On Friday a bomb threat was sent out over CU Alert. Some of the events that were disrupted today were the Career Fair (which has been rescheduled to March 14), Medical School interviews, as well as the normal operation of classes and meetings.
Tanya Winegard, associate VP of student life and chair of the crisis committee, cautioned students to stay away from the area, around 1:15 p.m. on Friday. She said there was not much information on what happened and that they were waiting for police officials to get a better idea, but that all of the staff involved responded phenomenally.
“I am so grateful for the staff of the Skutt and Harper Centers, the Public Safety Officers that responded, as well as the team from Facilities Management,” Winegard said, “the evacuation happened quickly thanks to their efforts.”
The Admissions office was also disrupted on one of the busiest days for tours of the year. According to Lori Novacek, admissions specialist in the Admissions office, this weekend has attracted 48 families, which is only four families less than the busiest day the Admissions office has ever had. This is mainly due to Presidents’ Day Weekend, a weekend when students typically go and visit the schools they have been admitted to.
There is also a volleyball tournament, wrestling tournaments and numerous auditions and interviews for scholarships for the music and business departments taking place in Omaha over the weekend.
Luckily, Admissions was able to relocate to the Lied Center and be able to operate tours and other day-to-day procedures despite the disruption.
“In this office, we never know what’s going to happen, so we’re always prepared,” Lori said, “The important thing is not to panic.”
“This was by far the most interesting and most frustrating day of my career,” Jim Bretl, senior director of the Career Center, said.
According to Bretl, there were over 95 organizations at the Career Fair, which included not just employers, but volunteer groups, internship positions and numerous other opportunities. Bretl has stated that most of the groups that were there today will be back on March 14, and hopefully several groups that could not make it today.
“The good news is that employers like our students,” Bretl said. “They will be back.”
In the meantime Bretl encourages students to check out Jobs4Jays , the Career Center’s online career management center, as well as stay tuned for future opportunities.
Dr. Wayne Young Jr., associate vice president for Student Life, said everyone involved in the incident reacted with a high degree of professionalism and calm.
“We showed our true colors today,” Young said. “The students, the employers at the Fair, Tanya [Winegard] and the Crisis committee, everyone did a phenomenal job and took care of each other.”
Young encourages students to register for CUAlert , as many students as of now aren’t on it and are therefore not as informed as they could be.
“We really want students on CUAlert,” Young said. “In a major alert, such as a bomb threat or a shooting, that’s a big deal.”
Though it is unclear exactly what happened from the bomb threat, information will be posted as it is received.
Co-authored by Patrick Keaveny.