On the eerie night of Friday, Sept. 15, from 9 to 11 p.m., the Allegheny College Ghost Club embarked on a spine-tingling paranormal investigation event at the infamous Arter Hall. Steeped in a history of ghostly tales, this event promised a chilling exploration of the supernatural.
Arter Hall houses the math and history departments, although its basement contains a once-thriving theater that now stands as a silent sentinel of the past. Based on bulletin board postings in the basement, it is believed that the last performance graced its stage in March 2020, leaving it desolate and haunted by the restless spirit of a former professor named Alice. Legend has it that Alice was the founder of Allegheny’s theater department — and that failing to greet her with a respectful “Hi Alice!” upon entering the theater invites spectral mischief.
As the clock struck 9 p.m., members of the Ghost Club gathered to confront the enigma that was Arter Hall. Armed with cameras, an environmental thermometer, and Polaroid camera films, they divided into groups to explore the haunted edifice.
The unsettling odyssey began with the discovery of a mysterious white stain on a wall. In the blink of an eye, it vanished, leaving the investigators perplexed. Proceeding to the tutor station, we encountered a palpable drop in air pressure and a peculiar odor that sent shivers down our spines. However, when we ventured to the hall, it was locked — we were only able to open the door a little to see onto the stage There, a perplexing sight awaited: A small red light on the stage, though nothing was visibly amiss.
As we ventured further, Jane Grabowski, ’24, one of the Ghost Club’s lead investigators, encountered camera troubles as her device inexplicably refused to focus on certain spots, a phenomenon previously unheard of. According to Grabowski, she barely faced any problems like this before. Daphne Womack, ’27, was unnerved by the eerie closet near the math library, where an ominous pile of items seemed to exude an unsettling aura.
Kaleialoha Froning, ’24, a fellow investigator, bravely whispered the incantation, “Hi Alice,” and was met with a chilling response – the unmistakable sound of Velcro ripping. A séance in the seminar room yielded no clean signs of a haunting. Reece Smith, ’24, and Grabowski claimed that spirits willing to communicate often interacted with a flashlight, but the beam remained undisturbed
Undeterred, we decided to try again, this time positioning ourselves at the foot of the creaking staircase that led into the heart of the theater. As we started a second séance, some among us claimed to hear faint, unsettling sounds emanating from within the theater’s depths.
A sense of discomfort and dizziness gripped the room, unsettling everyone present. In the eerie silence of the dimly lit building, the procedures unfolded flawlessly, yet the attempts yielded no abnormal occurrences.
The suspense was palpable, but skepticism still lingered, particularly concerning the pendulum test. We moved back upstarts again, and Mandy Smith, ’27, attempted to summon the spectral presence using a pendulum, where a back-and-forth swing indicated a positive response, while a circular motion implied otherwise. Despite our efforts, it failed to convince us of its reliability, leaving us in a state of both fascination and uncertainty. The hall held its secrets tightly, as if daring us to unlock its haunted history. Our quest for the supernatural continued, fueled by equal parts curiosity and trepidation.
The night concluded with more questions than answers. Will Alice’s restless spirit ever return to Arter Hall? The mystery of this haunted theater endures, beckoning daring souls to venture forth and seek the truth behind its ghostly tales. Only time will tell if the Allegheny College Ghost Club’s investigation will shed light on the spectral enigma of Arter Hall or if Alice’s secrets will forever remain locked in the shadows.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the ghost of Alice as a student, incorrectly stated that the Ghost Club had a “rem-pod” (misspelled as a “Ram-pot”), inaccurately described the séances as “planchette sessions,” inaccurately depicted the group as unlocking a door and entering the theater, and inaccurately attributed the date of Arter’s final performance. The story has been updated to more accurately reflect the events that transpired.
