From TikTok’s algorithm to sacred urban legends: Myths and parables, conspiracies are everywhere, including abound at Cass High School. From generation to generation, stories are passed down from upperclassmen to lower-class students, recounting stories heard in the halls. According to Google, Cass High has been around for 103 years and has three separate buildings, leaving time and room for these stories to accumulate. Below, the covered stories come from the new and the old Cass High. Some are so groundbreaking and unbelievable that they might even have a kernel of truth in them. (kernel, colonel- you get it. I am not a nerd. You are) Starting as early as 30 years ago, Cass High has conspiracies that have lasted for decades, and the question is how genuine and authentic said stories are. 

The Theater Ghost

Over the years, students have claimed to hear and see odd and unusual things occur throughout the school theater. These bizarre occurrences date back even to the old Cass High School. One day, amiss these anomalies, Cass’s previous drama teacher, Mr. Agan, determined that there could only be one explanation: the paranormal. Without a second thought, he declared the theater ghost’s name was Janine, and everybody went on with their lives, justifying these strange instances with, “Oh it’s just Janine.” So flickering lights and slamming doors, that is it, right? Nope, because sometime after the concept of Janine was conceived, Mr. Agan received a phone call from one of his friends inquiring about Janine and where he got the name from. After admitting he had just made it up, his friend continued to tell him about a young thespian who used to attend Cass numerous years beforehand who had gotten the lead role in the school’s spring play. She had been an exceptional actress; she was over the moon and couldn’t wait for the day she was in the limelight. Tragically, though, that day never came for her; a couple of days before she took the stage, she was in a fatal car crash in which the young woman lost her life. A girl named Janine.(Janine originally resided at the old Cass High but Mr. Agan convinced her to move with us to the current Cass High.) According to senior Brandy Jordan, she wholeheartedly believes Janine exists because of strange things she’s experienced while being part of the theater program. She says, ” If you were gonna ask my opinion on Janine, I think she’s real, at least somewhat. I don’t know about the whole backstory, but there were telltale signs that she would be there. You’d see people in the booth. You would hear things in the theater if you were alone. For example, if you were in one dressing room, you would hear the toilet flush from the other dressing room without anyone being in there.” This quote is interesting because Brandy has, in the past, directed shows, so there have been instances in which she has been in the theater entirely alone doing odd jobs. One specific example of one of her Janine encounters includes, “I was cleaning up after the show. It was just me there in the morning; I had been in the girl’s dressing room with hangers, went to the boy’s right after, and I heard the toilet flush, and I knew for a fact no one else was in there.” Now, this all could be a wild and outlandish coincidence. However, the lights still flicker, and the doors still slam. Is it the spirit of a young actor haunting the theater; well, that’s up to the individual to decipher for themselves.

The Pool on the Roof

A sight student are destined to see while attending Cass High is two or more students arguing if there is, in fact, a pool atop the roof of the school building. This topic is, in fact, a common generational school conspiracy that numerous schools across the country share. Multiple students strongly believe there is a pool, and some oppose it. With every new class coming in, everyone has a side.Tenth grader Nicole Meridith states, ” There is for sure a pool on the roof; it leaks all the time.” On the opposing side, Brandy says, ” I don’t think there’s a pool on the roof. I feel like I don’t know. Someone would have gone up there by now and figured it out.” These are both valid claims. So, as seen in the pictures below, we’ll leave it up to the public; a poll will be listed underneath a pool or not using or not using the evidence given.

Sinkhole

Lastly, an older theory slowly fading away is the idea that Cass High is built on a sinkhole. Fewer people remember this idea, but alumni Dana Christ mentioned before she graduated in 2020 that she remembered the idea floating around the school. The theory is that the courtyard dips down like it does because there is an alleged sinkhole below the surface of Cass High, and the dip in the courtyard is where they filled it. While no solid evidence proves this, it is still fun to ponder. Additionally, adding two rumors in one, rumor has it there was a swimming pool at the old Cass High that fell through the floor, so there are technically two “sink hole” theories because they didn’t happen at the same school. However, no credible person has confirmed or denied it. If super invested, maybe consider talking to the bourgeoisie they might know.

While looking into the conspiracy surrounding Cass, it is apparent that not only do these stories entertain people, but they weave together the shared experiences of multiple generations of students. This fact is incredible to see, knowing that some of these stories originated as long as three decades ago. While, the theory of the pool on the roof will always be around, more and more of these cherished memories and silly stories are slowly starting to fade away and will soon be distant alumni memories. The purpose of this article is to preserve these stories for future students of Cass and to ensure that future and current students appreciate them in hopes that people will hear and spread the stories, keeping them alive.