Very few details have surfaced regarding Presbyterian’s new president, Dr. Claude Lilly. On top of this, the chief has rarely taken the time to present himself on campus, further entwining himself in a veil of mystery. While some may try to explain this with the “he is too busy to stroll the campus daily” excuse, I have come to another conclusion that, while seeming a little far-fetched at first, makes sense when paired with the logic I am about to present.

The explanation behind the elusive Dr. Lilly is the fact that he is too busy prepping the sleds, conditioning reindeer, and checking his list twice, to spend time sauntering the streets of PC. Yes, Dr. Claude Lilly is indeed Santa Claus.

As Christmas approaches it seems we see less and less of the man calling the shots. Some may say this is due to the fact that there are fewer hours in the day, but it is easy to see that Dr. Lilly is actually just preparing for December 25^th. How else could we explain his absence on campus?

The life of Santa isn’t just fun and games, though. Managing a couple hundred elves is quite a risk, yet with years and years of successful Christmases, we know Santa manages these risks with perfection. As it just so happens, Dr. Lilly earned his degree in risk management. The president also minored in international finance and you can’t get more international than the North Pole; am I right?

Dr. Lilly has the degree for the job, but what is Santa Claus without a Mrs. Claus. Less is known about the lady behind Christmas other than the facts that she loves sweets and is the epitome of love and kindness. In this area, Mrs. Lilly has already proven herself. Just two weeks ago was the Halloween Drop-In with Mrs. Lilly and Scotty. Anyone who went to this event definitely received some little love and kindness, as well as some sweets proving that she must be the wife of Santa Clause.

However, Dr. Lilly is trying diligently to conceal his identity. As anyone can tell, he has lost a few pounds hoping to mislead anyone on the path to discovering the truth. Along with this, he has changed his name just enough to differentiate it from his original. He went from Claus to Claude, a menial change, but one that will throw off anyone not avidly in search of discovering him.

I understand it will be difficult to look at Presbyterian College the same way, now that the cat is out of the bag. Having Santa Claus as your president can really change one’s view of their school. I ask that it not change your diligence towards hard work, but only your understanding towards Dr. Claus Lilly’s absence as we gradually get closer to the Christmas holiday.