To release the stress of exams, students have screamed from their dorm room windows and gathered outside at midnight during finals week for more than a decade.

But in recent years, there is increasing concern that loud outdoor gatherings of hundreds of students in south complex are the source of sexual harassment and intimidation.

"What was originally intended to relieve stress - to go out and yell as loud as you can and get it out - we now also see the ongoing targeting and harassment of students," said Rick Shafer, associate director of residence life. "This is finals week, not 'Girls Gone Wild.'"

The screams first became troublesome on south campus about three years ago, Wonders Hall Complex Director Paul Rinella said. Then, female students on the first floor of South Case Hall exposed themselves as male students pounded on doors and windows.

"I thought the window was going to break," Rinella said.

The women who exposed themselves were brought before the university's Judicial Affairs, but repercussions were not released because of student privacy laws, Rinella said. Additionally, members of the mob couldn't be cited because of the large number of people involved.

Since 2000, the problems associated with midnight screams have escalated in South Complex, Rinella said.

Aside from concerns, some students consider the screams to be a harmless event and a positive stress release. A student Web site characterizes "midnight screams" as one of the top 10 reasons to be a Spartan.

Last year, students gathered in courtyards, pounded on windows and chanted for women to expose their breasts.

Shafer said the behavior has interfered with studying and sleep, often until later than 1 a.m.

Student leaders, administrators and campus police say they are addressing complaints about unruly students during the nightly melee.

MSU Judicial Affairs dealt with at least 10 students after receiving complaints about their behavior during midnight screams in the spring.

After spring finals, Student Life, Residence Life, the Residence Halls Association and hall coordinators formed a task force to curb the unruly behavior during the screams.

This semester, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said officers are working with campus organizations to assist in controlling crowds.

"We look at this as being important, certainly, and that is why we are being supportive of the Residence Life staff in dealing with these issues," McGlothian-Taylor said.

Campus organizations are notifying students about the consequences of this type of behavior, which can be as severe as losing a housing contract.

Case Hall Government is sponsoring an event Wednesday from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. to encourage people to relieve stress indoors. More than 100 students also have signed a pledge not to scream in the courtyard or at windows, expose themselves or encourage a mob.

Marketing junior Melissa Merritt, who lived in Wonders Hall for two years, said the screams were loud, but not menacing or disruptive. Although she does not live in the dorms this year, Merritt still signed the pledge in Case Hall on Wednesday, even though she didn't think it would be effective in calming behavior.

"Just signing the pledge won't keep 'em from doing it," Merritt said.

Last year, members of Women's Council, RHA and other campus groups stood at South Complex dorm exits and followed the crowd, which reached upward of 300 participants. They swept flashlights over the group to identify participants and some documented the screams on video.

"I didn't open a book to study at all last year during finals week," said Women's Council member Kim Drotar, who organized more than 30 people to discourage students from gathering."

Drotar said she alerted faculty and administrators of the situation and, during spring exams, several came out to see what went on.

"It was astounding to watch," Jennifer Benson, an Honors College academic adviser and women's studies instructor, said of the spring effort. "They were trying to interact with people before the situation began to escalate."

Benson said the situation would have been received differently had it happened off campus.

"If there was that kind of crowd on a street in East Lansing, there would have been a major form of police presence," she said.

"Here, there's a thought of boys will be boys. But that's different from 300 men outside banging on first-floor windows."