Daily bomb threats are becoming “the norm” in the lives of University of Pittsburgh students. With a current total of 85 threats since mid-February, the University of Pittsburgh has been unable to locate the person or persons responsible, even after offering a $50,000 reward for information about these instances.
A majority of the threats have taken place in the beloved Cathedral of Learning, while others have occurred in the Chevron Science Center, David Lawrence Hall, the Litchfield Towers, Thackeray Hall, Posvar Hall, Victoria Hall, Frick Fine Arts, the Music Building, Lothrop Hall, Holland Hall, Forbes Hall, Sutherland Hall, and more. In each instance, thousands of students have been forced to evacuate the buildings for around two hours while the police scour the site for explosive devices. Thankfully, no bombs were discovered in any of these cases. Needless to say, though, these occurrences have led to a great deal of missed class time, rescheduled exams, and an overall feeling of frustration throughout the student body.
Freshman Jacob Newman is outraged by the recent threats, “I think whoever is doing this is really immature. I hope the FBI is able to catch the person responsible, because it’s scary to have a bomb threat at your home as well as the buildings you have class in every day. This person obviously doesn’t know the fear and annoyance they’re causing.”
In all of this mess, there seems to be something lacking: fear. Due to the frequency of the threats, many students have become desensitized to the inherent danger that accompanies them.
An overflow of sarcastic Facebook posts, tweets, and memes further demonstrates the insincerity the student body has begun treating these threats with. I, too, am guilty of the aforementioned things. Joking about these situations can make them seem less scary, and honestly, after all of this, we are all grasping for ways to feel safe again on campus. And, when all of the threats prove to be false alarms, it’s admittedly hard to see them as anything other than stupid pranks.
But, while joking for the sake of feeling better is for the most part harmless, becoming too desensitized to these threats may be even more dangerous than the threats themselves.
If an actual emergency were to occur, there is a possibility that students may not take it as seriously as they should due to the fact that 85 times out of 85 nothing severe has happened. But, this numbness to danger could ultimately lead to students putting themselves in harm’s way, which is something no one wants to happen.
So, even though this desensitization isn’t necessarily a fault of our own, it is extremely important that we keep in mind that each and every bomb threat could be the real thing. Just because all of the other threats have been deemed fruitless doesn’t mean we should take any of these situations lightly. The Pitt Police are treating each and every threat as a serious matter and we should follow their lead. Despite the frustrating nature of this ordeal, we must remember to stay vigilant, no matter what. Our safety depends upon it.
Meme credit: Alec Johnson