Clayton News Daily

By Curt Yeomans

cyeomans@news-daily.com

Visitors to Clayton State University's Swan Lake can now sing, "Hey Carrie Ann," like The Hollies, to one of the university's new Royal Mute Swans.

Well, sort of. They would have to drop the "Ann" part to be 100 percent accurate on the name.

The university announced on Wednesday that one of the two swans that were introduced to the school's Morrow campus in July has been named "Carrie." The other swan was named "Elizabeth," after Elizabeth Taylor -- not the movie star, but rather the assistant to Clayton State's graduate dean -- before the swans arrived on campus.

The university offered the right to name the second swan (ultimately named "Carrie") to whomever made a $650 donation to the Clayton State University Foundation's "Swan Fund," to offset the purchase of the swan.

Associate Professor of Healthcare Management Sandy Weinberg made that contribution, according to CSU Spokesman John Shiffert.

Shiffert said Weinberg turned the duty of coming up with a name for the swan over to Claire Fang, the 4-year-old daughter of Assistant Professor of Healthcare Finance Qiu Fang.

"Weinberg isn't quite sure how Claire Fang came up with 'Carrie, but that will be the name for the new swan," Shiffert said, in a written statement.

The university has a third swan, a Polish Mute Swan named "Belle," who has been on campus since before "Elizabeth" and Carrie" arrived.