11 False Alarms Interupt Head Weekend Festivities

More than 11 fire alarms caught students by surprise last weekend as a rash of alarm-pulling pranks swept across the campus.

According to Harvard Police Chief Paul E. Johnson, the alarm-pulling spree was probably related to the Head of the Charles events, which drew spectators from across the country to the Cambridge area. "People drink, and they have a lot of visitors, and reports of alarms come in." Johnson said.

But Johnson said that no one currently is under investigation for the disturbances. "We follow up to the extent that administrators in the houses and the Yard are notified, and then they are responsible for clamping down on their own people," he said.

Students caught pulling a fire alarm without just cause are disciplined by the Administrative Board.

Three false alarms occurred Friday night--two in Lowell House and one in Eliot House, which earlier in the week had banned Friday parties in order to give seniors peace and quiet to prepare for Saturday's LSAT's. Eliot residents said they were annoyed by the alarm, which went off at around 11 p.m., but not seriously disturbed.

Denis H. Stevens '88, an Eliot resident who took the law school entrance exam, said he found the alarm inconvenient, but said "it was no major problem."

Heidi A. Beck '88, who also took the LSAT's this weekend, said she thought it "ironic that despite all the efforts Eliot House made to let me sleep. I was still awakened." However, Beck said she did not believe the alarm affected her performance on the test.

Several other alarms were pulled Saturday and Sunday around the College and at the Law School. And at 3 a.m. Monday morning a false alarm awakened Mower Hall residents.

Freshmen E. Matthew Zehner and Todd A. Grinnell said they were returning to Mower from the Holworthy Hall laundry room at the time the alarm sounded, and said they saw a man leave the dorm and run toward Holworthy.

"The man looked at us as he ran by, and we got a pretty good look at him. We wondered what was going on," Zehner said.

Johnson said he was unaware of the incident.