For some more good ghost stories that might inspire you for your Storybook, you are really going to enjoy the Native American units that are coming up - there are so many amazing ghost stories in there. If you go to the Native American units page and use Control-F you can find the word "ghost" in so many of the different titles. Very relevant to your Storybook! :-)
Ok, Hannah! That was AWESOME!! I see we both chose Native American bases for our Storybooks. I was taken in from the minute I started to read your introduction – The Great Wind Ceremony. I think it is so cool that we are communing with spirits from the Sauk Tribe. I mean, it would be a really interesting experience, but definitely would freak me out a bit. I liked the fact that you too used a word from the Sauk language as a greeting. What does it mean??? I also enjoyed the fact that you gave us a bit of background, not just on the main character leading the Great Wind Ceremony, but on the land of Norman in general. I think it’s a very creative way to draw the readers, especially our group of readers who are all on OU campus at some point during their days, in and give them a history lesson while simultaneously scaring the crap out of us! I usually forget about the Indian burial ground and the fact that tornadoes will never hit OU until the tornado season comes around and I cross my fingers or unless it comes up in conversation. My previous Cherokee teacher would tell us tales passed down from her clan and would ask if we believed in the magic or if we all believed there was a logical, science and fact-driven answer that would explain the story. While I am a student of logic, I am also Cherokee and a hopeless romantic, so I tend to believe the former. To that end, while I’m sure the river bed location has landed Norman in an almost geographically safe location from tornadoes, I really choose to believe that The Spirits of the native tribe will not allow the Sacred Land to be touched. While I looooooved your intro, it made me sad. It was a sad tale that, unfortunately, was done too many times to too many Native American tribes and is still happening. So, I think this was a fantastic introduction. You mixed in history, legend, your own writing style, and a little bit of fright!! Well done, I will definitely be back to read your stories, girl!!!
Oh, FYI, I didn’t know if you knew this. I was checking out all of your images on your home (navigation) page and your “lower left” and your “upper right” image links both lead to the ice storm page. Just wanted to let you know….
I have to agree with Michele! Hannah, this is a great topic. I have just started reading and I am already drawn in. I think it is particularly awesome that you choose University of Oklahoma as you setting and I find it eerie that this "Ceremony of the Wind" takes place when the temperate starts to change. I do not know if you have notice, but fall just started and it is getting a little colder! Spooky HAHA. Good Timing! Within this back story of Blackhawk's I can definitely fell a sense of hatred, it is definitely spooky. I also loved how you added some of the history of the university into your introduction. Very Effective! Great Job and Keep Up the GOOD WORK. I look forward to reading your stories!
Hey Hannah! So first off, I think that you have a very interesting topic (hence me choosing your storybook as my free-bee this week!). The pictures that you chose for your title page are fantastic! I have always pictured the Bizzell Library as this beautiful majestic building, so it was quite a shock to see it look so daunting in your photos! I also really like the added flare that the droopy background gives to the page in creating a spooky virtual atmosphere before we even start reading!
For your introduction, I thought that the red lettering gives the flare of being something scary, but I kind of found the coloration to hurt my eyes a bit as a read. I do not know if that was just a personal issue, or if it is something that may need to be fixed. I am only nit picking because your storybook was great and the content was very interesting! I think you have a very nice writing style that is both creative and has a nice flow.
I mostly love that you decided to base your storybook off of our own university. OU and Oklahoma both have so much history that I cannot wait to see how you are going to transform history or old tales into something of your own! I am glad that you gave us a sneak peak into which spirits your going to talk about in your stories as well! I think that each of them sound extremely interesting and I look forward to hopefully getting to read them as the semester progresses! Great job this week!
Oh, and one more quick note before I go. I noticed that your links to the web source for your photo and in your authors note do not show up on your page! You may have already caught that, but if not, I just thought I would give you a heads up!
Hi Hannah! Your title for your storybook drew me in from the beginning, which I why I chose yours for my third. I’m going to talk first about your cover page then I’ll move on to your introduction. First of all, I love your title. It’s really clever and made me want to click on it in the first place. I also think your theme is great for the mood of the storybook. The black and red really set a tone for the upcoming ghost stories. I also love the collage on your cover page. The pictures set around campus are great and set the creepy mood. The only thing I would suggest is working on your link colors. Before they are clicked on, they are black and blend completely into the background.
In your introduction, I thought it was great how you made the narrator a Native American spirit whose tribe was sent to Norman. It works great with the myths and legends about the founding and location of OU. The voice of the intro is great also and it was very interesting to read. You did a great job setting up the background for the narrator but also presented the general topics for the future stories. Overall I loved your storybook so far and am looking forward to reading more!
Hello Hannah, first off I’m a big sucker for a good ghost story. I don't particularly like watching horror films but I would gladly read about spirits and urban legends any day. First off I love how you made the theme of your site kind of eerie and dark. It definitely adds to the effect of your topic of choice. From the first sentence I knew this would be one story I would keep coming back to. I love how you made the introduction from Chief Black Hawk’s point of view. You did a great job of expressing how he felt about the events leading up to present day Norman. The part about Norman being protected from tornadoes made me remember something that I was told when I moved on campus. I remember when I lived on the dorms they mentioned that, that particular are never got hit by a tornado. I actually have done research about the hauntings around campus so I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of your story. If you ever need first-hand experience on your topic I suggest going to the annual OU campus ghost tour that is offered here. I’ve never been but I heard it’s very informative and even better it’s free! I’m looking forward to your story!
Your title really intrigued me, so good job with picking that. I will say though, the red words on top of the black background was a little overpowering for me personally. I was not really sure what to expect when going to your page, but for some reason I was not expecting to be reading about a Native American chief. Although, after I thought about it, it made total sense! That was a really smart decision on your part since Native American's and their culture are a big part of Oklahoma history. I am saying that from experience with my one semester in high school of Oklahoma history. I definitely learned a lot about the Native American tribes. Are you completely creating these stories out of thin air? I mean not complete thin air. I saw in your Author's Note that your first story was actually based off of a real event. That is so crazy. Where did you discover all of these OU legends? I like that you told the story from his spirit's view. It makes his story more personable. Johnny really stressed that life is short and you never know when it is your time to go. You are so creative and I cannot wait to hear about Bobby and Sarah!
Hannah, what a cool idea for a storybook! I’m sure the research you do for your stories is super interesting since we can relate so deeply to stories about OU! I love the collage type thing you made for your cover page and I also like your background, but I personally would consider changing the red color of the font. Maybe a deeper red/crimson/burgundy color would look better? I feel like that particular color of red makes the page look a little amateur and it definitely doesn’t have to. It’s also a little hard to read. Your introduction was good, I liked how you mixed historical information into your storytelling!
The first thing I noticed about your first story page was the discrepancy between dumbwaiter as one word and dumb waiter as two words. In the title and the navigation sidebar, you have it as two separate words, but in the photo caption and in the story itself you have it as one word. I think that’s just a consistency thing that will be easy to fix. The story itself was crazy! I had no idea such a thing happened and it happened pretty recently! I look forward to reading more of your stories, good job overall!
Hey Hannah! When I saw Week 8's assignment for thank you notes. I knew you would be the first person that I would choose to thank! Not only did you leave such a detailed comment about my storybook introduction. You also came back and read my additional story and left awesome feedback on that too! Your amazing comments flatter my inner writer. Thank you, I really appreciate it!
Hi again, Hannah! As I said before, I think your theme is perfect for the feel of the storybook and I love the pictures you use. I saw since last time I looked at your storybook that you changed the links’ color. That was very helpful and I think it looks great.
I love your first story. I hadn’t heard about this ghost story before. I thought it was very well written. I loved well you did with Johnny’s voice. It’s completely different from Black Hawk’s. The line about noticing the severed head, when Johnny said ‘this is awkward’ cracked me up. I also liked the ‘I was bored out of my mind’ line (although I’m not sure if that was an intentional pun or not). The story really is tragic, but you give it a bit of lightness through Johnny’s retelling of his ordeal. I like that you included him seeing his friends years later when they came to OU. That was a heartbreaking detail. I think it added a lot of feeling to the story. I also liked the title ‘dumbwaiter of doom’. It fit the story very well. Lastly, it was great that you added a link to the original News story. That added a lot to the story.
Overall, you’ve done a great job with your storybook! I look forward to reading your next stories.
Hi Hannah, I decided to review your storybook for my free choice in the week eight internet assignment. From the first look at your cover page, I thought the layout was a bit difficult to process. My eye was drawn more to the stark white links than anything else. I think maybe changing the link color to a dark gray would work best, and changing the “Live On University Legends” and What Lies Beneath texts to white would help the eyes divert in the right direction right off the bat. I think there is a little bit of inconsistency from the cover page to the intro page. From your cover page I had no idea that the story would be about a Native American Chief. After some thought it made sense but maybe changing some of the pictures would help with that. There were a few grammatical issues in the story which have been addressed in previous comments, but otherwise I really liked the story! I had NO idea that this was a true story, and it makes me wonder what other scary stories have happened on our campus. I think you will probably share more of them with us – can’t wait to read more! Mackenzie
Hello!!! Okay, so you have me on the edge of my seat here, I want to know more of these stories! As far as your cover page is concerned, I really liked it. If anything, I would try to pic a picture that is less busy and more OU specific. I understood the picture because I am from OU, but you want to make sure that it is more general, for people who may ever potentially read it that are not familiar with all of the buildings. As far as your introduction goes, I like that as well! It kind of dragged on a bit and seemed to just ramble for a while though. I would consider getting to the point and sticking to that. The first story was wonderful. I had no idea that things like that had happened here at OU, and so I was completely immersed in the story. I really liked your second story as well. They were both just very well written. You also had good use of detail. If anything, I would try to make the second one seem more exciting and thrilling. The boy on the skates just kind of dies, I would like to know a little more about him, even if you have to make it up. What was his major? Why was he skating, etc. My last main thing to comment on was that my eyes got tired of reading the text in red by the end. In fact, it kind of hurt my eyes. I understand why you chose the color red for design purposes, however, it was almost too much. I can't wait to read the more gruesome and thrilling stories you have coming up next though. I think you picked an extremely good topic, and you're using it in a very creative way! Bravo!!!! :)
Overall the first thoughts that came to my mind when I saw your cover page was that I think you did a great job! I think that the name itself is very interesting and that it really did a great job of grabbing my attention! Then on to the colors that you used I think that they really work to your stories advantage! From the title I can assume that this may be a bit of a mystery story so the dark colors add value to the themes of the story. I think that since you made the perspective of the story from Chief Black Hawk’s point of view you allowed for a great amount of detail to be given quickly! Overall this is such a great idea for a storybook and I think that you are doing a great job of telling your stories so far! This is a very interesting story so far and I definitely feel that I will be coming back to read more of your story as the semester goes on! One suggestion maybe would be to add in some crimson colors to your cover page just to add to it a little bit, but overall its great!
I just wanted to say thank you for the nice comment you left on my week two storytelling post. You clearly understood the point I was trying to make about how gluttony can lead to adverse consequences. It's always nice to have feedback to see if it was a success.
Thanks for your positive commentary on one of my storybook posts, Hannah! You said my story sounded like "an aged writer's story," which is a very unique but flattering compliment to a person whose aiming to carve a niche in a writing market where in many cases I'm competing against people twice my age and with twice as much writing experience. Thanks again!
I actually read your blog for last week and I got the privilege of getting to read it again! Since I read your first story and your introduction, this will be primarily about the second story you posted. In the first paragraph I think you combined the words "youngJonathan" so just separate that and you are great. I really liked that you chose Robert to die from the asthma attack. Like you said it is natural. Although it is unfortunate that the little boy died. I am not very excited for the more gruesome deaths in the future, so I am glad that this story was a little happier. I am really impressed with this kids wisdom. It is definitely beyond his years. I really like how this is more about death and wisdom and not about his actual death and how he died. I really enjoyed how you shared how Robert really liked to mess with people. I will definitely be reading your other stories because the idea that all of this actually happened is really interesting to me. Where did you get the idea to do this as your storybook? I would have never known about these stories if you did not tell them.
Oh my goodness Hannah! After commenting on all the storybook I had to comment on this week, I looked through the list of other storybook so I could find one for my free choice. When I saw your title "Live on University Legends" I thought it looked interesting. I am so glad I picked yours! I think the color scheme for your storybook goes great with your theme because it seems dark and scary. After reading your introduction, my assumption of your storybook being stories of the university was correct but I have no idea they would be true stories. That makes it even scarier! I can't believe that actually happened in the Cate basement. I wonder why people have never heard about it? I mean 1986 was not that long ago. Either way I think that is cool that you are using true stories for your project. It makes your storybook come alive and I am so interested in seeing the finished product. I also think that writing your storybook about the university makes it more interesting and relatable for all of us reading it because we are all familiar with these places on campus. What a great job and keep up the good work!
I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I start reading your introduction, I am captivated by the mystery in your story so far. I like that you included that most of the stories are just passed through verbal communication, because that is how so many stories were passed down and lost over the centuries. I loved that you used real historical events and context. I like that you included the myth that tornados will never strike tribal burial grounds. I also think you bringing attention to the fact that people don’t appreciate their surroundings was so true and a good point. I really liked that you personified the buildings on campus and used the “the walls have eyes” type of sentence. I just loved your description of the buildings in your introduction. Oh my god. Your stories are true?! I had no idea. That is so sad! I actually work in Cate and had no idea. We don’t have access to the basement, either. I cannot even imagine! I wonder how we could get access to the basement. Haha. I can’t believe this really happened on campus. I am so happy I chose your storybook, and I will come back and read it as much as possible!
Hello Hannah, I remember reading your Introduction a while and decided to go ahead and read your new additions. The story of Johnny is actually very sad and also very scary. I always got weird vibes from Cate, and this story just confirmed it! I like how the dialog you included for Johnny was written exactly like how old he is. He passed at a very young age and it reflects through the way he talks. I for one am definitely going to avoid the basement from now on. I actually knew about the haunting at Ellison Hall before I read this story. Every time I go in there I get a tad uneasy thinking I’m going to encounter Robert. I find it interesting that both spirits died at such a young age. Using lingo from the time he lived was a very nice touch, I especially enjoyed “Con-flabbit.” Like I mentioned in my previous comment. It would be beneficial to go on the annual OU Ghost Tour that they offer on campus. The best part is that it’s free and super fun! Overall I’m liking how this storybook and progressing and I’m looking forward to returning to read more!
Hey Hannah, I have to say when I first looked at your cover page I really had no idea what was in store for me. I really like your use of the campus at night. I think those pictures combined with the splatter in the very back of the page gives the page a great eerie feel to it.
Your introduction was very detailed and thorough. I like your use of a Native American spirit since the setting is in Norman Oklahoma. I really like the concept of the buildings being able to talk to the spirits as well. I bet there would be a large amount of stories to be told at each different building. It reminded me of the saying "If only wall could talk."
Your first story is definitely a sad one. I can't believe that it is based off of a true story. It is crazy to think that there could be a little kid's ghost roaming around Cate. Maybe someone can get Casper to come over and play with Johnny from time to time. At least he would have someone his age to play with for a little while. I like how exuberant your language is. It fits perfectly for the young age that Johnny is. I think you have done an excellent job on your storybook so far!
I love your storybook project idea! I've always heard that OU was built on Native American burial grounds, but I wasn't sure how much truth there was to that. So it was cool to hear about the details of the myth.
The idea of the campus buildings having eyes and pass stories on to each other was so cool! I like the phrase about never being alone at OU. I liked how you introduced which buildings were going to be featured in the project. It got me thinking about what could happen in the stories.
I'm not entirely sure I'm understanding the concept of the wind ceremony correctly, but if I am, it reminds me of the Veil in Harry Potter.
You did such a good job making these stories creepy! The thought of a 13-year old boy being decapitated makes me squirm a little. I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for a 13-year old Nearly Headless Nick next time I'm in Cate. I liked Johnny's lesson about appreciating what we have while we have it.
I think it's really interesting that there used to be a picture of the dumbwaiter online but that it got taken down. I think OU definitely covers up stories like this and tries to keep them from hitting the media in order to maintain its reputation.
Hey there Hannah! I have to say your storybook gave me a spooky first impression when I got to your storybook! The color scheme also gave me a late night stormy feeling. The choices of images for your coverpage all give me the feeling of haunted spirits so good picks! Your introduction is very well written and I think Native American stories are excellent choices for your specific topic and I really like that you centered it on the university. While it is creepy to think of spirits all around the university, I love your take on the buildings also having their own stories and their own voices. The tour guide feeling in your first story helps the story flow and then Johnny’s character really adds to the whole thing because he explains his death so in depth! It is nice that he focuses on reminding people to appreciate life, though. I can’t believe that it was a true story. That is terrible. Robby’s story is sad too. He is must more positive so I think I like this story better! I can see how not having a violent death might play into that. Overall, I think I’m really going to think about all these ghosts for a while when I’m on campus… Good job! You spooked me!
I love the whole creepy vibe I got when I first opened your storybook. I felt like I knew what I was in for. What an absolutely creative idea! Oklahoma is home for many different Native American tribes and I think you did an excellent job in capturing that essence in your storybook. When first reading I thought it was just going to be about ghost stories, but I love how you took it one step further and incorporated Native American culture into the stories. The concept of having a spirit guide is very interesting and appealing, and maybe just a little bit comforting when talking about spirits. What captured my attention most was when your guide told the reader to be quiet and pay attention. It’s not very often that you have a narrator tell the reader to focus and that is a quality I definitely found enjoyable in your story. Johnny was also very comforting. His kind qualities gave a sense of calming and some great humor as well! You have excellent dialogue! I thought Johnny had some pretty good, and deep, life lessons to teach, and while he was a positive spirit you could definitely tell that he was hurting inside. Great Job!
Hi Hannah, I know I know, I’m beginning to become a very familiar face on this storybook. I’ve returned to read your new addition to the story. Just by the title “Walker Tower Woes” I knew it would an interesting one. I also wanted to read more because in the last story you mentioned that the spirits will only progressively become angrier. I think it’ll add nice variety to the story and make it spookier. I found the way you conveyed how the Walker tower spirit spoke very humorous. When I think of spirits I usually imagine them speaking like that and seeing in typed out made it even better. Throughout reading the story I was hoping it wouldn’t be a true story. Sadly It is. Like you I momentarily lost faith for humanity. How could students take that as a joke? I wonder why Frank decided to go to campus in the first place? I had no idea there’s a whole book dedicated to the ghost stories of this University. I’ll definitely have to pick it up sometime. As usual you did a very good job! I’m looking forward to reading the rest of your storybook! See you next time
Hi Hannah! I am back again to comment on your storybook! I decided to do the extra credit commenting on storybooks this week and because I loved reading yours so much, I wanted to come back and read more. Because I have previously commented on your cover page, introduction, and first story about Johnny, I read the second story about Robert, and will be commenting on that. I love that even though this story is supposedly true, it happened in a building on campus that so many people are familiar with and that makes it so much more creepy. I like that you used Robert's cause of death as an asthma attack rather than him getting hit by a car. I would hope that if he got hit by a car, that would have been documented somewhere, and hopefully if it did happen, someone was punished for killing a little boy. Again, I also like that we are being given a ghost tour by the ghost themselves. One suggestion would be to change the font or color for the word that the ghost themselves is speaking. I think that would be easier to distinguish who is talking. I can't wait to read more of your stories later!! Great job
Hello again, Hannah! Once again, your two newest stories are great. The first story was one I hadn’t heard before. I liked that you included some history of Ellison Hall. I never knew it had been a quarantine and morgue. Especially after reading your next story, it was nice that you kept this one lighter. I like how the ghosts are very distinct from each other. You do a great job giving them all unique voices. Also, the information in the author’s note about the book you used was a great thing to mention. I might have to check it out sometime. The last story was also very well written. It was much darker than the other two but it was really interesting. I was also getting angry reading about the people chanting for Frank to jump. I had heard of suicides on the twelfth floor at Walker Tower but the idea people were encouraging him was sickening. I was surprised when you used the Tower itself as the narrator. I will admit, I was a little skeptical at first but you did it so well! In the end the building being the narrator worked out so well because it could describe the scene from the ground and the twelfth floor. It was weird reading the end about what the ghost supposedly does, like pulling the fire alarms. My freshman year I lived in Walker and one time the alarm on the twelfth floor got pulled at like 3 in the morning. It had been some guys skateboarding in the hallway that pulled it but it made me think about that. Great job, again! I’ll definitely be back for the end of your storybook!
Hi Hannah! I decided to read and comment on your storybook this week because the title was so intriguing--I didn't really know what to expect, but it got me hooked. I love the idea of writing about the tales of hauntings around campus; when I toured for the first time, I heard some spooky stories and was definitely interested in learning more, so this perfectly captured my attention.
First of all, I love the layout of your website. The gray and black background is perfect to set the tone of the story to come. Also looking at the titles for each chapter of your storybook, I am excited to read each one: "Dumbwaiter of Doom" sounds ominous but fascinating.
In terms of the writing, you're doing a great job! I enjoyed the introduction and I appreciated that the narrator was Chief Black Hawk. Your incorporation of the Native American culture and the fact that the University of Oklahoma was built on Indian burial grounds adds a nice touch to the setting. The way that you framed each story was also clever: you conveyed the language that a male college student would use really well, and your use of detail allows the reader to picture walking around campus and actually talking to these ghosts and seeing where all of these events happened.
Overall, great job! I can't wait to read more of your work!
Hey Hannah, I decided to read your storybook for my extra choice. I have commented on it before and really enjoyed what I read so I decided to come back and see what you have done. I only read up to the Dumbwaiter of Doom: Johnny. This time I read Roller Skatin' Robby. I like the background that you included of Ellison Hall. It really gives the reader a sense of how old the buildings which is a good way to set an eerie scene. You did great job telling the story of how Robby died. I like how your writing style has kept with the personalities that the spirits have, and you have done a great job creating those personalities in just a short amount of time. I also really liked the fact that you started off with two friendly spirits. It allowed me to settle into the story and now I am ready to read about the more malicious spirits. I think you have done an excellent job so far with this storybook. The transitions from story to story I think you have done quite well. I look forward to coming back and reading the rest of the storybook.
Hello Kylie! I cannot believe we are this far into the semester and I have not even seen your storybook! That means I get to comment on a lot of your storybook. I would like to start with your cover page. This is a perfect start to your storybook. The cover page is kind of spooky which is what I believe you are going for. I am excited that I am reading this on Halloween! I like that you changed up the format of the cover page and put the navigation on the right side. This gives your storybook a little bit extra individualism. The picture is pretty great. You did a great job on finding spooky pictures of campus. Your introduction is great and I have heard that the university is built on Indian burial grounds and that’s why tornadoes never hit it. It is crazy how that story gets around. Your introduction is great and flows to your stories nicely. I actually have worked in Cate Center for the past five years in O’Henry’s Sandwhich Shop. I have heard the story about the ghost of Cate a lot and have passed that story on. Again, it is crazy how these stories get passed around. I have been in the basement and it is a pretty spooky place. Nothing has ever happened to me but I have heard stories of things being moved in the basement. If you would like I could take a picture of the dumbwaiter for you when I am at work next week that way you will have the real dumbwaiter in your storybook. Just let me know!
I had no idea you were in this class! I can't believe we made it all the way to October without knowing this! I was really excited to read your storybook when I saw that it was OU themed. There is nothing I like more in the world than OU so I was super excited.
I thought your storybook is set up very nicely. I liked that you incorporated part of the OU Chant into your title and I think that aesthetically, your blog is great! Your use of images is also really great!
Your introduction was so cool! I loved that you were able to weave OU tradition with real stories of Native Americans and history. It was so interesting to read and I couldn't wait to read the stories.
The stories were so cool too! I'm a tour guide for OU and I am trained to give the ghost tours, so I loved that you incorporated those tales into your storybook. The fact that you were able to weave real history into this story book was so neat to me. It was an awesome idea and your writing was also so great!
Hannah, I decided to read your storybook this week for my bonus one. Your Storybook’s title interested me a lot and I just had to read it. I can’t believe that I haven’t spot it earlier this semester, or have been assigned to your storybook. Your coverpage looks nice and well put together. Starting with the gray background, I think it complements nicely with the pictures you chose. For some reason it seems like you chose “dark” and mysterious photos of the campus. That makes me wonder what your storybook is going to be about. I like you put a quote in there as well. I wonder what It really means. Your Introduction was great! You told the story so well that I didn’t know whether it was fact or fiction. But, in you Author’s note you explained that the story of Black Hawk was true. That is weird. I have never heard of that story before, and definitely never would have that that the Native Americans from New York were moved all the way to Oklahoma. What a long relocation. I think you did an excellent job introducing and personifying the buildings. Also introducing the “Spirt Wind” was a neat way to set up future story characters. Whoa your first story was great! I had no idea that this story even took place. A Dumbwaiter in Cate Center? There’s no way a kid died in that! What a gruesome and sad death for Johnny. He was so young and just wanted to play. What is a Dumbwaiter anyways?
Hi Hannah! I am back again. I wanted to do the extra credit for this week, so of course I had to come back and see if you have another haunting story to read about the university. I can't believe that students were actually cheering Frank Green on as he dangled from the twelfth floor of Walker Tower. Actually, I can believe it, which is kind of sad. It is so sad that all he probably wanted was for somebody to listen to him. I can't imagine being at such a low point in my life that I would dangle myself over the ledge of a twelve story high building. I also can't imagine doing something like that and having complete stranger encourage me to end my life. Those people didn't even know him. I am sure those young college students weren't fully aware of what they were saying. Or maybe they were. I am not sure which is worse. The sad thing is they were probably scarred for life after witnessing someone fall to their death. I really am thinking about checking out this book you keep talking about. Sounds interesting. Anyways, good job!
Hi Hannah, I just wanted to say thank you for your comments on my week 10 storytelling post! I appreciated that you not only enjoyed the story but also took the extra time to say what you liked about this unit as well. Thanks!
Hey Hannah, I wanted to tell you thank you for your comments. You chose to come back to my storybook and that meant a lot. You did great with your comments and gave me the confidence I needed to keep making my stories. Thank you!
Hey Hannah! Wow, I remember seeing your storybook in it's very early stages when all I really had to comment on at the time was your cover page! Now that I have finally gotten the opportunity this week to have three free choices, I was really excited to revisit your page!
I thought that your introduction was perfect! It completely held my attention and pulling me into wanting to know more about the spirits on OU's campus! I found the area where you talk about tornadoes never being able to hit our campus because it is built on old Indian burial grounds to be incredibly interesting! For the sake of our beautiful school, I really hope that that myth is actually true! Anyways, I think that your storybook is great and that you have a very good chance of being nominated for one of the top storybook categories!
Hello again Hannah, I am back for the rest of your storybook. I still cannot believe how widely known all of these stories are. I definitely thought that the Cate story was just told throughout Cate to the employees. The picture of the dumbwaiter looks great in your story. I am glad that I was able to get that for you and thank you for giving me credit. I have never heard of your third story about Robert. I also did not know that the infirmary experienced quarantines or that the basement acted as a morgue. That is kind of crazy to think about. I bet there are a lot more stories around campus that we have not even heard of. I noticed that one of the buildings in the engineering section has a bomb shelter in the basement. I bet there are some stories about that. Back to your story though, I liked how you explained that spirits that died younger and of natural causes are the nice ghost but as that changes they become less accepting of their death. I never really thought about why some spirits would be nicer than others. Your explanation sounds pretty great. Your last story was knew to me as well. I like that all of your stories have a moral to them. Great job on your storybook.
Hey Hannah! This was my first time to visit your Storybook page and I'm very glad I chose yours as one of my free choices this week. I definitely was interested when I saw your title, I knew it would be worth reading! I loved your title page, the black template made your page seem mysterious and intriguing. I"m so glad you chose to write about our university and incorporate Native American history and culture. I'm actually taking a Native American music class and we learn a lot about the different tribes, including the Seaux! I really liked your introduction, and how Chief BlackHawk narrated (very creative)! In your first story I noticed one small error in your citing for the image. Instead of 'cate' you put 'cat', other than that your first story was awesome in my opinion! Your first story was kind of spooky with Jonathon explaining how his head was severed?! Eerie! And to think it was a true story, that definitely made it more real! These stories almost motivate me to check out these spooky places at night, but I would definitely 'chicken out'. Anyways, awesome job! I honestly loved everything about your storybook!
I'm back at your blog this week because I loved it so much a few weeks ago. I didn't get to read all of your stories last week so I decided to come back so I could read the last two stories of your story book.
I still think that this is one of my favorite storybooks that I have read this semester. I love that it is so specific to our campus, yet incorporates a historical perspective and is still some sort of story retelling. I would have never thought to do something like this and I think that it is just the coolest story book of the semester.
This week, I was able to read your story about Ellison Hall. I love that you were able to perfectly mesh an old folktale from campus history with a book written by a faculty member on this subject. I thought this story was great and it kept me reading the entire time!
Your last story, about the location of now-Zarrow Hall, was also awesome. I have heard this story before on campus but didn't know very much about it. I liked that you were again able to incorporate history and folklore. Awesome job!
Hi again, Hannah! So I came back this week to read your last story and I loved the conclusion to your storybook. I thought the exaggerations of Nadine’s anger from the original version turned out very well. The extra death was very fitting for the twist at the end of the storybook. I was definitely not expecting Black Hawk to be working with Nadine to bring her victims. That was a great way to end the storybook. Like with Walker Tower, using the building of Zarrow Hall to tell Nadine’s story worked very well, especially since all of the people on the tour end up getting killed by Nadine.
I only noticed one small typo in the story. In the ninth paragraph from the bottom (not including the author’s note) it said “The thoughts he had had just…” and I think you’re talking about Nadine so switch he to she. Also I’m not sure if you need the second had… Its ok to leave it but I think the meaning stays the same without it, so that one’s what every you decide to do. I loved all of your storybook. It was one of my favorites that I read throughout the semester. You did a great job and I really enjoyed reading your stories!
Hi Hannah, I noticed I’m not the only person who has returned to read this story! I was sad to learn that this will be the last week of commenting on stories. So I thought what better story to finally finish up was your story! Your story out of all that I have read has been the best so far. Each entry has been consistently well written and interesting. Wow! This was definitely unexpected. I knew in the beginning that the stories would only get darker but you really did a great job! I love how you made your readers curious till the very ending. I was literally entranced with every word until the very end. I like how you added your own twist to the portrayal of Nadine and how you made the story very interactive. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person who is slightly frightened to enter Zarrow Hall again. Overall I absolutely loved your storybook from beginning to end. Your ending was very fitting and a perfect fit for the overall feel of your story. It’s sad to see something so good end but you should be very proud of all the love your story receives! Good job once again
Hey Hannah! I will be finishing this class this week and so I thought I would revisit your storybook one last time. I have enjoyed reading your storybook so much because the stories have been so interesting. I think I like that I can visualize the stories you are retelling because they all take place on campus. The book that you have repeatedly referenced in your Author's Note is definitely a book I plan to read through. I read your last story about Zarrow Hall, and man, was that scary! I have actually never been in that building so now it makes me curious to visit it. Although, I would not want to run into Nadine. I think it is so cool that there are so many ghost stories about our university, but I guess that's what happens when its been here for so long. Your writing is in such good shape, and you did a great job of creating a terrifying plot. Great job on this story, and I am so sad that it is ending. I wish I could read more. Thank for the great stories!
I was very intrigued by how you took the Native American tales and transcribed them onto the University Campus. I knew just what to expect from the title of your storybook homepage and was not let down with what you did with the stories. The introduction does a great job in utilizing the spirit’s voice as the narrator. He is wise and has seen how the University came to be from the times way, way back when his tribe once occupied the land. I also like how you included that they were very close with the earth, because this was a central theme in the Native American tales unit. I like how you gave the buildings spirits and said the were sad to see how the students did not know of the beauty and history that surrounds them when they walk on campus. I love how you included at the bottom that the Chief Black Hawk is true and actually resided in Oklahoma. It was great to include this in your introduction even if it was not required.
It was clever to have first story took place in Cate. It was unique to have the ceremony take place in one of the actual buildings on campus. It really sticks to your theme and helps to bring the University feel to the Native American tales. Having the spirits tell the stories is a great idea! You get to see how Johnny died, and why now he is a spirit with a severed head. I could imagine the students gathered in Cate listening to this spirit tell them the tale. I like how you take the spin on the story to have Johnny encourage the students to live life to the fullest and not take the campus life and University for granted, instead of focusing on the story of his death. I like the originality in using the legend of the haunted basement. I can see where you are going with your stories now and cant wait to see how the rest turn out!
I read this story book a few weeks ago and since it has been one of my favorite thus far, I decided to finish reading the rest of your stories. I must say that I am not disappointed at all! You truly have done a great job on this storybook. What I like most about this is that the stories are based off of real hauntings on campus. Also, you have done a great job of writing them so they're fun to read.
I must say that I was very surprised by the ending though. I have looked at Zarrow hall and walked by it several times. I had no idea that at one point in time that there used to be a tri delt house there and that hauntings had occurred for several years after the murder. I was also surprised that the students at OU had cheered on the man who jumped from Walker. All of these stories have impacted how I look at the buildings on campus. It is nice that I am able to relate to these stories and that you have made them come alive.
Overall, I must say that you did an amazing job on your storybook and I wish you weren't done writing. Great job!!!
Hannah, I have not visited your storybook yet but you were voted first in best overall storybook and I thought I would check it out! I was wondering the whole time while reading the introduction if any of this was true or not. Thanks for including that it was in your author’s note. The introduction was very informative and successful as you described what would be the theme of your storybook and you were able to introduce the main characters. I was looking forward to beginning your first story, “Dumbwaiter of Doom,” by Johnny. I loved this first story! It was creepy, accurate, and contained some humor. I have never heard any of these stories before so it is interesting to learn about events that happened on our campus. I think it is a great idea that you incorporated something that is so relevant to other readers in this class as well are students of the University of Oklahoma. I wish I had time to read the other stories in your storybook this week. Hopefully I can return later in the semester or even after the class is over to read the stories for enjoyment. Great job on the creativity of your storybook and for winning best overall storybook!
Thanks for commenting on my Princess Constellations!
I do wish I had expanded on the Father-Daughter interaction there. I left it out for the most part to focus on her alone and I had a hard time staying in the length limit! Should I ever choose to expand this story, I will definitely include how the Father felt. I do think that it would be a heartbreaking situation where the stepmother threatens him or would leave him, or somehow manipulates him into thinking her going away is good for her/good for her talents.
I definitely ended it as a cliffhanger to kinda let people imagine what happened to her themselves.
Hey Hannah, in my last week of storybook assignments I had not yet read yours, but I am sure glad that I did!
Your introduction was fantastic and it is intriguing that it is all true. The only time I have really thought about the history of the buildings has been when I see old pictures or walk through older portions of the library. Your storybook idea was definitely one of the most creative and one of the best!
For your first story, I loved the picture you chose. The dark background is perfect to set the mood of the stories. It is so freaky that they are true! Your story is very well written, it gets the emotions of the boy across very well. So sad to have died at such a young age.
I enjoyed how your second story was more upbeat. It's awesome that you used a book from the library here to teach you about deaths on campus for use in a class. That seems like such an interesting cycle of events.
It is absolutely horrid that people would cheer for him to jump to his death. Imagining how loud they must have been cheering in order for him to hear them... Man.
The story of Nadine is indeed a scary one. I was a little confused as to which parts were true, but I got the general idea. Your storybook was the best I have read so far, great job!
Hannah- I read your storybook towards the beginning of the semester and was absolutely in love with the idea. I knew I would be reading yours when the semester got done just to find out about the stories you would tell! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE your storybook project. I think your topic is super cool and creative. I like that you tie the university to the myth of ancient indian burial grounds being unable to be hit by a tornado. You have added more details to your introduction since I first read your storybook, and I love it! You did such a great job of making Johnny sound innocent and childish. The fact that all of these stories are true is so crazy to me! You never think of things like this happening on your campus. I will say that I was so incredibly angry when I found out that the part about students encouraging a student to kill himself was true. I also felt hatred for humanity for a second. I think my favorite thing is that your storybook tells morals and teach you lessons (like not to take your life for granted). I absolutely loved your final story and had NO idea that twist was coming. I was completely shocked, but I loved it! What a great way to end your story!
For some more good ghost stories that might inspire you for your Storybook, you are really going to enjoy the Native American units that are coming up - there are so many amazing ghost stories in there. If you go to the Native American units page and use Control-F you can find the word "ghost" in so many of the different titles. Very relevant to your Storybook! :-)
ReplyDeleteOk, Hannah! That was AWESOME!! I see we both chose Native American bases for our Storybooks. I was taken in from the minute I started to read your introduction – The Great Wind Ceremony. I think it is so cool that we are communing with spirits from the Sauk Tribe. I mean, it would be a really interesting experience, but definitely would freak me out a bit. I liked the fact that you too used a word from the Sauk language as a greeting. What does it mean??? I also enjoyed the fact that you gave us a bit of background, not just on the main character leading the Great Wind Ceremony, but on the land of Norman in general. I think it’s a very creative way to draw the readers, especially our group of readers who are all on OU campus at some point during their days, in and give them a history lesson while simultaneously scaring the crap out of us! I usually forget about the Indian burial ground and the fact that tornadoes will never hit OU until the tornado season comes around and I cross my fingers or unless it comes up in conversation. My previous Cherokee teacher would tell us tales passed down from her clan and would ask if we believed in the magic or if we all believed there was a logical, science and fact-driven answer that would explain the story. While I am a student of logic, I am also Cherokee and a hopeless romantic, so I tend to believe the former. To that end, while I’m sure the river bed location has landed Norman in an almost geographically safe location from tornadoes, I really choose to believe that The Spirits of the native tribe will not allow the Sacred Land to be touched. While I looooooved your intro, it made me sad. It was a sad tale that, unfortunately, was done too many times to too many Native American tribes and is still happening. So, I think this was a fantastic introduction. You mixed in history, legend, your own writing style, and a little bit of fright!! Well done, I will definitely be back to read your stories, girl!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, FYI, I didn’t know if you knew this. I was checking out all of your images on your home (navigation) page and your “lower left” and your “upper right” image links both lead to the ice storm page. Just wanted to let you know….
I have to agree with Michele! Hannah, this is a great topic. I have just started reading and I am already drawn in. I think it is particularly awesome that you choose University of Oklahoma as you setting and I find it eerie that this "Ceremony of the Wind" takes place when the temperate starts to change. I do not know if you have notice, but fall just started and it is getting a little colder! Spooky HAHA. Good Timing! Within this back story of Blackhawk's I can definitely fell a sense of hatred, it is definitely spooky. I also loved how you added some of the history of the university into your introduction. Very Effective! Great Job and Keep Up the GOOD WORK. I look forward to reading your stories!
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah! So first off, I think that you have a very interesting topic (hence me choosing your storybook as my free-bee this week!). The pictures that you chose for your title page are fantastic! I have always pictured the Bizzell Library as this beautiful majestic building, so it was quite a shock to see it look so daunting in your photos! I also really like the added flare that the droopy background gives to the page in creating a spooky virtual atmosphere before we even start reading!
ReplyDeleteFor your introduction, I thought that the red lettering gives the flare of being something scary, but I kind of found the coloration to hurt my eyes a bit as a read. I do not know if that was just a personal issue, or if it is something that may need to be fixed. I am only nit picking because your storybook was great and the content was very interesting! I think you have a very nice writing style that is both creative and has a nice flow.
I mostly love that you decided to base your storybook off of our own university. OU and Oklahoma both have so much history that I cannot wait to see how you are going to transform history or old tales into something of your own! I am glad that you gave us a sneak peak into which spirits your going to talk about in your stories as well! I think that each of them sound extremely interesting and I look forward to hopefully getting to read them as the semester progresses! Great job this week!
Oh, and one more quick note before I go. I noticed that your links to the web source for your photo and in your authors note do not show up on your page! You may have already caught that, but if not, I just thought I would give you a heads up!
Hi Hannah! Your title for your storybook drew me in from the beginning, which I why I chose yours for my third. I’m going to talk first about your cover page then I’ll move on to your introduction. First of all, I love your title. It’s really clever and made me want to click on it in the first place. I also think your theme is great for the mood of the storybook. The black and red really set a tone for the upcoming ghost stories. I also love the collage on your cover page. The pictures set around campus are great and set the creepy mood. The only thing I would suggest is working on your link colors. Before they are clicked on, they are black and blend completely into the background.
ReplyDeleteIn your introduction, I thought it was great how you made the narrator a Native American spirit whose tribe was sent to Norman. It works great with the myths and legends about the founding and location of OU. The voice of the intro is great also and it was very interesting to read. You did a great job setting up the background for the narrator but also presented the general topics for the future stories. Overall I loved your storybook so far and am looking forward to reading more!
Hello Hannah, first off I’m a big sucker for a good ghost story. I don't particularly like watching horror films but I would gladly read about spirits and urban legends any day. First off I love how you made the theme of your site kind of eerie and dark. It definitely adds to the effect of your topic of choice. From the first sentence I knew this would be one story I would keep coming back to. I love how you made the introduction from Chief Black Hawk’s point of view. You did a great job of expressing how he felt about the events leading up to present day Norman. The part about Norman being protected from tornadoes made me remember something that I was told when I moved on campus. I remember when I lived on the dorms they mentioned that, that particular are never got hit by a tornado. I actually have done research about the hauntings around campus so I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of your story. If you ever need first-hand experience on your topic I suggest going to the annual OU campus ghost tour that is offered here. I’ve never been but I heard it’s very informative and even better it’s free! I’m looking forward to your story!
ReplyDeleteHannah,
ReplyDeleteYour title really intrigued me, so good job with picking that. I will say though, the red words on top of the black background was a little overpowering for me personally. I was not really sure what to expect when going to your page, but for some reason I was not expecting to be reading about a Native American chief. Although, after I thought about it, it made total sense! That was a really smart decision on your part since Native American's and their culture are a big part of Oklahoma history. I am saying that from experience with my one semester in high school of Oklahoma history. I definitely learned a lot about the Native American tribes. Are you completely creating these stories out of thin air? I mean not complete thin air. I saw in your Author's Note that your first story was actually based off of a real event. That is so crazy. Where did you discover all of these OU legends? I like that you told the story from his spirit's view. It makes his story more personable. Johnny really stressed that life is short and you never know when it is your time to go. You are so creative and I cannot wait to hear about Bobby and Sarah!
Hannah, what a cool idea for a storybook! I’m sure the research you do for your stories is super interesting since we can relate so deeply to stories about OU! I love the collage type thing you made for your cover page and I also like your background, but I personally would consider changing the red color of the font. Maybe a deeper red/crimson/burgundy color would look better? I feel like that particular color of red makes the page look a little amateur and it definitely doesn’t have to. It’s also a little hard to read. Your introduction was good, I liked how you mixed historical information into your storytelling!
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I noticed about your first story page was the discrepancy between dumbwaiter as one word and dumb waiter as two words. In the title and the navigation sidebar, you have it as two separate words, but in the photo caption and in the story itself you have it as one word. I think that’s just a consistency thing that will be easy to fix. The story itself was crazy! I had no idea such a thing happened and it happened pretty recently! I look forward to reading more of your stories, good job overall!
Hey Hannah! When I saw Week 8's assignment for thank you notes. I knew you would be the first person that I would choose to thank! Not only did you leave such a detailed comment about my storybook introduction. You also came back and read my additional story and left awesome feedback on that too! Your amazing comments flatter my inner writer. Thank you, I really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteHi again, Hannah! As I said before, I think your theme is perfect for the feel of the storybook and I love the pictures you use. I saw since last time I looked at your storybook that you changed the links’ color. That was very helpful and I think it looks great.
ReplyDeleteI love your first story. I hadn’t heard about this ghost story before. I thought it was very well written. I loved well you did with Johnny’s voice. It’s completely different from Black Hawk’s. The line about noticing the severed head, when Johnny said ‘this is awkward’ cracked me up. I also liked the ‘I was bored out of my mind’ line (although I’m not sure if that was an intentional pun or not). The story really is tragic, but you give it a bit of lightness through Johnny’s retelling of his ordeal. I like that you included him seeing his friends years later when they came to OU. That was a heartbreaking detail. I think it added a lot of feeling to the story. I also liked the title ‘dumbwaiter of doom’. It fit the story very well. Lastly, it was great that you added a link to the original News story. That added a lot to the story.
Overall, you’ve done a great job with your storybook! I look forward to reading your next stories.
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI decided to review your storybook for my free choice in the week eight internet assignment. From the first look at your cover page, I thought the layout was a bit difficult to process. My eye was drawn more to the stark white links than anything else. I think maybe changing the link color to a dark gray would work best, and changing the “Live On University Legends” and What Lies Beneath texts to white would help the eyes divert in the right direction right off the bat.
I think there is a little bit of inconsistency from the cover page to the intro page. From your cover page I had no idea that the story would be about a Native American Chief. After some thought it made sense but maybe changing some of the pictures would help with that. There were a few grammatical issues in the story which have been addressed in previous comments, but otherwise I really liked the story! I had NO idea that this was a true story, and it makes me wonder what other scary stories have happened on our campus. I think you will probably share more of them with us – can’t wait to read more!
Mackenzie
Hello!!! Okay, so you have me on the edge of my seat here, I want to know more of these stories! As far as your cover page is concerned, I really liked it. If anything, I would try to pic a picture that is less busy and more OU specific. I understood the picture because I am from OU, but you want to make sure that it is more general, for people who may ever potentially read it that are not familiar with all of the buildings.
ReplyDeleteAs far as your introduction goes, I like that as well! It kind of dragged on a bit and seemed to just ramble for a while though. I would consider getting to the point and sticking to that.
The first story was wonderful. I had no idea that things like that had happened here at OU, and so I was completely immersed in the story. I really liked your second story as well. They were both just very well written. You also had good use of detail. If anything, I would try to make the second one seem more exciting and thrilling. The boy on the skates just kind of dies, I would like to know a little more about him, even if you have to make it up. What was his major? Why was he skating, etc.
My last main thing to comment on was that my eyes got tired of reading the text in red by the end. In fact, it kind of hurt my eyes. I understand why you chose the color red for design purposes, however, it was almost too much.
I can't wait to read the more gruesome and thrilling stories you have coming up next though. I think you picked an extremely good topic, and you're using it in a very creative way! Bravo!!!! :)
Overall the first thoughts that came to my mind when I saw your cover page was that I think you did a great job! I think that the name itself is very interesting and that it really did a great job of grabbing my attention! Then on to the colors that you used I think that they really work to your stories advantage! From the title I can assume that this may be a bit of a mystery story so the dark colors add value to the themes of the story. I think that since you made the perspective of the story from Chief Black Hawk’s point of view you allowed for a great amount of detail to be given quickly! Overall this is such a great idea for a storybook and I think that you are doing a great job of telling your stories so far! This is a very interesting story so far and I definitely feel that I will be coming back to read more of your story as the semester goes on! One suggestion maybe would be to add in some crimson colors to your cover page just to add to it a little bit, but overall its great!
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say thank you for the nice comment you left on my week two storytelling post. You clearly understood the point I was trying to make about how gluttony can lead to adverse consequences. It's always nice to have feedback to see if it was a success.
Thanks!
Thanks for your positive commentary on one of my storybook posts, Hannah! You said my story sounded like "an aged writer's story," which is a very unique but flattering compliment to a person whose aiming to carve a niche in a writing market where in many cases I'm competing against people twice my age and with twice as much writing experience. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah!
ReplyDeleteI actually read your blog for last week and I got the privilege of getting to read it again! Since I read your first story and your introduction, this will be primarily about the second story you posted. In the first paragraph I think you combined the words "youngJonathan" so just separate that and you are great. I really liked that you chose Robert to die from the asthma attack. Like you said it is natural. Although it is unfortunate that the little boy died. I am not very excited for the more gruesome deaths in the future, so I am glad that this story was a little happier. I am really impressed with this kids wisdom. It is definitely beyond his years. I really like how this is more about death and wisdom and not about his actual death and how he died. I really enjoyed how you shared how Robert really liked to mess with people. I will definitely be reading your other stories because the idea that all of this actually happened is really interesting to me. Where did you get the idea to do this as your storybook? I would have never known about these stories if you did not tell them.
Oh my goodness Hannah! After commenting on all the storybook I had to comment on this week, I looked through the list of other storybook so I could find one for my free choice. When I saw your title "Live on University Legends" I thought it looked interesting. I am so glad I picked yours! I think the color scheme for your storybook goes great with your theme because it seems dark and scary. After reading your introduction, my assumption of your storybook being stories of the university was correct but I have no idea they would be true stories. That makes it even scarier! I can't believe that actually happened in the Cate basement. I wonder why people have never heard about it? I mean 1986 was not that long ago. Either way I think that is cool that you are using true stories for your project. It makes your storybook come alive and I am so interested in seeing the finished product. I also think that writing your storybook about the university makes it more interesting and relatable for all of us reading it because we are all familiar with these places on campus. What a great job and keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t sure what to expect. When I start reading your introduction, I am captivated by the mystery in your story so far. I like that you included that most of the stories are just passed through verbal communication, because that is how so many stories were passed down and lost over the centuries. I loved that you used real historical events and context. I like that you included the myth that tornados will never strike tribal burial grounds. I also think you bringing attention to the fact that people don’t appreciate their surroundings was so true and a good point. I really liked that you personified the buildings on campus and used the “the walls have eyes” type of sentence. I just loved your description of the buildings in your introduction. Oh my god. Your stories are true?! I had no idea. That is so sad! I actually work in Cate and had no idea. We don’t have access to the basement, either. I cannot even imagine! I wonder how we could get access to the basement. Haha. I can’t believe this really happened on campus. I am so happy I chose your storybook, and I will come back and read it as much as possible!
ReplyDeleteHello Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI remember reading your Introduction a while and decided to go ahead and read your new additions. The story of Johnny is actually very sad and also very scary. I always got weird vibes from Cate, and this story just confirmed it! I like how the dialog you included for Johnny was written exactly like how old he is. He passed at a very young age and it reflects through the way he talks. I for one am definitely going to avoid the basement from now on. I actually knew about the haunting at Ellison Hall before I read this story. Every time I go in there I get a tad uneasy thinking I’m going to encounter Robert. I find it interesting that both spirits died at such a young age. Using lingo from the time he lived was a very nice touch, I especially enjoyed “Con-flabbit.” Like I mentioned in my previous comment. It would be beneficial to go on the annual OU Ghost Tour that they offer on campus. The best part is that it’s free and super fun! Overall I’m liking how this storybook and progressing and I’m looking forward to returning to read more!
Hey Hannah, I have to say when I first looked at your cover page I really had no idea what was in store for me. I really like your use of the campus at night. I think those pictures combined with the splatter in the very back of the page gives the page a great eerie feel to it.
ReplyDeleteYour introduction was very detailed and thorough. I like your use of a Native American spirit since the setting is in Norman Oklahoma. I really like the concept of the buildings being able to talk to the spirits as well. I bet there would be a large amount of stories to be told at each different building. It reminded me of the saying "If only wall could talk."
Your first story is definitely a sad one. I can't believe that it is based off of a true story. It is crazy to think that there could be a little kid's ghost roaming around Cate. Maybe someone can get Casper to come over and play with Johnny from time to time. At least he would have someone his age to play with for a little while. I like how exuberant your language is. It fits perfectly for the young age that Johnny is. I think you have done an excellent job on your storybook so far!
Hey Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI love your storybook project idea! I've always heard that OU was built on Native American burial grounds, but I wasn't sure how much truth there was to that. So it was cool to hear about the details of the myth.
The idea of the campus buildings having eyes and pass stories on to each other was so cool! I like the phrase about never being alone at OU. I liked how you introduced which buildings were going to be featured in the project. It got me thinking about what could happen in the stories.
I'm not entirely sure I'm understanding the concept of the wind ceremony correctly, but if I am, it reminds me of the Veil in Harry Potter.
You did such a good job making these stories creepy! The thought of a 13-year old boy being decapitated makes me squirm a little. I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for a 13-year old Nearly Headless Nick next time I'm in Cate. I liked Johnny's lesson about appreciating what we have while we have it.
I think it's really interesting that there used to be a picture of the dumbwaiter online but that it got taken down. I think OU definitely covers up stories like this and tries to keep them from hitting the media in order to maintain its reputation.
Great job with this!
Hey there Hannah! I have to say your storybook gave me a spooky first impression when I got to your storybook! The color scheme also gave me a late night stormy feeling. The choices of images for your coverpage all give me the feeling of haunted spirits so good picks! Your introduction is very well written and I think Native American stories are excellent choices for your specific topic and I really like that you centered it on the university. While it is creepy to think of spirits all around the university, I love your take on the buildings also having their own stories and their own voices. The tour guide feeling in your first story helps the story flow and then Johnny’s character really adds to the whole thing because he explains his death so in depth! It is nice that he focuses on reminding people to appreciate life, though. I can’t believe that it was a true story. That is terrible. Robby’s story is sad too. He is must more positive so I think I like this story better! I can see how not having a violent death might play into that. Overall, I think I’m really going to think about all these ghosts for a while when I’m on campus… Good job! You spooked me!
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI love the whole creepy vibe I got when I first opened your storybook. I felt like I knew what I was in for. What an absolutely creative idea! Oklahoma is home for many different Native American tribes and I think you did an excellent job in capturing that essence in your storybook. When first reading I thought it was just going to be about ghost stories, but I love how you took it one step further and incorporated Native American culture into the stories. The concept of having a spirit guide is very interesting and appealing, and maybe just a little bit comforting when talking about spirits. What captured my attention most was when your guide told the reader to be quiet and pay attention. It’s not very often that you have a narrator tell the reader to focus and that is a quality I definitely found enjoyable in your story. Johnny was also very comforting. His kind qualities gave a sense of calming and some great humor as well! You have excellent dialogue! I thought Johnny had some pretty good, and deep, life lessons to teach, and while he was a positive spirit you could definitely tell that he was hurting inside. Great Job!
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI know I know, I’m beginning to become a very familiar face on this storybook. I’ve returned to read your new addition to the story. Just by the title “Walker Tower Woes” I knew it would an interesting one. I also wanted to read more because in the last story you mentioned that the spirits will only progressively become angrier. I think it’ll add nice variety to the story and make it spookier. I found the way you conveyed how the Walker tower spirit spoke very humorous. When I think of spirits I usually imagine them speaking like that and seeing in typed out made it even better. Throughout reading the story I was hoping it wouldn’t be a true story. Sadly It is. Like you I momentarily lost faith for humanity. How could students take that as a joke? I wonder why Frank decided to go to campus in the first place? I had no idea there’s a whole book dedicated to the ghost stories of this University. I’ll definitely have to pick it up sometime. As usual you did a very good job! I’m looking forward to reading the rest of your storybook! See you next time
Hi Hannah! I am back again to comment on your storybook! I decided to do the extra credit commenting on storybooks this week and because I loved reading yours so much, I wanted to come back and read more. Because I have previously commented on your cover page, introduction, and first story about Johnny, I read the second story about Robert, and will be commenting on that. I love that even though this story is supposedly true, it happened in a building on campus that so many people are familiar with and that makes it so much more creepy. I like that you used Robert's cause of death as an asthma attack rather than him getting hit by a car. I would hope that if he got hit by a car, that would have been documented somewhere, and hopefully if it did happen, someone was punished for killing a little boy. Again, I also like that we are being given a ghost tour by the ghost themselves. One suggestion would be to change the font or color for the word that the ghost themselves is speaking. I think that would be easier to distinguish who is talking. I can't wait to read more of your stories later!! Great job
ReplyDeleteHello again, Hannah! Once again, your two newest stories are great. The first story was one I hadn’t heard before. I liked that you included some history of Ellison Hall. I never knew it had been a quarantine and morgue. Especially after reading your next story, it was nice that you kept this one lighter. I like how the ghosts are very distinct from each other. You do a great job giving them all unique voices. Also, the information in the author’s note about the book you used was a great thing to mention. I might have to check it out sometime.
ReplyDeleteThe last story was also very well written. It was much darker than the other two but it was really interesting. I was also getting angry reading about the people chanting for Frank to jump. I had heard of suicides on the twelfth floor at Walker Tower but the idea people were encouraging him was sickening. I was surprised when you used the Tower itself as the narrator. I will admit, I was a little skeptical at first but you did it so well! In the end the building being the narrator worked out so well because it could describe the scene from the ground and the twelfth floor. It was weird reading the end about what the ghost supposedly does, like pulling the fire alarms. My freshman year I lived in Walker and one time the alarm on the twelfth floor got pulled at like 3 in the morning. It had been some guys skateboarding in the hallway that pulled it but it made me think about that. Great job, again! I’ll definitely be back for the end of your storybook!
Hi Hannah! I decided to read and comment on your storybook this week because the title was so intriguing--I didn't really know what to expect, but it got me hooked. I love the idea of writing about the tales of hauntings around campus; when I toured for the first time, I heard some spooky stories and was definitely interested in learning more, so this perfectly captured my attention.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I love the layout of your website. The gray and black background is perfect to set the tone of the story to come. Also looking at the titles for each chapter of your storybook, I am excited to read each one: "Dumbwaiter of Doom" sounds ominous but fascinating.
In terms of the writing, you're doing a great job! I enjoyed the introduction and I appreciated that the narrator was Chief Black Hawk. Your incorporation of the Native American culture and the fact that the University of Oklahoma was built on Indian burial grounds adds a nice touch to the setting. The way that you framed each story was also clever: you conveyed the language that a male college student would use really well, and your use of detail allows the reader to picture walking around campus and actually talking to these ghosts and seeing where all of these events happened.
Overall, great job! I can't wait to read more of your work!
Hey Hannah, I decided to read your storybook for my extra choice. I have commented on it before and really enjoyed what I read so I decided to come back and see what you have done. I only read up to the Dumbwaiter of Doom: Johnny. This time I read Roller Skatin' Robby. I like the background that you included of Ellison Hall. It really gives the reader a sense of how old the buildings which is a good way to set an eerie scene. You did great job telling the story of how Robby died. I like how your writing style has kept with the personalities that the spirits have, and you have done a great job creating those personalities in just a short amount of time. I also really liked the fact that you started off with two friendly spirits. It allowed me to settle into the story and now I am ready to read about the more malicious spirits. I think you have done an excellent job so far with this storybook. The transitions from story to story I think you have done quite well. I look forward to coming back and reading the rest of the storybook.
ReplyDeleteHello Kylie! I cannot believe we are this far into the semester and I have not even seen your storybook! That means I get to comment on a lot of your storybook. I would like to start with your cover page. This is a perfect start to your storybook. The cover page is kind of spooky which is what I believe you are going for. I am excited that I am reading this on Halloween! I like that you changed up the format of the cover page and put the navigation on the right side. This gives your storybook a little bit extra individualism. The picture is pretty great. You did a great job on finding spooky pictures of campus. Your introduction is great and I have heard that the university is built on Indian burial grounds and that’s why tornadoes never hit it. It is crazy how that story gets around. Your introduction is great and flows to your stories nicely. I actually have worked in Cate Center for the past five years in O’Henry’s Sandwhich Shop. I have heard the story about the ghost of Cate a lot and have passed that story on. Again, it is crazy how these stories get passed around. I have been in the basement and it is a pretty spooky place. Nothing has ever happened to me but I have heard stories of things being moved in the basement. If you would like I could take a picture of the dumbwaiter for you when I am at work next week that way you will have the real dumbwaiter in your storybook. Just let me know!
ReplyDeleteHannah!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you were in this class! I can't believe we made it all the way to October without knowing this! I was really excited to read your storybook when I saw that it was OU themed. There is nothing I like more in the world than OU so I was super excited.
I thought your storybook is set up very nicely. I liked that you incorporated part of the OU Chant into your title and I think that aesthetically, your blog is great! Your use of images is also really great!
Your introduction was so cool! I loved that you were able to weave OU tradition with real stories of Native Americans and history. It was so interesting to read and I couldn't wait to read the stories.
The stories were so cool too! I'm a tour guide for OU and I am trained to give the ghost tours, so I loved that you incorporated those tales into your storybook. The fact that you were able to weave real history into this story book was so neat to me. It was an awesome idea and your writing was also so great!
Good job!!
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI decided to read your storybook this week for my bonus one. Your Storybook’s title interested me a lot and I just had to read it. I can’t believe that I haven’t spot it earlier this semester, or have been assigned to your storybook.
Your coverpage looks nice and well put together. Starting with the gray background, I think it complements nicely with the pictures you chose. For some reason it seems like you chose “dark” and mysterious photos of the campus. That makes me wonder what your storybook is going to be about. I like you put a quote in there as well. I wonder what It really means.
Your Introduction was great! You told the story so well that I didn’t know whether it was fact or fiction. But, in you Author’s note you explained that the story of Black Hawk was true. That is weird. I have never heard of that story before, and definitely never would have that that the Native Americans from New York were moved all the way to Oklahoma. What a long relocation. I think you did an excellent job introducing and personifying the buildings. Also introducing the “Spirt Wind” was a neat way to set up future story characters.
Whoa your first story was great! I had no idea that this story even took place. A Dumbwaiter in Cate Center? There’s no way a kid died in that! What a gruesome and sad death for Johnny. He was so young and just wanted to play. What is a Dumbwaiter anyways?
Hi Hannah! I am back again. I wanted to do the extra credit for this week, so of course I had to come back and see if you have another haunting story to read about the university. I can't believe that students were actually cheering Frank Green on as he dangled from the twelfth floor of Walker Tower. Actually, I can believe it, which is kind of sad. It is so sad that all he probably wanted was for somebody to listen to him. I can't imagine being at such a low point in my life that I would dangle myself over the ledge of a twelve story high building. I also can't imagine doing something like that and having complete stranger encourage me to end my life. Those people didn't even know him. I am sure those young college students weren't fully aware of what they were saying. Or maybe they were. I am not sure which is worse. The sad thing is they were probably scarred for life after witnessing someone fall to their death. I really am thinking about checking out this book you keep talking about. Sounds interesting. Anyways, good job!
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah, I just wanted to say thank you for your comments on my week 10 storytelling post! I appreciated that you not only enjoyed the story but also took the extra time to say what you liked about this unit as well. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah, I wanted to tell you thank you for your comments. You chose to come back to my storybook and that meant a lot. You did great with your comments and gave me the confidence I needed to keep making my stories. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah! Wow, I remember seeing your storybook in it's very early stages when all I really had to comment on at the time was your cover page! Now that I have finally gotten the opportunity this week to have three free choices, I was really excited to revisit your page!
ReplyDeleteI thought that your introduction was perfect! It completely held my attention and pulling me into wanting to know more about the spirits on OU's campus! I found the area where you talk about tornadoes never being able to hit our campus because it is built on old Indian burial grounds to be incredibly interesting! For the sake of our beautiful school, I really hope that that myth is actually true! Anyways, I think that your storybook is great and that you have a very good chance of being nominated for one of the top storybook categories!
Hello again Hannah, I am back for the rest of your storybook. I still cannot believe how widely known all of these stories are. I definitely thought that the Cate story was just told throughout Cate to the employees. The picture of the dumbwaiter looks great in your story. I am glad that I was able to get that for you and thank you for giving me credit. I have never heard of your third story about Robert. I also did not know that the infirmary experienced quarantines or that the basement acted as a morgue. That is kind of crazy to think about. I bet there are a lot more stories around campus that we have not even heard of. I noticed that one of the buildings in the engineering section has a bomb shelter in the basement. I bet there are some stories about that. Back to your story though, I liked how you explained that spirits that died younger and of natural causes are the nice ghost but as that changes they become less accepting of their death. I never really thought about why some spirits would be nicer than others. Your explanation sounds pretty great. Your last story was knew to me as well. I like that all of your stories have a moral to them. Great job on your storybook.
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah!
ReplyDeleteThis was my first time to visit your Storybook page and I'm very glad I chose yours as one of my free choices this week. I definitely was interested when I saw your title, I knew it would be worth reading! I loved your title page, the black template made your page seem mysterious and intriguing. I"m so glad you chose to write about our university and incorporate Native American history and culture. I'm actually taking a Native American music class and we learn a lot about the different tribes, including the Seaux! I really liked your introduction, and how Chief BlackHawk narrated (very creative)! In your first story I noticed one small error in your citing for the image. Instead of 'cate' you put 'cat', other than that your first story was awesome in my opinion! Your first story was kind of spooky with Jonathon explaining how his head was severed?! Eerie! And to think it was a true story, that definitely made it more real! These stories almost motivate me to check out these spooky places at night, but I would definitely 'chicken out'. Anyways, awesome job! I honestly loved everything about your storybook!
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI'm back at your blog this week because I loved it so much a few weeks ago. I didn't get to read all of your stories last week so I decided to come back so I could read the last two stories of your story book.
I still think that this is one of my favorite storybooks that I have read this semester. I love that it is so specific to our campus, yet incorporates a historical perspective and is still some sort of story retelling. I would have never thought to do something like this and I think that it is just the coolest story book of the semester.
This week, I was able to read your story about Ellison Hall. I love that you were able to perfectly mesh an old folktale from campus history with a book written by a faculty member on this subject. I thought this story was great and it kept me reading the entire time!
Your last story, about the location of now-Zarrow Hall, was also awesome. I have heard this story before on campus but didn't know very much about it. I liked that you were again able to incorporate history and folklore. Awesome job!
Hi again, Hannah! So I came back this week to read your last story and I loved the conclusion to your storybook. I thought the exaggerations of Nadine’s anger from the original version turned out very well. The extra death was very fitting for the twist at the end of the storybook. I was definitely not expecting Black Hawk to be working with Nadine to bring her victims. That was a great way to end the storybook. Like with Walker Tower, using the building of Zarrow Hall to tell Nadine’s story worked very well, especially since all of the people on the tour end up getting killed by Nadine.
ReplyDeleteI only noticed one small typo in the story. In the ninth paragraph from the bottom (not including the author’s note) it said “The thoughts he had had just…” and I think you’re talking about Nadine so switch he to she. Also I’m not sure if you need the second had… Its ok to leave it but I think the meaning stays the same without it, so that one’s what every you decide to do. I loved all of your storybook. It was one of my favorites that I read throughout the semester. You did a great job and I really enjoyed reading your stories!
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI noticed I’m not the only person who has returned to read this story! I was sad to learn that this will be the last week of commenting on stories. So I thought what better story to finally finish up was your story! Your story out of all that I have read has been the best so far. Each entry has been consistently well written and interesting. Wow! This was definitely unexpected. I knew in the beginning that the stories would only get darker but you really did a great job! I love how you made your readers curious till the very ending. I was literally entranced with every word until the very end. I like how you added your own twist to the portrayal of Nadine and how you made the story very interactive. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person who is slightly frightened to enter Zarrow Hall again. Overall I absolutely loved your storybook from beginning to end. Your ending was very fitting and a perfect fit for the overall feel of your story. It’s sad to see something so good end but you should be very proud of all the love your story receives! Good job once again
Hey Hannah! I will be finishing this class this week and so I thought I would revisit your storybook one last time. I have enjoyed reading your storybook so much because the stories have been so interesting. I think I like that I can visualize the stories you are retelling because they all take place on campus. The book that you have repeatedly referenced in your Author's Note is definitely a book I plan to read through. I read your last story about Zarrow Hall, and man, was that scary! I have actually never been in that building so now it makes me curious to visit it. Although, I would not want to run into Nadine. I think it is so cool that there are so many ghost stories about our university, but I guess that's what happens when its been here for so long. Your writing is in such good shape, and you did a great job of creating a terrifying plot. Great job on this story, and I am so sad that it is ending. I wish I could read more. Thank for the great stories!
ReplyDeleteI was very intrigued by how you took the Native American tales and transcribed them onto the University Campus. I knew just what to expect from the title of your storybook homepage and was not let down with what you did with the stories. The introduction does a great job in utilizing the spirit’s voice as the narrator. He is wise and has seen how the University came to be from the times way, way back when his tribe once occupied the land. I also like how you included that they were very close with the earth, because this was a central theme in the Native American tales unit. I like how you gave the buildings spirits and said the were sad to see how the students did not know of the beauty and history that surrounds them when they walk on campus. I love how you included at the bottom that the Chief Black Hawk is true and actually resided in Oklahoma. It was great to include this in your introduction even if it was not required.
ReplyDeleteIt was clever to have first story took place in Cate. It was unique to have the ceremony take place in one of the actual buildings on campus. It really sticks to your theme and helps to bring the University feel to the Native American tales. Having the spirits tell the stories is a great idea! You get to see how Johnny died, and why now he is a spirit with a severed head. I could imagine the students gathered in Cate listening to this spirit tell them the tale. I like how you take the spin on the story to have Johnny encourage the students to live life to the fullest and not take the campus life and University for granted, instead of focusing on the story of his death. I like the originality in using the legend of the haunted basement. I can see where you are going with your stories now and cant wait to see how the rest turn out!
Hello Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI read this story book a few weeks ago and since it has been one of my favorite thus far, I decided to finish reading the rest of your stories. I must say that I am not disappointed at all! You truly have done a great job on this storybook. What I like most about this is that the stories are based off of real hauntings on campus. Also, you have done a great job of writing them so they're fun to read.
I must say that I was very surprised by the ending though. I have looked at Zarrow hall and walked by it several times. I had no idea that at one point in time that there used to be a tri delt house there and that hauntings had occurred for several years after the murder. I was also surprised that the students at OU had cheered on the man who jumped from Walker. All of these stories have impacted how I look at the buildings on campus. It is nice that I am able to relate to these stories and that you have made them come alive.
Overall, I must say that you did an amazing job on your storybook and I wish you weren't done writing. Great job!!!
Hannah, I have not visited your storybook yet but you were voted first in best overall storybook and I thought I would check it out! I was wondering the whole time while reading the introduction if any of this was true or not. Thanks for including that it was in your author’s note. The introduction was very informative and successful as you described what would be the theme of your storybook and you were able to introduce the main characters. I was looking forward to beginning your first story, “Dumbwaiter of Doom,” by Johnny. I loved this first story! It was creepy, accurate, and contained some humor. I have never heard any of these stories before so it is interesting to learn about events that happened on our campus. I think it is a great idea that you incorporated something that is so relevant to other readers in this class as well are students of the University of Oklahoma. I wish I had time to read the other stories in your storybook this week. Hopefully I can return later in the semester or even after the class is over to read the stories for enjoyment. Great job on the creativity of your storybook and for winning best overall storybook!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting on my Princess Constellations!
ReplyDeleteI do wish I had expanded on the Father-Daughter interaction there. I left it out for the most part to focus on her alone and I had a hard time staying in the length limit! Should I ever choose to expand this story, I will definitely include how the Father felt. I do think that it would be a heartbreaking situation where the stepmother threatens him or would leave him, or somehow manipulates him into thinking her going away is good for her/good for her talents.
I definitely ended it as a cliffhanger to kinda let people imagine what happened to her themselves.
Thank you so much for the comments and tips!
Hey Hannah, in my last week of storybook assignments I had not yet read yours, but I am sure glad that I did!
ReplyDeleteYour introduction was fantastic and it is intriguing that it is all true. The only time I have really thought about the history of the buildings has been when I see old pictures or walk through older portions of the library. Your storybook idea was definitely one of the most creative and one of the best!
For your first story, I loved the picture you chose. The dark background is perfect to set the mood of the stories. It is so freaky that they are true! Your story is very well written, it gets the emotions of the boy across very well. So sad to have died at such a young age.
I enjoyed how your second story was more upbeat. It's awesome that you used a book from the library here to teach you about deaths on campus for use in a class. That seems like such an interesting cycle of events.
It is absolutely horrid that people would cheer for him to jump to his death. Imagining how loud they must have been cheering in order for him to hear them... Man.
The story of Nadine is indeed a scary one. I was a little confused as to which parts were true, but I got the general idea. Your storybook was the best I have read so far, great job!
Hannah-
ReplyDeleteI read your storybook towards the beginning of the semester and was absolutely in love with the idea. I knew I would be reading yours when the semester got done just to find out about the stories you would tell! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE your storybook project. I think your topic is super cool and creative. I like that you tie the university to the myth of ancient indian burial grounds being unable to be hit by a tornado. You have added more details to your introduction since I first read your storybook, and I love it! You did such a great job of making Johnny sound innocent and childish. The fact that all of these stories are true is so crazy to me! You never think of things like this happening on your campus. I will say that I was so incredibly angry when I found out that the part about students encouraging a student to kill himself was true. I also felt hatred for humanity for a second. I think my favorite thing is that your storybook tells morals and teach you lessons (like not to take your life for granted). I absolutely loved your final story and had NO idea that twist was coming. I was completely shocked, but I loved it! What a great way to end your story!