Dean of the College James Larimore said it was his experience working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the devastating 1989 San Francisco earthquake -- and not his long administrative career -- that most prepared him for the tragedy that befell Hanover over the weekend.
With back-and-forth telephone calls Saturday night and meetings starting before 7 a.m. yesterday, Larimore said that he and other administrators have been on the job since they first caught wind of what investigators are now calling the double homicide of Professors Susanne and Half Zantop.
But despite his experience in thinking on his feet in emergency situations, Larimore echoed the other administrators who talked to The Dartmouth yesterday when he said, "I don't think that anything ever prepares you for a tragedy like this."
The words "tragedy," "sorrow" and "shock" were spoken repeatedly last night during a private meeting in Rollins Chapel, which was attended primarily by administrators and members of the residential life staff.
College Provost Susan Prager called the situation in Hanover a "crisis atmosphere" and College President James Wright said "this is a time when the soul of the community is most tested," emphasizing that supporting one another is crucial at this point.
During the meeting, Wright, Prager, Larimore and Dean of the Tucker Foundation Stuart Lord spoke about the College's efforts so far and what Dartmouth's plan is as the community moves into the coming week.
With students upset and calls from worried parents anticipated as the story of the Zantops' deaths hits the national presses, the College is trying to ensure that members of the community feel safe.
"An event like this is so devastating to a close community where there is such a high degree of trust," Prager said. "We want to do everything that we can to bring people together, to support one another."
To this end, Prager said the Department of Safety and Security has boosted its on-campus presence, with increased number of officers on patrol, even though the rural setting where the Zantops lived is not identical to the immediate campus environment.
Larimore said the College will try its hardest to keep the community informed -- both through posting information on Dartmouth's website starting today as well as initiating a hotline (800-646-1010) this morning. He also noted that normal safety devices such as the blue light emergency phones and Safety and Security escorts should help the campus remain safe.
"We urge people to be aware or what's going on around them," Larimore said, adding that it is "always a good idea to lock doors."
Larimore said the College contacted the community via BlitzMail as soon as it was possible yesterday, after representatives of Attorney General Philip McLaughlin looked over the message that Wright ended up sending to the community, informing it of the "tragic deaths" and some events that had been planned for the coming days.
"People are trying to make sense of something that is not sensible," Wright told The Dartmouth yesterday, while acknowledging that speculation about what actually happened Saturday afternoon at 115 Trescott Road is inevitable in the coming days.
Wright emphasized that the College only knows the information that the attorney general has released publicly -- which does not answer many of the questions that students and other community members might raise as the investigation proceeds.
Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman said the community should take the rumors that are sure to fly around campus in the coming days "with a large grain of salt."
All of the administrators who talked to The Dartmouth said they did not anticipate the events of the weekend to reflect poorly on the College.
"It's obviously not representative of life here," Wright said.
"People will recognize this is a terrible tragedy," Director of news and public information Roland Adams said.
However, Redman said, "I think everyone's thinking of Hanover not as innocently" as they have traditionally.
Adams said the College is working closely with the law enforcement officials, while trying to ensure that members of the community do not feel burdened by the news attention.
Wright said he first heard about the murder when he received a phone call Saturday night from the Valley News, which had picked up information from a police scanner. Within minutes, Wright and College Proctor Robert McEwen were in contact and working on plans of how to move forward.
Yesterday, Wright said he held meetings in Parkhurst hall with various deans, counselors, public affairs, the College's General Counsel Robert Donin and Safety and Security to discuss how to "deal with the community part of this" -- in an atmosphere where rumors are flying and many are noticeably upset.
"I don't approach this as a mystery story," Wright said. "I approach this as the loss of some tremendous friends."
Tears, bewilderment and shock seemed to be the norm last night at the Rollins meeting, as colleagues sought to understand what had happened and what the College was planning for the coming days.
Prager said she knew Susanne Zantop well from their close work together. Prager said Zantop was recently elected to the committee of academic personnel -- which is one of two elected faculty committees. She was also a member of the subcommittee on priorities and was active in forming the academic planning report, which is still in the works.
Prager called Susanne Zantop "an engaged person," as well as a "scholar teacher," and a "faculty member who engaged in a lot of service."
And Larimore said, "My initial reaction was one of shock and disbelief."
Wright said he and his wife Susan Wright lived in the Zantops neighborhood for 20 of the 32 years they have lived in the Hanover area and emphasized that members of the community should not feel like they are alone when they try to cope with the aftermath of the weekend homicides. Rather, he encouraged people to actively support each other.
