By: Shelby Brooks
The Ghost Club at Western Carolina University is helping students learn about paranormal investigations, Appalachian folklore and local ghost stories while creating a community for those interested in the unexplained.
Founded in January 2025, the club aims to investigate paranormal claims, explore whether paranormal activity is real and educate students about the history and legends of Western North Carolina. Club leaders also hope to bring people together through a shared interest in ghost stories and folklore.
The club was founded by Sydney Sammons during their first semester at WCU. Sammons said their interest in Appalachian paranormal stories inspired them to create an organization where students could discuss and explore supernatural topics.
Before establishing the club, Sammons gauged student interest by speaking with people across campus. After receiving positive feedback, they moved forward with creating the organization.
Sammons said another goal of the club is to preserve and share stories about people who have passed away and the locations connected to those stories.
“Through the club, people can get to know local stories and feel somewhat connected to the area, especially if they’re not from Western Carolina,” Sammons said.
Sammons, a junior majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders, has served as president since the club was founded. They said one of their favorite aspects of the organization is the variety of topics discussed during meetings.
While paranormal investigations are a central focus of the club, discussions also include digital horror, folklore and other topics related to horror culture. Members are encouraged to suggest future discussion topics, including haunted locations, local legends and different types of ghosts.
Students are also given opportunities to contribute presentations. Members who are interested in researching a topic can present it themselves or create a slideshow for club officers to present if they are not comfortable speaking in front of a group.
Sammons said they enjoy receiving topic suggestions from members because it often introduces new subjects for everyone to learn about.
The club hosts several types of meetings throughout the semester. Presentation-based meetings focus on local stories, Appalachian folklore and paranormal accounts from around the world.
The organization also hosts bingo meetings centered on paranormal themes. During those events, members receive bingo cards and watch videos related to ghosts and other supernatural topics. Students who complete a bingo pattern can win prizes.
Vice President Isabel Flores, a senior Forensic Chemistry Major, said the club’s presentations expose members to a wide range of paranormal topics.
“We’ll do things like presentations on topics, whether it’s about local stories or folklore around the area, locations that are haunted around the area, or we’ll go into a broader thing, just the paranormal in general and talk about other paranormal investigators that are really well known and discuss that kind of stuff,” Flores said.
Beyond meetings, the club organizes field trips to locations associated with paranormal legends. One of the group’s most popular destinations is the Road to Nowhere near Bryson City.
Club leaders said they typically schedule several trips to the location throughout the semester, although no trips are currently planned.
The organization has also scheduled an overnight trip Nov. 21 to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee. During the trip, members will tour the historic prison and conduct paranormal investigations.
Students participating in club-sponsored trips must complete safety forms before attending. Members without transportation can arrange rides with other participants.
During investigations, club members use equipment commonly associated with paranormal research. One device is an electromagnetic field reader, or EMF reader, which measures electromagnetic activity in the surrounding environment.
Members also use a spirit box, a device that rapidly scans radio frequencies while producing bursts of static. Paranormal investigators believe the device may help facilitate communication with spirits through sounds or words heard between radio channels.
While investigating paranormal claims remains an important part of the organization, club leaders said building friendships is equally important.
The club encourages students to connect with others who share similar interests, and officers enjoy seeing members spend time together outside of meetings.
According to club leaders, one of the organization’s greatest accomplishments has been creating a welcoming environment where students can form lasting friendships while learning about local folklore and paranormal traditions.
As membership continues to grow, leaders hope the Ghost Club will remain a place where students can explore Appalachian stories, discuss paranormal topics and build connections with fellow students interested in the unknown.
