SGA ghost tours took students on a spooky journey

Alexis Schulz

Screams of terror were heard through the night as Rider’s student government association (SGA) told stories of ghosts that haunt the Lawrenceville and Princeton campuses on Oct. 29.

Students were divided into groups of four and taken on a ghost tour around the Lawrenceville campus. As participants walked through the dark, SGA students dressed as ghosts and hid in bushes to jump out at passerbys.

Tour guides Ruth Delpino, sophomore political science major, and John Gregg, sophomore business administration major, told a story of a ghost named Rose, written by Delpino.

“Rose was a musical theater major who was practicing for an upcoming performance in the Yvonne theater,” said Delpino. “There was a scene where she had to be hung by a rope on stage and unfortunately the rope snapped. She fell through the floorboards.”

Students were sent between four tour guides who told different stories that were written by members of the SGA, according to John Mancini. The guides held lanterns to light the way around campus and portrayed themselves as different characters to entertain students as they walked through the night.

John Modica, sophomore finance major, wrote and told the story of a ghost named Phyllis Beck who haunts the Westminster campus.

“She suddenly went missing,” said Modica. “Her friends thought she was down in the practice room playing piano until they went down there and saw that she was impaled on a pipe.”

As Modica told his story, Susan Stahley, alcohol, drug and sexual assault prevention coordinator, was dressed as a zombie and scared students by following behind them and whispering in their ears.

Nick McManus, sophomore computer information systems major, said Stahley enhanced the eeriness of the tour.

“I was really spooked when she was trying to scare us,” said McManus. “The tour was scarier than I thought it would have been.”

Jessica Vento, senior public relations major, and Mary Foley, senior management major, wrote and told a story of a student who was stressed out and one night decided to take a walk around the lake.

“She decided to take a walk, like anyone would, to calm down,” said Vento. “She heard someone speaking as she walked over the bridge. She was never seen again.”

Andrew J. Rider was the next victim, as senior geoscience major Steven Schwartz wrote a tale of his death in 1865. According to tour guide Kevin Grunder, sophomore public relations major, Mr. Rider liked to walk around the cranberry bog every day and take a nap, but one-day tragedy struck.

“People say that he fell asleep and rolled in the cranberry bog,” said Grunder. “He died in there and continues to haunt the campus.”

Jenna Wilush, junior elementary education major, said she had a great time on the tour and was happy that the SGA hosted the event.

“I thought it was entertaining,” said Wilush. “It was a unique thing for Rider to have before Halloween.”