The Ocelot Call

Home of the Valeton student newspaper The Ocelot Call, est. 1871

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Who is going? We’re going!

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Has the mystery of the hockey rink messages been solved? According to the university's tweets Sunday night: Yes. Campus security caught two students at the ice rink, and the fact that the rink reopened today underscores the fact that the school believes the situation has been resolved. The administration remains typically tight-lipped, but a source told the Call that the two students apprehended were seniors Tom Gardiner and Hunter Nelson. Since they were caught as they tried to enter the building, it technically can't be proven that they were doing anything but trespassing carrying spray paint - but that seems clear enough to us. The question remains: why? No one seems quite sure. We'll chalk it up to a Halloween prank gone too far.

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We at the Ocelot Call are committed to representing the wide variety of voices and viewpoints that make up the Valeton community. In that spirit, we bring you this response to last week's coverage of Prof. von Dechen's talk on ghosts in the cultural imagination.

"I am embarrassed on behalf of all Valeton students and alumni that this immature fixation with ghosts has so gripped campus - and the pages of this newspaper. Valeton is an august academic institution with an impeccable reputation stretching back centuries, and superstition has no place here. Ghosts and other so-called supernatural phenomena are, of course, worth studying in disciplines such as anthropology and social history, but the administration should seriously consider whether anyone who believes such nonsense to be true belongs at Valeton."

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Freshman Sophia Gatti, quoted in yesterday's article about Prof. von Dechen's ghost lecture, has sent our editor the following response to the piece:

"Thank you for your coverage of Prof. von Dechen's lecture. I feel that I was quoted slightly out of context - while I did ask the professor if she had proof that ghosts weren't real, I was not intending to question her work or to imply that I unthinkingly believe all ghost stories. I do, however, believe that there are phenomena - and incidents here on campus - that cannot be explained rationally, and that the near universality of ghosts in cultures throughout time - something that Prof. von Dechen herself pointed out - means that we should keep an open mind about the possibility that they could be real. If you've experienced a haunting here at Valeton, please get in touch."

So, Ocelots. Do YOU believe ghosts are haunting Valeton? Do you have other theories? Let us know.

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We’re going. ARE YOUUUUUU.

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If you've been paying attention to the atmosphere on campus of late, it won't surprise you to hear that Prof. Owena von Dechen gave her talk on "Ghosts and the Cultural Imagination" to a packed house last night. Students who may have hoped for an evening of spooky stories were destined to be disappointed, though, as Prof. von Dechen's take was - we suspect purposefully - rather more dry and academic than Prof. Norton's recent ghostly offering. Prof. von Dechen seemed frustrated by the students' eagerness to believe in the supernatural, but we don't think she'll be able to stem Valeton's ghost fad that easily.

Freshman Sophia Gatti is definitely among the believers. In the Q&A session at the end of the lecture, she questioned Prof. von Dechen's premise that ghost stories are never literally true, but are instead inventions to help the pysche deal with uncertainty and unexplained phenomena. "But do you have proof that ghosts aren't real?" she asked the bemused professor. "Why not at least consider it?" Prof. von Dechen moved quickly to the next question.

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While we at the Ocelot Call do not publish rumors, we do want to let you know that we have received more than enough tips tonight. We’re investigating on our end and highly suggest @olenskaq do the same.

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An anonymous tipster passed on some interesting information. The "repairs" at the science building last week? Well, the so-called accidental rock fall was apparently the work of a certain biology student who wasn't ready for an exam and was hoping to buy him or herself a few hours of study time by blocking entrance to the building. It was the perfect crime - until this student started bragging about it at a party over the weekend. Our tipster didn't tell us the student's identity, but others surely overheard as well - will the administration find out?

[thatssogatti]

So… here goes. I’m not exactly sure how to start this. I’ve never had a blog before. But I’m so intrigued by all the ghost stories and possible ghost stories I’ve been hearing around campus this week, and I thought someone should track them.

We’ve got:

A ghost in the weight room, according to some girl named Kelsey. (But Melissa doesn’t believe her.)

A ghost in Anderford? I LIVE here and I haven’t heard it (yet?), but more than one person has been talking about weird noises and doors slamming.

A creepy vanishing message outside the poli-sci building.

LOTS of other vague stuff. It seems like everywhere I go people are talking about seeing or hearing ghosts. Though really - I can’t tell if people are just joking around or what, a lot of the time. I’ll have to be careful about what I choose to record.

If you’re reading this and have a ghost story for me, send me an ask!

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by Owen Wingrave

It's barely October, but Halloween season has arrived at Valeton with a vengeance - kicked off by Prof. Kelly Norton's lecture "The Shades of Valeton," given to a surprisingly large crowd of students last night. The audience was enthralled by her stories of the myriad students, staff, and faculty who have died at Valeton over the centuries and are supposedly haunting campus. "It's like Hogwarts!" we overheard one excited sophomore exclaim. We expect the houses to be declaring official house ghosts any day now. And we suspect Prof. Norton wishes her students were as excited about her actual class lectures.

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We told our friends at the Valeton Uni twitter that we’d post a composite of the submissions for their T-Shirt contest to beef up the University’s online store.

So here they are! Make sure you get your votes in before 9/18!

[theinturnetexplorer]

Who’s ready to get back to college?

[humanityinahandbag]

No, but really, this is actually what college is like…

[hope-in-my-bones]

By the gods….

[birdlicker]

im pretty sure the second to last one is my school?????

[onlyoneovaryohgress]

Never again.

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Welcome back.

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Welcome Back, Students!

9/8/15

We’re so excited to be back in the offices at Valeton University - and EXHAUSTED. Who went to that killer party this weekend?

Anyway, before the year heads off into full swing, we’re happy to welcome back some returning staff members and say hello to some new ones. Give it up for your Ocelot Call staff!

Editor in Chief Jennifer Connelly

Managing Editor Samantha Endres

Campus Editor  Christy Vourcos

Photo Editor Jaime Hartley Features Editor Gemma Rose Layout Editor Sarah Hatter Sports Maggie Greenhill & Chris Rogers

Features Sejuti Mansur Features Shannen Usher Features Lincoln Norris Alternates Zoe Benstead & Tara Friesen

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Enjoy your summer, Ocelots. Be smart, be adventurous, and be informed.  

As the academic year draws to a close, we here at The Ocelot Call would like to take a moment to thank the many students who have contributed to our pages over the last two semesters.

It takes time, dedication and a love of witty headlines to put together a student newspaper, and we’re proud of the work that has been created by our team and contributors this year to bring you the latest Valeton news.

The past year has not always been smooth, but we are confident that over the coming months The Ocelot Call will continue to provide a high standard of journalism and literature.

-- Your Editor-In-Chief Jennifer Connelly

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Apr 30 2015

By Christy Vourcos

Students in Wallenstone woke early on Tuesday to a loud, continuous wailing noise from the second floor.

“It sounded like the old dial-up modem - that screeching, scratching sound. I thought I was having a nightmare before I realized it was coming from a room down the hall,” said Ellie Bayrd, a sophomore in the science department. Other students likened the noise to the “hellmouth” opening over Valeton, while Erin Wert, an Art major, was concerned that the University’s wifi network had been corrupted.

The noise began at approximately 5:45 in the morning and continued for seven minutes, long enough to alert campus security to the disruption and for the majority of half-awake students to stumble into the common area.

“Aliens,” explained Bayrd, “we were convinced it was Aliens. But it was only Jim from down the hall.”

Jim Loveless, a junior studying Sound Engineering, had fallen asleep over his computer in the early hours of the morning while studying for finals.

“I had multiple files set up for playback in the sound booths, so I must have knocked something accidentally when I was half asleep. They all started playing at once over the speakers. It woke me up, but I was out in the common room with everyone else before I realized it was coming from my computer,” the sheepish junior explained.

While the reality of the Wallenstone Wail may not have been the end of days, it serves as a good reminder of the importance of sleep during final exams.

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Lannisters Ruin Lawn!

Apr 13 2015

By Zoe Benstead

The fifth season of HBO’s blockbuster fantasy series Game of Thrones premiered on Sunday evening.

While many students chose to watch the episode in the peace of their own dorms, multiple Game of Thrones style gatherings were held across campus, with students encouraged to get in the Westeros spirit and dress in their house colors.

“It’s all a bit of fun and games,” said Tara Friesen, a junior in the English department and self confessed Stark at heart. “I saw at least twelve Lannisters fighting on the lawn when I was coming back from the food hall. It was great.”

Later in the evening, Campus Security were called to Lawlor Hall after reports that seniors in the Engineering department were attempting to construct the Iron Throne out of soda cans.

While their efforts were unsuccessful, we at The Ocelot Call would like to commend their ingenuity while reminding students of the Safe Practices on Campus seminar they all attended during their first semester.  

Game of Thrones continues next Sunday evening. Those caught spreading spoilers in Monday morning lectures have been warned.

[pbstv]

DNA all but confirms 500-year-old bones are King Richard III’s.

More from PBS NewsHour.