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Page 11
Campus Review
January 10, 2012
However, as recently as September 2009,
there have been other mysterious sight-
ings of a large aquatic creature in Swan
Lake. And, no, it’s not a swan, and it’s not
a goose. The aforementioned instance
involved
University
Relations
Photojournalist Erin Fender doing some
investigative reporting on a large creature
that had been seen off and on for several
weeks, usually skimming on top of the
water. Fender eventually captured the
creature’s image, thus avoiding a potential
controversy ala Loch’s namesake in
Scotland.
That photo was studied by Clayton State’s
resident expert on aquatic biology, Dr.
Christopher Kodani, who pronounced the
creature to be a large grass carp. Ah, but
new evidence (see Fender’s attached
photo from earlier this week) has recently
surfaced (so to speak), leading Kodani to
re-think his evaluation. His latest theory
is… it’s a NEW Loch.
“There must be something that brought it
here,” he says. “With Valentine’s Day
coming up, perhaps Loch is here trying to
find a suitable mate? If not for a mate,
then perhaps a need for food brought
Loch to Clayton State, a need which
would hopefully be satiated by a visit to
the Lakeside Dining Hall in the Baker
Center. Or, if Loch isn’t feeling well,
maybe it’s just looking for University
Health Services.”
Whatever the motive, Kodani feels quite
certain that there’s new Loch on campus,
one that’s just waiting to be discovered.
Given this expert opinion, Fender has
been back on the trail of Loch with her
trusty Nikon, attempting to get to the bot-
tom of, if not Swan Lake, the new Loch.
While Fender continues to investigate,
and the Office of Public Safety also keeps
an eye out for new sightings, Kodani is
trying to unravel the puzzle scientifically.
“There could be many scientific hypothe-
ses to explain Loch,” he poses. “Is there a
mom and dad Loch somewhere; perhaps
he’s an international student from Japan;
we all know his famous cousin, Godzilla.”
If, on the other hand, Loch is not related
to the famous Japanese fire-breathing
dinosaur, Kodani has some other theories.
“It’s unlikely that the primordial ooze at
the bottom of Swan Lake gave him life;
too much antifreeze running off from the
parking lots, and living things tend to come
from other living things,” he points out.
“Clearly, such a large animal must be a ver-
tebrate, and maybe he evolved from fish or
amphibians — due to mutations caused by
the fluids leaking from faculty cars!
“Maybe the reptilian Loch even evolved
from the swans and geese — an example
of how ancient, hidden genes sometimes
express themselves, as is seen in the occa-
sional three-toed horse or the recently dis-
covered dolphin that has hind legs! Or,
was Loch a science experiment gone hor-
ribly awry; the subject of an evil scientist
who was trying to genetically engineer a
super student who could actually pass the
upper division science classes!”
This last theory has some logic, especial-
ly since Kodani also speculates that per-
haps the experiment in question succeed-
ed!
In any case, investigative work on the new
Loch is on-going. A new email address,
lochsightings@clayton.edu, has been set
up to report any new sightings, so stay
tuned for further information. Speculation
has it that the new Loch may be waiting
for Clayton State’s Homecoming (Feb.
18) to make an official appearance.
The sighting on campus that launched speculation of a NEW Loch.
to highlight the value, impact and impor-
tance of international education.
The Governor’s proclamation is hosted
for the public to view on the Clayton State
website
at:
http://adminservices.clayton.edu/isso/iew
-proclamation.pdf.
The GAIE Advocacy Subcommittee also
works to educate peers and elected offi-
cials on important issues in the field. For
example, according to the National
Association of International Educators
(NAFSA), international students and their
dependents spent $20.23 billion in the
U.S. economy, of which $429 million was
spent in Georgia in 2010/2011. NAFSA
members also strive to promote foreign
language and study abroad programs,
which are essential to keeping American
university graduates competitive and mar-
ketable in an increasingly global econo-
my.
Loch, cont’d. from p. 1
Reichert, cont’d. from p. 4