CLEMSON — Clemson Mayor Larry Abernathy has made it his personal goal to save the recently vacated Astro Triple Theatre. Now a group of Clemson University (CU) students wants to join that effort.

On Monday, Abernathy met with 30 to 35 students from CU’s Department of Performing Arts and said he was energized by what he heard.

“They got excited and I got excited,” said Abernathy, who was contacted by students after they learned of his efforts to save the local landmark. “They want to really, really commit to it, and they were an impressive group of young people.”

The Astro Triple officially closed its doors Aug. 7 following 37 years of operation, but Abernathy drafted a letter earlier this month to the Charleston family that owns the theatre and property on College Ave. The mayor expressed his desire that the city receive the Astro as a charitable donation so that its three screens could be refurbished and a stage and sound system added to accompany local talent.

Mark Charney, director of theatre at CU, said seniors in Performing Arts 401 and 402 are required to conduct a project combining theatre, audio engineering and music majors.

“This year, we were talking and the thing that most interested them was Saving The Astro,” Charney said. “We’re not just talking about the Carmike Astro, but a place that was inexpensive and a place where families could drop off their kids because it was safe and had a (Jaycee) park located next to it.”

Charney said students were upset over the timing of the Astro’s closing — the announcement was made four days prior to its final movie showings — and adamantly insisted on the theatre’s refurbishment as their project.

“They said there was a ‘Save the Astro’ group on Facebook, with more than 3,000 members and they wanted to make certain they had some say on how downtown was configured,” he said, adding that he then invited Abernathy to speak to the students.

While the mayor awaits a response to his letter, student Kendall Sherwood, said that hasn’t stopped preliminary plans from taking place.

“Regardless, we will do something,” Sherwood said. “If they don’t (agree to donate the property), we will have a rally in front of the theatre to show we care and if the city receives the building, we plan to have something that is donation-based.”

However, Sherwood said no specific date has been set for such an event.

Charney said students plan to write individual letters to the property owner, urging that the property and theatre be donated to the city. Sherwood said students support Abernathy’s desire to refurbish the theatre in order for it to show popular films, foreign films, in honor of the university’s multi-cultural student population, and to showcase local bands.

“We’re looking to see if there is an opportunity to get the theatre up and running again and are very enthusiastic in doing what it takes,” Sherwood said.

The Astro, Sherwood explains, represents more than a movie theatre gone dark.

“It has always been kind of a landmark in Clemson and offered something different from the rest of downtown,” she said. “Kids who are underage now literally have no option of anything to do in the downtown area at night. There are numerous Web sites and groups devoted to the Astro, saying they are upset and want to do something about its closing, and those are among the first groups we plan to contact.”