Boston University
Shelton Hall's Rooftop Stage
Boston University, has many dormitories that have formerly been private residences or old hotels. One of these current dormitories is one called Shelton Hall. Shelton is a historic building because it was the first Sheraton Hotel. One famous resident of the former Sheraton was the famous playwright by the name of Eugene O'Neill. (His ghost is said to inhabit the 4th floor where he used to reside and passed away). After the hotel company sold the building, it became a woman's apartment until it was bought by Boston University and made into a dormitory.
I had the opportunity to live in the dormitory that is now called Shelton Hall. Although I've never seen anything while I lived there, I did have one strange experience which occurred on the top floor of the building.
The top floor of Shelton Hall is a study area which is an enclosed area with glass windows. From the top of the building there's a beautiful view of the Charles River and the Boston downtown skyline. In the middle area of the study floor, there's a dance floor and a tiny stage that has been there since the building was a hotel in the early 1900's.
One morning at around 10AM, I woke up early and decided to do some last minute cramming before my midterms that afternoon. Since I was living on the fourth floor, I took the elevator up to the study room which is usually quiet in the mornings. There were a few other students already studying up there and the whole floor was bright with the outside sunshine.
I picked a table in the front of the study area to the left hand side of the little stage. With my back to the stage, I set about trying to learn what I was supposed to have learned during the year.
Since I was accustomed to staying up very late even on weeknights, it wasn't long before I started to dose off. I don't exactly remember my dream but right before I woke up, I saw something strange.
I was halfway between sleep and wakefulness when I heard a crowd of people laughing. It was very loud and at first it seemed as though they were laughing at me.
I was too drowsy to fully open my eyes, but from the little slit that it did open, I saw the exact same shape of the room from where I was sitting. But even though the point of view from my seat was the same, it was all dark with only dim lights. Big round tables were lined up along the sides of the dance floor and dark figures of men and women were seated at each table. They were all wearing suits and the women were wearing ornate gowns. They were laughing in the direction of the stage.
When I was finally able to open my eyes, I looked around and the same students were sitting nearby. The sun was out and everything was just the same as when I dozed off. I know it was definitely a dream, but it occurred to me that the scene I had just seen in my dream was probably exactly how the top floor of Shelton must have been like if there was a show with an audience in the early part of the 1900's.
The experience wasn't scary, and at the time the prospects of failing economics was much more daunting. So I continued to study and took my time. I still remember exactly how that scene looked. It was only a few seconds before I woke up, but I still think it was strange that dreamed what I did.