Authors: Chief Editor of KELSEY WAGNER and Executive Editor of SIMON STEWART

What do Mitchell Hall and Old College have in common? According to university alumni Scott F. Mason, both buildings are haunted. 

On Wednesday, October 28th and Thursday, October 29th, Mason hosted a ghost tour sponsored by the university to take students to the most haunted places in the university. At each location, Mason in a black cloak explained the most popular myths and legends of the university.

The tour started in Mitchell Hall, where Mason introduced himself and asked the audience about their current knowledge of college ghosts. He also discussed the recent ghost, which was discovered by a dormitory director in the 1990s. 

Mason said that it was a cold night in February, and the director of the dormitory was waiting for her boyfriend to come to her apartment. 

"She stood in her room, and from the arch adjacent to the other room, she suddenly saw this white outline, glowing white, she thought it was a woman, and suddenly, this white outline phantom said to her. Everything is fine, everything is fine, everything will be fine,'" Mason said.  

According to Mason, the woman reported her story to The Review and the government, but no further investigation was conducted. 

From Mitchell Hall, Mason led a tour group to the memorial to discuss popular myths surrounding the so-called "kissing arch." 

"The current legend is that if you kiss your loved one five times under these arches, you will have a happy future," Mason said. 

He added that the legend originated from the time when the university existed as two independent colleges: a men's college and a women's college. According to Mason, it is widely believed that before parting ways, men and women will kiss each other good night on the arch between the two parts of the campus. 

"Sounds great,'Oh, this is where they kissed and said goodbye,'" Mason said. "But it's all nonsense" 

Mason elaborated that the arch was not built until 1941, just before the merger of the two colleges. 

After that, Mason talked about another famous university tradition: rubbing the nose of the bust of Judge Hugh M. Morris in the Morris Library in order to pass the exam. 

"If you have to rub certain body parts of the statue to pass the test, maybe you should reconsider your career plan," Mason said.  

From there, Mason led a tour of the cemetery near West Delaware Avenue, where he explained the death of a boy who was studying at Newark College during the American Revolution. Mason explained that the boy sneaked from the college building to Cucci Bridge and joined the militia. After the boy's father learned that his son had left the college, Mason said that the father dragged the boy back to the college by pulling his ears. 

"The son was very upset, embarrassed, and ashamed of what his father did... he hanged himself on the clock tower that night," Mason said. "[Now] The staff will not work there by themselves at night."

The next legend mentioned on the tour is about the Deer Park Tavern. Mason explained that many people think the tavern is cursed by the writer Edgar Allan Poe. 

According to Mason, the true story is that Poe gave a lecture at Newark College in 1843, but it was not well received. Angry Poe went to the St. Patrick's Hotel at the time. On the way, Poe fell into the mud and was driven out of the inn when he was drunk. Then Poe cursed the inn, saying: "Those who leave must come back."

In fact, the Deer Park Tavern was built in 1851 when the St. Patrick’s Tavern was burned down.

"If you look at their crow in the glass box, they shouldn't have it because he was never there," Mason said. 

The tour continues to the old college. The students stand in the hall. Mason tells the story of John Roach, a student who was murdered in the building in a literary competition in 1858. 

During the competition, the students played pranks and fights with each other, causing Roach's throat to be cut. No knives were found, and all three students arrested as suspected murderers were released. One year later, one of the three students had a cut in his throat, just like Roach was cut by a shrapnel in a steel factory explosion.

Mason thinks Roach continues to haunt the old college. 

"Like a cockroach, he keeps coming back," Mason said. 

Mason added that later in the 1900s, a man fell off the steps of the old college and broke his neck after harassing a woman at the top of the steps. 

"Some people say it's John Roach's ghost," Mason said. "If you are fine, he will leave you alone. But if you are mean, be careful." 

The last player on the tour is Mitchell Hall. Mason explained that the ghost of a construction worker, reportedly named Elmo, was working on the dome of the hall, fell five stories from the scaffolding, and was killed when he landed on the seat below. 

According to Mason, his family died under mysterious circumstances a year later, and they are now haunting Mitchell Hall with Elmo.

Mason ended the tour with a warning to the audience. 

"If you are in a dormitory in Central Greenbelt, be careful," Mason said before leaving.

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