The night before Halloween Longwood University’s students and Farmville residents gathered in Jarman auditorium to hear the famous ghost stories told by Dr. James Jordan at 8 p.m. Even though the stories are told annually, it is still a tradition that students look forward to in the fall.
Throughout the night, Jordan had the full attention of the audience as he told the stories of different ghosts and ghost sightings around campus. Yet, he didn’t just tell the stories, he related them back to present-day students and reminded them how it is important to respect and remember our history.
“To get into the Halloween spirit, I like to explore history and demystify the paranormal,” junior Leah Gilbert said.
One of the stories told in the beginning of the event was about the Longwood Bell. Jordan started by telling the audience the importance this bell and bells in general. Then went on to explain what the Longwood Bell was actually an alarm for the students of Farmville’s Female Seminary and for the residents of Farmville. The bell signaled a change in the day when rung during daylight hours, but it only rung at night for two reasons: as a fire alarm or a student playing a prank. He gave some examples of how the young ladies that attended the seminary did multiple things to mess with the bell: ringing it at odd hours, covering the clapper/tongue (the inside of the bell that makes it ring) and other shenanigans.
The bell was carried up on a wagon on High Street by a group of girls when one of the wheels was caught on a stone, and one of the girls was caught under the bell when it slid off the wagon. Jordan went on to explain that the story was not well-known because the girl’s body was quickly taken care of by administration.
Senior Bryder Osbourne said, “My favorite story was the story about the girl being crushed by the bell.”
There were infinite reasons why students, faculty and residents all came to hear the stories told by Jordan. Each story was related and connected to the university, giving the audience the history of the school while still sharing the Halloween spirit.
“I love scary stories. This is actually my first time, (and) I’m very interested. I’ve heard a lot of good things,” sophomore Deja Mitchell said.
Not everything can be explained through logic, but stories can be told about the past. Some of the stories were more graphic than others, but all of stories were true.
“Something to think about; we are dead longer than we are ever alive,” said Jordan.
