So when he had the chance in 2009 to attend a presentation by John Zaffis, a nationally known ghost hunter, he did not hesitate. 

 

Kogon, a junior environmental policy major at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, has attended the event every year since then.

 

‘I think about it all the time, and I’m really excited every time he comes back,’ Kogon said.

 

Zaffis, the self-proclaimed ‘Godfather of the paranormal,’ will give a presentation in Marshall Auditorium on the ESF campus at 7 p.m. Thursday. A ghost hunt through the halls of the school will follow the presentation. The event is free and open to all Syracuse University and ESF students with a valid student ID.

 

In 2009, Zaffis led the hunt through Bray Hall, Kogon said. Zaffis communicated with a security guard who lost his job in the 1980s and committed suicide.

 

‘He actually was talking to us at one point,’ Kogon said. 

 

Zaffis and the students talked to the guard through a ghost box, an AM/FM radio that constantly scans white noise, something spirits can supposedly use to communicate through. They asked the spirit of the security guard simple questions like what his name was and how long he’d been there.

 

‘He said it felt like an eternity,’ Kogon said. ‘It was very creepy, especially talking to him because he was not a good presence.’ 

 

Despite the eeriness of the situation, Kogon said he felt comfortable being led by Zaffis because he has a lot of experience in ghost hunting. 

 

According to his website, Zaffis has been working in the paranormal field for more than 37 years. He appeared in Discovery Channel documentaries, such as ‘A Haunting in Connecticut’ and ‘Little Lost Soul.’ In 2004, Zaffis published his book, ‘Shadows of the Dark,’ co-written with fellow ghost hunter Brian McIntyre. He currently stars in ‘Haunted Collector,’ a TV series on the Syfy channel.

 

Laura Crandall, director of the Office of Student Activities at ESF, said this will be her first time attending Zaffis’ presentation and ghost hunt.

 

‘I think it’ll be a cool experience,’ she said. ‘I’m excited to see what he does.’

 

Crandall said she is expecting at least 100 students to show up on Thursday and that students seem to be excited about it. It’s also a timely event.

 

‘It’s a good kickoff for Halloween,’ she said.

 

In 2009, Leah Flynn worked as the director of the Office of Student Activities at ESF. Flynn said in an email that she heard about Zaffis through an entertainment agency’s emails. After reading about his event, she invited Zaffis to come to the school, and he has returned every year since.

 

Flynn attended Zaffis’ first event in 2009 and said that students loved it.

 

‘He was really good. I remember that we heard some voices on the second floor of Bray when we did our own ‘ghost hunt,” she said. ‘I was so scared that I jumped into the arms of a student next to me.’

 

Although a spirit has never appeared in front of the group, the evidence Zaffis collects each year is undeniable, Kogon said.

 

‘He’s definitely not faking it,’ he said. ‘It’s basically solid evidence that there is something going on besides the living realm.’

 

Kogon said it’s OK to be skeptical and that people have left the event still unsure of what to believe.

 

Ultimately, Kogon said interested students should come with a positive attitude and a willingness to believe.

 

‘I think everyone should just keep an open mind,’ he said. ‘It’s a great eye-opening experience.’

 

snbouvia@syr.edu