About 120 members of the Dartmouth community, mostly administrators, faculty and staff, attended a community hour in Collis Commonground yesterday to reflect on the murders of professors Susanne and Half Zantop.
The solemn, quiet event focused on fostering a supportive environment for those present, both through round-table discussions and the presentation of information about resources available to community members in need.
"We have to grieve, and we have to support and sustain each other," College President James Wright told the assembled mourners from the podium, urging them to take advantage of each other and the available assistance programs.
Wright said he is proud of the way the College community has handled itself in the last week, saying the test of a small, close community such as Dartmouth is the way it responds to tragedies like this.
"One does not get used to death. There's no way that any experience prepares you for the next experience of losing someone. I hope you never get used to this," he said.
After Wright finished his remarks, representatives from a number of campus offices briefly reminded the event participants about counseling and other services they can turn to for help.
Information about available support options was presented by Director of Public Affairs Laurel Stavis, Counseling and Human Development Medical Director Mark Reed, College Proctor and Safety and Security Director Bob McEwen, Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman, First-Year Dean Gail Zimmerman and Faculty/Staff Assistance Program Director Jim Platt.
Those present were then invited to participate in discussion at their tables, where representatives of the administrative departments involved in the College's response to the tragedy were sitting to answer questions.
Several administrators talked about the difficulty of having to be responsible for helping others through this crisis while themselves are feeling its effects.
"It's hard to be managing your own reactions ... and then trying to be there for other people," Reed said. "It's really hard to complete grief when you don't know what happened."
That sentiment was echoed at another table during a discussion of the way authorities are passing information to the community, when an administrator said, "It's hard to reach closure," without better understanding what took place on Saturday.
Some expressed a desire to know more about what the ongoing investigation, but many signaled understanding that this might be the best way for the police to be able to catch the murderer or murderers.
At one table, three students discussed their sense of security since the murders with an S&S officer. "As a student, I'm feeling very safe," one woman said, noting the increased visibility of S&S on campus.
Another student, however, said she feels fearful at night and while alone, both on and off campus. She was repeatedly encouraged by those seated at the table with her to make use of the S&S escort service whenever she felt uncomfortable walking by herself.
Another topic discussed by several groups was the amount of media coverage the murders have drawn.
Some expressed frustration with what they perceived as interference with the grieving process, but others said the media has done a good job of presenting the news in a sensitive way.
Attendance at the community hour was restricted to members of the Dartmouth community.
Non-student media personnel were not allowed entry the event, but The Dartmouth was permitted to cover the presentation and discussions on the condition that participants not be identified against their wishes.
