From the summit of Central Hall to the janitor's closet: students getting caught
'There's nothing you can do at that point, they've caught you'; Students confess, narrowly escape punishment for their daring deeds
Mary Petrides
Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: Focus
Audacious students can get away with mischief - but not every time, and when they are caught, there are consequences.
"It's a bad thing to climb Central Hall," said veteran climber Hans Zeiger '07. "It is very bad. No one should do it."
Zeiger said he has broken into Central Hall and climbed to the top nine times. He said he thinks he holds the record for illegal climbs and knows he holds the record for signatures on the graffiti wall.
"I could climb to the top of it in my sleep, basically."
Zeiger said he was only caught once but was "sort of caught" a second time. He was caught on his sixth or seventh excursion, he said.
About six of his friends gathered outside Central Hall around 3 a.m. and found a way to get inside. They reached the top and started downward. Just above the attic, a crewmember said he heard someone downstairs.
"There's nothing you can do at that point. If they've caught you, they've caught you," Zeiger said.
Part of his discipline was to tell President Larry Arnn what he had done, which earned him a lecture.
"He said, 'Never do it again,'" Zeiger said. "And I have since disobeyed him twice."
Zeiger, who was class president, led several seniors through the tunnels two nights before graduation. He gave them instructions for climbing Central Hall, then sent them on their way with the class of 2007 banner. The plan was to unfurl it from the top.
Zeiger said he got up at 7 a.m. the next day to see if they had succeeded.
"I went out on the quad. The birds were chirping and the sun was out and there, hanging from the top of Central Hall, was the class of '07 banner," Zeiger said. "It was beautiful."
Less than an hour later, Zeiger saw a man removing the banner. Zeiger met with Mike Wertz, director of campus security, to discuss its return.
"He told me that we'd been very bad," Zeiger said. "He says, 'This banner will not go back up.' So I said 'We will not put it back up on Central Hall tonight.' And he says 'This banner will not go back up.' So I said OK, and he dropped off the banner."
"It's a bad thing to climb Central Hall," said veteran climber Hans Zeiger '07. "It is very bad. No one should do it."
Zeiger said he has broken into Central Hall and climbed to the top nine times. He said he thinks he holds the record for illegal climbs and knows he holds the record for signatures on the graffiti wall.
"I could climb to the top of it in my sleep, basically."
Zeiger said he was only caught once but was "sort of caught" a second time. He was caught on his sixth or seventh excursion, he said.
About six of his friends gathered outside Central Hall around 3 a.m. and found a way to get inside. They reached the top and started downward. Just above the attic, a crewmember said he heard someone downstairs.
"There's nothing you can do at that point. If they've caught you, they've caught you," Zeiger said.
Part of his discipline was to tell President Larry Arnn what he had done, which earned him a lecture.
"He said, 'Never do it again,'" Zeiger said. "And I have since disobeyed him twice."
Zeiger, who was class president, led several seniors through the tunnels two nights before graduation. He gave them instructions for climbing Central Hall, then sent them on their way with the class of 2007 banner. The plan was to unfurl it from the top.
Zeiger said he got up at 7 a.m. the next day to see if they had succeeded.
"I went out on the quad. The birds were chirping and the sun was out and there, hanging from the top of Central Hall, was the class of '07 banner," Zeiger said. "It was beautiful."
Less than an hour later, Zeiger saw a man removing the banner. Zeiger met with Mike Wertz, director of campus security, to discuss its return.
"He told me that we'd been very bad," Zeiger said. "He says, 'This banner will not go back up.' So I said 'We will not put it back up on Central Hall tonight.' And he says 'This banner will not go back up.' So I said OK, and he dropped off the banner."
Be the first to comment on this story