by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
A lecture in the SUB tried to get people in the Halloween spirit - by talking about spirits.
Patti Starr, founder of Ghost Chasers International, discussed several paranormal experiences she had while touring supposedly haunted sites.
After her presentation she led about 20 people from the audience, chosen in a raffle, on a tour of campus looking for ghosts. Chip Coffrey, a member of her ghost-hunting team, also accompanied her.
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The aim of the lecture was not to make people believe ghosts are real, Coffrey said. The lecture included photographs that showed balls of light, videos of shadows moving across the wall and sound clips that he said were recordings of ghosts speaking.
"We're not trying to convince anyone, or try to convert them to our way of thinking," he said. "We're just here to show people what we've collected."
The tour included a trip to the basement of Mesa Vista Hall.
Starr took a photo, which she said showed the ghost of a girl.
Coffrey sensed a female presence, he said. He said he felt pressure on his chest and also sick to his stomach.
Starr took several pictures outside of the building that showed a large, glowing, orange ball - called an orb - in front of a tree. However, no other photographers there could get the same image.
Starr carried several sensors, which beeped and flashed occasionally during the tour. When one sensor flashed persistently she asked a series of yes or no questions.
She said flashing meant yes, and the absence of a flash meant no.
When asked if the presence was a female who died in the 1970s, the light flashed.
Student Bonnie Brown said the lecture was interesting, but her favorite part was the tour. The picture of the orb made a big impression, she said.
"It was very affecting," she said.
Student Kimberly Davis said the presentation was hokey. The tour did not convince her that ghosts exist, but she said it was entertaining.
"I think it's interesting to see how they do their work," she said.
Starr also took a photo in front of the SUB, which she said showed a very tall, hooded figure standing in front of a tree.
Starr tries to be methodical and scientific about her hunt for ghosts, she said. Taken individually, the photos, audio and video she has gathered do not definitely point to the existence of ghosts, she said.
However, she said, all the evidence taken together is convincing.
"Ghost hunting is not an exact science and I do not have absolute proof," she said. "But I do have enough circumstantial evidence that there is no denying it."
She visits sites she suspects are haunted multiple times to make sure the evidence she gathered was not a fluke, she said.
She also tries to make sure orbs are not errors in the picture, which could be caused by dust or small bugs close to the lens of the camera, she said.
Coffey said the organization does not doctor any of its pictures, videos or audio, except to enlarge pictures or slow down video.
The speakers at the event were originally supposed to be the hosts of the Sci-Fi Channel's "Ghost Hunters." However, they had to cancel because of a scheduling conflict with their show, said Andrea Reich, who helped organize the event.
The event cost about $3,000, she said.
Student Special Events sponsored the event.
