HAUNTING at Kean

By Bhriana Smith

To the residents of Rogers Hall, there is definitely such a thing as ghosts.

Located in the quad alongside Sozio Hall, Bartlett Hall and Burch Hall, the upperclassmen residence hall received its named from Laura E. Rogers, a 1920 alumni of the Newark Normal School, the original name of Kean University. The birth of Rogers Hall wasn’t until after her retirement in 1964.

Many students report that Rogers is haunted by the ghost of a former student. While there are no known records that indicate any deaths or foul play in that particular hall, there are definitely people who attest to a supernatural presence.

“I believe there’s something in Rogers,” reported a former RA, now a Kean alumnus, in Rogers Hall. “I don’t know what it is, but there’s something in there.”

Every great ghost story has its fair share of skeptics. Current resident assistant Yomaira Gonzalez laughs off the idea of any thing being in Rogers.

“Rogers is definitely not haunted,” stated Gonzalez. “I’ve been living here for a while and I’ve never experienced anything.”

Debating this particular realm of pseudoscience often leads to unanswered questions, However, if seeing is believing and knowledge is empirical, then there are many people that don’t need scientific proof to believe that something is off about Rogers Hall. Such a fright came from a current resident who wishes to remain anonymous.

“I was sitting in this room, reading a book, when I heard the bathroom door close,” the source stated. “My roommate was in class, and my suitemates were gone. I literally ran out of my room.”

Perhaps it could be that this supernatural being is particular about who it chooses to mess with. Perhaps it could be that it is all in everyone’s head, or that some people are just more scared than others. Believe what you want, but the real question still remains…

Who or what haunts Rogers Hall?

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