I ain't afraid of no ghost! (Slippery Rock University)

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I ain't afraid of no ghost!
3/27/09
By Amber Wilhelm
The Online Rocket

On February 28, Baelfire Paranormal Investigations conducted an investigation at SRU's Miller Auditorium which garnered national media attention.

There are now-famous rumors that Emma Guffey Miller, for whom the auditorium is named, haunts the building.

John Lewis, owner of BPI, said that he and his group spent eleven hours in Miller Auditorium collecting what they hope is evidence of paranormal activity.

"Out of the 758 photos we took, we caught 17 images that we believe to be paranormal," Lewis said.

BPI also used voice recorders to capture what they call EVPs, which stands for electronic voice phenomenon.

Paranormal investigators use this technique to ask questions directed at the spirits in a supposedly haunted location, and then they listen for responses when they are reviewing the evidence.

"On the EVP recordings, we captured 33 distinct phrases, including one on which I said, '(Emma) they just want to know if you are still here,' and there was a reply of 'Yes' in a female's voice," Lewis said.

The evidence that BPI collected is posted on their website, baelfireparanormal.org.

According to the Web site, one of the mediums for BPI reported that he felt the presence of three entities in the theater, one of a young female child, one of an older male, as well as an older female.

"The male presence has a lot of remorse and anger in him, and the little girl exhumes fear of the older man," the Web site says.

During the investigation, the Web site said that almost every one of the members of the team had a personal experience ranging from physical contact to hearing a child laughing.

According to BPI's Web site, they do not recommend the removal of the said entities.

"They seem to be pleasant, for the most part," the Web site says.

SRU's own paranormal group, the Paranormal Investigation and Research Club, did an investigation of Miller Auditorium last October, and they did not find evidence that they would call conclusive.

Luke Roles, senior geography major at SRU and member of PRIC, reviewed the evidence that BPI posted online.

"I've only seen one video, a few pictures and heard a few EVPs, but none of it seems legitimate," Roles said.

Lewis said that it is the opinion of BPI that Miller Auditorium is haunted. Based on the evidence that he has seen, Roles disagrees.

"The video looks like a flash light on a wall, the pictures seem to be of dust and the EVPs seem like just amplified noises," Roles said.

Lewis said that he plans to send Emma's granddaughter the EVP that he believes is Emma saying "yes" for conformation that it is her grandmother.

As with any paranormal investigation, the controversy surrounding evidence of ghost activity may create more questions than answers, but that won't stop investigators from continuing their search.