North Iowa Area Paranormal Society

By Austin Siegal

The North Iowa Area Paranormal Society is a group here in Forest City that allows not only Waldorf students but community members as well. The purpose of the group is to gain knowledge of the paranormal and experience it through occasional investigations.

For example, this year the club only meets once a month (unlike last year when they would meet once a week). In these meetings, they go over the different types of entities you may come across as well as how to differentiate from different types of shadows. They also learn about the equipment used to discover these spirits. After the meetings, they usually take an hour to investigate some parts of Waldorf. So far this year, they have investigated Salveson Hall, as well as the tunnels under the atrium that lead to the theatre. In Salveson Hall they did not get any readings but they did pick up on some activity under the atrium in the tunnels.

They have taken many past trips such as trips to Villisca Ax Murder House, the Missouri State Penitentiary, an apartment complex in Algona, and Farrar Elementary School. At Farrar Elementary, Bela Ruiz gave real life accounts of what she experienced,

“At one point we went upstairs to the principal’s office and were videoing with an infrared camera that allows you to see ghosts on the camera. I was standing in front of my classmate when all of a sudden I felt a pressure right in front of me,” Ruiz said. “Right as I said it my classmate noticed a figure standing directly in front of me. I thought it was the craziest feeling in the world,” she added.

Soon, a group is planning a trip to one of two locations. They will either go to the Squirrel Cage Jail or the Edinburgh Manor. The leader of the group, Benji Benjegeredes, said “We have taken trips to everywhere including our very own campus, so skeptics are welcome to join the group.”