For some schools it meant duck and cover. For others it meant students unable to walk were moved away from windows and harmful objects. There was a possibility of evacuation either to the football field or off campus.

With Japan as a recent reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes, being adequately prepared for disaster is a concern. For students across Stockton Unified, Oct. 20 was a statewide earthquake drill that started at 10:20 a.m., lasting a total of a six minutes.

In the middle of third period, students working in class were interrupted by Principal Bill Parks when he announced on the intercom that there was to be an earthquake duck and cover drill.  Students were instructed to get under their desks and cover their heads.

“I discovered a whole new set of flavors of gum down there,” said senior Angelo Robles.

For taller students, like senior Aaron Vega who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, fitting underneath a desk was difficult. “The desks were too short,” he said.

The official method of protection during an earthquake is the duck and cover method. Other methods of protection such as standing under doorways are not advised. During an earthquake, much of the danger is from flying objects, but placing oneself under a desk or table can provide protection.  

“If there was an accident, (students) would need to know what to do,” said science teacher  Bill Lorentz. “Japan has (earthquake drills), and they have far fewer deaths.”

Sophomore Raven Ramirez believes the drills are important.  “You never know what could happen, and California has a lot of earthquakes,” she said. “Having them a couple more times would be good so everyone can get used to it. We do fire drills more often. We might as well do earthquake drills the same way.”

Others were not as enthusiastic. Sophomore Ved Patel said, “I just did it because we had to.”

Students were told in advance the specific time and date that the drill would be taking place. Junior Tiara Freeman and sophomore Marco Galindo both thought that the administration should not have informed the students in advance. If it had been unannounced, “more people would take it seriously and participate more,” said Freeman.

“We’ve got to do it unexpectedly,” said Galindo, who enjoyed the drill because “we got to waste class time.”

According to shakeout.org, the official website for the drill, in California alone there was a total of 8.6 million people registered to participate. This included not just schools but also government offices and various businesses, as well as a total of 5,850 individuals and families registered to participate.

For residents of Stockton who rarely experience earthquakes, there is a risk unique to the area.  The levees in the area are weak, and if a powerful earthquake were to hit, the levees could break, causing flooding. If this were to occur, then the school would need to evacuate.

The question that Galindo asks is, “What if an earthquake really happens?”