As Halloween approaches, connotations of ghosts, hauntings, and all-around fear temporarily become more prevalent in the minds of many. One may start to really question the noise they heard in the other room. They might really wonder about the times where doors open or close on their own, rather than just ruling it out as the wind. Whether you enjoy the adrenaline of a haunted house or the panic you feel after being told of a scary story, the atmosphere of Halloween can be undoubtedly frightening. Out of those surveyed at South, 63.8% of people said that they believe in ghosts. Many people claim to have had paranormal experiences in their life. Some keep these experiences with them forever, while others are skeptical of strange happenings and simply shrug it off. No matter what you believe, strange things happen to everyone.

When it comes to South, there is not much debate about whether the school is haunted. Out of those surveyed, only about 30% said that they thought the school could be haunted. Supposed paranormal experiences at school range from lights flickering to doors opening and closing by themselves. Freshman Karen Bergen told about her experience at school, explaining,

“Sometimes in classes, the doors will randomly shut.” This is something that many people have seen happen at South. Some choose to dismiss it as a draft while others may believe there is something more behind these happenings. Junior Anjelika Dombrowski described her experience by stating,

“In the auditorium, the lights start to flicker on and off.” Could this be a glitch in the electrical system, or is someone haunting the auditorium? In any case, South has plenty of strange happenings. Some who may not believe that the school is haunted describe their more comical experiences. Band teacher Mr. Wade Heinen joked about the music department, saying,

“Missed key signatures create some freaky sounds down here.” Even if South is not haunted, the music department could surely set the scene for a scary Halloween musical.

Apart from South, there are many people who claim to have had paranormal experiences somewhere else in their lives. One of these instances was described by Junior Carlos Tellez. He explained,

“One time when I was 12, my cousin was sleeping over. I was sleeping when I woke up to crying in the middle of the night. I thought it was my cousin getting homesick, but before I knew it my dad came in asking who was crying, only to find that my cousin was sleeping. My brother and I were both awake but we weren’t crying either. We all heard it loud and clear, but we still don’t know who it was.” Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, it’s easy to imagine how this could have been a scary experience. However, this is not the only instance of someone having a paranormal experience in their home at night. Many people have described their personal experiences, from both while they are awake and asleep.

Senior Angela Yang shed light on the beliefs of her culture that help provide reasoning behind the paranormal experiences she has had. She stated,

“In the Hmong culture, being “sat on” means that there is a spirit sitting on you as you sleep. Usually when I get sat on, it’s hard to breathe. I’m awake but I can’t open my eyes and I’m unable to move.” This experience is not completely uncommon and some others may call this experience sleep paralysis. Yang went on to describe,

“My grandmother, who is a Shaman, connects with spirits and tells me why I am being sat on. After one particularly scary experience, she explained to me that a spirit was following me around. She told me I needed to stop getting involved with so many things.” No matter what belief system you choose to follow, this is an understandable point of view. Sleep paralysis and being filled with fear is bound to have an impact on anyone.

Even some staff members at South have had paranormal experiences in their lives. Science teacher Mr. Michael Aprill explained,

“When I was about seven years old I saw my great-grandmother standing over my bed. She did this for a long time. About a year later, she appeared for the last time, but this time with my great-grandfather. The strange thing is I never met either, but perfectly described them both to my parents.” There is no doubt about the fact that these strange occurrences have happened to many people. Whether or not you believe in ghosts will most likely determine the way you view these happenings. This Halloween you may rethink that squeaky door closing on its own or the time you could have sworn you heard someone say your name.