There’s a ghost living in the Northeast corner of the choir room by the ceiling, and everyone knows it. Choir Director Bryan Fisher commented in an interview:  “[The ghost] was here well before I got here. I know the ghost exists.” 

Who are they? Unnamed as they are, they seem benevolent, with a sense of humor and an air of mystery. Their discernible characteristics are loud creaking and causing random objects to fall at “very opportune times.” Sulfuric smells and strange things like drawers mysteriously left open and computers glitching are common, but is not a well-recognized part of their ghastly presence. “Unsolicited, my previous co-worker, Dr. Armstrong, brought [the ghost] up after I had already sensed it. And as we were talking, a creaking happened.” 

They give off “cautious vibes. Kind of like they’re often saying ‘Be careful!’, but also encouraging vibes, like to strive for some kind of art.” Several students and faculty who came before Fisher also mentioned the ghost to him. During an attendance discussion about ghosts in the Southwest Singers class, most singers confirmed they believe in and feel this choral phantom. Most students have had at least several experiences.

 The most common witnesses are the tenors, who sit closest to the ghost’s favorite spot. Tenor Alex Vogel (‘24) has had “one serious encounter with the ghost.” Vogel’s experience started “alone in the choir room, and the empty robe rack fell off of the shelves. . . It was definitely the ghost. I think the ghost is in the tenor corner because they were a tenor in the past, but that’s just my opinion.” 

Bass Clark Bergstrom (‘25) says his most concrete ghost experience was when “Fisher’s laptop started scrolling randomly.”

There are tales of a theater ghost of questionable validity. The presence of the choir ghost must not be explained by the air conditioner, nor the radiator, since the noises happen at all times of the year, not just cold or warm seasons. A full specter has never been seen, nor a voice heard. Indeed, the ghost may not seem to be real, but the timely noises that everyone in choir has experienced cannot be ignored.

One can only wonder if they perished on school grounds or made their way to this room of song. What is their story? Whatever business made them stay is a mystery. Maybe it’s the music.