August 27, 1996
PAGE 9
THEVISTA
Spirited tales haunt Mitchell Hall Theater By Joanna Owen Staff Writer
F
or more than 50 years a rumor of a ghost in Mitchell Hall Theater has made its way around
campus. Over the years people have reported hearing footsteps running up and down the stairs and seeing a shadow walking past. Some have said lights that have been disconnected reconnecting on their own and seeing the curtains move. Many of these things reportedly happened when no one else was in the building. Most people hear one of three stories about the ghost. It's been said that during the construction of the building a worker fell to his death from the rafters. It also has been said a lighting technician died when he fell from the grid above the stage area during the play of Our Town in 1940 or during the same play in the '70s. The building was built by the Holmboe Construction Company in the '20s. Although the original owner of that company is no longer living, his son, a child at the time, said he doesn't remember hearing about the death and no
DID
Rumors are still going about a ghost in Mitchell Hall. (Staff photo by Laurette Graham)
mention of the death is in any of his fathers old paperwork. There also is no record of any death during the productions of Our Town held on campus in 1940 or in the '70s. UCO alumni, Bertha Scoggins a member of the cast in the 1940 production, said she couldn't remember anyone dying during the production. Her late husband was also in the production and he never mentioned a death in the theater. Soggins said she did remember during the time of the production that a male friend of the director died in Norman, but
You KNOW?
Men's brains shrink with age A University of Pennsylvania study has confirmed that men's brains shrink as they grow older. According to the Penn researchers, the shrinkage begins in the late teens or early 20s and eventually causes forgetfulness and crabbiness. "Men spend most of their time activating a certain part of their brain," explained Ruben Gur, a Penn psychology. "It is likely that this is the part of the brain that will suffer the most." A harmful buildup of byproducts gathers and destroys tissue in the part of the brain that men use the most. To clear out the buildup and give the overused part a rest, men should try using their brains in ways that are different from the normal routine. —By College Press Service
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she had no idea if his death might have cause the ghost story to get started. 1941 is the first known account of the rumor being spread around campus. Alumni Bettye Johnston who was the editor of The Vista in the fall of 1941 said she had been on campus for approximately two months when the rumor made it to The Vista office. She said because it was her first year at UCO and she didn't believe in ghosts she chose not to spend the time investigating the rumor. Different individuals working in the Archives on campus said they had tried to
find proof that a death had occurred during the production in the '70s, but nothing could be found. Dr. Margaret Flansburg, professor of humanities and philosophy, said the death of the man, the fact that Our Town is based somewhat on a ghost and the time frame being so close to when America became involved in World War I could lead to a story of a ghost getting started on campus. "Theaters have a quality to them that makes them a very popular places for ghost stories to originate," Flansburg said. She said her rationality to the story is the building is old and it might cause peoples imaginations to run wild. "There is something about the appeal of these kinds of stories, that there is another kind of reality there that is interesting to deal with," Flansburg said. "It's fun to have that kind of shared story telling, it even gives the building some sort of validity, some time when it's more than just a building but it sort of has on going life in it." She said something might have happened on campus or somewhere in Edmond and the incident could have translated to a more convenient spot at Mitchell Hall and the ghost story On) began.
HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, RECREATION AND DANCE OPEN RECREATION FALL, 1996 fiAMILTON FIELDHOUSE Weight Room: 6:30 - 7:30a.m. Monday, Wednesday 6:30 8:30a.m. Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 2:30 - 6:30p.m. Monday through Friday 10:30 - 2:30p.m. Saturday 1:00 - 5:00p.m. Sunday Pool: 6:30 - 8:30a.m. Monday through Friday 2:30 - 3:45 Open Recreation Monday through Friday 3:45 - 5:00 Lap Swim Monday through Friday 5:00 - 6:30 Open & Lap Swim Monday through Friday 10:30 - 2:30a.m. Saturday 1:00 - 5:0 ►p.m„ Sunday
'AND HALL Gym: 2:30 - 5:00p.m. Open Recreation* Monday through Friday 10:30 - 2:30p.m. Saturday 1:00 w 5:00p.m. Sunday Weight Equipment (West Balcony) 8:00 - 5:00p.m. Monday through Friday Walking is permitted in the balcony of both Hamilton Fieklhouse and Wantland He ft until 5:00p.m. Monday through Friday.
Facilities are closed for holidays, weekends and at various times for athletic events. Event schedule will be posted on or near the west door to the pool. * Activities available in Wantland Hall: basketball, table tennis, badminton, volleyball (court available Mon.. Tues. and Wed. and must be reserved two days in advance for teams only)
