Earthquake drill hits campus

On Oct. 17, Thursday, 10:15 a.m., in the Kahikoluamea center, there was an earthquake drill organized by Dr. Nasir Gazdar. Participants included Dr. Gazdar’s GG103, Geology of the Hawaiian Islands class. Participants ducked under their desks and held on for dear life when the drill began and followed these guidelines: drop( to the floor), (take) cover (under a sturdy table or desk), and hold (on to your shelter). These guidelines can be found on the ShakeOut website. Note that these instructions only to apply to those who are indoors.

According to their website, the purpose of ShakeOut Hawai’i is to help people and organizations get better prepared for the next big earthquake.

The following is a video of KapCC’s drill courtesy of Dr. Gazdar and GG103 student Chun Kit Lam.

This is the first time this particular drill has been held in Hawaiʻi. This island-wide event was observed by more than 15,000 people, according to the Shakeout website. Dr. Gazdar organized this particular event on campus to raise awareness of the natural hazards that the Hawaiian islands face. As a geology teacher, he has been preparing his students for these kinds of natural disasters for the entire span of his career. The expected alarms did not go off as planned, and he concedes that there might have been some miscommunication. However, he also says that it is a good start, and remains optimistic in terms of future attendance, stating that “we all have to work together in the community” and become lifelong learners in order to keep ourselves safe when disaster does strike. If you would like to learn more head over to the ShakeOut website here, or take Dr. Gazdar’s GG103 class, which is held at ‘Iliahi 103.