A typical Ohio State tailgate entails food, drinks and, of course, Lane Avenue. But one professor has taken a different approach.
Bradley Clymer, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and biomedical informatics, joins friends and family in the comfort of his campus office at Caldwell Lab to cheer the Buckeyes through another season.
Clymer decided to move his tailgating festivities from Lane Avenue into his office after his normal parking garage raised the parking price to $200.
“I decided that it would be much more convenient economically to move the party inside. That way neither my friends, nor I had problems with parking,” Clymer said.
While at Clymer’s pre-game tailgate, guests are entertained by the same accommodations that Lane Avenue offers. Buckeye chant songs echo down the building’s hallways, as the aroma of festive game-day sandwiches and beverages fulfills the pleasure of each guest.
Because the building doors of Caldwell are locked on Saturdays, he devised a plan to ensure the successful arrival of each of his guests.
“I decided to wire an electrical doorbell out of my window to the first floor. That way when my friends arrive, all they have to do is ring the bell,” Clymer said. “Then I slide a key down a wire that’s attached to a bench outside – it works quite well.”
Tom Bond, assistant director of payroll for Human Resources, has enjoyed participating in the office tailgates for years, and is not surprised by the clever antics Clymer has produced in order to create such memorable pastimes.
“Brad is a very social person and loves to get people together. It’s really a great time,” Bond said. “He is truly an intelligent man to make all his game day devices. I wish I had some of his talents.”
Kathy Elias, a first-year graduate student of material science and engineering, has not been able to attend an office tailgate, but can imagine the exciting atmosphere.
“As our primary advisor of Tau Beta Pi, a national engineering honorary program, Clymer has always supported us in all of our endeavors, and has continuously organized fun social events for our chapter,” Elias said. “I can imagine that the tailgate parties he throws in his office are just as fun as our functions.”
Clymer first felt his patronage towards OSU after being captivated by the marching band as a child. Although he admits he was too young to comprehend the game, the band was sufficiently intriguing. What was initially a source of entertainment for Clymer grew into a passion, leading him to join the OSU marching band while completing his undergraduate studies.
“Not many people know about this, but Clymer was the ‘i’-dotter for the OSU marching band during his undergrad years,” Bond said. “So at every game we have to make sure that we leave his office early enough to see the band performance.”
Clymer said he is hopeful for the upcoming season and anticipates that his office tailgate parties will continue, just as he believes the Buckeyes will.
“When I completed graduate school at Stanford University in California, I decided that I had to move back to Columbus,” Clymer said. “I missed Buckeye football.”
