JIGGLE JAMBOREE: Cal State Northridge is sending...

JIGGLE JAMBOREE: Cal State Northridge is sending a valentine to . . . itself. The school, fearfully trashed by the quake last year, reopened on Feb. 14. So Tuesday’s anniversary kicks off a weeklong celebration of their resilient selves at Epicenter U., as it is fondly referred to by students, faculty and staff. There’ll be art, films, food and (lest we forget this is a college) a block party.

TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL: The quake scared off hundreds--spring enrollment is at a 34-year low--but many remain. Jose Garcia, 19, was in the middle of his freshman year when the quake hit, but the idea of leaving his school was more traumatic than facing the devastation. “I like CSUN. That’s what it all comes down to,” he says.

NO ACT OF GOD: Campus religious leaders agree: Quakes mean nothing, theologically speaking. “We’ve been involved in all sorts of counseling over the past year,” says Minister Allyn Axelton, above. “People have an understandably hard time with this quake. Still, earthquakes are a part of the creative process of the world, just as we are.” . . . Amen. Sort of.

DORM DEFENSE: Casualty of the new era: funky dorm room decor. Jake Sarbua stocks his room with gallons of fresh water and flashlights with fresh batteries. His bookshelves aren’t stocked at all--”I keep my books on the floor,” he says. . . . Others aren’t as braced. Suryo Lions says his only precaution is a clear path to the door. “Things start to shake and--first things first--I am outta here!”

DEAN OF PRUDENCE: The only department to hold regular earthquake drills is the campus preschool. The university simulated full-scale quake evacuations as late as 1992. But--with less than great timing--eliminated the emergency coordinator’s job that year. . . . The university president will get a proposal this week to reinstate the post. “I don’t care where the money comes from,” says administrator Ron Norton. “We have learned our lesson: Emergency preparedness is not something to skimp on.”