The Haunting of IH: Fact or Fiction?

By Grace Teaney ’15

It’s that Halloween time of year when our thoughts turn to candy and costumes and, yes, crazy concoctions like – is Immaculate Heart’s campus really haunted?

Many of us have heard such rumors. Whether it’s the hilarious anecdotes shared by the custodial staff or the survival tales of the haunted house brought to life by the Genesians, there seems to be no doubt in many minds that spirits lurk on the Immaculate Heart campus. Where do these tales originate? Who, or what, fuels this spooky fire?

Several websites single out Immaculate Heart as one of the most notable haunted sites in Los Angeles. Apparently, a ghastly ghost frequents our auditorium. For example, an excerpt from “Haunted Hollywood: A Ghostly Tour of Hollyweird” states:

Stop by Immaculate Heart High School and you might encounter the ghost of a former nun. The shadowy figure of the nun is often spotted walking near the drama department. Others heard the sounds of the nun walking across the stage and some have felt cold spots [on their necks] on the catwalk.

Our custodians have confirmed this tale. Countless times my sister and I have been teasingly told this story certainly to frighten us on those long school evenings during drama rehearsals and productions. Actually, I admit I have heard this account so many times I am now desensitized to it. I have never seen this nun, yet some version of this legend floats about on the Internet.

While I’m skeptical about the verisimilitude of these ghost stories, I, myself, did experience one startling event at our beloved high school. It was during sixth period, last year, and I really needed to blow my nose. Unfortunately, my classroom in the auditorium building lacked tissue, so I was forced to trek to the bathroom for some nasal relief.  Upon entering the restroom, I noticed no one else was there except for me – or so I thought. Remember this fact because it’s important to my story, dear readers. I stood with my back to the sinks, facing the paper towel dispenser, quietly blowing my nose when I heard an extremely close laugh. This laugh was not from a neighboring classroom or from anyone in the hall. This cackle was in the bathroom with me. The laugh seemed to bounce off the walls and sounded almost like a little girl’s laugh, which, as you know, is the sound effect commonly used when someone is about to hella die in a horror movie. I whipped around, hoping that it was just one of my friends trying to shake me up. But I was still the only person in the bathroom. Needless to say, I bolted out of there and quickly returned to Spanish, where I sat pale as a fantasma for the rest of class.

Although I was scared out of my mind that day, I have now come to terms with the (possible) ghosties at our school. A terrifying nun phantom on the catwalk? No worries, she probably just lost her rosary and is still searching for it to this day. A weird little girl laugh? No sweat. She’s definitely a former Girl Scout who heard about my Thin Mint problem and wanted to do a back alley deal in the bathroom.

Bottom line: I am convinced that any spirits here would not do the students any harm. We are women of great heart and right conscience to the very end, even in the afterlife.