Stunned Dunster Residents Mourn Housemates

Students who lived in Dunster House and others who knew the two roommates who died there this morning said they were appalled by the prospect that such an incident could happen in their midst.

According to police reports and student observations, Sinedu Tadesse '96 killed herself and roommate Trang Phuong Ho '96. Tadesse also stabbed Ho's friend, Thau Nguyen, who was visiting at the time.

Most Dunster resident said they were stunned by the latest episode, the third and fourth deaths of residents and house affiliates in the past semester.

Former Dunster resident Kathryn L. Tucker '94 took her life in April following a lengthy bout with depression. And Dunster resident Ansgar Hansen '97 killed himself just a week later. Friends said he was overwhelmed by academic responsibilities.

Kirkland House resident Dominic J. Armijo '95 took his own life in January.

Still, this number of suicides is not an anomaly, according to Randolph Catlin Jr., the chief of mental health services and psychiatrist to University Health Services. Catlin said in an interview earlier this month that past years have seen an average of 1.5 to two suicides.

In fact, Catlin said he believed Harvard's suicide rates were lower than those at larger schools such as Duke.

Rooming Tensions

Several Dunster residents said today they believed problems between Ho and Tadesse sprung from personal tensions between the two. Ho and Tadesse lived in room H-21, a double overlooking the Dunster courtyard.

One Dunster resident, who requested anonymity, said she heard Ho intended to room next year with Jennifer Tracy '97 rather than Tadesse.

"I heard they had not spoken for several weeks," one Dunster resident said. Tracy declined to comment.

Those who lived in Tadesse's entry described her as a quiet, studious woman who had just emerged from the stress of final exams.

"I saw her last week, and she seemed quite frustrated in the library studying, and she had a glazed look on her face," one pre-medical student told The Associated Press.

Most H-entry residents said they did not know Tadesse and that she did not speak to many of the residents in the house.

"[Ho and Tadesse] looked kind of familiar, but I didn't know them personally," said Jeremy R. Green '97, who is a Crimson editor.

Although Tadesse was not strongly involved in house life, some said she was an active member of the Harvard Ethiopian community. At last one Ethiopian student, Nibiyeleul Tilahun '96, was seen entering the house shortly after Ho was wheeled from the entryway.

Dunster residents, who paused in the middle of moving out of the house, said they were overwhelmed by the morning's events.

Sean M. Doherty '96, an entryway resident, said he was still dazed by the morning's events.

"It's a horrible thing, and it hasn't really hit me yet just how bad it is," he said.

Victor T. Chen and Associated Press reports contributed to the reporting of this story.