'Barfing Barb' is kept alive as ISU legends are passed down
By Shamesia Parker
Indiana Statesman
April 11, 2003
Statesman/Steven Furlow Sitting below the twelfth floor window of 1221 Cromwell Hall, this cross marks the spot of a fatality.
ISU's campus is full of folklore and urban legends that contribute to the society we exist in. Much like many other colleges and universities, folklore helps ISU students to relate to one another with the use of legends that allow the listener to decide its validity.
For many years, Burford Hall has been believed to be haunted by the ghost of Barfing Barb. Barb was a student here at the university, and after a night of drinking and partying she perished. Students say you can hear the ghost late at night vomiting throughout the halls of Burford. Some might say the Barfing Ghost of Burford Hall is a reminder to young women not to over indulge in life's temptations.
Many ISU legends can be traced back to a event. For instance, everyone has heard the old tale of the Cross on Cromwell. According to legend, a young woman plunged to her death outside of room 1221 on the west side of Cromwell Hall. No one knows whether the girl was pushed or she committed suicide. Although there have been many attempts to remove the cross by maintenance workers, the cross always manages to reappear. This legend may be employing the fact that evidence of a crime can not be eradicated, if the woman the legend refers to was pushed from the window.
Ashley Tucker, freshman undecided major, has a unique favorite legend. Her favorite story is the well-known legend where your roommate dies and you get straight As. This legend is commonly told as truth throughout many campuses across the nation. Tucker enjoys this legend because she saw a movie that illustrated the legend.
There is also a tale about two young women who were staying in the dorms over Christmas break alone. The story describes how one of the girls wandered off and left her roommate behind. Later that evening one of the girls heard a scratching sound outside of her door. The girl, in fear of her life, decided not to open the door to see what the noise was. The next morning when she left the room she found her roommate on the other side of the door, murdered with a hatchet in her head. This legend, told on many college campuses, serves as a reminder not to be timid in times of despair. If the roommate had opened the door for her friend when she heard the scratching noises, she might have been able to save her from her bloody death.
"Folklore and legends are hard to trace, because it is very informal, and generally passed along by word of mouth," said Nan McEntire, assistant professor of folklore and literature. Many folklorists spend their time comparing legends and trying to figure out what they mean. They may come in variations like warnings, evidence of foul play or elite connotations.
Whether your favorite ISU legend is the ghost of Burford Hall or the cross on Cromwell, they all have significant inner meanings that can be interpreted in various ways. ISU students must be aware of the legends and folklore that have shaped the ISU campus. Those who would like more information or who would like to contribute legends they have heard to the folklore archives can contact Nan McEntire at x3134.
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