Being the oldest school in Southern California and situated right across from a cemetery, Loyola High School is no stranger to the paranormal. On this Halloween edition, it would be an injustice to the holiday to not recount some of the spookiest hauntings that have happened over the years.
As Stewart Hayes, informational lead, recounts, there was a new Spanish teacher who moved into the basement of Burr Hall. Yet, just as she was beginning to move some of her things in, she encountered a teacher already standing by her desk. Surprised, she strikes up a conversation with him. He says he’s a geologist and teaches earth science in the very same room. However, the Spanish teacher knew this was an impossibility, only she was assigned to the basement. After the brief conversation, she rushes to the office, quick to give a description of who she saw. Confused, the man at the office thought the Spanish teacher was playing a practical joke. The description she gave perfectly matched Brother Robert McDermott S.J. Yet, there was no way she could have seen him, as he had died a few years ago. Nevertheless, the Spanish teacher kept recounting the story and the details of who she had met. Despite never meeting Brother McDermott before his death, she gave a perfect recapturing of his physical characteristics, personality, and career details.
Even today, some people still say they hear noises in Burr Hall emanating from the basement. However, there also lies something a little more interesting under our very feet. During the construction of Caruso Hall, workers found tunnels at least 5 feet tall running between campus buildings. Reportedly extremely dark and damp, very few know of why they were created and what caused them to be forgotten for so long. One theory suggests they could have been created during World War 2 as survival bunkers, while others point towards possible catacombs or ancient burial grounds. Whatever they were created for, their presence remains ever secretive on campus.
Whether you believe in the supernatural or spiritual, such stories help us to understand the long history we play a part in as Loyola students. Such simple oddities add an extra dimension to our Loyola experience you simply can’t get anywhere else.
