Firecrackers startled students inside residence in February. On Feb. 1, two “sonic booms” (bottle rockets) where lit in a laundry room in Kananaskis Hall. Fortunately, they were set off inside one of the dryers that did not operate by natural gas. It was subsequently taken out of service until repaired.
Then on Feb. 15, smoke filled one of the main-floor corridors in Castle Hall after a device was set off on a pop machine. In this incident, a single ten-ball Roman candle was lit in the front panel of the machine. Also in the area, three fresh holes were discovered, punched in the wall in the nearby stairwell.
“Witnesses claimed that they observed three males in the area, throwing garbage around and then were last seen heading toward the vending machine area,” said Campus Security Manager Lanny Fritz.
They were later identified, but claimed they were visiting a friend in residence where they played carpet bowling with beer bottles. The only vandalism they admitted to was pulling posters off the walls.
Officers were also busy on the rest of campus.
During a lab experiment in Science A, a student caused a chemical reaction when exposing a liquid form of tin (IV) tetrachloride to air. It immediately produced a gas cloud, which if inhaled, can be toxic. The student and her partner were exposed, and major precautions were taken, with the use of the fume hood. Shortly afterward an officer attended.
“One of our officers suffered an asthma attack from the room,” said Fritz.
She was sent with the other two students to hospital, where they were treated and released later that day.
After a reoccurring problem of counterfeit bills at the Den and in the food court, Den staff spotted a few being used in their establishment. Normally, when the bank recognizes the phoney bills, the Den looses money. But on Feb. 23, Den employee Jamie Nixon spotted three fake twenty-dollar bills. At the time of their detection, the two individuals, including one student, remained in the bar. Campus Security arrived and they were detained at the Campus Security office until Calgary Police arrived. The men claimed their innocence, but out of the numerous bills they both carried, all were real except for the three used.
The bills are hard to detect, but a closer examination shows various discrepancies. Fritz describes the counterfeit bills as made out of paper instead of the general cloth texture material, with the serial numbers printed close to the bottom of the bill. The numbers are printed in a smaller font and identical on all the bills. The paper is also a lighter shade of green than the original.
Also in February, 16 IBM think pads were stolen from a distant learning lab.
“Culprits broke into a classroom in [fifth-floor Biological Sciences], and removed the lap tops set up for an early morning class,” said Fritz.
The computers were not secured to the tables, and five were left behind. It is believed that they were carried away in backpacks and workout bags. Calgary Police is currently investigating, and may have a suspect.
Elsewhere on campus, on Feb. 25, Campus Security was notified of a vehicle parked against a tree near Craigie Hall. At the scene, they found the driver conscious and breathing, but not responsive. After searching him, they found a medical bracelet on his arm and a card in his wallet that denoted he was a diabetic. EMS attended, recognizing the man as having suffered from low blood sugar levels and treated him before transporting him to the hospital.
Fritz asks drivers on campus to be mindful of Campus Security vehicles.
“Reminder to everyone that if and when they see our amber lights activated, it may be prudent to pull over. We only use them when we attend a call of emergency nature,” said Fritz.