Bomb scare empties Upper Quad

A suspicious package outside the Quadrangle prompted police to evacuate the Upper Quad and Stouffer College House last night.

The Philadelphia bomb squad determined with an X-ray that the package was safe, however, and no one was injured.

At about 7 p.m., SEPTA police were notified of the unattended package on Woodland Walk behind the 37th Street trolley station.

The entire Upper Quad was evacuated at about 7 p.m., and police blocked off Spruce Street between 37th and 38th streets.

Stouffer College House residents were removed from the building about a half hour later.

Police and firefighters swarmed around the area, a bomb-sniffing dog and bomb squad were brought in, and a crowd of students pressed to get a look at what was happening.

After the departure of the bomb-sniffing dog and the bomb squad, students were let back into the Quad. Spruce Street reopened at about 8:20 p.m.

The Division of Public Safety released a statement on Friday saying in part that "All law enforcement personnel followed the requisite emergency preparedness protocol, which included securing the area, redirecting traffic, and evacuating student residents."

The statement added that "Cell phones and electronic devices should never be used within the immediate area where a potential bomb threat exists" but noted that land phone lines can be used safely.

Philadelphia and SEPTA police could not be reached for comment.

Confusion, rather than fear, marked the scene.

Joelle Webb, a third-year Law student and a graduate associate in Fisher-Hassenfeld College House, was returning to her room from dinner when the incident began.

She said she was told by Penn security guards in the Quad that "it's just a fire alarm."

She said she was frustrated about having almost no information to give the residents on her hall.

Waiting across the street for Upper Quad Gate to reopen, College freshman Mara Gomes said that she didn't know what was going on.

"They would quell a lot of people's fears if they told us what actually happened," Gomes said.

However, Division of Public Safety officials described the evacuation as "orderly," and Quad staff members agreed.

"Police officers were on the scene almost immediately" and began evacuating students before a fire alarm was sounded to get students out of Upper Quad, said Jane Rogers, dean of Fisher-Hassenfeld.

And staff did not seem to be concerned about Upper Quad residents entering their rooms through the Lower Quad Gate, which remained open.

A few students said they were more concerned with getting their homework done than with speculating about the bomb scare.

"It was amazing how many different rumors there were about what happened," said College freshman Kiley Hart after she had re-entered the Quad.

A few students even joked about a possible al-Qaeda plot against Penn.

Despite the inconvenience, the University's response got some praise.

"If there was actually a bomb . I wouldn't want to be there," Gomes said. "I think it's good for them to err on the side of caution."

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