Dartmouth's student body reacted with horror and stunned disbelief as word of the double homicide spread through campus late Saturday night and Sunday morning.
"I was shocked. It was terrifying. We feel very secure here and when something like this happens it just shatters that," Jocelyn Bernatchez '03 said in reaction to the Zantop double murder.
Cena Maxfield '03 said she has been in "complete disbelief" since hearing about the news late Saturday night.
"I was absolutely shocked, and I'm still in shock," said Amanda Green '01, who went on the earth sciences foreign study program with Professor Half Zantop.
Many students received word of the murder over BlitzMail from The Dartmouth around 12:15 a.m. Sunday morning, while others who were not connected said they found out from friends Sunday morning.
Colin O'Farrell '03 said he was out with friends when he heard the news. "I heard about it last night through word of mouth and then I got the blitz from The Dartmouth," he said.
The College did not release an official statement regarding the deaths of the two professors until mid-day Sunday.
Reactions were generally favorable to President James Wright's handling of the situation, which included the sending of a campus-wide BlitzMail message.
"I thought it was pretty appropriate. It's good to know that the College is showing concern over this," Barnes told The Dartmouth.
At the same time a few students expressed frustration at the lack of available information regarding the nature of the murders.
"I think that the College is really handling this poorly. They really need to get on it and let people know what is going on," Maxfield said.
Other students expressed hope that students will be updated as further details are available.
At a community meeting held at Rollins Chapel yesterday evening, administrators assured attendees that the College would inform students as Assistant Attorney General Mike Delaney learned and shared further information. And Wright emphasized that he knew no more than any other member of the community about what happened Saturday night at 115 Trescott Road.
The State Police Department's confirmation yesterday that the incident was a double homicide has left students with mixed feelings regarding campus safety.
"I feel like there's a lot of contradictory information in the reports we've been getting," said a German major who spoke with The Dartmouth on the condition of anonymity. "They say, 'don't worry,' and then 'be cautious.' Yeah, I am concerned, if they're not putting out an official statement that everything's okay."
Others expressed confidence that this was an insolated incident unlikely to affect campus security.
"I think it's probably under control. When I was out last night I felt a little uneasy, but I don't fear for my own safety," Bernatchez said.
German department research assistant Kinohi Nishikawa '01 noted that he felt confident in Safety and Security's control over the situation.
"Any news like this in a secluded area makes blood curdle," Nishawa said, adding that his worries have subsided somewhat since the initial news broke.
A number of resources are available for students wishing to discuss any issues of grief related to the incident.
Nishikawa attended a 7 p.m. meeting at Rollins and said that although the mood was somber, the discussion seemed effective.
"There was lots of reflection, coming to terms, and dealing with it," Nishikawa said, noting that the event's attendance included approximately 20 students.
Provost Susan Prager told The Dartmouth that a number of Half Zantop's students visited the home of Earth Sciences professor C. Page Chamberlain to talk about the situation.
Hinman UGA Rachel Antal '03 said that she was considering holding a meeting to deal with any issues of safety or loss that students might be having.
Many students said that they would miss the Zantops, who were noted for their enthusiasm.
"She [Susanne] was one of the reasons that I became a German major," said Jen Taylor '01. "She was really open to having students come in and talking."
Kenny Gillingham '02 spent "the Stretch" earth sciences F.S.P. with Half Zantop, "We had some really good talks; everybody loved him. I wanted to do my thesis with him," she said.
Teaching assistant for Half Zantop's Earth Sciences 1 class and graduate student Tom Douglas could only say, "He was a wonderful person and he will be sorely missed."
(Other members of The Dartmouth staff contributed to this report.)
