Tunneling through the Norwich rumor mill

For decades, Norwich University has been home to numerous myths and legends, including the existence of tunnels underneath the campus, according to the university historian.         

"Every year I get questioned about the tunnels," said Dr. Gary Lord, the university historian. "It is a perennial myth, one of many, that is hard to kill at Norwich."

As the historian on campus, Lord has found that "people cling to these myths and urban legends for excitement."

The myth is said that tunnels were built under the Upper Parade ground on NU's campus and still exist today.  Nearly every student has heard of the alleged tunnels in some fashion, through word of mouth, because they are all susceptible to the rumors. Some even go as far as to search for the said tunnels, according to Lord.

"The truth is, the tunnels do not exist," Lord said.

To provide concrete answers, the director of facility operations and confident services, Bizhan Yahyazadeh, confirmed that "There are absolutely no tunnels on the UP that connect any buildings."

As a Norwich graduate of 1980, "When I was a student there was always talk about the tunnels," Yahyazadeh said. "The rumor has lingered around for years."

Most people are unsure of how the rumor developed or how long they have been around, but they are accepted as common knowledge at the university, according to Yahyazadeh.

"When I was a rook back in ‘76, our cadre told us about the tunnels to instill excitement and fear," Yahyazadeh said.

 "When I was a cadet the rumor was that you could move from building to building inside the tunnels," said Brett White, a Norwich Alum from Queensbury, N.Y. said. White was at NU from 2003 to 2006.

The rumors vary from year to year, but the maid idea remains the same, according to Lord.

"They were steam vents, but possibly used as more than that," Christopher Perrone, Norwich Alum '07 from Fort Hood, Texas, said when recalling the stories of the tunnels.

 "The entrances were said to be in Chaplin, Alumni hall, or Ransom hall. They are now sealed off walls and people would say that the Skull and Swords used to hold meeting and initiations down in the tunnels," Perrone said.

"It was said that during Prohibition, cadets held a lot of alcohol and it brought a lot of money in for Norwich through bootlegging," Perrone said.

Although the actual tunnels do not exist, it is easy to imagine that the rumors sprouted from truths. There tends to be a colonel of truth, which leads people build upon the colonel and ends up with drastic myths, such as this, according to Lord.

"Norwich is famous, or infamous, for rumors, especially among the corps," White said, "it's just one of those things that go around quickly."

Because people talk, the rumor mill was always full at Norwich. "Rumors are not completely false," Perrone said.

Although there has been no proof, many, including White, are far from convinced that there isn't something at Norwich that is hidden, according to White.

The closest Norwich can come to tunnels are a few steam lines in a narrow cement casing that are placed around campus connecting a few buildings, according to Yahyazadeh.

"If these tunnels were real, their existence would not be kept secret at such a magnitude," Yahyazadeh said. "It is just a rumor sending people on wild scavenger hunts. If they are lucky, they will find a steam line."

Many students say that the entrances are located in storage rooms located on the bottom floors of the buildings surrounding the UP. "The rooms are used for storage or are unfinished rooms that the commandants use as their space," Yahyazadeh said.

 "The padlocked doors lead to curiosity, but they are truly storage or mechanical rooms," Lord said.

To those students who refuse to believe the truth, "I have no sympathy the beliefs of things that are obviously not true," Lord said.

As the director of facility operations, Yahyazadeh said "(he) will bring anyone to the buildings and prove to them that there is not an entrance or exit to the alleged tunnels."

 "Students provide the best myths, but we should focus on facts, "Lord said, "There are so many important things about NU that are true, yet ignored."

 "For years upperclassmen have spoken these rumors for entertainment, but today it is not reality," Yahyazadeh said.