False alarm fixed
USF students experienced some confusion Tuesday afternoon when one of the campus-wide Emergency Notification System speakers malfunctioned.
The malfunction caused the system to sound an alert stating that there was a tornado warning in effect and that students should remain indoors.
University Police spokeswoman Lt. Meg Ross said the incident was not a test of the system.
“The system had one speaker announce that there was a tornado, and we had to work out that it was a malfunction with the speaker,” she said.
Ross said the system usually tests itself and alerts someone when a speaker goes offline. The incident was very unusual, she said.
The speaker is located near the University Lecture Hall, and Ross said it is has been repaired.
Raquel Rhoades, a junior majoring in history, said the alarm interrupted her 12:30 p.m. class for a couple of minutes.
“I was sitting (in class) and I heard the alarms going off at first,” she said. “Then, we heard the tail end of the message about the tornado. No one seemed alarmed but were curious as to what was happening outside.”
Rhoades said the alarm only sounded once and did not interrupt the rest of her class.
The University did not enable its emergency text-response to inform students of the incident, but posted on the USF website that the alarm was false.
More Stories
USF student court rules candidates didn’t intimidate voters
Students might have noticed that the official announcement for the Student Government (SG) presidential elections for the upcoming term was delayed. Here’s a look at what slowed down the process. Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and Sumit Subhash Jadhav won the election with 1,702 votes. However, Alexa Matos and Rithvik Lee Pack, presidential candidates and runner-ups, filed […]
Trouble following USF divestment debate updates? Here’s what to know.
Since last fall, a group of USF students have been calling for the university to divest. With months of protests and news, here’s a breakdown of the divestment movement. Related: USF student leaders narrowly pass divestment measure On Oct. 7, a designated terrorist group, known as Hamas, launched an attack on Israel, according to a […]
USF ditched its trademark green regalia. Are students digging it?
With commencement around the corner, seniors are sizing up the newly redesigned caps and gowns they’ll don next week. But does the new regalia get the Bulls’ approval? Students can’t agree. Last fall, USF replaced its signature green regalia with a black cap and gown with green accents. The placement of university seals on the […]
Recording in USF’s MSC isn’t allowed. Here’s how you can get approval.
Students from various majors are starting to record their last video projects for their classes as finals week approaches. It’s all fun and games until students are prohibited from recording in one of the most iconic USF buildings — the Marshall Student Center (MSC). However, Althea Johnson, a USF spokesperson, said recording isn’t entirely prohibited […]
USF admin’s response to suicides unclear. What we know so far.
USF’s administration will not say who or how it will prevent future suicides on campus a month after a student leapt from an upper floor balcony of the Interdisciplinary Science Building – the third suicide since fall 2022. The Oracle has asked repeatedly about which USF administrators are overseeing suicide prevention initiatives and how the […]
USF SG leaders look back on campaign accomplishments while on non-speaking terms
Student body president Cesar Esmeraldi and vice president Elizabeth Volmy reached nearly every campaign goal during their term. The one thing that didn’t persevere was their unity. The pair ended their tenure reflecting on it from separate rooms. “We’ve had a great year,” Esmeraldi said. “I’m very happy with everything we’ve built. But because of […]