Kaitlyn Kupiec
@kaitlynkupiec
It’s that time of year when spooky superstitions start to come back to life.
Bone-chilling may describe the midterm you just took, but it can also describe some of the ghosts and haunted places at Springfield College.
In the book titled “Haunted Colleges & Universities of Massachusetts” by Renee Mallett, Springfield College is said to have ghosts watching over campus.
They’re not necessarily scary ghosts, but they’re still ghosts.
One of the biggest known ones is Dr. James Naismith, the school’s former physical education professor at Springfield, who developed the game of basketball in 1891.
The game was invented and played for the first time when Springfield College was known as the International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School.
Naismith would not live to see the game of basketball develop into what it is today, dying in 1939 at the age of 78 – just nine days after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage.
Some may argue a brain hemorrhage is simply a “ghost in the brain.” According to NPR in 2009, EMTs transported a 68-year-old man to the Boston hospital who was in a deep coma. Doctors suspected a brain hemorrhage and ordered a computed tomography scan (CT). The New England Journal of Medicine published a picture of the CT scan, which appears to show a ghostly-looking figure in the man’s brain.
During Naismith’s lifetime, there were no CT scans available until 1972, 33 years after he died.
Due to the lack of technology, it’s possible that Naismith may have had a ghostly figure in his brain shortly before he died. We may never know.
Although Naismith passed away in Lawrence, Kan., his presence is still felt on the campus of Springfield College.
Naismith invented the game of basketball, but he never had the opportunity to play on a team. Some may say he just wants to join in on all the fun that’s been had in Blake Arena over the past years.
Keep in mind that it has been a long time since Naismith has been around basketball. It’s been at least 84 years, or has it?
Jaélen Daubon, a member of the Springfield women’s basketball team, believes he’s returned and been around Springfield’s campus for a specific reason.
“Before our games, we do a dance circle to hype ourselves up, and that’s when we can really feel the spirit of Naismith empowering us to defend Blake,” said Daubon. “I honestly just think he wants to join in on our games.”
Many students on campus do not believe in ghosts; however, those who have resided in Alumni Hall may disagree.
During Naismith’s time as a student at Springfield College, he lived in Alumni Hall. His presence is claimed to be most active on the third floor, notably in room 374, which was once his personal room.
Angie Czeremcha, a third-floor Alumni Hall resident, went to bed one night and woke up randomly around 3:00 a.m. to her roommate Shannon McCloskey’s closet light being on.
“It’s one of those lights that isn’t connected to anything; it’s just the type you stick onto the wall,” said Czeremcha. “It was off when we went to bed, and then I woke up around 3:00 a.m. and it was on. I was so confused.”
She was quick to believe McCloskey turned it on in the middle of the night as a joke, but she was just as confused as Czeremcha.
Another time, McCloskey came back from a scrimmage to find their door wide open. She said it had been closed and locked before she left, and she still isn’t sure how it opened on its own.
Some may say there’s an explanation for these types of things, but do we really know if they’re real or not?
Just to be sure, next time you pass by Alumni Hall, it’s better to run instead of walk.
Photo by Braedan Shea/The Student