The Observer, November 2, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 9
Worst Case Scenario: Hauntings needed
As freshmen, we were all given little blue books containing a brief history of the university at Convocation. I thought it was pretty neat. Even then, I had the keen sense of appreciation for all things free typical of a fourth- or fifth-year college senior. I gleefully shoved the book into my backpack, where it would unfortunately remain for several months. I dug it out again for my favorite holiday, Halloween, with one purpose in mind: to learn about the sordid past, dark secrets, and hidden hauntings of Case Western Reserve University. I eagerly flipped to the section tantalizingly entitled, "Myths, Mysteries, and Curiosities." My hopes were soon massacred like promiscuous high school students at the hands of a madman.
OK, the section wasn't really that bad, but it was disappointing to someone who was expecting a massive deluge of terror. There were several interesting myths referenced in the book: the strangely incongruous gargoyle among the angels at the pinnacle of Amasa Stone Chapel, the mysterious "searcher" in the boat sculpture at the entrance to Tomlinson Hall, and rumors of secret graves under the Mary Chisholm Painter Arch and the "Case Institute of Technology" marker. But rather than build and expound upon these intriguing oddities, leaving petrified first-years in the wake, the even-keeled author stolidly refuted each and every one with documented historical evidence that included many references to school founders and architectural trends of the late nineteenth century.
This was unacceptable. I'm in college at an institution more than a century old, where my classes are taught in converted mansions and former dormitories, where Adelbert Hall burned down and was rebuilt with its former façade, and where tuition is exorbitant (and rising!) and there doesn't seem to be a blip on the spectral radar anywhere in sight. I don't want to drive all the way down to the Mansfield Reformatory to get my terror jollies!
As I flipped through the time-worn blue book again, I realized that there was a page in the myths section I had never seen before. It seemed as though there was another myth described in the book. I almost skipped past it – I didn't think my tender heart could take another disappointment. But as I quickly skimmed the page, I realized that the author had no smug answer for this "myth." In fact, none of the administrators I contacted to confirm this fable were willing to talk about it.
According to the little blue book, a ghostly figure dressed in clothing from the late eighteenth century can sometimes be seen at midnight, stalking angrily back and forth across what is now the Mather Quad, obviously looking for something. As recently as 2005, students have reported sensing a spectral presence near Guilford House. Several students have even described confrontations with this ghost, who demanded, "Is it you?!" before vanishing before their eyes. Could this be one of the early settlers of the area, searching for an unknown enemy? Perhaps the campus is a little bit haunted, after all…
