F luorescent frisbees whirling past sun-tanned students. Puppies frolicking past dis- cussion sections seated in the shade of the trees. Such idyllic scenes typically characterize spring on the South Lawn.
However, the eight bomb threats that occurred within the last two months often transformed these picturesque scenes into a maze of yellow tape, frenzied students and concerned police officers.
Beginning with a February 12 threat to the Aquatic and Fitness Center, and culminating in the most recent threat to Cabell Hall on April 5, University Police have fielded calls making threats to bomb Cabell, Rouss and Wilson Halls, in addition to Michie South at 914 Emmet Street.
While some of the calls have been traced and there was an arrest made March 6 in relation to a bomb threat to Observatory Hill Dining Hall, University Police have yet to release information pointing to a suspect in any of the other threats.
The wave of bomb threats has invoked collective sentiments of fear, inconvenience and unrest throughout the University community. Immediately following the early threats, a blend of shock and confusion resonated among University students appalled by such an occurrence. But as the semester wore on and the number of bomb threats increased, reaction seemed to creep toward indifference and a sense of routine.
"When I heard about the first one or two bomb threats, I was shocked and I thought it was unbelievable," third-year College student Marc Centor said. "But now it's become a common occurrence, and like with anything you see over and over again, you become desensitized."
With the administration's implementation of alternative meeting sites after Spring Break, the bomb threats no longer wield the power to disrupt classes or elicit panic. Professors and students even have grown to anticipate a bomb threat on the day of a big test or paper due date.
"Last semester, no one would ever have expected such a thing," second-year College student Sabrina DuPont said. "Now it isn't uncommon for a professor to say 'if there's a bomb threat tomorrow, the test is still on.'"
In truth, desensitization has become prevalent. But plain and simple, some students are not scared of the bomb threats because they perceive them as either a prank, or a pathetic attempt to dodge assignments and midterms.
"I feel that it is a student prank, and kids are trying to get out of taking tests," third-year College student Kate Vicello said. "I just don't feel the same fear I did after the first threat, because it is becoming implied around Grounds that the perpetrator is a student messing around."
However, taking the "boy who cried wolf" approach with respect to such a serious security matter may be slightly presumptuous. The very fact that such threats have taken on an air of normalcy itself presents a major concern.
"I think it is horrifying that we've become desensitized to such an act," said Lauryl Hicks, Graduate Arts and Sciences student. "I can only hope the same feeling hasn't arisen with the way the threats are being handled."
University Police Sgt. Melissa Fielding insists there has been no alteration in the original procedures police implemented after the early bomb threats. Fielding assures community members that the police will continue to treat the bomb threats with the same effort and dedication.
"We will always treat a threat as a legitimate threat to safety unless we have reason to believe otherwise," she said. "Our procedures will remain exactly the same after a bomb threat call, regardless of how many threats preceded it."
And the police response to such threats is indeed intense and thorough. While students and faculty huddle outside of Cabell or Wilson, officers on the other side of the yellow tape follow exhaustive and expensive procedures before re-opening affected buildings.
Upon receiving a threat, primary response officers immediately report to the affected building to begin evacuating students and others inside. Next, officers block and guard entrances as the force awaits the arrival of an important component of their team: the bomb dogs. These specially trained canines are brought in from either the Virginia State Police or the Capital Police in Richmond and serve to aid in searching the building floor by floor. Once the dogs and officers thoroughly search the floor and fail to find a bomb, the police re-open buildings. The process sometimes takes five or six hours
In the interim, a myriad of students' academic schedules are turned upside down, as the threats prove not only an inconvenience, but a hindrance to important studying. Since the threats started, second-year College student Lindsey Smith has had three midterms postponed because of searches underway in Wilson Hall.
"After retaining a lot of detailed information for a midterm, the bomb threat postponed the test to over a week later," Smith said. "By the time the new test date arrived, I had to re-study to feel prepared again."
After the initial shock has worn off and some of the frustration persists, the question on many people's minds still hangs in the balance: Who would do something like this?
"Unfortunately, rationalizations and a lack of remorse are characteristics of people who commit antisocial acts," said Robert E. Emery, a psychology professor and director of the Center for Children, Families and the Law. "The type of person who makes a bomb threat may try to justify the action as a joke, but a bomb threat is a deliberate, selfish act."
Certainly, the punishment for a bomb threat is no laughing matter. The University police report that a bomb threat is a class 5 felony punishable by one to 10 years imprisonment and/or a $2,500 fine. Furthermore, many University students and faculty members are not responding kindly to the prospect of the threats being a joke.
"Considering the events of 9/11, I think it is in particularly poor taste to use those sort of tactics to disrupt scheduled classes and exams," DuPont said. "To exploit tragedy in that way is disgusting, not to mention a burden and an inconvenience."
Fielding reminds community members that the bomb threats pose a legitimate security threat to the University and also are costly to the police force and students. She reports an estimated cost of $18,000 is incurred per incident.
"Between the primary response officers, extra backup support, and the tuition money the students are losing, the costs have been significant," she said.
She encourages students to keep their eyes and ears open for potentially valuable clues, and reminds them that they can always report anonymously.
"We're actively working with the students in hopes they will be able to get information," Fielding said. "Even a joke or a comment in passing is worth reporting."
In the wake of eight threats, many are left to wonder how this issue will unfold in the future, especially as final exams approach. Will the Lawn be free of sniffing bomb dogs and police officers?
"These threats are costly to our responding officers, frustrating to students and threatening to our community's safety," Fielding said. "My ultimate goal is to apprehend the person responsible and bring justice to this situation"
Read More
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 22 hours agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
Perfecting the subtle art of the ‘sexile’
By Val Vixen | December 7, 2024Approach this sacred college ritual with a newfound confidence.
