Salem College? Haunted? Really?

For a few weeks now, I’ve been thrust out of my comfort zone, into an arena of paranormal activity, demonic possession, witchcraft and haunting.  I’m not a believer, but I’ve been grappling with keeping an open mind.  I was dreading having to visit something rumored to be haunted, when my wife made an innocent request: “Come to class with me”, she simply said.  My wife attends Salem College, and several of the buildings are believed to be haunted.  I had no idea that there was something of this magnitude in my own back yard so to speak. 
Visiting the college, on a cold, rainy day just added to the creepy feeling I developed as we pulled in.  I had visited the campus several times, but knowing that it could possibly be haunted brought an entirely new perspective, and also a revelation of sorts.  Would a visitor look at a building differently if they heard it may be haunted?  I certainly did.  Although Salem has many buildings, only a select few are rumored to be haunted.  And no one I spoke with denied that the Old Salem Cemetery, where there are graves as old as the school itself, headstones leaning or falling, permeated an overall haunting feeling. 

After speaking with my wife and several of her classmates, I found the stories to be fascinating.  Although the school would not allow me inside the dorm buildings (non-related males are not allowed inside on this all female campus), even the loss prevention officers were quick to correct the stories as they were being retold to me (adding details even some of the students had not heard)
GRAMLEY LIBRARY
The rumor is that two girls were electrocuted in 1907 and that strange sighting and screams can be seen and heard coming from the third floor of the library.  Many students claim to experience flickering lights and hearing screams at least once a week. 

Located right down the street from Gramley Library, in the Gramley dorm, it is rumored that the third floor used to be an attic where a young girl hung herself.  It’s rumored that at night, girls on the second floor can hear the girl's spirit dragging a trunk across the floor, furniture being moved, random knocking on open doors, and marbles dropping and rolling on the ceiling.  However, girls on the third floor cannot hear anything.

BABCOCK DORMITORY
While I was unable to get a photo of the dorm, or the painting in question, it’s rumored that there is a painting of Mary Babcock (RJ  Because of this, many of the girls will say hello and good bye to the painting as they walk past.

CLEWELL DORM

The rumor surrounding this building is that a young girl fell down an elevator shaft (which has since been boarded up).  There is also another spirit that’s attached in Strong Dorm that enjoys “uncovering” people as they sleep.

FINE ARTS CENTER

At night, it’s rumored that a ghost likes to roam the halls and play the piano.  There have also been instances where lights in the auditorium have been turned on when no one is in the building, as well as trouble getting the lighting to cooperate during a performance.

Did I personally witness any ghost-like behavior or something that could be attributed to a haunting?  No.  However, after walking through the campus, knowing the rumors, and being very cogniscent of the history (and little crevices throughout), I had a completely different experience.  There was definitely a feeling of being watched or that I wasn't completely alone.  And that was just enough to cloud my often black-and-white stance on paranormal activity.

It's Now the Microwave Generation

My wife and I were recently in a store when an elderly lady informed the clerk that "you kids are from the microwave generation. Everything is quick, quick, quick.  I'm from the crock-pot generation.  We like to take our time".  At the time, my wife and I both thought that was hysterical, but thinking back, it's a pretty accurate description!   It seems as if every generation wants things faster, often at the expense of missing what's right in front of them.  Why make a meal in the oven, when you can pop it in the microwave?  Why watch the commercials when you can DVR it and fast forward?  Phones need to be fast and computers need to be faster and if they're not, then they're just as easily replaced.  It's more important to have the latest, greatest technology to complete an assignment that your professor will still require to be in "word form, 12pt font, double spaced with 1 inch margins".  My question would be why? 

I remember when MTV debuted.  Music videos were the rage, but were relegated to Friday Night Videos.  I also remember being upset that they cut that program from 2 hours to one after the Music Television Network took hold.  But when was the last time anyone saw a music video on MTV?  I understand that networks follow societies demands but when did society demand to stop watching music videos?  The same is true with albums.  Many of my classmates may never have even heard an album - it's all about CDs (which are quickly falling by the wayside), ITunes, downloads and Pandora.  Video may have killed the radio star, but the internet is quickly killing everything else.

Am I concerned about the direction pop culture is heading?  Absolutely!  It appears as if visual stimulation has replaced all other senses.  Movies have become more about the visual effects - big budgets, even bigger stars - and less about the story.  The classics are often better but aren't given a second look by today's youth because they're deemed too "boring".  People have become famous not for what they do, but because they're acting stupid on television.  Teen pregnancy is glorified through television giving many teenage girls dreams of having babies and being "famous"; like it's a game.  It's beyond ridiculous, it's almost embarrassing.

I probably sound old and many may read this and say "man, he's out of touch".  But, I'm not out of touch; I'm disappointed.  I'm disappointed that my children will not grow up during a much simpler time where being a kid was more about being outside playing rather than being inside watching reality tv or playing game systems that require a degree in electrical engineering or a quick seven-year-old to figure out.  I'm disappointed that classic movies such as "The Breakfast Club", "The Outsiders", or "Hoosiers" have been replaced by big budget movies with incredible special effects, mediocre acting, and little to no story line.  I'm disappointed that in order to watch a music video on a music video network, I have to find the "classic" station and stay up until 3am. And while even I appreciate the conveniences of a microwave, I am disappointed that it has replaced the oven in many homes.