TPAC is the most haunted place on campus says Hoot Paranormal

We all know Temple University was founded in 1884 by Russel Conwell, but just think about how old that really is.

That’s 132 years in one of the most historic and haunted cities in America. Mix that with a scandalous history and Temple University seems like a breeding ground for paranormal activity.

We sat down with Pete Napper, the president of Hoot Paranormal-Temple’s resident paranormal club-to see just how haunted Temple is.

Hey Pete, why don’t you start off by explaining a little about Hoot Paranormal.

(PN): The club has been around for five years now. We cover a lot of different things, from stuff you’d expect like paranormal investigation and ghost hunting to everything in between like various new age topics: auras, chakras, astrology and zodiac signs. Pretty much anything and everything that relates to the paranormal.

Have you ever investigated spots on campus?

We have. Last year, TPAC  ( Temple Performing Art Center) actually reached out to us. A production manager over there reached out saying that they were experiencing some things after hours and wondered if we were interested in investigating. If you recall, first-semester last year they were doing renovations in the building, which is thought to stir up some spiritual activity. I think that definitely kicked some things up.

What did you experience while you were investigating?

The biggest thing that we experienced involved the elevator in the left stage area. Will, the production manager at TPAC, is a pastor and believes he has a good relationship with what he believes in the presence of Russel Conwell because he was a pastor and actually held church services in the basement chapel of TPAC. Will said the elevator is haunted and will open on its own. They’ve even had mechanics come in and look at it and have determined that there’s nothing mechanically wrong with this elevator.

We were asking the elevator door to open and nothing happened, so we brought Will up to see if the elevator would work for him. Sure enough, the elevator swung open and stayed open.

There was another thing where we were doing an EVP recording on the stage and I asked for a knock specificity. About 15 seconds later, we all heard this loud knock that I got on a recording. We always try to debunk activity at first. If you rule out every natural explanation then, and only then, you can deem it as a plausible paranormal presence.

The mission statement of the organization is to not only give people the opportunity to explore the stuff they are interested in, but also teach them to do it the correct, safe way.

Is that why you require mandatory training sessions before your investigations?

Yes, exactly. We want to teach people how to do it safely, so they don’t get hurt or provoke anything they don’t want to get into contact with, but also to learn how to do it the practical way and approach it scientifically. That way if you do get evidence, it’s arguable.

Members of Hoot Paranormal conducting an audio investigation at Fort Mifflin.

If you’re interested in getting involved with Hoot Paranormal, you can contact Pete at [email protected] or go to one of their meetings held every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Anderson Hall Room 6.

Happy Halloween!