Students, faculty react to Jesusita Fire
Mass evacuations force City College to take precautions
Reported and written by students in Journalism 101
Issue date: 5/13/09 Section: News
|
Another spent the night at the UCSB Library, trying to do math homework without his book.
Another student left class Wednesday afternoon to learn the Mission Canyon home she's lived in all her life might be on fire.
While the flames off Jesusita Trail rage miles away from this oceanfront campus on Thursday, the impact of the fire is widespread here. Students, staff and faculty members described fast evacuations, nervous nights spent in hotels, and homes opened to friends, families and pets.
Mass evacuations began in the hills and upper Eastside around 4 p.m. Wednesday, and City College officials canceled all classes after 5 p.m. because of power failures and turbulent winds. The cafeteria suffered though power outages as it continued serving food until 8 p.m., although a lot of food went to waste because business was so slow, said Donna Faulkner, cafeteria supervisor.
Today, teachers campus-wide reported very light enrollment, and more than a few were joined by their students coughing their way through classroom discussions.
All outdoor PE classes were canceled, and the La Playa Stadium stairs and Pershing Park tennis courts were mostly empty, except for a few souls braving an air quality judged among the worst in the country by AirNow.com, a U.S. government Web site.
Several instructors wondered why City College would try to continue on as normal in such abnormal circumstances.
"We are in a state of emergency," said ceramics Professor Chris Bates, an Ojai resident concerned about the air quality. "This is a toxic day in our community. I'm surprised this educational institution would go against the grain when so many schools are closed."
Be the first to comment on this story