Six Mile Post

Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Features

Media Credit: Jordan Penson The large rock that sits between the Walraven Building and the gym was donated by Florida Rock Quarry.

Between the Walraven Building and the gym, there is a large boulder that students walk by daily without even noticing.

Believe it or not, there's a story behind this rock.

The rock came from the now closed Florida Rock Quarry on Redmond Road.

"We used to take field trips to the quarry, and the plant manager donated it and had it delivered to campus in a dump truck," said Billy Morris, associate professor of geology.

Morris said that the rock is a piece of limestone that holds a few fossils in it.

"There are quite a few fossils in it from the Mississippian Period of geologic history. The fossils indicate that this area was covered by an ocean at that time, relatively shallow, with warm, clear water-probably a lot like the Bahamas or Florida Keys today," said Morris.

However, the large donated boulder is not just decoration on the campus. Professors and students use the rock for geology and physics classes.

"I use it in my geology courses, and the physics students use it as well to calculate its weight by first determining its density from a small piece and then measuring its volume, then solving for weight with a simple calculation," said Morris.

Morris encourages Georgia Highlands faculty, staff and students to inspect the massive rock for its beauty and for the many fossils that can be found on its surface.

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