5:00 Lap Swim Monday through Friday

Spirited tales haunt Mitchell Hall Theater

By Joanna Owen Staff Writer

For 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 DID 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 their brains in ways that are different from the normal routine. 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

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

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 Mitchell Hall and the ghost story began. On )

buildup and give the overused part a rest, men should try using translated to a more convenient spot at

—By College Press Service

urli Lie Tan & Tone

*****Special******

One month unlimited

Tan or Tone $25.°° or

Tan & Tone Combo only $35."

NEW SUMMER HOURS Mon-Fri 8-8 Sat 9-2

348-5302

313-A E. Ayers Edmond, OK Corner of Ayers & University Dr. 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)

AROUND CAMPUS

Today

✓ The Medieval Society will meet 2 p.m. Aug. 27 in Room 118 of the Liberal Arts Building for the elction of officers. For more information, call Dr. Stephen Law at 341-2980, Ext. 5615.

A Brief Look Ahead

• Student Activities Office and SGA are sponsoring a Student Organization/Information Fair from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Broncho Lake sidewalk. Free ice cream and soft drinks will be given out. There will also be a drawing for gas worth $100. Everyone is invited. For more information, call the Student Activities Office at 341-2980, Ext. 2363.

✓ The International Office is sponsoring social security day from 1:30-3 p.m. Aug. 28 in Room 226 of the Administration Building. For more information, call the International Office at 341-2980, Ext. 2390.

• Toastmasters will meet 12:45 p.m. Aug. 29 at Will Rogers East in the University Center.

• Dr. Sam Magrill will hold a concert at 8 p.m. Sept. 5 at Mitchell Hall.

✓ Alpha Lambda Delta Women's Honor Society will meet 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Senate Room on the fourth floor of the University Center. This first meeting of the year will center around discussions about future community service projects. Refreshments will be provided. Bring lots of ideas. For more information, call Kelly Crow at 340-3030.

Generally Speaking

• UCO Soccer Club, in cooperation with the Edmond YMCA is sponsoring an intermural outdoor coed soccer league. The games are played on the new UCO soccer field. Registration deadline is Aug. 31. Games are played on Monday and Wednesday evenings. For more information, call the Soccer Clubat 341-2980, Ext. 2377.

• UCO Soccer Club has practices every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 5:30-7 p.m. Practices are held on the new soccer field, south of the tennis courts. For more information, call the Soccer Club at 341-2980, Ext. 2377.

• The International Office is taking applications for the Ambassador Scholarship. Deadline for applications is Oct. 1. For more information, call the International Office at 341-2980, Ext. 2390.

News items for publication in Around Campus must be submitted at least one week in advance. Forms are available in The Vista office and should be printed or typed. Information will not be accepted by telephone. Items may run for two weeks prior to the event depending on space. POLITICS AS USUAL

SYNDICATE Pujan Roka

Tribune Media Services

WORD GAME

ACROSS 1 Certain student 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 Accused 10 Adult deer 14 A Guthrie 15 Martini item 16 Top-notch 7 -' ' -' g 15 II a nim 22 1111 III 23 Ili= NEM • 111 17 Ashen 18 Gentleman's gentleman 19 Climbing plant 20 Rubber band 22 Entertained MN II " 24 11111 El II 35 " " ill • . iffil 33 24 Small fastener 25 Operate 26 Shortage of food 29 Kind of job 34 Muslim priests 35 Academic garb 40 2 II ils 111111 EN , 11111 47 I 111 NEE ME I 36 Ill 36 Bounder 37 Put on board ri 49 50 I 51 52 163 54 55 38 Lessened difficulty l 69 39 — Xiaoping (Chinese leader) 40 Greek letter 41 Driving hazard 60 63 MI I in 64 62 es 42 — code T ribune media Serv.ces. Inc 4-3 Eternal All rghts reserv ed 45 Searches for 9 Inhibited water 10 Learned one 46 Actress Ullmann 11 Work 47 Veer 48 Referee 12 English queen 13 Turned right ANSWERS 52 X-rased works 21 Thrashes 56 Necklace pan 23 Courage 57 Mother-ol-pearl 26 — mignon 59 Press 27 Valuable violin S 1 N 0 O W I " !y . LI'Dy 1 : 1 Ei n : 11 0 3 0 V3 I N 1 1 3 S 60 III humor 28 Word of address 3 nOMO M001100 V 61 Bridge support 29 Takes a stance MEMO 01110 62 Shopping place 30 Encourage in 63 Actress Markey crime 64 "— looking at 31 Cake decorators you' 32 Cleric's house 65 Termini 33 Rims 35 Norma and DOWN Charlotte 1 Sleeveless 39 Nick-of-time 3 a 3 0 a 3 3 S N V s000 MMOMMME m M BOME0 MO an minim ma 00000 0MOM 10101000 OMUM0 MEM 0E100 101300 01101302 3 1 garment hour 3 N in OBUOM MEC 2 Not written 3 A Fitzgerald 4 Serves a 39 Computer glitch result 41 Skirt feature a e N V 00 MOM, 00M 1M 00MON 0E10 sentence 42 Phillipine native 48 Lane of song 53 Persian Gulf 5 Tyro 44 Slid over a 49 Control strap land 6 Alas and vowel 50 Indonesian 54 Rope 7 Wee measure 45 Constraint island 55 Insects 8 Always 47 Succinct 51 Not common 58 Mongrel