Ohio University Starts #FugitiveFest After Campus Shutdown Due to Armed Robber Because What Else Would OU Do?

Yesterday was a crazy day in Athens, Ohio on the campus of Ohio University.  Word came early via text that an armed robber, allegedly carrying a semi-automatic handgun, was on loose after robbing a woman in an apartment building parking lot and heading towards campus.  Said robber only made off with $5…not a typo…and by 11:37am the Athens Police Department was no longer searching for their perp.  Soon after that, Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi tweeted the students that the University would remain closed the rest of the day.

That’s when Ohio University went into Ohio University Mode.

Not many colleges would take the news of a gunman on the loose as OU did.  The bars on their famed Court Street opened up early and the witty students on twitter started the hashtags #FugitiveFest and #GunDayFunDay.  I am sure a lot of people reading this are doing one of two things; 1.) Shaking their heads in disbelief that students would throw such caution to the wind to imbibe or 2.) Wishing they were still in college.  Bars even rolled out $5 pitcher specials for the occasion with one bar offering free wings and $1 beers, which is enough to get any college student out of their dwelling.

The more responsible students, and I use that term loosely, were at the local fraternities or day drinking at their own houses.  However, if you decided to hit Pawpurrs or The C.I. on Court Street there was a dress code sent out via Twitter.

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/biggest_lou/status/296683927597350912″]

In case you hadn’t made the connection, that was the description of what the gunman was wearing.  I can’t imagine that made things easier for the Athens Police Department but, in reality, when have the students ever done that?  I am on both sides of this story.  On the one hand, I think that it was reckless and dangerous for the bars in Athens to open early and encourage the students to come down and drink.  On the other hand, I thought back to my days at Kent State University and wondered what I would have done in the same situation and I know, without a doubt, I would have raged like these Bobcats.

Here is the email that was sent to faculty and staff yesterday.  It was sent to me by a staffer who wishes to remain anonymous.

OUemail

I am sure students and alumni from schools that have had tragedy at the hands of a gunman will find this in bad taste and maybe it was.  But the overall feeling on campus was that the gunman was not a threat to students and was not intent on causes harm to innocent people, but rather just trying to flee the police.  If this wasn’t the case, then maybe we should be asking why Ohio University didn’t lock down their buildings.  After the announcement of the closing of the school, the students were “kicked out of class” as one student told a reporter while walking on campus.

This was the first time Ohio University had closed down due to a non-weather related issue since closing campus in 1970 during the riots at Kent State University.

O-U, OH YEAH.

h/t @Z4willy

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