Orton Bell Tower during Omen on the Oval tour Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Credit: Courtesy of Maddox Rickens
Ohio State students and surrounding residents are invited to explore campus’ urban legends during Omens on the Oval, a ghost tour hosted by student organization Ohio Staters, Inc. The event is free and begins at 7 p.m. Thursday outside of Orton Hall.
Omens on the Oval highlights urban legends, myths and ghost stories tied to the historical buildings and artifacts on the Oval. Ohio Staters Inc. has sponsored the event for three or four years — according to Blair Banker and Katelyn Merrill, junior co-chairs of Ohio Staters, Inc. — as part of its mission to enhance the university experience through leadership and engagement.
“Our mission is to promote [the] welfare and traditions of Ohio State University,” Evie Shepherd, sophomore co-chair of Ohio Staters, Inc., said. “One of my favorite traditions in general, but especially at OSU, is the kind of urban legends and oral history. That’s something that is kind of hard to be highlighted in classes or a day-to-day setting.”
Attendees can expect to hear the story of Olive Branch Jones, who worked at the university for 34 years and grew the collection of books at Thompson Library from 13,000 to 300,000, according to the Omens on the Oval page. Merill said the ghost is friendly, but gets upset if something is spilled on her books.
Shepherd said Hopkins Hall is another stop on the tour as well.
“There’s a handprint on Hopkins Hall … that one’s crazy because there’s literally a handprint there, and they can’t scrub it off,” Shepherd said. “The story behind it is someone — an art student — got stuck in the elevator. That’s her handprint after she went kind of crazy. That one’s cool because it’s a physical thing that shows that story.”
Beyond ghost stories, the event offers hands-on experience within the Orton Bell tower. Attendees are invited to step inside one of Ohio State’s most recognized landmarks, a tradition that stands alone within the event.
“We are also responsible as an organization for giving the Orton Bell Tower tours, so those are also a part of the event,” Banker said. “People can come and see the Bell Tower and they can play the chimes if they want.”
While there are myths surrounding campus, there are also proven facts. With the Oval’s deep folklore, Merrill said lines are blurred between urban legend and reality. Whether it’s fact or fiction, the stories shared cultivated fascination.
“My favorite one that we talk about is the underground tunnels and tying it into Jeffrey Dahmer, to bring in one of the real historical people. There are a lot of really fun ones,” Merrill said.
Dahmer, an infamous serial killer, attended Ohio State for one semester in 1978 and is known to have lived in Morrill Tower, according to the Omens on the Oval page.
As the air begins to settle over campus and the moon glistens over the Oval, Omens on the Oval invites attendees to explore campus life through a different perspective. From eerie tales to chimes of the bell tower, Omens on the Oval offers a traditional ghost tour in the spirit of Ohio State.
However, it is also an event for students to enjoy a night of storytelling and explore campus using a fresh lens — especially during a stressful week, Shepherd said.
“I know that midterms can be a very rough time for people, and it’s usually around this time,” Shepherd said. “Just having more events surrounding this sort of history — and also the Halloween season — [can help] to bring some lightness to the semester.”
This story was updated Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6:20 p.m. to correct the spelling of Blair Banker’s name.
