On Thursday morning, students at Manual Arts High School participated in the annual Great California Shakeout Drill. The Great California Shakeout is a practice procedure that happens once a year to prepare people all over the world for a big earthquake. In 2015, 54.8 million people  participated in this drill and and about 10% of those participants were from California. Many of the schools and colleges from all over the state were involved.

Administrator Melvin Harris, head of the school safety committee, made an announcement during fifth period that the area was experiencing an earthquake and instructed all teachers and students to get under their tables and cover. After students ducked under their desks, they were escorted by their teachers to the football field. Students were organized on the field by their small learning communities and teachers were asked to take attendence to make sure all the students were accounted for.  A student in each class held a poster with the teacher’s classroom number so students were able to find their designated safety spot if they happened to get lost.

The purpose of the drill is to prepare students and faculty for a real earthquake which are common to California, but a simulation can only do so much. “It’s kind of hard to predict human behavior under stressful situations where students might be hopping the gate, trying to get to their house,” said Harris. The drill could have gone a bit smoother, according to Harris, but that is why the school practices.

Students stood under the field for 20 minutes which would not have been a problem if it were not for the 95 degree fall weather. Despite the temperatures, many students understood the importance of the drill. “I think it is good to practice the drop, cover and hold procedure in case a big earthquake happens,” said senior Richard Sims. “The only bad part about the drill was standing outside while it was 95 degrees.”

The students were dismissed to lunch around 12:57 p.m. after the earthquake drill ended.