We are not prepared for quake

Written by Nicole Doan

During the Jan. 7 and 8 earthquakes, we noticed people’s lack of readiness. But people are not just unprepared; shock, amazement and indifference also affect reactions toward such situations. Either way, there must be change; we must be ready when the big one—or any other quake—hits.

Despite years of participating in earthquake drills at school, the majority of students failed to duck under their desks during the recent earthquakes. Although some desks are too small to cover our whole bodies, everyone should make an effort to protect themselves. We mustn’t allow our surprise to inhibit our impulse to take cover.

Although we know these natural disasters happen from time to time (we live in California, after all), earthquakes take us by surprise anyway. The last major earthquake happened in 1989 with a 7.1 magnitude quake with the epicenter in Loma Prieta, so after more than two decades of non-activity, the next big earthquake is waiting to happen. Just as people can’t calculate exactly when earthquakes will strike, they can’t predict how they’ll react when the time comes. Just make an effort to realize what is going on, and remember that earthquakes are no joke.

Perhaps the reason for the lack of reaction to earthquakes is the epidemic of indifference in today’s youth. Teens are immune to terror in horror movies. They do not fully grasp the seriousness of violence. Now we see that teenagers are also unresponsive about saving their own lives.

Only several hundred miles away from the U.S., the same type of disaster has struck Haiti but with a greater amount of destruction. According to The New York Times, Haiti suffered from a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Jan. 12, causing 200,000 deaths by one estimate. With so much destruction, citizens of Haiti need assistance in rebuilding their homes and lives. Fortunately, we live in a relatively wealthy country that can afford sturdy construction and other forms of well-being, but because of this, we become ignorant of personal disasters.

Despite this, ASB and various school clubs are making conscious efforts to assist Haitians by collecting donations.