Murder Suicide Book Released

Harvard University provided Sinedu Tadesse '96 with inadequate advising and medical support, Melanie Thernstrom '87 alleges in her new book about the 1995 Dunster House murder-suicide, Halfway Heaven, scheduled to hit bookstores Monday.

Thernstrom, a former English department faculty member and Adams House non-resident tutor, alleges that the University also attempted to whitewash the tragedy, and "to protect and promote its distinguished reputation at the cost of its own student body," according to an advance copy of the book obtained by The Crimson this week.

Tadesse stabbed and killed her sleeping roommate, Trang P.Ho '96, in their Dunster House suite on May 28, 1995, shortly before hanging herself in their bathroom.

"After the Dunster House deaths, the news office could have adopted the line that every institution has troubled students and Harvard is, alas, no exception, instead they chose to propagate the idea that the student didn't appear to have any troubles and the tragedy had, therefore, no explanation," Thernstrom says in the book, which is an expansion of an earlier article she published in the New Yorker last June.

Thernstrom further alleges that the University tightly controlled information and interviews through its news office to ensure this position went unchallenged.

Though early yesterday the University refused to comment on the book, it later issued a brief statement challenging Thernstrom's account.

"Ms. Thernstrom is a skilled storyteller; however, much of her version of the events surrounding this tragedy is at odds with the facts," said University spokesperson Alex Huppe.

Despite the stir Thernstrom's work has caused at Harvard, Thernstrom contends that the University is a secondary theme.

"It's mainly a story about mental illness...," she said in an interview last night. "I think it could have been set at any other college. It's not a book about Harvard. I don't think that's what's interesting about it."

In response to the University's counter-allegation, Thernstrom said "the book is all factually correct."

"I'm happy to answer questions the University has about specific parts of the book. I didn't put anything in the book I wasn't sure about," she said.

Thernstrom is planning a book tour and has tentatively scheduled a September reading in Boston.

The University's contention was only one in a series of confrontations between Thernstrom and Harvard. After the publication of her New Yorker piece, Dunster House Master Karel Liam accused Thernstrom of abusing her status as a Harvard insider to obtain information.

Numerous University officials--including Dunster House affiliates and Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles who did not return a fax--declined to comment, many citing the fact that they had not had a chance to read the book.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III was interviewed by Thernstrom on details of the tragedy as she conducted her research but said he had not heard her criticisms of the University at the time.

Addressing the allegation of "spin-control," Epps, who had also not yet been able to read the book, said he believes because of the "extraordinary amount of press attention during that period," Harvard was "handicapped because we follow strictly the rules of privacy and could not discuss certain student circumstances. It would be against federal law to do so."

Nothing that "Thernstrom's investigative work has revealed a lot of things we didn't know at the time" such as the diaries, Epps said the administration learned from the crisis "more what students needed from us in a crisis" than about the two students who had died.

Thernstrom's allegations also include lack of support structures for international students and criticisms of Liem whose house experienced two other suicides that year.

"[T]he murder happened in the most troubled of Harvard houses, under the reign of the master least equipped to deal with it," Thernstrom writes.

Some of Thernstrom's sharpest criticism were reserved for Liem.

"Liem was a man much more adept at classifying dead sea-life than dealing with human problems,"she writes.

Liem, teaching at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories this summer, did not reply to phone calls or faxes.

Although Thernstrom presents extended testimonials from three other students as evidence of what she terms "Harvard's incompetence at dealing with students suffering from serious psychiatric disorders," David S. Rosenthal '59, director of University Health Services (UHS), said UHS is responsive to such illnesses.

"We know depression exists in this age group. We know it's no different here than anywhere else. We don't live in a black box," he said.

Rosenthal characterized Thernstrom as a "competent writer" but questioned the validity of drawing conclusions about mental health services at the University based on the few testimonies she cited. "I'm sure she wouldn't interview those who were happy with UHS."

The purpose of the book was not to say what could have been done but rather to outline what actually happened, Thernstrom said last night.

At the time she was researching, Thernstrom said officials characterized Tadesse as a student who had no problems and showed no warning signs.

"It's not true to say this was totally out of the blue," she said. "[Tadesse] did become mentally ill over a period of time at school.

Thernstrom further alleges that the University tightly controlled information and interviews through its news office to ensure this position went unchallenged.

Though early yesterday the University refused to comment on the book, it later issued a brief statement challenging Thernstrom's account.

"Ms. Thernstrom is a skilled storyteller; however, much of her version of the events surrounding this tragedy is at odds with the facts," said University spokesperson Alex Huppe.

Despite the stir Thernstrom's work has caused at Harvard, Thernstrom contends that the University is a secondary theme.

"It's mainly a story about mental illness...," she said in an interview last night. "I think it could have been set at any other college. It's not a book about Harvard. I don't think that's what's interesting about it."

In response to the University's counter-allegation, Thernstrom said "the book is all factually correct."

"I'm happy to answer questions the University has about specific parts of the book. I didn't put anything in the book I wasn't sure about," she said.

Thernstrom is planning a book tour and has tentatively scheduled a September reading in Boston.

The University's contention was only one in a series of confrontations between Thernstrom and Harvard. After the publication of her New Yorker piece, Dunster House Master Karel Liam accused Thernstrom of abusing her status as a Harvard insider to obtain information.

Numerous University officials--including Dunster House affiliates and Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles who did not return a fax--declined to comment, many citing the fact that they had not had a chance to read the book.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III was interviewed by Thernstrom on details of the tragedy as she conducted her research but said he had not heard her criticisms of the University at the time.

Addressing the allegation of "spin-control," Epps, who had also not yet been able to read the book, said he believes because of the "extraordinary amount of press attention during that period," Harvard was "handicapped because we follow strictly the rules of privacy and could not discuss certain student circumstances. It would be against federal law to do so."

Nothing that "Thernstrom's investigative work has revealed a lot of things we didn't know at the time" such as the diaries, Epps said the administration learned from the crisis "more what students needed from us in a crisis" than about the two students who had died.

Thernstrom's allegations also include lack of support structures for international students and criticisms of Liem whose house experienced two other suicides that year.

"[T]he murder happened in the most troubled of Harvard houses, under the reign of the master least equipped to deal with it," Thernstrom writes.

Some of Thernstrom's sharpest criticism were reserved for Liem.

"Liem was a man much more adept at classifying dead sea-life than dealing with human problems,"she writes.

Liem, teaching at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories this summer, did not reply to phone calls or faxes.

Although Thernstrom presents extended testimonials from three other students as evidence of what she terms "Harvard's incompetence at dealing with students suffering from serious psychiatric disorders," David S. Rosenthal '59, director of University Health Services (UHS), said UHS is responsive to such illnesses.

"We know depression exists in this age group. We know it's no different here than anywhere else. We don't live in a black box," he said.

Rosenthal characterized Thernstrom as a "competent writer" but questioned the validity of drawing conclusions about mental health services at the University based on the few testimonies she cited. "I'm sure she wouldn't interview those who were happy with UHS."

The purpose of the book was not to say what could have been done but rather to outline what actually happened, Thernstrom said last night.

At the time she was researching, Thernstrom said officials characterized Tadesse as a student who had no problems and showed no warning signs.

"It's not true to say this was totally out of the blue," she said. "[Tadesse] did become mentally ill over a period of time at school.