California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

    Haunting in the halls

    While students went home or out of town for Thanksgiving break, a particular someone decided to hang around in the dorms. The Mount Clef ghost has been living in the dorm since the early days of California Lutheran University.

    As Mount Clef was being built a little boy died while playing at the construction site and now continues to haunt the residents among the hall. Whether itโ€™s through opening and shutting the doors in the dorms or flickering the lights on and off, the little boy finds a way to scare the students. And it doesnโ€™t just happen on the 300 side of Mount Clef, where the boy was killed but also the 400 side, regulating the entire hall.

    Most of the freshmen hear about the Mount Clef ghost when they first move into the dorms. Initially, most students donโ€™t believe in the ghost and just think itโ€™s the upperclassmen and resident assistants trying to scare the newcomers. But as soon as they have strange encounters with him their beliefs change.

    โ€œI first found out about [the ghost] on the school website and I didnโ€™t believe in him at first but then I read more about him and started believing it,โ€ freshman Heather Carrillo said. โ€œThen when I first moved in, around three in the morning, I heard a big thud on my fridge and I looked over and the door was slightly opened and then it shut.โ€

    Perhaps the ghost of Mount Clef was just welcoming Carrillo into his home and checking out what she had brought to the dorms.

    Other than exploring the new furniture, the ghost is also known to mess with the residents in their sleep.

    The funniest thing Carrillo has heard about the ghost is that he likes to take blankets off of students in their sleep and grab their pillow from underneath them.

    โ€œI heard creeks of a footstep literally start from my door to my bed, slowly, with the sound getting closer and closer. Then I just ended up going to sleep and ignoring it and I was just like โ€˜this isnโ€™t happening, go to sleep,โ€™โ€ said Erik Whittlesey, a freshman living in Mount Clef.

    There are countless stories from students who have stepped foot in Mount Clef regarding the ghost. Another student decided to try and communicate with the ghost via ouija board.

    A ouija board is used to talk to a ghost in the room. The board has every letter in the alphabet on it, the numbers zero through nine and a yes or no section. The way it works is someone puts their finger on a planchette, a small piece of plastic, and then the piece will travel around the board spelling out words and answering questions that are asked.

    Charisse Palaad is a sophomore that lived in Mount Clef her first year. One day Palaad and her friends wanted to see if they could talk to the ghost so they brought out the ouija board.

    โ€œIt was me, my suite mate and one of my guy friends, and we were just sitting there in the middle of the floor and the piece started moving,โ€ Palaad said. โ€œWe knew that that Mount Clef ghost was a little boy so we asked him questions like โ€˜are you young? Did you die here?โ€™ Stuff like that. Yes or no questions.โ€

    The ghost responded to all of the questions until something unexpected happened.

    โ€œWe asked if he could spell our names and then he started saying random letters. Then we were like โ€˜do you know how to spell?โ€™ and he said โ€˜no.โ€™ I donโ€™t think he was old enough to read or write,โ€ Palaad said.

    The ghost of Mount Clef is a little boy who is trying to have fun in the college dorms. For the most part, the ghost is not a dangerous threat to the students. Palaad shared some advice for current students that are consistently in Mount Clef.

    โ€œThe ghost is harmless. He is just like a little trickster so itโ€™s not something to be worried about. He just likes to tease you especially when youโ€™re the most paranoid,โ€ Palaad said.

     

    Ryan Perez

    Staff Writer

    Published December 10, 2014