Spooky student group

University Business, Oct, 2007 by Ann MClure

GHOSTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT GO BUMP in the night get an academic once over from the Paranormal Research Society, an officially sanctioned student club at Pennsylvania State University. Founder Ryan Buell explains PRS is a research group that investigates actual cases and has worked with the police and Roman Catholic Church. When on a case, the group tries to rule out mental illness and other natural Logical explanations rather than instantly crediting a paranormal source. They also draw on experts ranging from neuroscientists to engineers, many of whom are affiliated with the university in some fashion. Buell says being an officially sanctioned club gives them some initial credibility and at the same time "we take the reputation that Penn State gives us and we want to honor it and do something reputable." They will get to show the world how reputable they are when their new A&E TV show Paranormal State premiers in December. "At the beginning I said 'I want to prove there are ghosts," says Buell. But now his goal is to make it acceptable to talk about the supernatural and let people being haunted know they aren't alone.

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