In honor of Halloween, I decided to delve into the world of the paranormal. I am the type of person that believes anything is possible, until you fully disprove it. For me, ghosts have not been disproved. At the same time, I don't fully endorse the reality of ghosts. I take the cop-out of ambivalence. However, I have had some creepy instances that make the supernatural seem a bit more plausible. So here is my potentially ghostly tale.
In August of 2015, I was a senior at Sewanee: University of the South. This institution is built upon many traditions. The buildings all look like they were modeled after the architecture of Hogwarts. On some days, the fog is so thick that you won't see the sun. In fact, students might not see the sun for days at a time (no, not because of a drunken stupor or studying, you literally can't see the sun through rain and fog). I theorize that the lack of vitamin D contributes to the quick spread of sickness (and the close proximity to everyone on campus). This small campus, at times, can look like any cliche scene from a scary movie. Furthermore, the focus on tradition lends itself to a multitude of ghost stories and legends. Some legends and tales are sweet, like the ghost dog that will protect you if you're walking home alone at night. Some are much darker, like the haunted room in which multiple students have supposedly committed suicide. Some are personal experiences, others are stories passed down through generations. While some find this terrifying, our Residential Life staff found this to be a good bonding experience for first year students. We would gather them all together and tell them scary stories, great idea!
I was part of the student staff of Residential Life. Three friends and I were the leading students, and therefore oversaw this ghost story event. Originally, we were to have this event in a quaint little outdoor arena, lit by Christmas lights. Unfortunately, rain had forced us indoors. We moved the event to a long and narrow room where panel discussions often took place. A positive aspect of moving indoors would be the readily available sound system. Obviously, the first thing my friends and I did was make ghost noises into the microphones. Being the only ones in the room, it seemed like a good time to goof off. Suddenly, the televisions at the front of the room turned on. We didn't think much of it, but for some reason the microphones no longer worked. The station that controls all the electronics was in plain view, and we saw no one tamper with it. Reasonably, we were a bit spooked at this point. None the less, we had to continue with our event. Slowly our first year students gathered in the room, and we told of our recent encounter, as well as the stories we had prepared. All was going well when a loudBANG came from behind us. Literally everyone jumped, and some people left. I later discovered that this bang was the result of a freshman (and future friend) playing a prank. However, everyone was a bit more on edge at the time. We continued, when the televisions turned on again. Once again, no one was seen tampering with the controls in the room. Even more people left after this occurred. Those of us remaining finished the event and then moved outdoors to talk.
One story I find particularly interesting is the tale of James Veach. In 1955, Veach was a cadet in the military academy in Sewanee. He broke free of a group of friends while on a walk, and never returned. Once declared missing, a search party set out to find him. Unfortunately, dense fog prevented the search party from finding him. They set out again on Wednesday, and found he had committed suicide. It is now said that if you drive past the residence halls that used to be a part of this military academy, Veach will sit in the passenger seat of your car and accompany you to the Memorial Cross (a major attraction on campus). After our little event, I was discussing this story with a friend that avidly believes in the supernatural. She then informed me that you can interact with Veach without a car. Three minutes later, I'm making my way to the Memorial Cross. It's a small campus, so I can do this no problem. The road to the cross is cloaked in darkness. Despite the full moon at the time, the canopy of trees make the path shadowy and eerie. I reach the final streetlight before entering the dark void. Two steps out of the light and I get a rush of chills. I'm suddenly light headed, and nearly fall. Being the reasonable person I am, I keep walking. Another few steps, and I'm doubled-over. I can't see straight and it feels like I'm freezing. First thing on my mind is "Screw this, I'm out!" I immediately turn around and start walking back. Once I'm back in the light, my chills and light headedness disappear. I just kept walking until I was back, safe in my residence hall.
Once again, I'm not fully convinced that ghosts exist. You are free to reach your own conclusions. Any number of things can explain what happened to me. My near faint might be nothing more than a mere coincidence. None the less, it makes you think about what we can't see. Enjoy you're Halloween, and be safe!
