As it is now officially October, I’d like to get into an early Halloween mood, and talk about some of the mysteries and ghosts of Mercer University. With a history stretching back to 1833, there are bound to be a couple of interesting and spooky happenings in our school’s long history! Now since we are dealing with the supernatural and the paranormal, I can’t with any certainty give 100% accuracy or validation to any of the claims or sightings mentioned. But don’t let that stop you from finding out on your own if any of these tales are true!
First off, let’s start out with some ghosts. Supposedly, the Kappa Alpha fraternity house shelters the spirit of a woman murdered by her husband before the school was founded. Upon Mercer’s construction, the original resting place of the wife’s bones was found, but her ghost still seems to haunt the frat house to this day. One account claims to have been upstairs alone in the house studying for an exam, and when he was finished, closing the window and turning off all the lights in the house and locking the door. Once he was outside, however, he turned around to see all the windows open and the lights in the room he was in turned on. Other accounts from the house claim hearing footsteps in empty halls, doors closing to rooms with no one in them, and lights expectantly turning on and off.
Residents of MEP more than likely have heard a spooky story about their dorm, but there are a lot of different accounts of the same story. According to one source, on the top floor of Boone Hall, there is a room that is locked and has its window blocked off. Sometime in the school’s history, a girl supposedly committed suicide there, and ever since the room has been left unoccupied. But there are still reports and claims of a ghostly figure that walks the hall. Others claim that it is Porter Hall is haunted, as the fourth floor has been locked, and that the spirits that inhabit the dorm still stalks the area. Regardless, ladies, if you live in MEP, be on the lookout for strange happenings or spooky sights.
Willingham Chapel is believed to house a whole repository of ghosts. According to urban legend, a Confederate soldier who used to frequent the chapel was killed in action, and has since returned to the Chapel, although it is unconfirmed if this ghost is to be accountable for all the sightings there or if multiple ghosts haunt the area. There have been accounts of police doing rounds hearing wooden floors creaking from concrete, strange manipulations at the Back Door Theater, and single patches of freezing cold air in an otherwise warm room.
While I personally haven’t had any supernatural experiences at Mercer, I’ve been in some creepy situations. I lived in Plunkett my freshman year, and if you’ve ever visited there, you know it isn’t the most fun place to live. The basement can be very spooky, especially after midnight. Walking around the residence hall late at night, I don’t know if I imagined noises coming from the walls, figures at the edge of my vision, or footsteps behind me, or if they actually happened. Still, I was pretty scared!
These were some of the stories I could find about ghosts at Mercer, but I’m positive I haven’t heard all of them yet! See if you can find out more, or test the accounts given here and find out if they hold up or not. Make sure to bring a friend, or you yourself might end up in one of these stories…