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October 2011 The Flame Page 1 e St. Peter Chanel High School 480 Northfield Road Bedford, Ohio 44146 Vol. 54 No. 1 T h e F l a m e Seek what is above. Chanel’s hottest headlines Students become Ghost stories fill the air Eucharistic Ministers By Edward Vaughn The opening Mass of the school By Sarah Stewart This is not the only spooky experi- would get ready in the bathroom and leave year welcomed seven new Eucharistic ence Katie has encountered in her third items such as her makeup and deodorant Ministers. Katie Bielanski, Nick Bohnak, Is Chanel haunted? Rumors have floor stay. Another time, “My parents were down on the sink, and then would leave Gina DeCesare, Kateri Piggford, Chelsea circulated around school that the building at a Chanel event, and I was home alone. I the room to get something else. When Miller, John Lynch, and Riko Lekan (pic- is plagued with spirits of the deceased, but locked the door to my bedroom and turned she’d return, her toiletries would be in tured below) were all officially initiated as are the stories of all the eerie noises and off the lights. I even checked the door different places than where she had placed Eucharistic Ministers, recognizing them as looming shadows true? There have been multiple times to make sure it was shut them, and this occurred multiple times. able to distribute the Eucharist at Masses. stories about the priest who passed away and locked. Then, the lights in my room She also reported that when she’d try to turned on and the door to my room sud- To achieve this, they each have gone on the third floor and the ghost that haunts sleep, she would feel someone touching through a series of classes which started the basement, but have these spirits really denly opened. I never stayed home alone her, playing with her hair. there ever again.” this past spring. “Some of the things we been seen? One rumor even goes as far as Mr. Rock isn’t the only faculty member learned were how to wash the cups and to claim that a former Chanel student was Senior Shannon Rafferty also testi- with Chanel ghost stories. Mr. Gongos chased by a ghost a few years ago on the fies to Katie’s third floor experiences. She the plates, as well as how to deliver the recounted, “I has some paranormal encounters to share Body and Blood of Christ,” said senior third floor. After all the myths and rumors, as well. He stated that he had a room the question remains to be answered was walking Riko Lekan. The qualifications are that the with Katie on the third floor he would use at times person is Catholic and has gone through if these “spirits” really cause mischief where he would spend the night when he throughout the school. We’ve all heard of down the First Communion. Shannon Rafferty is in the alleged “sightings,” but let’s take into third floor was working late. One night while sitting the process now of becoming a Eucharistic account some first hand witnesses and hallway one in his room, he heard what sounded like Minister. experiences. night. We “multiple people running down the hall.” Besides the benefit of receiving Senior John Webb claims to have been both heard a He went to check what the source of the service hours during Mass, many students visited by a spook just last year. He re- strange noise sound was, but when he looked into the choose this passage in order to connect vealed, “It was early, before school started from the hallway, “no one was there.” more with their faith, as well as to become one morning. I was walking and chatting back room This wasn’t just a one time weird ex- closer to God and the Church. Mrs. DeC- down the hall with Lindsay Zydowicz and went to perience either. He revealed that he heard esare said, “Eucharistic Ministers serve when all of the sudden this creepy looking check out this strange sound when no one was there as role models not only in the school, but guy appeared out of nowhere. He was tall what it was. “multiple times.” Another time, while Mr. also in their parishes, showing that they and thin and appeared to be a janitor, but It was dark, Gongos was sitting in his office, which are willing to step up to a leadership posi- neither of us had recognized him as one of so we turned used to belong to the late Fr. O’Connell, on the lights tion that requires time, dedication, and our staff. He walked all the way down the he decided to test the spirits. When he just respect.” hall, turned around, and angrily stared at in the back started working at Chanel, alumni would Lindsay and me for a few moments. Then room, and Drawing by Gary Baker. frequently call his office. Along with the he turned around again and walked down the rocking calls, he and Mr. Malafarina, who used the stairs. We never saw or heard of him chair was rocking, and not lightly either. It was rock- to work in the office were Mrs. Kennedy ever again. We even asked if anyone saw now works, would pick up the yearbooks him downstairs, and no one saw anything. ing hard, as if someone was still in it rock- ing or someone had just gotten up from it to look up the faces and to recognize the He was either a serial killer or a ghost.” callers. Mr. Gongos stated, “I would hear John is not the only one to report and it was still rocking. No one was there. strange ghostlike experiences in our No one was even on the entire floor that the distinct sound of the yearbooks being school. Sophomore Sydnei Clark claims to night besides us. We screamed and ran picked up and placed back on the shelf away.” in the other room at twelve o’ clock. Mr. have seen some spirits as well. She stated Photo by Victoria Love. that last year, “I saw a ghost on the third Maybe the students’ stories are Malafarina had proctored a study hall dur- floor balcony while I was sitting on the leaving you skeptical, but what about a ing that period, so he wasn’t in the other stairs by the cafeteria. I saw a shadow of teacher’s tale? Mr. Rock has a chilling room, but I still thought nothing of it. So Food changes disturb a silhouette of a man and no one was up story as well about the third floor. He one time I locked the door so I was in my there. It stayed there for a few moments.” reported, “In 2002, there was a fund raiser office all alone, and I didn’t tell anyone students Not convinced our school’s haunted called the ’30 Hour Family.’ A group of what was happening. I went to my desk, yet? Well what about the people who have about fifty students as well as four teach- and I heard the sound again from the other Lindsay Zydowicz actually ers, including myself, spent thirty hours room at noon. I looked up to the Heavens lived on the together straight without eating to raise and said out loud, ‘Fr. O’Connell, I know The cafeteria food has more than a third floor? money for child starvation in other coun- this is your office, and I am just merely us- few changes. The big question is why. We Senior Katie tries. We stayed upstairs and stayed up the ing it.’ The sound never happened again.” all want to know what happened to having Bielanski has whole night playing games and watching Mr. Gongos revealed a third ghost story. beloved French fries everyday, and why the some chilling movies. At about 3 a.m., we were watch- He said, “It was years ago and I was in my ala carte room has gotten a total make over. stories from ing a movie when suddenly we all heard a Some of the answers are included here. banging. It sounded like every door on the office. Mr. Szczepanik had passed away when her less than a year ago. He was the Dean of Our nation’s first lady, Michelle family lived third floor was slamming shut sequentially, Obama, has started a new movement. She’s one right after the other like dominoes. Academics at Chanel before he passed upstairs. She away. I was in my office alone at about starting to make it mandatory for schools reported that We heard this ‘bang, bang, bang’ sound, so about twenty-five of us got up to go see 1:30 a.m. and I was thinking of him. There to have healthy, low calorie, and low fat one night, “It lunches. The first lady is doing this for a was about what was going on in the hallway. I looked was no one in the building in my vicin- left and right, but no one was there at all. ity. I don’t think anyone else was even in good cause, her Anti-Obesity Plan. She 11:30 p.m. Drawing by Jameel Ali. when my We went to go check the doors, and every the building at all, and if the night crew believes if people don’t put an end to this brother, his single one was locked. It was cold, and no was, they were on another floor and out unhealthy food, that the older generation friend and I were walking down the third one was there.

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