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OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS

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OC High asks: What do you think will be the biggest problem at your school if there is an earthquake?

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“I think I’d be lost. Not knowing where to go is my biggest fear. Although we have earthquake drills quarterly, I, like many other high school students, don’t really pay attention.”

Meaalii Tagatauli, 17, senior, Los Amigos

“My butt wouldn’t be able to fit under the desk.”

Lauren Dutton, 15, sophomore, Trabuco Hills

“All of the car alarms in the parking lot would be activated.”

Jonathan Dienhart, 18, senior, Villa Park

“People won’t follow the directions. They will be running around screaming because the teachers don’t always seem to know what’s going on.”

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Jennifer Fox, 17, senior, Capistrano Valley

“There won’t be enough food to go around.”

Joel Goodrich, 15, freshman, Cypress

“We would have a problem with the stairways. They are already crowded enough as it is. The stairs would be so crowded that people would be jumping out of the windows. We need to build an emergency stairwell down the side of the building.”

Zac Fen, 17, senior, Capistrano Valley

“People panicking, people going hysterical. When people start to panic we do weird things; they’ll go insane. (The teachers) will ditch us. They train us to go out to the field and hang out, but if I was a teacher, I’d run for my own life.”

Tan Tran, 16, junior, Westminster

“There would be no school left because our (building) is way too old.”

Lisa Wang, 17, senior, Valencia

“I think there would be so much chaos. No matter how many times we do those drills, when a disaster hits, everything would be out of control.”

Kassie Warner, senior, Laguna Hills

“The buildings might collapse, because the structure doesn’t seem strong.”

Anna Lisa Espirita, 14, sophomore, Cornelia Connelly

“There would be people running around, and people would be too scared and terrified to listen to anyone tell them what they should be doing.”

Kristy Bergslien, 14, freshman, Sonora

“Fear and the lack of order. Chaos will erupt among the majority of students and faculty.”

Patricia Meinburg, 17, senior, Rosary High

“Organizing the students by class, because I notice that during drills, all the students mingle around while teachers are trying to take roll.”

David Chogh, 18, senior, Fountain Valley

“People would be trying to hurry out of school. Everyone would be panicking, and so no one would be able to get out.”

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Megan Hamrock, 15, sophomore, Katella

“Probably fear, because everyone thinks earthquake drills are a joke.”

Kate Woodfill, 16, junior, Trabuco Hills

“No one would follow the earthquake procedures, so there would be mass confusion.”

Harpreet Mavi, 14, freshman, Huntington Beach

“Controlling the students. Some people might break down and cry, or others would probably totally freak out. We should have a controlling plan.”

Jamie Chung, 15, sophomore, Canyon

“I think the students and teachers are not organized enough to make sure that safety is provided for each individual.”

Stacy Davis, 16, junior, Canyon

“Trying to fit the big kids under the desks. I can fit under them, but what if something falls on the big kids’ heads?”

Meghan Kuhn, 17, senior, Laguna Beach

“People won’t run to the field in an orderly fashion. People will get hurt.”

Jennifer Samson, 16, junior, Cornelia Connelly

“Panic.”

Dap Le, 16, junior, Los Amigos

“The ground splitting open under my desk.”

Francoise Castro, 17, senior, Cypress

“Even though we’re prepared by doing drills and stuff, there probably would be a lot of chaos more than anything, since nobody ever takes these drills seriously.”

Tanya Lyon, 17, senior, Irvine

“Keeping your sanity and questioning your existence.”

Phong Pham, 15, freshman, Santiago

“The school is so old it will probably cave in before we get out.”

Amelia Cabello, 14, freshman, Sonora

“Buildings might collapse, and we wouldn’t be able to go to school, but of course that’s nothing major.”

Scott Scheffler, 15, sophomore, Brea Olinda

“Most of us here have been through so many earthquakes that anything under an 8.0 is just fine.”

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Gary Hoggatt, 16, junior, Los Amigos

“Panic control.”

Andrew Ting, junior, Laguna Hills

“I think parents calling the school about their children would add to the confusion.”

Hien Nguyen, 15, junior, Fountain Valley

“The biggest problem would be the panic of everyone.”

Ann Amigable, 14, freshman, Rosary

“The top (floor). We’ll have to jump . . . and panic might be a problem.”

Dawn Hyepock, 15, sophomore, Westminster

“The rebuilding process (that) the school and students would have to go through.”

Bach Vu, 17, senior, Santiago

“Since we’re on a hill, there would be no way to communicate if all the power lines were shut down.”

Veena Lucas, 16, junior, Brea Olinda

“People panicking. Even though they’re supposed to go under their desks, students would want to get out of the classroom as quickly as possible, especially if they are sitting near a glass window.”

Derek Stucker, 16, junior, Irvine

“Having to come down from upstairs. If the stairs are gone, there would be nothing to help people down to escape.”

Nathan Vanderburg, 16, junior, Katella

“The safe evacuation of all students out of the building.”

Sharon Yee, 16, junior, Huntington Beach

“People freaking out.”

Rigo Hernandez, 16, junior, Laguna Beach

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Responses gathered by Ling Lu, Valencia; Gina Tercero, Cornelia Connelly; Linda Dao, Los Amigos; Joslin Gemsch, Capistrano Valley; Eva Joy Leavitt, Laguna Hills; Sabrina Friedman, Canyon; Trica Michaels, Fountain Valley; Samantha Wood, Trabuco Hills; Christine Monette, Rosary; Koreen Kalie, Westminster; Roxanne McGraw, Cypress; Leeza Duong, Santiago; Amy Chen, Brea Olinda; Robert Wenzel, Irvine; Jeff Wang, Katella; Amy Woo, Huntington Beach; Craig Hammill, Laguna Beach; Jennifer Tobkin, Villa Park.

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