Van Vleck Ghost tests positive for COVID-19

The entirety of Van Vleck Hall was forced to quarantine this past Monday due to some alarming wastewater testing results. All of the girls were tested promptly, but no one came back as positive or showed any symptoms. However, on Monday evening, there was some alarming coughing and sneezing heard by the girls living on the third floor. Further investigation indicated that the noises seemed to be coming from the attic above the third floor. It is said that the attic is home to the ghost of A. C. Van Raalte, founder of Hope College and Holland Michigan. Putting two and two together, the girls realized that the Van Raalte ghost must have been the one who was causing the wastewater results. The girls quickly notified their RA, who then notified Res Life in response. Krystin Bochniack quickly arranged for a test to be given to the ghost. How this was done is unclear, since no one has seen the ghost in many years. Additionally, many students have been questioning how this test was administered, considering that it is not known whether or not ghosts have noses. 

Little research has been done regarding COVID-19 and supernatural populations. It is unclear whether or not ghosts are able to spread the virus, and how they are able to contract it. The students who live on the third floor have been staying in some of the first floor rooms to minimize any spread that could occur. This raises questions for other dorms that house ghosts, as well as students. An anonymous student who lives in Voorhees told the Anchor, “There has been so much that has gone into protecting the students and faculty, so it is a bit disheartening that Hope neglected to figure out how to protect the ghost population on campus as well. Since a ghost lives in my dorm also, I would really appreciate some information about how our dorm can go about protecting him.” As far as treatment goes, the Health Center has sent a team member up into the attic once a day for the past week to see how the ghost of A. C. Van Raalte is doing. A priest has also been accompanying the Health Center employee to ensure that the ghost remains calm and not malicious. The Health Center told the Anchor on Thursday that Van Raalte seems to be improving, and hopefully the girls will be able to move back into their rooms by the beginning of next week. This situation has definitely been a wake-up call for Hope, and hopefully the Steering Committee now has a protocol in place in case this happens again. In the meantime, do your best to keep the Hope College ghosts that you know safe and healthy by wearing a mask and staying six feet away from them at all times.