Ryan wasn't registered Penn State student during filming season one Paranormal State
Official Penn State documents verify Ryan Daniel Buell was not a registered student during the three semesters when season one of
Paranormal State was filmed. In addition, three "Organization Officer Report Forms" for the Penn State University
Paranormal Research Society (PRS), show Ryan holding an officer position-- yet Ryan was not a registered Penn State University student during those semesters-- Fall '06, Spring '07, and Fall '07.
19 season one episodes of
Paranormal State were filmed during/around the three semesters when Ryan was not enrolled. The pilot episode, which brings the number to 20 episodes, "Sixth Sense," was filmed during Penn State University's, Spring '06 semester, during which Ryan's enrollment status was half-time.
The PRS'
Constitution states that, "Only full time, officially registered active student members shall be eligible to serve as appointed or elected officers in the society." The
Constitution also states, "At all times, the majority (50% + 1) of all active members shall be full-time, officially registered, undergraduate students at University Park."
Various years of Penn State, Division of Student Affairs, "Policies and Rules for Student Organizations," similarly state, "Only currently employed faculty, staff and currently registered students shall be eligible for active membership status in student organizations. All other persons may be admitted to associate membership*." and, "Only full-time officially registered students shall be eligible to serve as appointed or elected officers except under special circumstance as approved by the Associate Vice President for Student Engagement, or the Chief Student Affairs Officer at campuses other than University Park. Student organizations may establish and apply additional eligibility criteria for appointed or elected leaders/officers."
The documents that I'm aware of that show Ryan Daniel Buell was not a registered student during the three semesters when season one of
Paranormal State was filmed consist of (1)
Academic Verification, and (2)
Student Enrollment Inquiries. I obtained Ryan's Academic Verification by paying $6.00 to The Pennsylvania State University, Officer of the University Registrar. That was in 2008, when Penn State generated their own Verifications.
Academic Verification
What’s interesting to note about Ryan's enrollment:
1. Ryan Buell, "Director" of the Penn State University
Paranormal Research Society (PRS) club, on which the A&E Network TV series,
Paranormal State is based, wasn't a registered student during the Fall '06, Spring '07, and Fall '07 semesters, when season one episodes were shot.
2. Ryan withdrew enrollment on 04/29/2005- the last day possible to withdraw. 04/29/2005 was also the first day of three days' shooting the “Test Video” by the producers of what would ultimately become
Paranormal State. Ryan was slated to graduate in May 2005, but ended up taking an extra year, enrolling for two semesters of classes during that time, when he only had to finish his last (one semester) before he withdrew-- before earning his BA Journalism degree in May, 2006. That means Ryan went on to take two semesters to complete what would have originally finished in one semester.
Ryan was quoted as saying, "After three conferences, dozens of research, television segments, and creating a unique, first-of-its kind investigation manual, Buell announced that he would
retire from PRS in June 2005 due to graduating from Penn State," as well as stating in a 1/15/2005
Press Release, "
Just because I'm leaving Penn State doesn't mean that I'm retiring in paranormal research. Penn State was just a stepping ground. Now we're on to more ambitious projects."
After graduating with a Journalism degree in May 2006, Ryan later re-enrolled to work on another (undergraduate) degree because, he stated in an article in
The Item titled, "He's 'Out There,'" by Eddie Litaker, "
for the show, I need to be a student."
Years later there is published account that Ryan stated that due to illness he had to drop out of school. In contrast, no published account on the PRS' website during the Spring '05 semester ever indicated Ryan was sick. One of the last website announcements was Ryan was retiring from the PRS and was leaving the Penn State University.
Paranormal Research Society (PRS) student organization folder
Jen Grossman Leopard, Assistant Director, Student Activities, e-mailed me on May 2, 2014 at 9:15 AM and told me she had the entire (PRS student organization) file sent to her from the University Archives. In subsequent e-mail I was invited to come to the office to view the file and see if there was any other material I plan to have copies of. On May 5, 2014 I e-mailed Jen that I'd like to view the PRS club file.
Friday, May 9, 2014, I drove from Pittsburgh, PA to Penn State in State College, PA. I spent a little over two hours going through the folder in the Student Activities office at 209 HUB-Robeson Center. Wendy Gill, Administrative Support Assistant to Jen Grossman Leopard, was the one who handed me the Penn State University
Paranormal Research Society's (PRS) folder. Wendy watched as I looked through the documents and made notes of the documents I wanted photocopies of.
I requested 112 pages of documents, but was given only 73. I was led to believe I would get copies of everything I requested. There was some really interesting information on the 39 pages I didn't get.
Organization Officer Report Forms
The file contained a number "Officer Report Forms," but three Reports show Ryan Buell holding an officer position with the Penn State University
Paranormal Research Society which turn out to be during semesters when Ryan did not hold enrollment.
OORF for Academic Year written in as "Spring 2006," with Date of Organization's most recent elections, 1/22/2006, had Ryan Buell's name listed as "Director." Someone crossed out the "President" printed title and hand-wrote, "Director." That for was apparently signed by Ryan Buell on 2/5/2006.
OORF for Academic Year written in as "2006-2007 Recognized in 2002" with Date of Organization's most recent elections, 9/17/2006, had Ryan Buell's name written under the line where Sergey Poberezhny was listed as "President." I get the sense there were two, Presidents. The Report is dated 9/27/2006 with illegible signature, but which in my opinion looks more like it spells Ryan Buell, than Sergey Poberezhny.
OORF for Academic Year written in as "2007," with what looks like Date of Organization's most recent elections, 10/15/2007, shows Ryan Buell as Vice-President. That Report is dated 10/24/07 and has an illegible signature.
Student Enrollment Inquiries
The PRS club folder had a variety of documents, which included four,
Student Enrollment Inquiries, that were run on Ryan.
Fall ’06, Spring ’07, Summer ’07, and Spring '08.
A Spring ’08, Inquiry was run on 02/04/08 and showed Ryan was enrolled (for what would be half-time). It showed some anthropology courses with course numbers, section, location (University Park “UP”), Credits, Days meeting.
I was denied photocopies of Ryan’s
Student Enrollment Inquires. Jen Grossman Leopard told me it would violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, known as FERPA. I believe I should have at least been given (redacted) copies of the Fall '06 and Spring '07 Inquiries as they didn't have any course information and basically would have indicated Ryan's enrollment status as no enrollment. They could've just redacted Ryan's address and Student ID number, which I believe was his Social Security Number.
There were no
Student Enrollment Inquires for other
Paranormal Research Society (PRS) members in the folder I viewed.
So some people knew to look at Ryan Buell's attendance way back when.
Posted on Tuesday, 27 Sep 2016 at approximately 11:32 AM EDT
Raymond Ernest Marsh (my full, legal name)
Ernie Marsh (the name my friends and what I commonly go by)
