Clemson Grad Students Share Visions of Butler

Got home a few minutes ago from the Butler gym where Clemson students working on the question of how to revitalize the Butler High property were showing their initial thinking on this project. This was really an energizing experience from a community development perspective. The students were in Hartsville about a month ago getting preliminary input. These students are a mix of landscape architecture Masters students and community planning masters students. It was really exciting and energizing to see and hear the fresh thinking the students are bringing to the challenge of developing this southern entrance to Hartsville.

There were just under 40 people from the community there providing the second set of input for the students to take back and refine their projects. To continue the push for selling Hartsville and improving the overall product that is our Hartsville, it is going to take many more of us to continue the building. One of the reasons I mention this here is that as I listened to these students describe their thinking i could feel their passion for the project. They had thought deeply to come up with their concepts and they were amazed at how they could transform this area into something of pride and beauty for the community. As I listened to them talk about the transformations that could take place I thought how their ideas might move others in Hartsville to see the possibilities of the connections that might be made with focus and attention. Maybe the professors will find a way to have at least the team who wins their in-class competition come to Hartsville for a public presentation that more people might hear.

Rich Harwood who was in Hartsville about a year as we were developing some ideas for enhancing our community has the theme "Imagine and Act for the Public Good" for his Harwood Institute. The imagination that was being share tonight by the Clemson students gets you really excited about how to work for the public good. I suppose it is a stretch but this second Butler planning session is another of the pleasant surprises we often have in Hartsville.