by Claire DeRoin–
If you’ve ever heard something go bump in the night on campus, it might not just be your imagination.
A simple online search will yield dozens of pages on ghosts at Morningside. According to these stories: Dimmitt Hall’s Hidden Hallway is allegedly haunted by a student that hanged herself in her room; a little girl has supposedly haunted Eppley Auditorium since the day she fell over the balcony while trying to retrieve her lost balloon; and some unknown entity makes itself at home in Klinger-Neal.
Both Residence Life and Campus Security personnel denied knowing anything about any suicides on campus. In addition, neither office would confirm any of the haunting stories.
Brett Lyon, assistant director of security, says that campus security doesn’t put much faith in the haunting rumors or reports. “People say they hear things or see things, but a lot of the time it is people overreacting: hearing the old pipes in the buildings or letting their minds get the best of them.”
Another college official, however, happily accepts the haunting claims.
“Dimmitt Hall has been haunted since the day it was built, I think! No self-respecting ghost ever moves off campus,” President John Reynders said with a chuckle and a wink. “Morningside has some wonderful ghosts.”
Lyon says he hasn’t encountered any paranormal activity on campus, but he does seem to have a superstition regarding portraits in buildings. “When I do go into Eppley I tell Bud hello.” Bud was the long-time janitor in Eppley, and was much beloved by students. A large portrait of him hangs in the lobby.
“If I go to the Alumni House or Dimmitt and see the picture of Lillian, I will tell her hello as well,” Lyon says. (Lillian Dimmitt donated her house, currently the Alumni House, to Morningside. Dimmitt Hall is named for her. ) “[It’s] Just something I did when I was a student, and continue to do today, more out of respect for two individuals that had an impact on our college.”
If there aren’t ghosts on campus lurking around after dark, why are there any students out ghost hunting? Lyon says that isn’t a problem, either. “If we do see people in buildings after dark without permission, they are asked to leave, as it is a safety concern.”
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