Exploring the legend of Massie’s “haunted” third floor

Josh Amato, Staff Reporter

Bo Wampler, an adjunct professor at Shawnee State University (SSU), first heard stories of Massie’s third floor being haunted during his freshmen year as an undergraduate biology major at SSU. Several professors and lab assistants told him stories of hearing footsteps, random sounds and an eerie feeling that something was lurking in the hallways at night. During this time, Wampler was never on the floor that late as a student.

However, when he began teaching in the natural science department in the fall of 2018, he started to notice the phenomenon he was told about during his time as a student. When asked about his experiences, Wampler recounted the following story.

Late one night, he was cleaning his classroom after a pig dissection when he heard the sound of glass being shattered in the classroom next to his. He swiftly made his way to the room only to find that no one was there. He could see that several glass beakers had been shattered and spread across the floor. As he left the room to grab a broom, he noticed that a light had turned on in a classroom at the end of the hall. Thinking that whoever had knocked the beakers over was potentially in that room, he approached the door, only to see that not only was the room completely empty, but the door was locked as well.

“I knew at that point that something funky was going on,” Wampler said. “I quickly gathered my things and left.”

While this was Wampler’s most memorable account, he said he’s had several other encounters with the paranormal as he’s seen doors close on their own, chairs scooting across the floor, and the sound of footsteps echoing down the empty halls.

Next time you’re on the third floor of Massie Hall, ask one of the natural science professors about this phenomenon, as they might have some memorable stories to tell you.