Prop 'bomb' causes alarm at MIT
Police probe event invitation for over 4 hours
The Cambridge Police Department Bomb Squad was called to MIT early yesterday to investigate what turned out to be a bomb-shaped concrete block promoting an on-campus student event, police said.
The object, which was shaped like a cherry bomb and painted black and orange, had been placed on a field in front of Kresge Auditorium early yesterday, said Charles Lin, an MIT graduate student and resident tutor in Burton-Conner dormitory, whose residents accepted responsibility for the object.
The bomb squad arrived about 5 a.m. and left about 9:30 a.m., after determining that the object was not explosive, police said.
The stunt was not done with any intent, police said.
The Burton Third Bombers, students from the third floor of the dormitory, were promoting an annual dance, which was held last night.
The bogus bomb - which was painted with the letters DTYD, for the "Dance Til You Drop" party - was a "hack," said Lin. "The bomb was very cartoonish; almost straight out of the Acme catalog."
According to Lin, an undergraduate informed campus police that the object was a hack at 3 a.m., before the bomb squad was called.
"I don't think the students had any bad intent, but these things can be construed very poorly," Lin said.
Last year, MIT students hung a large bomber silhouette in a campus building advertising the event.
In the past, an annual hack for this event was commonplace, Lin said.
The Students of Burton Third issued an apology to MIT police and the city of Cambridge.
It has not been determined whether students will be billed for police costs.
