As a kid in nearby Greenville, South Carolina, Josh Reyes was surrounded by activities and opportunities designed for him. However, he always felt drawn to one place in particular — Falls Park, which contained a group of beautiful fountains that were, as Reyes enjoyed most, illuminated by bright, colorful lights. Now a senior business management major at Clemson University, Reyes took the opportunity to revisit this special memory by leaving a shining mark on one of Clemson’s most iconic places — the reflection pond.
Located at the heart of campus, the reflection pond is an important piece of what makes Clemson feel complete. Having recently undergone months of renovations to make the surrounding area more accessible and aesthetic, the pond is back and better than ever, especially thanks to the new high-tech LED lighting system that was installed during construction — a product of Reyes’ creative thinking.
“There was just so much potential there, and I knew it was something the student body would support,” Reyes says.
So he got to work. As a member of Undergraduate Senate, the legislative branch of Clemson Undergraduate Student Government (CUSG), Reyes was aware of an upcoming opportunity to share his idea — “Capital Improvement Night.” Each year, the CUSG Senate allocates a large sum of Student Activity Fee funds to tangible projects that will create positive and impactful change on campus. Any student, faculty or staff member can apply with an idea, and accepted applicants pitch their ideas to CUSG over the course of two weeks in February. Once the projects are reviewed, awardees are chosen, and it is determined how much financial support each individual project will receive from the Capital Improvement Fund. Reyes’ project was only possible with full funding; luckily, his original confidence paid off, and he was awarded the budget to proceed with the project in February 2025.
Prior to Reyes’ formal proposal of the idea, the concept had already been casually introduced by Chris Miller, the strategic operations manager for University Facilities, in a biweekly meeting with a student representative. It was delayed the first time, but when Miller was made aware of Reyes’ detailed and financially backed plan, he didn’t hesitate to get involved.
“It was perfectly timed with the remodeling of the reflection pond, as it had just been drained. When I started coordinating with the project managers and contractors, I even found out there were already certain raceways in place to run underground power,” Miller says. “We were preparing for it to happen; we just needed a spark.”
Soon, the LED light system will operate on a timer, but for now, Miller manually switches them on and off, as well as adjusts the settings, through a controller in the ground. In addition to the 50,000 different RGB colors he can choose from, there are also different levels of illumination, various pre-programmed shows and more. He has already played around with a few of these controls, but his favorite thing to do — as expected — is to flash orange and purple lights throughout the day.
“I wanted to turn this project into something that was really going to benefit the University. Let’s not check a box and just put some white light around the pond. If we’re going to do it, we should do it right,” says Miller, who also strongly encourages students and visitors to avoid entering the pond in order to help protect the new system.
Both Reyes and Miller had different tasks to handle throughout the process. Reyes worked on the political side — organizing the plan, generating support and acting as a liaison between those involved. Meanwhile, Miller’s work was more practical, handling the logistical pieces through construction oversight and communication with project managers such as Taylor Purvis. In the end, the sum of their work became something truly special.
Overall, the speed of this project’s turnaround was almost unheard of. To develop and present a plan, secure funding, analyze pricing and order equipment accordingly, coordinate with vendors and contractors, and install and test an elaborate electrical system within less than a year is an incredible feat, and it highlights the dedication of all those involved — dedication to a project that touches every member of Clemson University.
“When the pond was drained, it was so difficult to just pass by that big empty pit every day. It showed me just how much the reflection pond affects the mood of students. I think having these lights will boost that mood even more, and it will give us an opportunity to promote different initiatives,” says Reyes.
Miller is equally optimistic about the future of this project, and is extremely grateful for the opportunity to represent University Facilities outside of the shadows — something he doesn’t often get to do in his position.
“As a department, we don’t get a lot of opportunities to interact with the student body; we’re designed to operate behind the scenes. Being able to have this one-on-one partnership with CUSG and establish a level of trust with the student body by contributing to such a central project was a big deal to me,” he says.
Both Reyes and Miller are excited to see how this innovation shapes the future of Clemson, hoping that it will bring light — literally and figuratively — to each student, faculty, staff, community member and visitor’s experience on campus for years to come.
