January 14, 2025
Keeping in time with the Mills Community since 1917
Oct. 31 may seem like the one night of the year when sugar highs excuse bad behavior and when a ridiculous costume is the norm, though on any other day it might get you kicked out of a party.
As it turns out, the true roots of this ghoulish holiday are not so far from its modern counterpart.
It seems as though every old building on campus has its share of ghostly residents, and O.M. is no exception. The most popular ghost looks about the same age as many students on campus. She is called the "Date Ghost" because she is always seen waiting on the front steps for a mysterious someone.
More of a story than a sighting, the Carriage Ghost is rumored to be on a service road that runs behind the Mary Morse and Ethel Moore residence halls. The road cuts into a steep slope with one side of the hill dropping off.
Purportedly, on a stormy night a horse- drawn carriage was coming down the narrow road when it lost control and tumbled over the edge.
Footsteps pacing on the stage have been heard and some say they have seen a lady walking backstage among the dusty stage props. Could it be Susan Lisser herself? She did, after all, leave a lump sum of money to the school for a library that was never built.
One well known incident occurred in 1996 when Mary Morse was the Foreign Exchange residence hall.
One male student claimed he and his European roommate had fallen asleep one night with the lights left on. The student said that he and his roommate woke up in the middle of the night and found a man sitting at the desk, reading a newspaper.
Allegedly, two ghosts live at Ethel Moore. The first is thought to be Ms. Moore, herself, and the general consensus is that she can be found in the residence library. Students say that they have felt her presence there and when papers are ruffled or books go missing, they say it's just Ms.