Archive for Monday, October 29, 2007
Haunted Haskell
Spirits who haunt campus halls loved school enough to linger
Lori Tapahonso, public information officer at Haskell Indian Nations University, gives a tour featuring Haskell's Tommaney Hall.
October 29, 2007
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Lori Tapahonso, public information officer at Haskell Indian Nations University, and her daughter, Chamisa Edmo, talk about the spirit who allegedly haunts the library in Haskell's Tommaney Hall. The building will be one stop on the haunted Haskell tours on Wednesday night.
Halloween-related events happening on Wednesday
¢ Singing and costume parade, 4:15 p.m., Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H. Cost is $5, 843-2787.
¢ Downtown Lawrence Trick-or-Treat, 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m., at businesses downtown, 842-3883.
¢ Haskell Halloween Carnival, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Tecumseh Hall, 749-8480.
¢ Trunk or Treat, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Central United Methodist Church, 1501 Mass.
¢ Haskell Haunted Halloween Tours, 8 p.m.-11 p.m., beginning at the Cultural Center. Cost is $5 for the public, $3 for students and free for Haskell Indian Nations University students, 832-6686. Not recommended for children under 13.
¢ Fall festival with games, booths, prizes, moonwalk, candy and hot dogs, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Cornerstone Southern Baptist Church, 802 W. 22nd St. Terrace, 843-0442.
¢ Trunk or Treat, evening, Indian Hills Church of God, 601 W. 29th St. Terrace, 843-9565.
¢ Trunk or Treat, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., Lawrence Wesleyan Church, 3705 Clinton Parkway, 841-5446.
Lori Tapahonso stares at Hiawatha Hall, still with contempt.
It's been more than a decade since she says a spirit smacked her in the head in a stairwell inside the hall, which is on the Haskell Indian Nations University campus.
She hasn't been back inside the building since.
"We're naive to think we're the only ones in the world," says Tapahonso, public information officer at Haskell. "The others are unseen. That's what our elders teach us."
Those "others" are the subject of a series of tours Wednesday night at Haskell. The Haunted Haskell tours run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, starting at the university's Cultural Center.
Tapahonso says there are many stories on campus about spirits that look like children walking around, or new employees having their names called when nobody is around.
"For me, what I realized was there's something different with the 'hauntings' here at Haskell and those elsewhere," she says. "Here, they're not scary. They're not feared. The way we look at this is the way we look at life, that living isn't linear - it's not just birth and death. It's cycles."
The tours - led by flashlight - make stops at several campus locations. Among the locations purported to be haunted:
¢ A room in a dorm, which allegedly had a demon show up in the grain of a wood door - three separate times.
¢ A young man, apparently from the '40s or '50s, who sits in the Haskell Auditorium.
"He's never bothered anybody," Tapahonso says. "He just kind of hangs out."
¢ Tommaney Hall (home to the school's library), which has had books dropped without explanation by a spirit nicknamed "Libby."
Tapahonso says many people assume the hauntings come from the years when Haskell was a boarding school for children. Dozens of children died there.
Rather, she says, the ghosts are generally in, well, good spirits. Tapahonso says spirits generally return to a point in their lives when they were most happy.
"They're not there because they can't leave," she says. "They're there because they love the school."
The one exception to that, Tapahonso says, might be the basement of Pocahontas Hall, where an infirmary for sick children was previously located.
"You have a lot of young children haunting this place," she says. "This is the one place where you have the most confusion."
Tapahonso says the reports of spirits usually pick up during the summer months.
"There's a running joke on campus that when students leave for the summer, the kids get restless," she says. "Things will disappear from our desks. Things move around. Doors slam when we know nobody's there. It's a unique co-existence."
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29 October 2007
at 12:32 p.m.
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75x55 (Anonymous) says…
Superstitious silliness.
29 October 2007
at 1:06 p.m.
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domino (Anonymous) says…
75X55 - Apparently you've never seen or encountered a ghost. It actually can be pretty cool. The one in my house is a little ornery at times - moving/hiding small objects where you can't find them only to put them back later - little things like that. Knew a lady that had a nasty on, though. She didn't stay there long. People can either believe or not - I won't say you have to but don't tell me I can't!
29 October 2007
at 2:31 p.m.
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75x55 (Anonymous) says…
Granted, I've not seen or 'experienced' “ghosts” - even though I worked for several years at a place that was reputed to be the most haunted location in a nearby state. Heard a great many stories from very credible people, saw nothing unusual.
In general, I'm not close-minded to these things, but nearly 99% of what's communicated out there is supersitition and hockum. Such as:
'demon in a wood grain door.' Please - what's the point of that? The next person that sees this 'face', ask it 'How stupid are you, really?'.
'books falling off shelves'? Perhaps the myriad of natural explanations might be better place to start, rather than invoking 'spirits'?
'spirits generally return to a point in their lives when they were most happy.' 'They're there because they love the school.'
Huh? By what empirical reasoning does that become evident? Purest superstition.
'reports of spirits usually pick up during the summer months.'
It is more likely that this is because people tend to let their imaginations get the better of them in near-empty or empty buildings.
'things disappear' - especially when you absent-mindedly set them down somewhere else or someone else took them and didn't tell you. Anyone have kids or naughty cats?
And if anyone has any “spirit orb” photographs, please read about flash photography and airborne dust particles before you make a fool of yourself in public.
29 October 2007
at 3:09 p.m.
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blue73harley (Anonymous) says…
I believe there are demons at Haskell. What else could possibly explain why we can't get a road built?
29 October 2007
at 4:10 p.m.
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KsTwister (Anonymous) says…
Woooooooo! Anyone see the ghost with the green lips in the picture?? Ah, the power of suggestion.
29 October 2007
at 4:26 p.m.
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Gootsie (Anonymous) says…
75x55 (or 4125 multipled out), what a party pooper you are! I bet you also don't believe in the abnormal - i.e., KU being 8-0, soon to be 9-0.
29 October 2007
at 4:51 p.m.
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75x55 (Anonymous) says…
“I bet you also don't believe in the abnormal”
I live in Lawrence……
29 October 2007
at 5:46 p.m.
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kneejerkreaction (Anonymous) says…
Lori Tapahonso marry me.
signed,
Ghost of Knee
29 October 2007
at 6:24 p.m.
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George_Braziller (Anonymous) says…
I have at least two in my house. One is an elderly woman who I have seen in full “human” form. Even contractors I've had in the house have had experiences with her.
The other one isn't as benign. Very angry. Fortunately I've only experienced him twice in 15 years.
29 October 2007
at 6:39 p.m.
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toefungus (Anonymous) says…
I saw the ghost of Lawrence's past. It told me about low taxes and great restaurants ran by locals that grew up with their customers. I asked him how he died and he said he died of kidney failure from being so pissed off.
29 October 2007
at 6:53 p.m.
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GretchenJP (Anonymous) says…
“It's been more than a decade since she says a spirit smacked her in the head in a stairwell inside the hall, which is on the Haskell Indian Nations University campus.”
The ghost was trying to tell her she could have had a V-8. Seriously though, I'm intrigued by the whole idea of ghosts and apparitions. I love Ghosthunters!! Maybe they should come to Haskell for an investigation.
29 October 2007
at 6:56 p.m.
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RomanNose (Anonymous) says…
It probably wasn't a ghost. It was probably just Ironhawk.
29 October 2007
at 8:10 p.m.
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GretchenJP (Anonymous) says…
Jonathan_Jason_McDaniels (Anonymous) says:
Well, Gretchen:..I suppose that ghost could have sexually assaulted her:..and then here in Lawrence they'd be having “take back the night” candlelight vigils:.and speaker after speaker would be screaming and hollering about “those evil male ghosts”!!!!!!!
Actually that would be kinda cool but then again, I'm a little twisted.
30 October 2007
at 4:17 p.m.
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scottpewenofkit (Anonymous) says…
This tour is a sham.
Unless you're afraid of going into dark rooms at night, you're not going to see much. Would you pay money for that? And last year, it was free.
Also, Lori Tapahonso stole this idea a year ago from a former student, who didn't feel the need to capitalized on the deaths of people at Haskell by charging five dollars to lead you into a dark basement with a flashlight on the off chance that a ghost may materialize.
Don't bother.
31 October 2007
at 11:42 a.m.
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Rainydaze49 (Anonymous) says…
Dawn Webster, the person who originally coordinated this project last year, wasn't trying to capitalize on the spirits, because she knows better than that. Also, Lori Tapahonso was supposed to be a tour guide last year and didn't even show up to the mandatory meetings and really half assed her tours, but this year she charges the community and acts like this was all her idea? I'm with scottpewenofkit on this one. don't bother
Also, being smacked in the head by spirits isn't something you should brag about. Hopefully, the spirits will knock some sense into Lori this year.
4 July 2008
at 2:51 a.m.
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TopJayhawk (Anonymous) says…
Say what you will, and this all may be a hoax, there. But I have seen, heard, or otherwise experienced many unexplainable events when working nights at the old Menninger Clinic in Topeka. Very strange indeed. It even included a staff member being hurt. If anyone wants to hear more, just give me a backchannel. I will answer as soon as possible.