The terrorists have won.... (11 year old science project causes bomb scare)

[Locutus]

When an 11 year old can't bring a science project to school (especially at a technical charter school) without some pansy-ass principal wetting his pants, we can no longer expect to be technological leaders of the world and can just go ahead an tell the terrorists that they've won.   



SAN DIEGO — Students were evacuated from Millennial Tech Magnet Middle School in the Chollas View neighborhood Friday afternoon after an 11-year-old student brought a personal science project that he had been making at home to school, authorities said.

Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said the student had been making the device in his home garage. A vice principal saw the student showing it to other students at school about 11:40 a.m. Friday and was concerned that it might be harmful, and San Diego police were notified.

The school, which has about 440 students in grades 6 to 8 and emphasizes technology skills, was initially put on lockdown while authorities responded.

Luque said the project was made of an empty half-liter Gatorade bottle with some wires and other electrical components attached. There was no substance inside.

When police and the Metro Arson Strike Team responded, they also found electrical components in the student's backpack, Luque said. After talking to the student, it was decided about 1 p.m. to evacuate the school as a precaution while the item was examined. Students were escorted to a nearby playing field, and parents were called and told they could come pick up their children.

A MAST robot took pictures of the device and X-rays were evaluated. About 3 p.m., the device was determined to be harmless, Luque said.

Luque said the project was intended to be a type of motion-detector device.

Both the student and his parents were "very cooperative" with authorities, Luque said. He said fire officials also went to the student's home and checked the garage to make sure items there were neither harmful nor explosive.

"There was nothing hazardous at the house," Luque said.

The student will not be prosecuted, but authorities were recommending that he and his parents get counseling, the spokesman said. The student violated school policies, but there was no criminal intent, Luque said.

"There will be no (criminal) charges whatsoever," Luque said.

Police and fire officials also will not seek to recover costs associated with responding to the incident, the spokesman said.

Luque said both the student and his parents were extremely upset.

"He was very shaken by the whole situation, as were his parents," Luque said.

The school is located on Carolina Lane near Hilltop Drive.

Adjacent Gompers Charter Middle School was not affected during the incident, police Sgt. Ray Battrick said.

Millennial Middle School opened in fall 2008. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District.




http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/15/students-evacuated-school-chollas-view/#

[followsthewolf]

What is very interesting about this is that no one in the administration of that school had the technical expertise to tell the difference between a science project and a bomb.

Wouldn't you think that a specialized junior high like that would have enough adult expertise to be able to discern potentially dangerous objects from those that aren't?

[Locutus]

Excellent point FTW!  One certainly would expect that the administrators of the school would possess such discernment. 

[Henry Hawk]

Like I have said before on here....common sense is gone in America....

[Palehorse]

Welcome to Amerika! 

[followsthewolf]

On second thought...........

look at all the people who still believe in creationism.

[Locutus]

And try and have it taught in the schools masking as ID. 

[followsthewolf]

Just look at the mess Texas is in.

Portends very scary stuff for the rest of the U.S.

[Locutus]

Just look at the mess Texas is in.

Portends very scary stuff for the rest of the U.S.

Yep.  Everything is bigger in Texas including the bullshit. 

[kimmi]

That pisses me off! 

[Palehorse]

Hell, my electromagnet 2nd grade science project would have got me sent to Gitmo in this day and age! 

[followsthewolf]

That pisses me off! 

You mean the curriculum battle going on down there?

[kimmi]

I don't know about the curriculum problems going on, but the new buzz words at preparing students for 21st century learning.  A kid can't bring his motion detector to school and explain to adults that it is a motion detector without calling in the bomb squad. 

We are teaching our children to be afraid of everything.

[Locutus]

That pisses me off! 

Same reaction I had when I first read it. 

[Locutus]

We are teaching our children to be afraid of everything.

That's because a lot of adults are afraid of everything.