Several students, mostly women, received harassing phone calls early Thursday morning from unknown callers. It is unclear whether the calls were made by one individual or several people.
The women were called in their dormitory rooms between 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Most women reported that the male caller responded in a subdued voice and refused to give his name.
Katie Smith '95 said she was called at 2:50 a.m. Thursday morning. The caller asked her whether she was awake, and after a few seconds, Smith abruptly hung up. "It was harassment for 30 seconds on the phone, but also for the rest of the night. I had nightmares all evening," Smith said.
Michelle Martin '95 said she received a call at 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning. Martin said she answered the phone after the outgoing message on her answering machine was still playing. She said "hello" and the male caller whispered "hello" twice. She then hung up the phone before the incoming call was recorded.
Another female student, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was called at 3:00 a.m. She said she originally mistook the caller for her boyfriend, but after responding to some of his questions, she realized that the caller was unknown. When she asked for the caller's name, he hung up.
Another female student said she was called at 5:45 a.m. Thursday morning. She also said the caller spoke in a subdued voice. When she asked who the caller was, he whispered, "you are not supposed to know," she said.
"I didn't sleep in my room for two nights," the woman said.
Alexander Paul '95, said he received several calls in the past week in the morning hours. He said he received one on Thursday morning at 5:30 a.m. and one at 9:00 yesterday morning. The caller hung up when he answered, Paul said.
Most female students at the College have become aware of the mysterious caller through a BlitzMail message sent out by a '94, stating, "there is a random guy calling women in the wee hours of the morning. He whispers hello, but he won't tell you who he is. He called me at 3 a.m. the other morning. It sounds like it's from off campus, but it's easy to make the phone have a double ring from on campus too by simply dialing 9 plus the full number."
College Proctor Robert McEwen said so far only one woman has reported a prank call, saying it was placed on Thursday morning. However, the student said she talked with several other women in her dorm who had received similar calls.
"I would encourage any person receiving suspicious calls to report them right away to make an immediate follow-up," McEwen said.
"If phone calls become chronic, you can put a tap on the line to find out where the call is coming from," he said. McEwen encouraged students who receive such phone calls to listen for background noise, record the time of the call and have a description of the caller's voice.
McEwen said in the past Safety and Security has investigated harassing calls and submitted reports to the Dean of Students' office. He refused to disclose specific instances.
Sergeant Harley Bettis is currently investigating the latest calls and urges students who have received such calls to contact him , McEwen said.
Harassing phone calls are a minor misdemeanor in the state of New Hampshire and carry with them a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to Hanover Police Sergeant Walt Geisbusch.
