Students missed class yet again on Friday after two separate bomb threats forced the closure of two University buildings.
Despite a police investigation and administrative efforts to reduce bomb threats' impact on the community, Wilson Hall and South Michie Hall shut down due to the threatening telephone calls.
"This isn't the kind of thing we expect in a community of trust," University Police Capt. Michael Coleman said, regarding the string of threats that began in February.
"At first [the bomb threats] caused a reaction but now it's just a huge pain," first-year College student Josh Wilfong said, calling the perpetrator a coward.
The calls were made at 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. The police closed both buildings and brought in bomb-sniffing dogs from the state police.
Students missed class until about 1:30 p.m. in Wilson Hall and administrative activities were suspended similarly at South Michie Hall where many administrative offices, including the Department of Human Resources, are located.
The South Michie Hall threat was unique as it did not affect any classes or student activities. The administrative building is located on Route 29, near Carruthers Hall.
Police were unable to comment on any change in the investigation process after Friday's incidents.
"It's not only frustrating and annoying, it's expensive," University Spokeswoman Louise Dudley said.
Coleman estimated the cost to University Police as ranging from $18,000 to $20,000 per threat. This figure does not include expenses charged by state or local police, or costs to students and faculty due to lost time which are "a little harder to quantify," Dudley said.
Students and faculty again followed guidelines for alternate meeting locations.
Evacuation plans were successful, but those involved still found the inconvenience annoying.
"We went to the amphitheater with a class of 300," said Anthropology Prof. Richard Handler, who teaches Introduction to Anthropology in Wilson Hall on Fridays. "I was able to lecture but it is difficult without a microphone system. It can be done but it's not good."
Handler, whose class has been canceled four times due to bomb threats, reported his class could not help but fall behind.
"It's sad to lose class time," Handler said. "A class is a 14 week experience of a certain intensity, but now bomb threats are part of the class."
Expenses to students and faculty continue to mount, yet the perpetrator or perpetrators remain unknown and active.
Read More
U.Va. loses over $60 million in federal research cuts
By Bertie Azqueta | YesterdayThe impacted grants include three from the NIH, seven from the NEH, one from the United States Agency for International Development and four from the State Department.
Department of Education reverses course, awards Federal Executive Institute to U.Va.
By Ford McCracken | 4 days agoThe ED had previously awarded the institute to Charlottesville City Schools.
Students reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis
By Bertie Azqueta | 4 days agoAt the University, students shared a range of perspectives on his legacy of reform, inclusivity and his impact on the global Catholic community.
