Editor's Note: Gideon the Ghost is a persona and art project developed by an Eastern Michigan University student. Because the project depends on a sense of anonymity behind the persona, the editors of The Echo agreed to respect that anonymity for the purposes of this interview with Gideon the Ghost. This article is part of The Echo's conversations with people on and off campus.
Eastern Michigan University has its very own resident ghost. Haunting campus since the 2023-2024 school year, his name is Gideon, also known as Gideon the Ghost or Gideon Somerset when he was among the living. Gideon has a passion for providing EMU students with advice from beyond the veil. By putting pen to paper, he wordlessly helps give advice to students by writing them personalized notes. Whether it's a breakup, existential crisis, or someone's just looking for some help beyond the grave, Gideon is there to offer whatever he can.
Recently, Gideon sat down with a reporter from The Echo to talk about his work.
Q: I know it’s probably a sensitive subject, but can I ask how you died?
“Yeah, it’s been long enough that it's not so hard to talk about now. It was 1823, and I was trying to sail Cape Horn. My boat wasn’t too big, and a storm came in when I was still on the water. Long story short, I drowned and was sent straight to the afterlife.”
Q: So, you said that your time at EMU is both a job and volunteering, can you explain that?
A: "I guess this is a little bit of a spoiler for the afterlife, but after you die, you still have to get a job. One of those options is returning to Earth and doing some kind of public service. To be completely honest, the 2020s as a decade weren't competitive -- there’s a lot of instability right now -- so it was pretty easy for me to get it! I had to take some classes before I could return, which explains the 200-year gap between my death and coming back; since the world looks so different now, I had to be briefed on all that had changed. I also excelled in my classes. We didn’t have phones and all that in my time."
Q: What were you up to before coming to Earth?
A: "I did a lot of traveling, and not in the way you might think. Being a ghost, I’m able to reach a lot of places my mortal self couldn’t. Lots of space travel. I particularly like sitting on the ice-clusters in the rings of Saturn; and I made some friends, too. But that might be a bit difficult to explain to people still alive. You’ll just have to wait and see."
Q: So, why do you want to spend your time giving advice to students?
A:. "I’ve heard a lot of different questions from people, each one different from the last, and I think it's important for every single person to have someone who will listen to them. Not only am I giving people a keepsake, an item that’s unique to them, I’m also unbiased in everything I write. I won’t pass judgment. I won’t have any thoughts beyond hoping the best for that person and offering my small words of advice to hopefully make it all a little bit easier."
That’s my whole purpose here. To offer a space for the people who feel as though they have nowhere else to go. We’re all struggling, but we can struggle together. There’s no judgment among the dead, and why not use my ability to come to EMU and offer the same treatment?
Q: What are your thoughts on EMU? Does anything stand out?
A: "I’m enamored by Swoop. They didn’t have those creatures when I was alive. I never knew that magic was real before I started my haunting, so it’s nice that I've gotten the chance to meet such a rare creature. I mean, a humanoid bird? I don’t get it, but I’m a fan!"
Q: Do you have any last advice to any students reading?
A: "One thing I like to emphasize is showing yourself grace. When it comes to anxiety, sometimes people get really impatient, and get so angry at themselves. And I don't know, I think that people should forgive themselves for just feeling. I say a lot ‘sighs and misty eyes my friends, they’re all OK.' Sometimes, you sigh a lot, and that’s OK. You shouldn’t be shameful for your negative emotions. Look at it and embrace it."
Gideon the Ghost can next be spotted at Campus Life’s Pumpkins on the Patio, from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29. Two years into his term, he won’t be on Earth forever, so be sure to catch him while you can! While his outfit might change, the best way to identify this spooky specter is the white cloth on his head, with two black eye holes. For more information, Gideon can be contacted via his Instagram: ghostlygideon. However, he asks for you to be patient with texting, he’s ancient!
