Paranormal Discovery Club
After two long years of persistence, hard work, and endless dedication, the Paranormal Discovery Club is now an officially recognized club here at Adams State University. The club presented their pitch to AS&F Monday evening, and won the votes of the members, earning them the official title they’ve been after since they came together.
Two freshman students thought up the original idea for the club back in the fall of 2011. It had originated as nothing more than a group of kids interested in ghost stories. Though her friend abandoned the short-lived idea, Rachel Decker thought there could be more to it.
“I’ve always loved a good ghost story, and hearing that Adams State was haunted really got me thinking about what all the stories could be,” club president Decker explains. “[My friend] gave up on it, but I was interested. I felt like it had a lot of potential. We already had other people interested in the group, so it was off to a good start.”
Becca Paez, now vice president of the new club, was the only one to follow through with her interest in the club, and together, she and Decker brought the club to where it is now.
The rise of the club has not been an easy one. The idea was met with harsh criticism by many, and more than a couple of people have fought to keep the club from becoming official.
“We have a couple of truly great people to thank for where we are,” Decker says humbly. “Without them, we couldn’t have kept going. We were met with negativity at every turn, and more than once the group was nearly ended from outer forces. It got really frustrating after a while, but thanks to the great people fighting behind us, we’ve done something incredible.”
The Paranormal Discovery Club is a club dedicated to investigating the paranormal claims at the school. Though their main focus is Richardson Hall, they have been branching out around campus, as well as around the community.
“We’re actually looking at booking a weekend up in Fort Garland,” vice president Becca Paez says. “We want to investigate the haunted museum, as well as a couple other spots we’ve been hearing stories about. People have actually been coming to us and explaining their encounters, and asking us to look into them. It’s cool to be recognized like that, and I’m excited to see where the club goes from here.”
The club is very active and self-sufficient. For two years now they put on the Haunted Tours of Richardson Hall by themselves. They set up the venue, put together their own tours, and paid for them by themselves. They have had no outer financial help for any of their equipment or supplies, and they have managed to handle all of their legal work and technical issues on their own.
“I think that’s one of the most impressive things about the club, and it’s something I’m really proud of us for,” says Emily Clark, secretary of the club and one of the original members. “A lot of clubs on campus are run or were founded by faculty, and they’re maintained by faculty and senior students. We’re a club founded by freshmen that’s been kept going by a group of six kids with a passion. It’s really impressive, and I’m so glad to be a part of it.”
“It’s been a hard journey,” Decker admits. “There were times where it felt like we’d never become official. We’ve always been looked at as nothing more than a group of enthusiastic kids running around in dark rooms, and we’ve never been taken seriously. Hopefully now we can show everyone else what we can do.”
The Paranormal Discovery Club meets every Tuesday in Richardson Hall Auditorium from 2-5pm. They are always welcoming new members, and are interested in hearing new stories. For questions, comments, or concerns, contact them at paranormal.discoveries@yahoo.com.
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