I agree with the person who said they were certified to handle hazmat materials, having some knowledge of such situations myself. It seems very likely that this is not an emergency situation, or that some "chemical" is floating down BU's campus and slowly killing everyone. Protocol is protocol, doesn't mean it's a chemical emergency requiring evacuation. This wasn't even BU's responsibility, they don't own Commonwealth Ave, so let's not try and blame them hmm? Let's be honest, BU was not going to cancel finals. What they could have done (and may have, for all I know) is send an email to students tell them to leave extra time for travel and inform professors that students may be late today due to traffic and that everything reasonable should be done to allow these students equal amounts of time to take their exams. Simple solutions are the best solutions. Everyone try and be reasonable for once.