By Andrew Gruhn
Staff Writer
Photos by Jenny Luo
Schools throughout the state evacuated on Thursday, October 16, in accordance with The Great California ShakeOut.
The annual event prepares schools and communities for the next large earthquake and assesses the school’s capacity for safe evacuation subsequent to a disaster.
An alarm rang at 10:17 a.m., signaling for students to take cover under their desks. Students were then led to the football field and evacuation site, where they waited with their fourth period class for the all-clear signal.
The drill was supposed to last until 11:25 a.m., but due to efficiency on the part of students and faculty, it was terminated at approximately 11:00 a.m., allotting third period extra instructional time.
Administrators requested opinions and feedback from teachers and students on the effectiveness and execution of the earthquake drill and how safety could be improved during a real disaster.
Some students expressed that the drill was not realistic enough to prepare the student body for a real emergency.
“To me, it is unrealistic and impractical for people to follow the procedure of an earthquake drill when a real earthquake takes place,” senior Joanna Wan said. “In addition to an earthquake drill, the school should also have lessons that teach students how to increase their chance of surviving an earthquake, such as finding objects that serves as cushions and some first aid procedure.”
Despite some negative feedback, many students felt that the drill was successful in its goal to help to prepare for such a disaster.
“It gave us some perspective on what we should do in case of an earthquake. The drill served its purpose,” junior James Song said.
