Written by Madeline Higdon, Staff Reporter.

A pair of glasses caused quite a splash outside of Oak Parking Deck on Wednesday. 

A student was helped by a fellow classmate, who went into the creek to save them in an act of kindness. 

Dr. Clell Wright’s concert choir rehearsal had just gotten out and many students exited the Fine Arts Building as normal. A small crowd armed with assorted items– a pool cleaning wand, a rope, a stick tied to a belt–were gathered along the bridge behind the library. 

Dhani Rhods, a sophomore, had been play-fighting with his friends, when his glasses fell into the stream below.  

Passersbys and friends of Rhods had gathered to bring whatever they had on hand. These strange items were to be used to retrieve the fallen glasses, but none of the students had any luck. 

All hope seemed lost until Gavin Gray, a fellow sophomore, started removing his shoes.  

“I’m going in,” he said. “No one else is going to.”  

Gray descended the grassy drop-off and entered the cold stream. He swam to where Rhods’ glasses were last spotted, pulling up sticks and mud, unbothered by the fish swimming around him. 

Gray searched the freezing water for roughly five minutes, using his cell phone’s flashlight as an aid. Cheers erupted from the bridge when he held up something other than sticks and mud: Rhods’ glasses.  

Rhods offered Gray a hand to exit the stream, and the students cheered once more. 

When he removed his shirt to wring out the excess water, many members of the crowd gathered in concern over how blue his skin had gotten. Gray just smiled, turning to the group and proudly stating, “I’ve swam in colder.” Gray was in good spirits and took the time to joke about his odd situation.  

Gray also mentioned that his cell phone was waterproof and that he was lucky to have it on him when he entered the water. 

“I was the hero of the day, obviously,” he said. “I saved someone’s eyesight.”

Photos by Madeline Higdon, Staff Reporter.