Scare Wreaks Scheduling Havoc

Students in Literature and Arts B-21: "Images of Alexander the Great" received an unexpected reprieve from their final exam yesterday, when a man entered an exam room and threatened to detonate a bomb (please see story, page 1). The students will now retake their exams Feb. 3, Registrar officials have announced.

The bomb scare caused chaos in the Registrar's Office, which oversees the scheduling of exams.

Besides "Alexander the Great," the bomb scare interrupted the final of Economics 2010c, "Economic Theory," a graduate-level class that had been taking an exam in the adjacent Science Center C. Students there were evacuated to Holden Chapel to keep warm and await further instructions.

While at the Chapel, most students expressed frustration at the interruption, saying that they just wanted to finish the final.

"We're not really scared, just annoyed," said Radu Ban '02, a student in the class.

"We're not very pleased about the fact that we can't get this one over with," said C.-Y. Cynthia Lan, a first year graduate student who had been taking the exam.

After a few student protests, the class was taken to Littauer Hall to complete their interrupted exam.

"We're laughing about it, but we're not very happy about it," Lan said.

Back at the scene of the incident, exam proctors were the first back into the Science Center. Harvard University Police Department officers allowed them to collect all exams and exam material.

"We're all very sorry for this very odd disruption," said Registrar Arlene F. Becella.

--Staff writer Adam M. Lalley can be reached at lalley@fas.harvard.edu.