Disclaimer
The aticles in this section are Jokes for the April Fool’s Day 2006Dedicated to consistent misinformation and journalistic dishonesty. We strive for complete fabrication, however if we inadvertently print the truth, sorry…our bad.
On Monday March 13, 2006, two UB design students reported seeing a strange appearance emerge from the elevators in the Arnold Bernhard Center. As the students in question were aware, stories have been passed around about the ABC building supposedly being inhabited by spirits and ghosts. Such stories have told about strange occurrences with the elevators and of rumors of the ninth floor being haunted. No one would ever have thought those stories would have been true until now. Could this sighting be “for real” or just another hoax spread about campus? The latter of those is correct.
It was proved two days later on Wednesday March 15 that the alleged “sightings” were a planned hoax put on by design students, Jeremy Richards and Roger Edwards, who are both sophomore industrial design students. Both of the students agreed, “We heard a lot of rumors about this building (ABC) and wanted to have some fun with it. I mean, if we could scare everyone away, we could have the design labs to ourselves”. Ironically, following the incident, both students disappeared from the university becoming “ghosts” themselves. It is only guessed at why they left. Evidence points towards their exposure by the administration for their doings, or is there something supernatural to their disappearance?
These incidents have also sparked questions about the rumors of the Arnold Bernhard Center on campus. For years, stories have been told about the ninth floor of the building echoing strange noises in the off hours of the night, and many students have noticed strange behavior with the elevators. One student who wished to remain anonymous said, “Maybe the two students were trying to prove a point about all this. Maybe there is something going on and we cannot doubt what seems illogical”. Another sophomore design student, Peter Frankly, agreed with reservations by stating, “This building has a rich history of ‘stories’ concerning paranormal activity, but nevertheless, there is still no excuse for the intrusions committed which could have disrupted the academic environment.” Professor Rich Brelle, Chairman of the Design Department, included his thoughts by saying that he is fully aware of the rumors spread about the building and understands that rumors can be taken too far. However, the events, according to him, were inappropriate and “unprofessional in a college environment.”
Even though mixed feelings arise among both student and faculty populations about the recent events, many can agree on the one universal principal that this activity helped resurrect a dieing story of the University of Bridgeport. A few intrigued students have even visited the famed ABC building during evening hours to try to see if the old rumors are true. It is only through these brave souls that we can discover if Jeremy and Roger’s mysterious disappearance was due to something totally unreal. Good bye, good night, and happy hunting!