Extracted by Underdogs from Masterpieces of Infocom Collection CD for Home of the Underdogs http://www.theunderdogs.org/

Lurking Horror
Preface to the Story In The Lurking Horror, you are a student at G.U.E. Tech. You have braved a snowstorm to get to the Computer Center and finish work on an assignment. But the snowstorm has turned into a raging blizzard, and has trapped you in a complex of buildings late at night. You are not alone, fortunately ... or perhaps, unfortunately. Thus you begin the story, unaware that anything may be wrong beneath or within the veneer of the quiet campus. About the Author Dave Lebling was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in suburban Maryland. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and worked at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science, where he developed an interest in computer entertainments. He was a co-author of the original mainframe Zork. He has co-authored Zork I, Zork II, Zork III, and Enchanter, and written Starcross and Suspect on his own.


You've probably been waiting to go to G.U.E. Tech for years--ever since you realized that science and math were more important to you than just about anything (except eating). And now here you are, in a community of people who feel exactly the same way. Of course, the first thing in your mind is academics, whether you can get a seminar with that Nobel Laureate Physics professor, how soon you can have 24-hour access to the Computer Center, whether you can get credit through a work-study program. Most of these questions can be answered by your freshman advisor or by the official student handbook. There are plenty of other questions, however, that you should also be asking yourself, questions that your advisor will be hard put to answer. Questions like, where can you find the best pizza? Where can you find a date? Which dorms should you avoid? Should you subscribe to the meal plan? Where can you go if you're feeling our of control? This handbook attempts to answer some of these questions. Written by upperclass students, G.U.E. At A Glance (sometimes known as GAAG) might tell you things the Administration would rather you didn't know. But we believe that you'd find them out anyway, and that you'll be glad it's sooner rather than later... In spite of what your roommate will tell you, G.U.E. Tech does not have the highest suicide rate in the country. However, it is a high-pressure school. While you're wondering what happened to the distraught student who used to sit next to you in Introductory Calculus, you might also be wondering how you're going to get through midterms without cracking up.


G.U.E.
When things get tough, DON'T PANIC. Help is always available, and no one will think the lesser of you for seeking it. Visits to the Counseling Center don't appear on your permanent record, and complete confidentiality is maintained at all times. One thing that just might drive you crazy is figuring out how to get around campus. While we've provided a map to help you identify the main dorm and class buildings, you probably won't feel at home until you've gotten lost a few times and stumbled back to familiar ground. Large, underground tunnels connect most of the buildings. However many of these tunnels are very old, and a number have been closed for safety reasons. While you may be tempted to explore, DON'T risk it. Several deaths have been attributed to student explorations in the tunnels. Closed tunnels are off-limits; they're closed for a reason, and we encourage students to restrain their curiosity and keep out of them. It's usually easiest for new students to live in a dormitory and subscribe to the school meal plan. But easiest isn't always best. In the case of G.U.E.'s food service, it's worst. Food ranges from bad to inedible, and the cafeterias are only open for a few hours around each mealtime. If you haven't signed up for the meal plan, or when you're planning ahead for next year, consider roughing it. Dorm-sized refrigerators are easy to come by, and the area supermarkets carry a wide variety of both recognizable and exotic items. When you're looking for a hot meal, check our list of favorite hangouts. First-year students are usually stuck with whatever room they're assigned to. Flrod Bok is the best freshman dorm; Murani House is the worst. Best upperclass dorms are Berkowitz Hall and Lunce House. Chapelgate is well known as a party dorm. It's a good place to be if you like to party. It's a bad place to be if you plan to get any sleeping or studying done in your room. Most dorms are co-ed, with men and women housed on separate floors. A few of the smaller upperclass dorms are for men only, and Stella Barton Hall houses fifteen senior women.


G.U.E. Y ou'll also want to consider G.U.E.'s fraternities and sororities. Pledging takes place the first week on campus. Since each house appeals to a different type, you'll need to look into all of them to find one that's a good match for you. For more information, contact the Interfraternity Council. Dorm furniture is strictly functional and, if you're lucky, less than 50 years old. Most students outgrow the dorm bookshelf within one semester. You can buy cheap but sturdy bookcases at Dave's Discount Decor, along with bean-bag chairs, lava lamps, and designer telephones (one current favorite, a glow-in-the-dark skull with gleaming red eyes, chortles instead of rings). Although you'll be spending most of your time studying, it's important to remember that life exists outside of your textbooks and your computer screen. Take an afternoon to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art or the Loeffler Aquarium. Join the Freshman Drama Group of the Hellenic Club. Write a weekly column for the G.U.E. GNEWS. Take advantage of the Athletic Complex, whose weekly paddle-ball tournaments draw a lively crowd.

SCHOOL TRADITIONS
SLUG STOMPING Watch for the first slugs of the year and step on them. FOUNDER'S DAY One night during the last week of spring term, the huge bronze statue of George Underwood Edwards mysteriously disappears from its pedestal and shows up the next day in some totally offbeat spot. A certain rowdy fraternity is rumored to spend the entire year planning this prank. FINAL SCREAM At a designated time during Final Exam week, everyone screams in unison. PIGEON DAY The President rings a bell at 6 a.m. one spring morning and puts a statue of a giant pigeon on the lawn. No classes for the day; free food at night. STREAMER DAY Take all the toilet paper rolls from the bathrooms and throw them out of the dorm windows.


SOME G.U.E. TECH JARGON:
frob. (noun) A thing. Useful when you have two "unspecified objects" on hand. "Stick that frob on the thing over there." t ool. (noun) A nerd. Someone who studies all the time, never t aking time for a social life. (verb) To study. "I'm tooling tonight." hack. (noun) A prank. "Painting the Dean's house pink was a great hack!"(verb) To commit a prank. "We hacked the Dean's house." -p . (suffix) Adding the -p suffix to a word makes it a question. A derivative of the LISP computer language, where "p" indicat es predicate (e.g., "greaterp x y," meaning "is x greater t han y?"). M ost commonly heard among tools majoring in Comp ut er Science. "Foodp?" (pronounced "food-pee") means "Are you hungry?" grease. (noun) Student politician. (verb) To pass a course without working on it. "I greased Thermodynamics." rug rat (or rat). (noun) Freshman. Presumably derives from the use of this term as a synonym for child. urchin. (noun) A local child or teenager who hangs around camp us and often causes objects of value to mysteriously disappear. curdle. (verb) To astonish, usually with a connotation of the surp rise being unpleasant. "I was really curdled when I saw my final grades."




