Res hall haunting? Investigator, class take on search for dorm room spirits

Students in Prof. Regan A. R. Gurung’s freshman seminar class had a different kind of Halloween experience this Oct. 31, stepping into the world of a paranormal investigator as he checked out a reputedly haunted campus dorm room.

Investigator Steven De Spain, who heads Great Lakes Association Spirit Searching, used a variety of sensors and other equipment to attempt to detect paranormal activity in the room, located on the third floor of Byron Walter Hall. Students used audio recorders and video cameras to capture the investigation for later review.

It was the perfect Halloween activity for the course, titled “Gods Ghosts and Goblins: The Psychology of Belief.” De Spain spoke to the students about what he does before the class set out for the reportedly haunted room.

“Steven gave a really good presentation overviewing what investigators do, with a good balance of skepticism and openness to the ghost world,” Gurung said. “It was a good critical thinking exercise.”

So what did the ghost-hunters find? No conclusive word yet, but they’ll be reviewing the tapes. In a well-lit room, of course.

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