<p>I agree with all of you. I certainly hope they catch the person who is making the threats. My daughter commented that she wished she know who it was because she sure could use $50,000! But, I think at this point Pitt may want to rethink its response to these threats. Unless they have information to believe the threats are credible, why don’t they do something similar to “shelter in place?” I work in a building in which it is not uncommon for there to be reports of suspicious packages or bomb threats. The bomb squad is called in, but our building is not evacuated. They do not allow any new individuals in the building, but life goes on for those inside the buidling. You continue to sit at your desk doing your normal work. Additionally, if there is a bomb threat, we are instructed to look around to see if we notice anything suspicous - look, but don’t touch. Again, we are not evacuated. There was a quote from a security expert in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette who said that those who bomb rarely threaten and those who threaten don’t bomb.</p>
<p>Towers A, B and C have just been evacuated. That’s the 3rd time in 3 days and the only residence halls that have been targeted. </p>
<p>One of my D’s professors emailed the class tonight to tell them that they will be meeting outside on the lawn in front of the Carnegie Museum (instead of the Cathedral where class is normally held, since that building is targeted everyday.) Really??? I think Pitt should end the semester now and offer take home exams, online tests etc. Otherwise, they are mandating students to be there under less than ideal circumstances. Pitt’s reputation has got to be taking an enormous hit in this situation (and I believe wholeheartedly they are doing everything to resolve this); they must be bombarded with emails, phone calls, etc from concerned students/parents. Let the kids go home so they can concentrate on finding the culprits.</p>
<p>I disagree. I think many people are over-reacting to these threats, including Pitt officials. Let those in the building know a threat was made and ask them to report anything that is suspicious. If after that an evacuation is warranted, then so be it. But I don’t think we are at the point of declaring the semester is over. That is just playing into the hands of the jagoff(s) (that’s a Pittsburgh term) making the threats. </p>
<p>As it was said in the movie Stripes, “Lighten up, Francis.” Creating chaos and fear is exactly what that person or persons want. Why give them what they want?</p>
<p>We’ve paid a lot of money for our daughter’s education. We want her to receive the full benefits (and classes) for what we’ve paid.</p>
<p>We too, have paid a lot of money for our daughter’s education (including dorm expenses in Tower C) which has now been evacuated 3 times in 3 days. We also want her to get the full benefit (and classes) for what we’ve paid. Unfortunately under these circumstances, this just is not happening now. Regardless of Pitt’s handling of the situation, the fear and anxiety are out there (whether warranted or not). The kids in the Towers are not sleeping, and they certainly are not able to study. We are hardly getting what we paid for at this point. I would gladly sacrifice the rest of the semester for the peace of mind of all the kids living in the Towers. </p>
<p>If the culprits want to create fear and chaos, have had it. It’s not a win or lose situation; many of the students are simply no longer comfortable being there.</p>
<p>“You can’t change how people are feeling about this situation.” Well, there are many situations that cannot be controlled by an individual, but the individual is always in control of his/her response to the situation.</p>
<p>All of the information points to a prank. That warrants a prudent response. If Pitt ends the semester early in response to pranks, they would be throwing away a huge block of time and money. They would be letting the students down. They would invite more trouble in the future. They would encourage the same pranks to be tried at other schools. But they can do a lot of other things, admittedly expensive, to keep the buildings and students safe before ending the semester early.</p>
<p>My kid is in the angry and annoyed group. He lost a lab in February that can’t be made up. The instructor can leave it out of the grade for that section, but the chance to actually do the lab is gone. Now extrapolate that to losing the entire last month of the semester. Even if Pitt somehow finesses the final grades so that everyone gets credit, that doesn’t mean they are all ready to take the next courses in sequence. This isn’t like high school, where most of these kids probably didn’t need to attend every class.</p>
<p>I really like the idea of “shelter in place”. Who knows, the pranks may stop when they no longer empty the buildings.</p>
<p>I think the shelter in place thing is a great idea. Much less anxiety would have resulted. </p>
<p>All I know is that the kids in the Towers who haven’t slept well (or studied much) in the last 3 days (except if you count sleeping in the lounge of a CMU dorm) are having a much different experience from others.</p>
<p>Were the dorms just under a threat an hour ago? ([Twitter](<a href=“http://twitter.com/#!/PittTweet]Twitter[/url]”>http://twitter.com/#!/PittTweet)</a>)</p>
<p>@ sarora, yes, I got an ENS text and phone call at 9:22pm Minnesota time, meaning 10:22pm there. As a highschool senior going to Pitt next year, I am a little concerned. Do off the wall “pranks” such as this (or maybe not nearly as serious) often happen? My mom is not to keen on me choosing to attend school 1,000 miles away and I feel that this would put a stop to me going there. So far, she has not caught wind of the situation. Has it been on the news there yet? Not yet here… Best of luck to all current students!</p>
<p>Nothing like this has ever happened at Pitt before. It is the work of some sick individual who will be caught eventually. Somebody is getting his jollies seeing people all worked up and is probably observing the evacuations with glee. I doubt very much there is any bomb nor will there be. I think they need to temporarily ramp up security of buildings, require ID, and do random searches like at the airport. Then they can stop evacuations. All this hoopla is simply rewarding the perpetrator.</p>
<p>Typically news organizations will down play these incidents to avoid the perpetrators wanted publicity so unless you mom checks on Pitt News she probably won’t find out 
The threats didn’t really even make the local news until the perp started e-mailing/texting the threats to reporters. My daughter is a freshman and still feels safe but the stress of waiting for the next evacuation is beginning to wear on her. She is in Towers and has a bag packed with snacks and other necessities for the random evacuations. She said she is having a hard time sleeping because she just lays there waiting for the alarm to go off. It seems as if the vast majority of the Towers kids have left early for the Easter weekend. She ended up staying because she has two papers to write and didn’t want to rely on someone else’s schedule for getting back to campus. Coming home wasn’t an option because we live in the Midwest.</p>
<p>Csjohnson- Congratulations on your decision to attend Pitt. You will have a great time! The Students and professors are so warm and friendly and I sense that everyone is pulling together int his “crisis”. Have a great year!</p>
<p>As a senior, I <em>really</em> REALLY really hope that they don’t cancel commencement. Nothing would make me (and everyone else graduating) angrier than hearing that we aren’t allowed to celebrate our last 4-5 years of accomplishment because of a prankster. I, personally, would not feel like I had graduated without the traditional commencement practices, and I don’t think that a “make up” date in the fall or winter would feel the same.</p>
<p>Argh.</p>
<p>As for parents of students who are being kicked out: Do they not have ANY upperclassmen friends? I know all of my friends who have apartments have repeatedly offered our floors, couches, futons, etc. to underclassmen who just want a quiet, safe place to sleep and study. I’d really have students consider that over moving out and going home at the expense of not going to class. Above everything else, you came here to study, so you really shouldn’t jeopardize that.</p>
<p>I sincerely hope commencement is not cancelled or postponed. Although my D is only a freshman, she and her friends feel most sorry for the seniors–this last month should be the culmination of your years of hard work. </p>
<p>With all of the freshman dorms now targeted, it will be tougher for freshman to relocate; there simply may not be enough spaces. My D is seriously considering either commuting from home, or staying with friends at either CMU, or even commuting from Duquesne. </p>
<p>The whole situation is scary and terribly disruptive to everyone. Concentrating on exams/finals is becoming increasingly more difficult.</p>
<p>I posted most of my thoughts towards the situation here if anyone cares to take a look: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1318187-bomb-threats-university-pittsburgh-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1318187-bomb-threats-university-pittsburgh-2.html</a> </p>
<p>I’m currently a senior at Pitt and have to agree with many of the other students on this board in saying that I do still feel safe on campus. Yes the evacuations are a definite disturbance and are causing a lot of lost class time but it’s comforting to know that the threats and our safety are being taken seriously. Of course I can’t comment on the dorm evacuations which I know are a completely different matter but I’m going to echo someone else in saying that the community has really banded together and that upperclassmen are reaching out to those who have been evacuated from their rooms and offering up couches or any extra space.</p>
<p>I would be incredibly upset if the University cancelled commencement as I worked hard to get to this point and want to celebrate a wonderful four years, so I support the school’s decision to not end the term. With no evidence of any actual danger upon inspection I think what this person (or group of people) is trying to do is incite fear and chaos. They’re doing a good job with that so far as a lot of students do feel anxious but I respect the University’s efforts to maintain a sense of normalcy. Closing down entirely would only give the perpetrator/s exactly what they want and, on the whole, things do still feel relatively normal on campus.</p>
<p>So how should my freshman son in Tower C connect with the wonderful upperclassmen offering to share their quiet, safe space? We’re from out of state, don’t have friends or family in the area, and looking for alternatives. Suggestions welcome.</p>
<p>We are visiting our son this weekend with friends form five hours away. We took our friends around the campus today and it seemed very quiet as I know that many students have gone home for the weekend–whether it be because of the holiday or the bomb threats. There wasn’t a feeling of peril at all. His dorm was targeted last night, so luckily we were in town so he could hang out with us until he could go back. I will mention to him the idea of having a bag of snacks, books, etc ready to go if they get evacuated again. Yes, it’s a really crappy thing that these kids and University staff are dealing with, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, sometimes you have to suck it up and deal with the cards that are being dealt. No matter what, they should not cancel/postpone graduation. If they have security high, there’s not reason why they can’t have the event. If a high ranking U.S. official was coming to speak, they would comb the area and building before the ceremony, so they can do the same thing in this case. Too many people have worked too hard to graduate and it should be a celebration of those achievements!<br>
I spoke to a woman at Heinz Chapel today the was working at the desk there. She mentioned that they are having prayer services to pray for the University and the bomb threat situation, and that the authorities find the perpetrator. I will certainly be joining in their prayers.</p>
<p>Pitt Pride Day on Monday and the students will be signing thank you cards to be given to the Pitt Police Dept for all of their hard work over the last few weeks. My freshman engineering daughter will be there. That makes me proud.</p>
<p>It is true that this could have happened any school. My fear is that if the Pitt situation gets a lot of media attention nationally, there could be copy cat situations at other schools.</p>
<p>I hope they don’t postpone/cancel Commencement as we are looking forward to it. All the students deserve to have their “walk”.</p>
<p>Hi Pitt2011. Tell him to check out Facebook, not only are people posting statuses but in light of the most recent threats there are now official groups that have been created in which upperclassmen are posting about their available space. The two I’ve seen are called “Pitt ENS: Couch Surfing Network” and “Adopt a Freshman”. I know this must be an awful first year experience but I hope he has some luck finding help off campus, plenty of people are willing to lend a hand to their fellow Panthers!</p>