The suspicious device that caused a bomb scare at the University of Massachusetts last Thursday was a student project, according to classmates.
At 5:20 a.m., a custodian discovered an empty 30-rack box with a battery attached to the outside and wires sticking out in room 112 of Herter Hall.
The box was accompanied by a note that said, "If this is moved it will explode," according to Glenn Ellis, supervisor for buildings and grounds who was on duty that morning.
Ellis immediately evacuated the surrounding buildings. The UMass campus was shut down until 11 a.m. and a state bomb squad was called to evaluate the situation. The W.E.B. DuBois Library was also evacuated.
By 9 a.m., the bomb squad had determined that the device was not a threat, and classes resumed at 11 a.m.
Courtney Ellison, a junior who had class in room 112 late on Wednesday afternoon, said she saw a male classmate bring the box into the room.
"It was a 30-rack of Keystone Light and it was empty. It was in a plastic bag," she said.
Although Ellison left class 15 minutes early, another student, who wished to remain anonymous, said the box was part of the student's presentation.
In the class, "Dean's Book," which is a requirement of the UMass honors college, students read "Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill," and made presentations on subjects relating to the book.
"The kid chose to do chemical weapons," said the Collegian source. "He brought in a 30-rack beer box and a slideshow."
He presented the slideshow and the beer box and explained how easy it was to build a bomb with directions he found on the Internet, she said.
"He showed us the wires that were protruding from the box and said that he followed the instructions, but replaced the explosive materials with water or some such non-lethal substance," said the source.
She also said the presenter expressed concern that the National Security Agency monitors such Web sites and he didn't want to be mistaken for a potential terrorist.
When the class ended, he left without the box, she said.
Neither of his classmates saw a note with the 30-rack.
"The note 'If this is moved it will explode' throws me for a loop. I never noticed a note anywhere on the box, nor was one referenced by any class members or the teacher," said the source.
The Office of News and Information at UMass has yet to release information regarding the investigation.
Katie Huston can be reached at khuston@student.umass.edu.
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