An Unexplainable Experience
Davis Downs is a former Centre student who graduated in 2020. He spent his fair share of time there, lending two of his summers as a Residence Assistant for the Governor’s Scholar Program, which was held at the college. Davis has never really been a believer of the supernatural. He would definitely be considered a skeptic. During his first summer as an RA, he and his other Centre friends decided it would be funny to prank one of the other workers, who was not familiar with the school. They told her that the floor that her room was on was haunted by a ghost named Peter. They all knew slightly different versions of the story that they wanted to tell, but they came to the conclusion that he had died by jumping out of the third story window of Breckinridge Hall. They told her that they weren’t sure if this was a suicide attempt or if Peter had simply been forced to jump in order to escape the burning building. Either way, they told the girl that he had died there, and now haunts the space that she would be temporarily residing in for the next five weeks.
She was scared to death, but as far as these boys knew, it was all fun and games. They decided to walk her up to her room to show her, as well as the other RA’s, where she would be staying. It was a beautiful summer evening— no wind, no rain, just sunshine. As they entered the building and approached her door on the third floor, something happened that would change many of these people’s perspectives on the paranormal forever. To quote Davis, “And as we pass the window, the large window on the third floor, it just completely shatters.”[i] The RA’s erupted with screams, startled by the sudden breakage of glass. Then, they realized that this was the window they were making a mockery of— the window that Peter supposedly jumped from. The girl who had been the victim of this prank, and who also had to live on this floor, burst into tears. Once everyone settled down, the boys continued to joke that Peter was angry and did not like their friend. The window had to be boarded up, and the RA’s were instructed not to tell any of the scholars coming to stay at Centre what had happened. There was an incident later that summer in which the girl living on the third floor passed out in her room for seemingly no reason, with no prior medical history of doing so. They could not relate this paranormal activity, but also could not rule it out.
This is not the only case in which it is rumored that a window has shattered in Breckinridge Hall when people were speculating about Peter the ghost. There is another story in which a couple of students were headed up the steps towards the third floor and talking about him. Just then, the window that they were nearest to completely burst out of nowhere. It is not uncommon to hear stories similar to this around Centre’s campus— doors and windows opening, strange noises being heard— all when Peter is talked about.
We don’t know much about Peter’s life on earth, other than the fact that he spent his fair share of time at Centre and is rumored to have died in and/or haunt the third floor of Breck. There is mixed speculation about most of the details surrounding him. One thing that everyone can agree on is that he makes his presence very well known on Centre’s campus. These stories have one key theme in common that we are going to look into throughout this paper: mocking the ghosts of Centre is a dangerous game to play. Two of Centre’s most profound ghosts are known for this: the elusive ghost of Peter, as mentioned above, and the well-established ghost of Ruby Cheek. Ruby Cheek was a student at Centre who graduated in 1929. She was extremely involved in every aspect, from academics to student government to extracurriculars. Later in her life, she became a music teacher there, as that combined her two passions of Centre and the arts. She lived in a house on campus for many years and became extremely protective over it. When she passed away in 1994, she left the house as a gift to Centre students with one request: treat it with love and respect. Now, it is said that Ruby haunts her old house but not in an evil or malicious way. She loved that house, and she wants to make sure it is being properly cared for and left in the right hands. When students are being disrespectful to her or her home, that is when she tends to make herself known, most likely in an attempt to teach a lesson.
An example of this is clearly demonstrated in Abi Bosworth’s interview with Lily Roark, a recent alum who lived in the late Ruby’s house. Lily had her own experience with Ruby Cheek, using the flickering of lights to communicate with her about music, which was Ruby’s passion. She told her roommates about what had happened, and they didn’t react quite the same way. Instead, they decided to openly proclaim that they did not believe Ruby was real, and to take it even further, they completely disrespected her. Lily quoted one of her roommates saying, "I don't believe in Ruby, I'm not scared no ghosts, especially an old fat bitch of one.”[ii] This immediately triggered Ruby to act out, causing all of the lights to go off and the TV to completely break and start smoking, with no logical explanation as to why. The lights then began to flicker in a way that was very unusual. They later found out that these lights should never turn on and off in the way that they did because of how they were made. Lily claims to have video footage.
It is interesting to consider why students and faculty assume Ruby Cheek means no harm, whereas there’s an assumption that Peter could have some sort of malicious intent. It could be because we know so much about Ruby’s life on earth and time at Centre that we assume she would carry on the same kind characteristics in the afterlife. We simply don’t know as much about Peter— we can’t even determine whether or not he was a student. The unknown scares people. It could also have something to do with the fact that she was an elderly woman, whereas Peter was supposedly a younger man. Gender and age both affect how we think about people both in this life and in the next. Men and young people are both demographics that are considered more dangerous than their alternatives. But how can we even be sure that the ghost that haunts the Ruby Cheek house is actually Ruby herself? We cannot be certain that it’s not some evil entity posing as a nice old lady. There has been some activity in the house that could be considered violent, but is written off, such as the TV story above. The same goes for Peter. We could be scared of him for no reason, but we have built all of these stories around the fact that he is a bit malicious, so that is how the majority of campus sees him. Therefore, his stories are told more in a negative light than Ruby’s stories.
When examining ghost stories such as these, we have to look at them as more than just spooky folklore. In order to truly understand these ghosts, we have to ask ourselves, “Why?” Why do they do the things that they do— haunt at the times that they haunt? What are they trying to tell us? According to the Haunted Halls chapter titled “Ghostly Warnings,” “Since ghosts have lost their lives, they can teach students about problems and dangers of college life.”[iii] Ghosts in general, but especially ghosts on college campuses, often “haunt” with the intention of teaching lessons that they learned (or wish that they learned) during their time on earth. They may be trying to caution against overworking yourself, partying too hard, hurting yourself, being disrespectful of a space, or being disrespectful towards a person. This theory holds up well with many of the stories about Peter and Ruby, but in different ways, as they both strive to impart their own specific messages unto the students. Peter seems to be trying to keep students from making the same mistakes that he did, or even just using his wisdom to teach them a lesson on how they need to change. What we’ve seen with Ruby is a more straightforward message: do not disrespect her home or be rude in general. She held Centre students to a high standard when she was alive, and she has continued that on after her death.
These stories, these experiences, these ghosts— they have been around for generations. They are now a part of Centre’s history and associated with its name. There are two distinct reasons that Centre’s students and staff continue telling these stories today. One of these reasons is the entertainment factor, which allows us to foster a sense of community in shared experiences and living circumstances. Another reason is the use of scary stories as cautionary tales— ways for the staff and alum to keep students in line and warn them against the dangers of their youth. These warnings resonate with Centre students because they remind them that within this academically rigorous place, there is another side; within the supportive community, there is also difficulty and darkness. These lessons allow Centre students to recognize that they have to care for themselves and continue to grow as more than just scholars.
There is a more untold side to the above-and-beyond education at Centre College. It is a community of people supporting and learning from each other, but what many don’t realize is that this is not limited to only the living. Centre’s paranormal side, just like everything else at the college, does not come without meaning. What makes it so special is its ability to bring the past and present together in a way that fosters learning, growth, and maturity.
-Buckley Sparks
Bibliography
Davis Downs, interview by Buckley Sparks, January 18, 2021, Zoom, transcript and recording, https://centreghosts.omeka.net/items/show/38.
Tucker, Elizabeth. Haunted Halls Ghostlore of American College Campuses. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007.
Lily Roark, interview by Abi Bosworth, January , 2021, Zoom, transcript and recording, https://centreghosts.omeka.net/items/show/17.
“Old Centre 1929 Women's Department.” Centre College Digital Archives. Accessed February 1, 2021. https://centre.omeka.net/items/show/1235.
“1966 Ruby Moss Cheek 1930.” Centre Alumni. Accessed February 1, 2021. http://alumni.centre.edu/s/285/bp20/interior.aspx?sid=285&gid=1&pgid=659.
“Ruby Moss Cheek - Obituary.” Newspapers.com. Accessed February 1, 2021. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12390765/ruby-moss-cheek-obituary/.
Endnotes
[i] Davis Downs, interview with Buckley Sparks, Centre College Archives.
[ii] Lily Roark, interview with Abi Bosworth, Centre College Archives.
[iii] Tucker, Elizabeth. Haunted Halls Ghostlore of American College Campuses. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007.