Top 15 Places at Syracuse University I’d Haunt as a Ghost
Graphics by Anika Dua
Often, I find myself having the same conversation every year with family and friends: if you were a ghost, where would you haunt? I started thinking about this myself, come spooky season, and I would haunt the HELL out of this place.
So, here are my top 15 places I’d haunt as a ghost at Syracuse University.
1. Carnegie Library
Easy answer. It already looks like a building out of Harry Potter, not to mention it’d be super easy to wreak havoc since that place is silent 24/7. If I throw a book or two off shelves and flicker some lights– they’ll go nuts. It’s perfect.
2. Any frat house
These houses are old, spooky, and probably fucking disgusting since they’re riddled with the living habits and fumes of 20 or more men clustered in one small area. When I tell you there is nothing I would love more than to scare the shit out of a group of frat bros, I MEAN it, with all my ghostly heart. I would go HARD. I would move their shit around 24/7, I would throw their food up in their faces mid-meal, I would dump their alcohol in the backyard. If they have a pool, I’m turning that water BLOOD RED. No frat boy is safe from my wrath.
3. Crouse College
If you don’t know what this building is– or you’re confused with the hundred other buildings that have “Crouse” in the name– it’s the one that looks like a castle on the edge of a hill, with a long staircase winding up to it. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory why this place would be prime haunting territory.
4. People’s Place
If I tell my ghostly sisters that I haunt THE BASEMENT OF A CHURCH– I’m gonna get a name for myself. It’s spooky and a little musty, but in a cute way that I wouldn’t mind haunting for eternity. Plus, the people there are always really cool, so I wouldn’t mind hanging with them (and scaring them)-- when the line dies down, of course. I’m a ghost, but I’m respectful. I would also haunt anyone who’s rude to the workers. This ghost does not respect assholes.
5. The Mount Steps
After having lived on The Mount for a year (and getting great calves because of it), I can say that I have ran up those steps in the dead of night because I was scared something was following me. Also, going down, I walked a little too fast and my ankle randomly gave out, giving me a sprained ankle for two weeks. I have no PROOF that a ghost tripped me, but I can feel it in my bones. I wanna talk to that motherfucker because my ankle still makes a weird cracking noise to this day. Also, scaring drunk freshmen sounds SO fun.
6. Purple Banana on Marshall
This may be unexpected. This is a delicious smoothie bowl place. But, this place gives me HAUNTING farts, so I need revenge. I also need to know what is making my stomach turn inside out everytime I eat here ( I still go anyway). Also, it’d be kinda cool to haunt a smoothie place. What’s cooler than a haunted smoothie restaurant?
7. All of BBB
BBB is haunted as is by the tears of everyone who lives there, so this feels kind of unfair, but ghosts don’t care about your tears– especially me. First and foremost, I would focus on the basement again. I’d haunt the part of the basement that is connected to the laundry. I’m not opposed to haunting the front desk either; they never had anything for the pool table and I haven’t forgotten that.
8. The Elevator in Shaffer Art Building
Everytime I stepped into this elevator I thought I wouldn’t make it back, but my class was on the top floor so I wasn’t about to walk all the way up. I wouldn’t even have to do much work here, because the lights flicker constantly, there’s paint flicked around everywhere, and it creaks LOUD. The only thing I can think to add would be a spooky drawing in red paint, maybe a classy “REDRUM” or something similar.
9. The Mount Tunnel
I don’t mean the part of the tunnel with The Junction– I’m talking about the part in Flint that has the scary ass laundry room, and beyond that, the creepy hallway that feels forbidden. I don’t know how I would haunt that area, as there’s not much to work with, but I’m sure I can do a lot with the laundry room. Break washing and drying machines, make them play music, flicker the lights. I’ll figure it out.
10. Hall of Languages
While I don’t know exactly where I’d haunt in this building, I know it has to make the list. How cool would it be if The Building of Syracuse University was haunted by little ol’ me? I’m definitely gravitating towards the back staircases with all the windows. I’d love to spook students walking by, standing at the top of one of the flights of stairs, staring through the window, wearing a white Victorian-style dress (why is it always Victorian?) that’s mysteriously splattered in blood around the neckline.
11. Comfort Tyler Park
This is a little out of the way, but it’s a playground across from Oakwood. I went to the playground one night and left after five minutes because I was scared. Also, don’t go there after dark. Not because it’s haunted, just because it’s not the brightest idea. But after I die, years down the line, DEFINITELY don’t go there because it WILL be haunted.
12. Heroy Geology Building
Okay I only have one real haunt in mind for this place, but it’s so good that I have to share. Picture this: you’re waiting for your next class at Heroy Geology Building, maybe a discussion for EAR 117 or something, and you’re just gazing off at the projection of Earth on that giant sphere, and BAM! It turns into a haunted nun jumping out at you, and you blink, and it’s just an Earth again. You see the vision?
13. Oakwood Cemetery
This feels like low-hanging fruit, hence why it’s at #13. The only reason it’s this high up is because I think it’d be more fun than the following.
14. Life Sciences Complex
I have no plans for this place, which is why it’s so low. To be honest, I just hate science so much that dedicating my afterlife to haunting scientists seems really fitting and precisely the kind of petty I strive to be.
15. Engineering Building
Lastly, I would haunt the Engineering Building. This is yet another dope-ass-looking building for my ghost-ass to haunt. It’s in its prime-scary time right now in the fall, when there are no leaves on the trees in front and it looks haunted as hell. The only reason this isn’t higher up on the list is because, as my friend Danielle says, “it’s already haunted by engineers.”