Legends. Folktales. Ghost stories. Sounds a lot more like a scary movie than something you’d hear about boring old Binghamton University. But believe it or not, BU has plenty of creepy, ghostly tales of its own, and a few legends most people have never heard of.
Libby Tucker, a doctorate in folklore and a professor at BU, sees legends as exciting and amazing events that are compelling because their believability is always in question. Whether or not they are real is up to the individual’s imagination. ‘The beauty and the variability of the material is very interesting,’ she said.
Pegasus
One BU legend involves the Pegasus sculpture in the Fine Arts building. The statue appears to be rooted firmly in place, but it is said that if a virgin ever graduates from Binghamton it will fly away. ‘There is a similar legend at Cornell,’ Tucker said.
Is Lecture Hall haunted by ducks?
It is said that Lecture Hall stands above a long-gone water meadow where ducks used to fly freely around. Even though the meadow no longer exists, the spirits of the ducks are believed to still be there. Want to test this theory? Well,you can! If you ever have a few extra minutes between classes, stand near the sundial facing Lecture Hall and clap. If you do this you will hear the ducks quacking. It works!
Architectural legends
Even more fascinating are the many stories behind the architecture of BU. Tucker said that some people believe the Library Tower was built to replicate the Hollywood Tower of Terror, which is now a ride at Disney World in Florida.
College-in-the-Woods was apparently built with prison blueprints. All the CIW buildings face a central courtyard for riot control. If students ever got out of control, this design would supposedly make it easier for police to control them.
Mountainview was allegedly built using blueprints for a mental hospital, and the Engineering Building was supposed to be a parking garage, but somehow turned into an academic building.
Now remember, none of these have been proved to be true. They’re just fun little stories to think about and possibly laugh at. ‘Most cases are not true, but just a good story,’ Tucker said.
Tucker is currently working on a novel entitled ‘Haunted Halls,’ which explains the meaning of many ghost stories, mostly ones that revolve around college and university life. ‘Resident hall ghost stories are always changing and growing,’ she said. ‘The stories reflect students’ interests, including questions in their minds about life and death.’
And BU certainly has its share of ghost stories.
Dickinson’s haunted basement
Beware if you live in Dickinson. Tucker says the sub-basement is said to be haunted by the ghost of a student who hung himself there a long time ago. One day, when a member of the janitorial staff was changing a light bulb, she got light-headed and fell off the ladder. She claims that she fell because the ghost of the student passed through her.
The ghost of Lilly
A third floor suite in Hinman’s Cleveland Hall is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a little girl who runs around and laughs. She has been named Lilly by some students. Tucker says that the Hinman ghost stories were started by a resident director who was frightened by the elevator going up and down by itself.
Back from the dead to study?
Strange occurrences have also taken place in Newing’s Broome Hall, where a ghost was said to have come out of a computer. The computer mouse apparently moved by itself, and a textbook kept opening to a page on thermodynamics. Tucker says it was thought to be caused by the ghost of a student coming back. A ghost with unfinished ‘ thermodynamics homework?
Maybe BU was built on an Indian burial ground, an idea that many believe to be the cause of the weird happenings. Although this idea was proved false, there is an Indian burial ground nearby along the Susquehanna River ‘ or maybe we’re just in the Twilight Zone.
Are we in the Twilight Zone?
Rod Serling, the creator of the sci-fi show ‘The Twilight Zone,’ grew up in Binghamton, N.Y., and graduated from Binghamton High School. Many of his episodes feature Binghamton landscapes, such as the Recreation Park, and revolve around weird occurrences in the area.
So maybe BU isn’t as boring as you might have thought it was. Tucker certainly doesn’t seem to think so. If you were interested by the stories she shared check out her class, English 205, Introduction to Folklore.