place!

We could not talk about Greenville’s academic highlights without including the Governor’s School for Arts and Humanities.  Their colors happen to be blue and white.  It is truly a haven and oasis for artistically gifted high school students, located just off South Main Street in downtown Greenville.  The graceful campus overlooks reedy River Falls Park and is designed with the aesthetic of a Tuscan village.  Students apply and audition to attend either a two, or three-year program depending on discipline.  Instruction at this residential high school is modeled after a master-apprentice community featuring a faculty comprised, primarily, of professional artists.  Concentrations include: Creative Writing, Drama, Dance, Music, and Visual Arts.

“Govies” as they are called, form close bonds with fellow students and are encouraged to engage with the larger community.  There are many planned excursions and field trips in addition to students general free time.  The Connecting Arts Through Service, “CATS” club, fosters a sense of social responsibility.  The curriculum is considered pre-professional training and challenges students to combine theoretical study with real world learning experiences.  There are also summer intensive programs offered for younger students in all of the schools regular areas of study.

In addition to the Governor’s School, Greenville boasts many notable K12 magnet and charter schools with specific areas of focus, and the achievements of our students are a source of great pride.  Like diamonds in various stages of polishing they are part of what makes our city sparkle.  If the shaping of a young mind or two is what brings you to Greenville, The Swamp Rabbit Inn and Properties are a calm spot in the swirl of getting your students sorted and keeping them supported.  Be true to your school and let your colors fly!

--Percy