Student Art Project Causes Bomb Scare

Posted on March 29, 2008 in Offbeat - 3 Comments

A University of North Florida student’s art project led to a partial evacuation of the campus Thursday.

According to school officials, a campus police officer discovered the first of four suspicious packages near the campus bookstore at approximately 11 a.m. Three more packages were discovered at various locations on campus.

All of the surrounding buildings were promptly evacuated and everyone in the area was removed.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was called in and deemed the packages safe after examining them with X-rays.

The packages were black boxes with a telephone on top and wiring and a CD player on the inside. They were mounted on various campus structures, and according to some individuals, a recording would play if you picked up and listened to the telephones.

A UNF student later informed police that the packages were a part of a class art project.

For some students, the incident has prompted several questions.

Though the school website was updated with a notice of the evacuations and e-mails were sent out to students, most students found out by word-of-mouth or via television news.

That doesn’t sit well with many students, who have been told of a supposed phone alert system which would call or text message students’ cell phones with emergency notifications. That system was conspicuously absent during Thursday’s events.

Many also wonder why police were not notified of the packages beforehand by the art student and professor.

However, word has spread around campus that the student and professor did in fact contact the University Police Department prior to putting the boxes in place, and it was an internal communication failure by police which caused the scare.

Despite the criticisms, it is important to give the campus police credit where it is due. Once the packages were discovered, the necessary areas were evacuated very quickly, and no one would have been killed or injured had the packages been dangerous.

After all, keeping people safe is the number one priority in an emergency.

Update: a picture of one of the four suspicious packages can be seen at The Spinnaker

Bizarre Easter Traditions

Posted on March 23, 2008 in Offbeat - Comment

People around the world do some strange things to celebrate Easter.

In Greece, people throw pots out of their windows to symbolize the rejection of Judas. (BBC)

In Haux, France, villagers cook a giant omelet on Easter Monday. The omelet can feed over 1,000 people, and takes over 4,500 eggs to make. (BBC)

It gets noisy in the south-eastern part of Finland, where children walk around their villages on Easter night playing an instrument such as a ratchet or cowbell. (BBC)

On Easter Monday in Poland, it’s traditional for people to pour water onto one-another. (BBC)

In some parts of the Czech Republic, there is a celebration called the "pomlazka," during which girls and women are whipped with willow twigs "to get rid of all the bad things that had accumulated during the winter and bring the vitality back in the ladies, as well as ensure beauty and, of course, fertility." (Radio Prague)

In Bacup, Lancashire, England, a group of dancers in turban-like hats, black jerseys, red and white kilts, white stockings, and black leather clogs assembles with blackened faces at a pub at 9 a.m., then dances through the town from border to border. (The Independent)

Hungerford, England still celebrates the "Hocktide Festival" on the Tuesday after Easter. The festival dates from the 14th century when Prince John of Gaunt gave the rights of free grazing and fishing to local ‘commoners’. To celebrate the town’s patronage from Prince John of Gaunt, the town crier blows his horn and calls together the Hocktide Court in the town hall. Here, all commoners, living in the most ancient house in the High Street, must pay a fine to ensure their rights of fishing and grazing. While the court continues, "Tutti-Men" with florally decorated poles are led through the streets by the "Orange-Man" to collect kisses from all the ladies resident in the High Street. They receive an orange in return. Various traditional suppers, ale-tastings, lunches and balls follow. (Woodlands Junior School)

Do you know of any strange or unusual Easter celebrations?