As an English major, it took about two days into my freshman year before I was acquainted with the legend of the English Building at U of I. It was haunted.

Built in 1905, the English Building was a women’s dormitory, and on the top level, there was a pool. A girl drowned in that pool one night, either on accident or by taking her own life. A few years after this incident, the dorm was converted into the English Building.

This ghost manifests itself in the usual ways: flickering lights, closing doors, and creepy sounds. These mainly occur in the rhetoric area of the building, where the girl’s room probably was. These sounds can mostly be heard at night, when the building is all but empty, or when it is quiet. However, there have also been reports of the lights flickering during the day when students are around. Creepy.

Other myths U of I students share are a little less…ghosty. For example, the Eternal Flame, which lies between the English Building (of course the English Building is involved in everything!) and Lincoln Hall, has its own special tradition. The Eternal Flame is also known as the “Class of 1912 Memorial.” If you kiss your special someone while seated by the pole, you will be together forever.

This is a much cuter story in my opinion. And, last fall, I had the privilege of actually meeting two people for whom this urban legend became true. The couple were both in their eighties, and had gone to school together at U of I sixty years ago. They kissed under the eternal flame while here, and have been together ever since.

While there are many different campus myths and ghost stories, these are my two personal favorites. If anyone has another story to share, let me know!