A year after the murders of Professors Half and Susanne Zantop left the campus stunned and saddened; Dartmouth students and faculty contacted by The Dartmouth concurred that is was a week that few of them will ever forget.
Upon first hearing the news, the community was shocked.
"The first call came from a reporter," said President James Wright. "We couldn't comment because we were still in a state of disbelief."
At parties across campus, the music stopped. At Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority, confusion spread through the crowded basement as students heard the news.
"We were so uncertain of the details." recalled Laura Grip '03. "I didn't want to leave the party without other people with me."
Safety and Security reassured a community that was surely feeling unsafe. Blitzes from President Wright and Safety and Security flooded inboxes, offering support services and rides, urging students to be vigilant but not to worry.
Meetings with counselors, discussions and memorials were scheduled to offer support to students, faculty and staff.
Few took the reassurances to heart. Many students questioned the invulnerability of this campus and opted not to walk alone.
In the week that followed, police kept the details of the investigation under wraps, forcing the media to continue its search for their own answers.
On the tense campus, police followed many false leads. A report of a bloody handprint in Massachusetts Hall was later dismissed. A student claimed he was questioned as a "prime suspect," and that police had confiscated a knife.
Later that week, the community grieved together in services held across campus.
"The memorial service brought forth an outpouring of memories of the Zantops and the wonderful people they were, and the wonderful contributions they made to the community," recalled Dean of Faculty Ed Berger.
No answers were found after this first week, but the Dartmouth community began the process of dealing with the Zantops' death.
