HILO —Trial has been set for a University of Hawaii-Hilo student accused of making and exploding bottle bombs on campus during fall final examinations.

Edward Emerson Wine II, a 20-year-old junior marine science major, was ordered to appear for trial May 11 by Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara.

Wine pleaded not guilty during his arraignment yesterday on charges of manufacturing prohibited explosives and terroristic threatening, two Class C felonies that carry a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

The explosives charge carries a mandatory five-year term upon conviction, although actual time served would be set by the Hawaii Paroling Authority.

Wine was accompanied by his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Mirtha Oliveros, during his brief court appearance.

Two of the bombs — household chemicals and aluminum foil inside one-liter plastic bottles — exploded at about 1 a.m. on Dec. 18, one near the Hale Kauanoe dormitory, the other next to the Life Sciences Building. A third, unexploded device was found nearby.

One Hale Kauanoe resident, UHH sophomore Wakako Tani, told the Tribune-Herald she was awakened by the explosions, which she said sounded like "gunshots or something."

Police and firefighters evacuated the Life Science Building and a nearby portable classroom building and cordoned off the area.

They also called in an Army explosive ordnance team from Honolulu to dispose of the homemade devices, which UHH Chancellor Rose Tseng downplayed as "a little science experiment in the backyard," while praising the response of police, firefighters and the Army.

Tseng said at the time that such pranks are common at colleges during finals weeks.