Volume 58 Issue 15

Page 1

Privateers rally at Homecoming festivities See more on Pages 6 & 7

DRIFTWOOD The community newspaper of the University of New Orleans

Volume: 58 Issue: 15

LOCKDOWN: Christy Lorio Editor-in-chief Students and faculty were locked down for several hours last Thursday as a manhunt ensued on the University of New Orleans and Ben Franklin High School campuses. The New Orleans Police Department searched for suspects in a white Lincoln MKX. Police spotted an SUV matching the description of a vehicle used in several burglaries in the area. An eyewitness student, who wished to remain anonymous, saw the incident unfold as she and her fellow classmates were walking to the library. She said, “We were walking by the library and we see this white Lincoln SUV come barrelling down the green from the road by Lake Pontchartrain. We jumped out the way...and then he drove through the green, through the parking lot by the Performing Arts Center and he had to squeeze the SUV between a pole and a tree. He sideswiped the tree and the car died, so they got out and ran...as we were trying to figure out what just happened we looked back at where they came from and there were two police cars now going like 90 down the green and almost hit a couple of students on the way but they made it into the parking lot and started chasing the guys on foot.” An emergency siren sounded at 12:39 p.m. UNO’s website states that the alert system warns students of potentially threatening situations such as chemical or biological attacks or leaks, natural disasters or attacks with weapons. Many students were locked outside of buildings, confused as to what was going on due to their lack of knowledge of UNO’s emergency text system. Jordan Joseph, a junior, said “I

January 28, 2015

driftwood.uno.edu

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE E2CAMPUS TEXT SYSTEM

Students question if danger is in or out?

To sign up for UNO’s E2Campus emergency notification system, go to http:// uno2.uno.edu/ucc/E2Campus/e2Campus.htm. The system expires one year from signup, so students and faculty will need to remember to sign up every year. Subscribers will be notified immediately of emergency situations such as bad weather, school closings and other emergencies in or near the area. Users can add up to two mobile numbers or two email addresses.

Students locked out of library wander in confusion as emergency siren blares.

11:15 a.m. NOPD received burglary call in the 6400 block of Perlita Street, 0.6 miles from campus 11:45 a.m. Staff begins to lock students out of buildings 12:22 p.m UNO sends out tweet to alert NOPD, UNOPD pursuing suspect near Pontchartrain Halls. 12:39 p.m. Emergency siren blares to indicate shelter in place 12:45 p.m. Email sent out to students 12:55 p.m. Tweet sent out alerting people to stay in place. 1:15 p.m. Students are informed classes are cancelled via tweets and email 2:06 p.m. Lockdown is lifted had no idea what was going on until someone in the back of my biology class earlier this morning was like ‘Hey I just got a text and apparently there’s a car chase.’ Everyone was getting updates and I had no idea what was up. I was just going with the flow.” Several students felt UNO didn’t handle the situation as well as they could have. Junior Joy Thomas said, “I feel like it could have been better. I know there was chaos and

they were caught off guard but they should have been ready for it.” Joseph said, “I went on to Twitter to see if I could find anything and there was one tweet and that was it. If they’re going to send out tweets they need to keep updating.” Freshman Emily Hartenstein was upstairs in the UC around 11:45 a.m. when a maintenance worker informed her he would have to lock the doors so no one could leave. Hartenstein said “He began

Christy Lorio Suspects were pursued onto UNO campus by NOPD, where they fled the scene and were chased on foot.

Christy Lorio

to say something along the lines of, ‘There is a situation on campus and I have been told to lock the doors. No one can leave the building.’” 20 minutes later, students were able to walk in and out of the building with no one guarding the doors. Eventually UNO staff came back and, according to Hartenstein, “proceeded to tell the group of students forming outside that they were not allowed inside...After about 2 hours of waiting around, my friend and I wandered downstairs…I received no information from anyone downstairs. I saw one official from UNO, who was constantly checking to make sure everyone was okay...Sirens didn’t ring until an hour and a half into it. We didn’t receive updates quickly or consistently.” Mike Brauninger, Director of Student Housing, sent an email to residents on Jan. 23 to express concerns about safety in Pontchartrain Hall. The suspect came into the dorms, was questioned by the front desk attendant, then exited through the courtyard. UNOPD conducted a search in the North and South Halls. According to Brauninger, “numerous suite doors were found open, with many of these doors having the deadbolt propping the door open. On the first floor of both halls, there were a number of windows open also.” The email told residents to keep suite doors closed at all times and close windows when they leave their rooms. The Student Housing Office will begin imposing fines and judicial sanctions to non-compliers.

TWITTER REACTS #UNOPROUD @cookeymaunstar2 Casually waiting for the rumors to start spreading regarding the uno lock down. #grabSomePopcornAndaFriend @WhoDat_Joness UNO should cancel classes tomorrow too, just to be safe @ServedInBleach So I did not get a text about the lockdown. Good thing I didn’t have classes today. @Tribecalledni Drop it like its hot killing the tension on the UC @DJ_Wah All of my fellow @UofNO privateers be safe and vigilant, but on the bright side enjoy the sudden break. ‫@‏‬shalomchristie Andddddd classes are canceled for the rest of the day. Thank you, mystery fugitive. @DiscipleofLilB Can someone explain why UNO thought it was a good idea to have a lockdown and blast the air raid sirens over “an auto theft” @zacleto I’m 100% sure that people had no idea what was going on until someone with Twitter told them


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