College freshman Paulina Alberto's phone number has never bothered her. Until now. The seemingly unlucky student has the phone number 573-6358, or more commonly, 573-MELT. Alberto did not know until bad weather hit the University this weekend that her phone number is easily confused with 898-MELT, the University's emergency information line. The line provides details if and when the University closes for weather-related reasons. Executive Vice President Janet Hale said last night that more than 36,000 calls have been placed to 898-MELT since January 1. Alberto also received her share of calls. In the course of the past two days, more than 100 students have accidentally called her number, hoping to find out if classes were cancelled. "I think I've gotten over 100," she said last night. "They ring about once a minute." Alberto, who did not know of the existence of 898-MELT, said she thought she was receiving prank phone calls. "I was scared to death -- I thought it was some psycho sitting out there off campus stalking me," she said. "I tried to trace it and?called the police. "I told them that there was somebody calling all day and well into the night," she added. "I thought it was the same person." Alberto said she eventually turned off the phone's ringer. She realized her misfortune yesterday when a friend "was staring at the phone and realized that the number was 3-MELT instead of 8-MELT." Alberto described the calls as mostly hangups, but added that "A lot of people stay on the phone and don't know what to do. "People are just so stupid," she said. Alberto's advice to the University was simple. "Call 8 instead -- I don't really have a sense of humor about this anymore," she said. "Whatever, as long as you don't call me." Other official University numbers, such as 898-4CST --"8-Forecast" --do not have 573 equivalents. And for those students who never heard the 898-MELT recorded message last night because they were bothering Alberto, here's what it said: "This is the University of Pennsylvania's emergency information line. On Wednesday, January 19, 1994, the University shall open two hours late. Essential personnel are required to report as scheduled. "Classes scheduled to begin prior to 11 a.m. are cancelled. Classes shall begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 19, 1994. Thank you."
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