• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1996-10-31_Vol62_No11_05

®lj£ MeBtern CTarnltnian Features Thursday, October 311996 5 Who You Gonna Call in Cullowhee? MARCUS DEMAAIJER GHOSTWRITER If you quit reading this article right now and make a list of things that you can do on campus AND in the surrounding area, will you include... ghosthunting? One dark evening I encountered a group of students near the pond on Western's golfcourse. At first, two thoughts flashed through my mind: this was either a fraternity doing some type of hazing or these people have watched too many episodes of "The X-Files." As it turned out, they were actually hunting Casper's counterparts, and I was invited to participate. After having wasted too much of my free time with them, I was no less skeptical than before. However, if you decide to take up this hobby, I have obtained for you the ten rules of ghosthunting: 1. Never trespass on private property; it's a serious offense. Avoid cemeteries as they are frequently vandalized and you don't want to take the blame. Also, most of the houses mentioned in ghost books are people's homes and they will not appreciate being asked to answer inquiries about ghosts. 2. Never go alone. If you do see something, you have another witness. 3. Keep quiet and maintain vigilance. Do not take drugs, alcohol, or your date as all will dramatically interfere with your perception. The latter is a really bad idea as haunted houses are never as romantic or cozy as they sound when you are safely inside, and if it rains they'll never forgive you. Wear what you think is appropriate clothing. Dress warmly just in case. 4. Photographs can lie. Nonetheless, a camera, camcorder, or best of all a cine camera are invaluable. Cine film is hard to fake and can be examined frame by frame. Also, be sure to bring a watch, notepad, pen, flashlight, and a thermometer. Measure the temperature every 15 minutes. 5. While it is often a good idea to tell at least one responsible person where you are off to just in case of accidents, do not spread the word too much, unless you enjoy being hoaxed all night by your peers dressed up in sheets. 6. Avoid dressing in dark clothing. You don't want to be mistaken by campus police as a robbery suspect, or as a member of a satanic cult. Besides, no matter how stealthily you approach a ghost, it will always detect you first. 7. More profitable than just running around at night failing to find anything, delve into the local archives and research in detail the cases of supernatural sightings therein or new ones you uncover. The campus library, for example, has an extensive number of books and journals that may help you find some direction to head into. 8. You can always surf the Net and find some reputable journal or mailing list about ghosts to subscribe to. This is particularly useful on long fall/ winter evenings when the rain is lashing your windows, the wind rattles your Venetian blinds, and the campus library is closed. 9. Ouija boards are NOT a harmless family pastime. Whether you believe they open paths to demonic entities or merely allow for the exteriorisation of, or merely the surfacing of, unconscious material straight from the "other side," they are a generally bad idea! Ouija boards are linked to a large number of tragedies. 10. Whatever else you do, try not to dwell too much on all this. It's really not that important unless you really intend to spend your life seriously studying parapsychology. Who knows, you may be able to launch a glamorous career in ghosthunting. Imagine the scene: a rainy day in downtown Cullowhee. An office, neon light flashing behind the Venetian blinds, the whir of an overhead fan. You are' dressed in a whiskey soaked black raincoat, cigarette hanging from the corner of your mouth. You are working on a case. You've had to work on a case since the poltergeist had thrown the desk out the window. A tall woman walks in. You won't have minded, but she walks in through the wall. You speak in a slow Southern drawl which is nothing like Sam Spade. "Hi there, blue eyes. What's the name?" you say. "Ginger," she replies, rolling her eyes at you. You pick them up and roll them back... Would You Know a Witch if You Met OneP KRISTI EVANS MADAME OF ... Contrary to popular opinion, witches are not green-faced hags in pointy black hats riding around on broomsticks. A witch could be your next-door neighbor, your best friend, even your professor. For centuries, witches have suffered horrible relegious persecution and it has been only recently that it is okay to "come out of the broom closet." Witchcraft, or Wicca, as it is more widely known, is a legally recognized religion. Witches are not satanists; in fact, they don't even believe in Satan or Hell. Wicca is a pagan, nature-based earth religion that believes all life is sacred. One thing that all witches agree on is the Wiccan Rede: If it harms none, do what ye will. Since they do not believe in the punishment of hell, this is where their belief in Karma and reincarnation comes into play. The law of Karma, also known as the threefold law, says that whatever a person does will come back to that person threefold. This idea actually follows along the lines of Newton's Laws of Physics: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. According to Wiccan teachings, bad Karma may carry over into the next life. Around Halloween the sterotype of broomstick-riding witches is prevelant. However, for real witches, Halloween or Hallowmas is a religious holiday. It is the witches' new year and the day to honor th£ dead. Witches gather in covens all over the world and a meditation ritual is performed to honor the goddess. So, even though witches do magick, some have black cats, and most do have brooms, they are rarely what you would think of when the word "witch" is mentioned. As in any other religion, there are some who come to the forefront and misrepresent the beliefs of the group. We should not judge a whole religion based on misrepresentations and stereotypes. The Truth About Van Halen KEVIN CASSELS SCAREMASTER Many rumors and speculations have surrounded rock superstars Van Halen in the last few months. The band has gone through many changes lately, and the future of the group remains uncertain. For the first time since the controversy, founding members Eddie and Alex Van Halen have attempted to set the story straight...for now. For some undisclosed reason, vocalist Sammy Hagar left Van Halen. Though the band will not talk about the incidents surrounding Hagar's departure, many believe that Hagar's reasons for leaving involved original Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth. Coincidently, Alex, Eddie, and bassist Michael Anthony recorded two net songs with Roth in preparation for a greatest hits collection. All of this happened before Hagar decided to leave. Hagar replaced Roth in 1985, but many original Van Halen faithfuls never caught on to the newly fronted supergroup. Yet, along with AC/DC and very few others, Van Halen had made one of the only successful singer transplants in rock history. "If he wanted to be a team player," says Eddie Van Halen of Hagar, "he would be here right now." Though Van Halen was working with David Lee Roth, an offer as official vocalist was never made. "We never, in any way, eluded to Dav^ that he was back in the band," says Alex Van Halen. Apparently, the band was simply considering rehiring Roth, yet Roth was talking to the press about recording a new album and touring. The final straw came at the MTV Video Music Awards when the band presented an award to Beck. It was the first time that the original lineup had been on stage together since 1984. However, according to Eddie Van Halen, times are much different. "The 1984 Dave is nothing like the 1996 Dave. It would have been an insult to the fans to go on tour with him again." Apparently, the group was so embarrassed by Roth's antics at the Awards that they gave him the axe that night. Oddly enough, the band has hired another singer. Gary Chirrone, formerly of Extreme, will replace Sammy Hagar. Extreme was a pop metal outfit that had a few hits in the late '80s, such as "More Than Words." Many Van Halen fans are irate. Upon the announcement of the new singer, the group's website was flooded with negative mail. Van Halen is planning on recording and touring with Chirrone, yet no one really knows what's ever going to happen with Van Halen. You can write to Dear Daphne c/o The Western Carolinian, P.O. Box 66, Cullowhee NC2 Dear Daphne, I am a young man. Four months ago, a couple female friends of mine thought it would be real funny to give me two Midols and told me they were headache pills. I didn't get too mad when they all started laughing and told me what had happened. But, about three weeks later I noticed that my left testicle had dropped an inch or so lower than it had been. I have also noticed other differences in the functions of these organs. What should I do? —Dangling on the vine I am no medical expert. However, I know that you should definitely consult one. I doubt two Midols had the potency to change your body that much, but something is clearly wrong. Please, see a doctor as soon as possible. Take care of yourself. DD. Dear Daphne, My boyfriend is always teasing me and calling me stuff like Thunderbutt and Jellybelly. I admit I'm not model thin, but that's no reason to pick on somebody. I care about him a lot and in all other ways he acts perfectly. This teasing is really getting on my nerves and hurting my feelings, though. How can I make him stop? —Not so jolly Ordinarily, I would advise that this man is a jerk and that you should get rid of him. You say he has redeeming qualities and that you care about him, so I'll try to come up with something that doesn't involve dumping him. Explain to him that he hurts you and damages the relationship each time he makes these comments. If he still doesn't stop and you persist in wanting to keep him, just pick out something about his physical appearance that is less than flattering and make up a nickname for him. Each time he refers to your weight, just call him by this name right back. For instance, if his hair is thinning slightly, try Mr. Clean in Training. Take care of yourself. DD. Carolinian Staff Member Wheeler Reads at Blue Square ANN WRIGHT MISTRESS OF FEATURES WCU Graduate student William E. Wheeler read from his new book Are You from Outer Space? : Adventures of the Uncanny Zombie Boy on the Horrible Planet and its supplement, Bonus Propaganda, on Thursday night, October 24, at Blue Square Restaurant. Listeners packed the eatery to hear Wheeler read poems, social commentaries, and a short story excerpt amid the smells of coffee and bread. An interview Thursday afternoon on WCU's 90.5 FM Channel Z provided a pre-reading glimpse into Wheeler's book as well as the author's own startling psyche. Meschach McLachlan, another student in print, began the interview with the regular line of questions: "Tell me about your book..." Wheeler soon became bored with these and began improvising tales about his days in the earlier part of the century smuggling beer onto the WCU campus with Allen Gifisberg. Wheeler's dialogue, though off- the-wall and unorthodox, was entertaining and saved the talk from being a run of the mill "book chat." He then read a commentary from Bonus Propa ganda. Are You from Outer Space? and Bonus Propaganda are productions of Press for Time, an independent press started by Wheeler. At the beginning of the 9 p.m. reading at Blue Square, Wheeler asked for submissions for Press for Time from other writers who would like to see their work in print. Wheeler then gave a self-effacing talk for a few minutes on the quirks of the creative process. Wheeler began the reading with several poems. His poetry was stream of consciousness, with vivid descriptions of people, events, and feelings in each. Wheeler next read an excerpt from the short story of the same title which comprises Are You from Outer Space1. The short story is a rewrite of an earlier work which appeared in the 1996 Nomad literary magazine under the title "Zombie Boy." Wheeler's characters explained the workings of the Karma government, a senate of immortal individuals who control the world by making people believe they need food to survive. The section the author read proved to be as creative and, needless to say, unusual as most of the work seen from Wheeler in the past. Wheeler made sev eral mentions in his poetry and prose of the work of movie director Ed Wood and the effects it has had on his own perceptions. The reading ended with commentaries from Bonus Propaganda on American life and the overwhelming role the media plays in the lives of most people. "Part I: Why I'm Proud to be an American" offered a depressing look at the narrowmindedness of many 'American' ideologies. "Part II: World News Unite" portrayed television watchers and tabloid readers as mindless cattle heading in whatever direction media executives pushed them. Wheeler's commentaries were harsh and thought-provoking. Both works have appeared in the Western Carolinian in past years when Wheeler was a staff columnist. He is currently the Carolinian's Art Director. Bonus Propaganda comes free with the first 23 copies of Are You from Outer Space? : Adventures of the Uncanny Zombie Boy on the Horrible Planet. Copies are available for $2 through WE. Wheeler, Press For Time, P.O. Box 830, Cullowhee NC, 28723. Write for information before ordering. Press for Time is currently seeking writers of poetry and fiction to publish in its 1997 anthology- Sometimes it's fu to be scared— W Help Wanted: Sometimes it's not. Career Services Office # 80 McKee http://www. wcu. edu/cso. html Co-op & Internship assistance •Employment workshops ►Resumes critiqued and referred •On-line job listings

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1996-10-31
  • Date digitized: 2019-12-04
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.5" x 14"
  • Pages: 10 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1996-10-31_Vol62_No11
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library