NIght class ends, ghost class begins

With the talk of Halloween comes the popularity of local paranormal hot spots. Long -standing tales and local myths have been popular among students, faculty and staff. The paranormal activity spans campus and beyond, delving into other SUNY campuses, as well.According to legend, Brockport's own haunted hot spot is Hartwell Hall. Hartwell was the original building for the campus, housing most, if not all, of the classrooms and dormitories. Over the years, maintenance workers and janitors told of ghosts and spirits spotted in the hallways.

One former janitor has experienced the spirits changing classes on the second floor. Though the building is closed for business at night, the spirits change between classes, with the sounds of doors slamming and students laughing. Another janitor felt a spirit touch his or her back while cleaning, turning around to find no one. The same person fell off a ladder, where the spirits allegedly caught them, bringing a soft-landing, unharmed and unscathed.

Rumor also has it Mortimer Hall is haunted, after a student allegedly committed suicide in the high-rise. Students claimed their lights will unexplainably turn on and off. Items disappeared and turned up in other places. It is unknown what suite this is, however the Long Island Paranormal Investigators investigated the suite, and experienced the lights turning on and off at night.

Locally, two high schools have history of hauntings. Aquinas Institute, in Rochester, is the house of a former student's ghost. The costume room, located in the attic (or "heaven," according to students there) is home to the spirit, Victoria, the school's lead in the musical. Victoria died in a tragic car accident opening night of the musical.


Nearby in Gates, the Gates-Chili high school is haunted by a former student who died in a drunk driving accident. He is now reported to haunt the school, looking for his girlfriend who was pregnant with his child.


Additionally, at the University at Albany, two separate buildings bear hauntings. Mohican Hall has seen the paranormal since 1994. A young ghost was sighted wandering the halls in the evening hours. Pierce Hall is also labeled as haunted, though it is not known who the ghost is or why she continuously walks the halls at night.

At nearby SUNY Geneseo, Monroe Hall was noted for a 6-year-old spirit roaming the hall. The boy, named Eric, was believed to be killed in an accident during the construction of the dormitory.


For more information about haunted places in New York state, check out www.theshadowlands.net.