A squabble between two freshman roommates early Sunday morning turned into an angry scuffle and now Hanover Police are investigating the incident as a possible assault.
Police and Safety and Security officers responded to the fight in Topliff dormitory at about 5:30 a.m. Neither of the students has been arrested.
Neighbors said the freshmen, Shakeeb Alireza and Michael Chong, who live in a fourth-floor double, did not get along and had problems in the past.
They described a stark personality contrast between Alireza who they said is lively and outgoing and Chong who they said is more quiet and introverted.
One neighbor said Chong and Alireza were not friends. "I think they just had different values," the neighbor said. "They never got along."
Hanover Police Officer Darryl Zampieri said officers responded to the scene after receiving a call at 5:30 a.m.
A Topliff resident who said he knows Alireza said the roommates began arguing when Alireza returned home at about 4:30 a.m. The resident said Chong was upset because Alireza had hosted a party in their room earlier that night.
The resident said that during the argument, Chong jumped on top of Alireza. Alireza pushed Chong away, according to the resident, and hit him with a chair.
"At 4:30 a.m. I was awakened by the sound of two guys fighting," said Scott Anthony '96, who lives down the hall from the freshmen. "The noises went on for about 10 minutes. They were yelling and there were crashing noises."
Alireza was taken to Dick's House because of intoxication and was released yesterday afternoon.
Kathryn Clark, a College spokeswoman, said the fight was alcohol-related.
"It was an unfortunate incident," Alireza said in his new room in the Choates. "A big misunderstanding."
Chong declined to comment.
Hanover Police are investigating but neither student has filed charges, Zampieri said.
Dean of Freshmen Peter Goldsmith and Maribel Bastian '96, the undergraduate advisor on the floor, declined to comment.
