Uni Notices

Last year, someone actually drove a car into the wall of the exam hall, just to disrupt and postpone their exam. Exam week has just passed, and interestingly, the number of bomb-threats apparently increases in the uni around that time of the year. The things people would do to avoid an exam... :) So, the uni sent out this note to all the school offices and labs :

Phone Threat Check List
Remember : Keep Calm. Don?t hang up your telephone. Treat as genuine.

Ask the following questions :
- What is it?
- When is the bomb going to explode? OR When will the substance be released?
- Where did you put it?
- What does it look like?
- When did you put it there?
- How will the bomb explode?
OR How will the substance be released?
- Did you put it there?
- Why did you put it there?

Write down exact wording of threat.
Do not duscuss the threat with other staff
Report call to Chief Warden/Warden/Manager
Follow their instructions
---

Erm... right. If someone wanted to make such a call, do you think they'd answer all those questions? Not likely. And if they did, they'd probably answer it like this...

What is it? It's a bomb
When is the bomb going to explode? Soon
Where did you put it? [name of place]
What does it look like? A bomb?
When did you put it there? [time/day]
How will the bomb explode? It will go 'Boom' ?
Did you put it there? Yes?
Why did you put it there? You might as well ask what their name is, where they are, and how you can find them... Or start a counselling session with them if you're a psychology lecturer...

Fortunately, I don't have any exams, but didn't want to put up this entry earlier, 'cos if anyone left a message similar to this during the exam period, I could get myself into trouble... :) Don't want to give anyone any strange ideas :)

Okay, and I know that bomb threats are a serious matter, so we'll have our laugh here, take note of the advice (it's still useful, that note is now pasted next to the lab phone), keep an eye (and ear) out, and life goes on...



On another note, we received an email from the Biology office on Friday :

Re : Building Isolation for Abestos Removal
The builder wishes to carry out abestos removal THIS SUNDAY.
This means the building will be completely closed from 6.30 am to 6.00 pm.
---

Okay, didn't have any problems with avoiding the labs on Sunday. Gives me an excuse not to come in on the weekend. But the thing that struck me was...

There's abestos in the building ??
Isn't that stuff carcinogenic (cancer-causing) ?!

What ?!