The myth: If a person swims in the Kishwaukee River, he or she will never leave DeKalb.

What students said:

Rich Hickey

junior exercise science/kineseology major

“False. I don’t believe in myths.”

David Bell

freshman audio engineering major

“False. I know someone who says he swam in every body of water on campus, and he plans on going to California next year.”

Ashley Jensen

junior psychology major

“False. I don’t think swimming in a pool depicts where you live.”

What an expert said:

Assistant University Archivist Joan Metzger said the Kishwaukee river myth is not in the library’s myth file because it has yet to be donated.

“We don’t have time to go transcribing myths,” Metzger said. “If someone came in and told us about it, we would say you write it down, give it to us and we’ll take it from there.”

Metzger said the likelihood of hearing a myth by word of mouth may be primarily due to a person’s location on campus.

“It depends on where you are on campus or what associations you have,” Metzger said.

Metzger weighed in on the truth to the myth.

“I would imagine that there have been a lot of people who have fallen in or intentionally swam in the river,” Metzger said. “I doubt that that kept them here.”