Valparaiso University in Indiana reports threat
By Amy Lavalley Post-Tribune correspondent September 14, 2012 1:10PM
Students walk near the Chapel of the Resurrection on the Valparaiso University campus Friday morning, Sept. 14, 2012. | Andy LaValley~Sun-Times Media
Updated: September 14, 2012 3:05PM
VALPARAISO – Other than a police presence from local law enforcement agencies, not much seemed amiss on the Valparaiso University campus late Friday morning, just hours after university officials announced an unspecified threat was made through a graffiti message alluding to dangerous and criminal activity alleged to be carried out during chapel break.
No classes or programs on campus were cancelled, and the Valparaiso University Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local police did not find anything suspicious during a human and canine search of campus.
University officials are expected to release more information about the incident during a 2 p.m. news conference on campus.
Bomb threats at the University of Texas in Austin and North Dakota State University in Fargo forced the evacuation of both those campuses Friday. Whether the threat at VU is connected to those incidents is not yet clear.
Chapel breaks takes place from 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., and students milled about on campus to their next classes then, reporting they felt secure despite the threat.
“They sent out a campus-wide email notifying all the students that there had been a threat. That’s all I know, really,” said junior Chris Stoming, who’s from the Milwaukee area.
The email was issued shortly after 6 a.m. A timeline of the events, including when and where the graffiti was found, as well as its content, have not been released.
“I haven’t noticed anything abnormal, besides a couple police officers walking around today,” Stoming said, adding he feels safe on the campus of the Lutheran university. “Absolutely. A small, private campus like this – it feels safe here. We’re in good hands.”
He added that it seemed as though campus officials were doing what they could to handle the threat.
Freshman Cailie Gralewski knew little about the matter, other than what she’d received in brief emails from the university about the threat. Gralewski, of Chicago, said she feels safe on campus as well.
“I think they do a good job of keeping us safe here. I think if it was super serious, we wouldn’t even have class today,” she said.
