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WWW.GUlLFORDlAN.COM
F E ATU RE S
If you see ghosts throughout campus, who you gouua call?
BY DANIEL GASKIN
Staff Writer
The moon was full last Friday as I walked to Dana
Auditorium. The mood was eerie, and the fact that I was
going to hear a legitimate ghost story from a Public Safety
officer made it all the more strange.
I met with Officer Mike Lane at Dana to hear his story of a
supernatural incident he had witnessed a few years ago, and
it was startling to say the least.
,"l prefer to call them 'spirits.' I have
experienced ghosts here in Dana. One
in particular is Lucas, a Revolutionary
war-era ghost who I hove talked to in
the past. He is perturbed by students
who are not respectful of this place"
/
Frank Massey, IFF gifts discernment
coordinator
"I came in to close Dana around 2:(X) a.m." said Lane.
"When I got to room 114,1 heard three lines of a harmonica
being played. It stopped when I knocked on the door. I
opened the door to find nothing in there except a piano and
a dark room."
Even stranger than that.
Lane came back the
following Monday with a
colleague to check out the
same room that had the
harmonica playing.
"We came into the same
room around the same time
to check it out again,"
he said. "We foimd
nothing, but when
I closed the door,
a light fixture fell
at my feet, nearly
striking me, and
missed me by that
much," he added as he
gestured a few inches.
I was deeply unsettled by this news, as
Lane does not seem to be the type to fabricate such
a story. So, I widened my look for the supernatural
and found one person who knew something about
spirits that dwell here.
Initiative on Faith and Practice Gifts Discernment
Coordinator Frank Massey has a profound belief in the
ghosts that live here and has even talked to them on occasion.
"I prefer to call them 'spirits,'" said Massey. "I have
experienced ghosts here in Dana. One in particular is Lucas,
a Revolutionary war-era ghost who I have talked to in the
past. Fie is perturbed by students who are not respectful of
this place."
I must say I was stunned at Massey's nonchalance at
discussing the concrete existence of ghosts so easily and
unremarkably. But, I looked into his eyes and saw that he
was a quite sane individual.
"Some of these spirits are waiting to communicate with
people who pass through here," said
Massey. "Some of the spirits are guarding
sometFiing that existed before Dana. I
don't know for certain, but I think they are
guarding a thin spot where communication
between realms is easier."
I recorded this conversation. When I left
Massey, I listened back to the recording
and what I heard shook me. The room
was silent when we spoke — only a
hint of music played in the background
because we were in Dana, but there was
a whistling recorded on my device. It
would come and go throughout our
20-minute talk, but I assure you, there
was no such sound when I was in the
room.
After being scared out of mind at that
creepy whistling, I wanted to get an idea
of the places that house spirits here, so
I contacted Director of the Friends
Center and Campus Ministry
Coordinator Max Carter via email.
"The three places supposedly
haunted are Dana (reputedly
haunted by 'Lucas,' a Revolutionary
War soldierh Mary Hobbs Hall (NOT
a student who died in the Hobbs fire —
nobody died in that ^e!); and the former
WQFS station in Founders," said Carter.
I searched Hobbs for anything str^ge, but I found nothing
except a group of girls wondering why I was in a girl's
dormitory. In Dana, I tried calling out to Lucas to see if he
answered, but besides looking quite strange, I again found
nothing worthy of reporting. I do not know what I would
have done if I did, but these stories are something that a true
skeptic like me has found troubling.
h.v
4
HUG
HISPANOS UNIDOS DE
GUILFORD GIVES BACK
BY TAYLOR HALLETT
Staff Writer
Hispanos Unidos de Guilford is showing
local Latino youth to a path of leadership. On
Nov. 10, the annual on-campus conference
"Soy un Lfder" will invite Latino youth
from nearby high schools to participate in
group activities.
"They come here, and for the first time
they get a clear message that they can
go to college," said Latino Community
Program Director Jorge Zeballos, HUG
faculty advisor. "They don't get that kind of
support, unfortunately, in the schools they
are in."
Even with all the enthusiasm Zeballos
has about Soy un Lfder ("I am a Leader"),
it is his lack of direct involvement with its
organization that he finds to be the most
rewarding component.
"It is a project that is organized, planned
and piit together by students with my
support and supervision," Zeballos said.
"They do all the logistical work and
organizing work. It is a way for them to
give back to their community."
Hug is an on-campus organization that
giyes a space for the college's Hispanic and
Latmo students to celebrate their heritage.
HUG , also offers. events that celebrate
Hispanic culture which are open to the rest
IHispanos Unidos de Guilford sponsors several events throughout the year, such as sugar skull
decorating, as seen above. Its most famous event is "Soy un Lider," an annual feadership conference.
of Guilford.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, from
Sept. IS^ct. 15, HUG hosted numerous
events. The opening event for Hispanic
Heritage Month was a viewing of "Harvest
of Dignity," a documentary which focuses
on farmworkers in North Carolina. Another
event hosted by HUG was the memorable
mariachi band performance in the cafeteria.
On Oct. 30, FlUG also hosted a workshop
for making sugar skulls in celebration of
Dfa de los Muertps, or Day of the Dead.
e and youth leaders
Originating in Mexico, Dfa de los Muertos is
a tradition where people gather to remember
friends and family who have passed.
"I learned a good amount about the
cultural traditions of Dfa de los Muertos
from the presentation that was given, and
I liked the creative aspect even though
I didn't get to eat the skull," said junior
Connor Bayne in an email interview.
Probably the most anticipated HUG
event is the upcoming Nov. 10 conference.
Soy un Lfder will invite Latino high
school students from Guilford, Forsyth
and Alamance counties for inspirational
workshops on campus. The opening and
closing ceremonies will he held in the
Alumni Gym. /
"I am looking forward to getting the kids
involved," said Alejandra Ruiz, co-president
of HUG. "Here they get to talk to college
students who are Latino themselves. We are
setting an example just by being here and
showing that we care."
Such an endeavor is proving to be costly.
However, HUG is considering new ways to
alleviate some of the financial stresses that
the conference entails.
"One of the things that we are looking
at is applying for grants that will allow us
to have a significant amount of financial
support," Zeballos said.
Despite some of the financial roadblocks,
Zeballos and HUG are optimistic about the
event. '
"It is, in my nrinti, the most powerful arid
rewarding event tliat we do every year,"
Zeballos said.