A cherry tree was illegally cut down in front of the Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity house some time between six and 11 in the morning on Monday, according to Safety and Security Officer Andy Thibault.
The tree had been planted in memory of a brother who had passed away.
"The destruction of the David L. Wolfson '92 memorial cherry tree is a great loss both to our house and to the Dartmouth community as a whole," said a statement issued by the brothers of Alpha Chi.
Alpha Chi President Nathan Sabel '02 declined to comment further.
The fraternity met last night at 11p.m. to discuss the implications of the incident.
According to Thibault, both Alpha Chi brothers and Safety and Security officers are looking for possible leads, and are asking anyone who has information to step forward.
Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman said there was nothing the administration could do until more information emerges, which has not yet happened.
"To the best of my knowledge, the chapter has no clue who did it," he said. "To the best of my knowledge at this point, security has no leads or pertinent information ... We think it's horrific."
Redman said if it were a student who chopped down the tree, the Committee on Standards will deal with the incident, and at the minimum, a probation punishment would be enforced.
He added, however, that the severity of the punishment would depend on such factors as the existence of past offences, or if the student committed the act while intoxicated.
"I can't imagine that somebody did this sober," he added.
If an organization such as a fraternity is implicated, probationary censure would most likely be imposed.
"I'm hoping that it wasn't a college student," he said.Redman mentioned a similar incident last spring when a dog belonging to Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was spray-painted black.
The culprit was never found.
