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The Official Student Paper of Riverside Poly High School

The Great Shakeout

Nov 3, 2016

EARTHQUAKE: Students prepare for the potential dangers of California earthquakes with The Great Shakeout. 

By Michelle Krakora, Staff Writer

On October 20 at 10:20 a.m, schools across California participated in The Great Shakeout— a drill to prepare students on what to do when an earthquake happens. An announcement was given and students were required to “stop, duck, and cover” underneath their desks. Following this announcement, students were ordered to file outside and line up on the field. Teachers and students shared their opinions about the Great Shakeout. “It’s worth it [the loss of class time], because everybody thinks they don’t need to practice until there’s an emergency and then they wish they had practiced, ” Mr. Glen Bagwell said. Just as Bagwell stated, it is important for California schools to take necessary precautions, considering the last earthquake was actually that same day at 7:35 a.m in San Jose.

However, students have different opinions. “It’s kind of extreme, but it’s good preparation,” Tyler Inskeep (12) said. “I think that it would help prepare me for knowing where to go afterwards. In the middle of the earthquake, I don’t think it’s really lifelike because half of us can’t even fit under the desks, […] but I think after that, when we walk out to the field, it’s helpful to know what happens,” Kaelah Wilson (11) said. Earthquake predictions are increasing every day with the new discovery of the Salton Trough Fault, located west of the San Andreas Fault. Prior to The Great Shakeout, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) News stated United States Geological Survey (USGS) released preliminary data that indicated a one percent chance for a magnitude 7 earthquake within the next seven days, with likelihood decreasing everyday. Living in an earthquake-prone environment such as California, students and teachers will be grateful when an earthquake occurs and they are aware of what to do.

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