“If someone wants to have their own leadership role, then usually we will make it happen for them,” says Alyssa Charlanza, President of Hoot Paranormal. While the group goes out on numerous excursions to seek out paranormal phenomena all over the city, this method of leadership struck me as one of the more slightly unorthodox aspects of Hoot Paranormal.
Hoot Paranormal is a unique group with a unique vision. While Charlanza and Vice President Melanie Gampon are in traditional leadership roles themselves, they extend that leadership to every single member of the group. The organization’s devotion to one another paled in comparison to their devotion to paranormal phenomena. But this is what makes it apart from other organizations. The initiative to break away from the norm and to involve all members in a hands-on manner is the perfect way to make sure that all of those people stay and also to attract new members. It also doesn’t hurt that ghosts and the like are just really interesting to talk about.
Charlanza and Gampon met in the predecessor group to Hoot, T-Lights, which ended shortly after the two ladies became involved.
“We both had similar interests and passions in the field, so we figured it was time to team up and start something a little different from T-Lights,” Gampon says about the early stages of their group. From then on, it was all about finding the right members. However, it wasn’t that difficult to bring people in. It seemed that a lot of people had already had an interest in the occult. Hoot Paranormal was just a medium for them to extend this interest and make it into something that they could potentially use further down the line.
How does Hoot do this? Well, the most obvious answer to that question is training and actual paranormal investigations. Even though this is an important aspect of the group, it isn’t all that it has to offer. Hoot Paranormal provides lessons in tarot and palm reading, holds walking ghost tours around the city, and also welcomes guest speakers who are nationally recognized and directly in the field.
Hoot Paranormal teaches you to start something of your own if you really have a passion for it. Whether you think your idea will be taboo or you doubt your leadership capabilities, your idea for an organization is most likely one worth sharing. Hoot Paranormal began with two girls who didn’t know what would come of the organization. The outcome of the organization exceeded Charlanza and Gampon’s expectations, so who is to say that the same thing can’t happen to you?
To begin your own organization, start by logging on to Temple’s Student Activities page, go to the “Get Involved” tab and click “Register a New Student Organization.” Take advantage of these precious college years and get to thinking about what your student organization will be!