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Sun Star Newspaper, AK
Sept 28 2005
What's on your evacuation checklist?
by Journalism 202: News Reporting Students
If forced to evacuate, Aurora Suchland would reach for her creepy
crawler and other non-human members of her household. "I'd bring my
pets--a tarantula, guinea pigs and dogs," the 20-year-old biology
major said.
Francine Davis didn't mention any big spiders, but in a disaster
she'd make a point of saving family pets first. "My husband is
self-sufficient," explained Davis, a 35-year-old fiscal officer for
the School of Management.
Mindful of the chaos and anguish accompanying Hurricane Katrina and
more recently Hurricane Rita, journalism students fanned out from the
Bunnell Building last week and collected evacuation priorities from
about 30 members of this campus community. The non-scientific survey
consisted of a single question: "If an earthquake or other natural
disaster forced you to flee the house, what would you bring?"
Biochemistry student Jeff Gimbel knows where his priorities lie. "I'd
take my pet dog Schooner." After a pause he added, "I guess my
fiancð'Kari would be good, too."
Philosophy student Cody Dout, 24, boiled his evacuation kit down to a
pair of essentials. "Toilet paper and macaroni," Dout said. "You have
to eat and wipe your ass."
Biology major Mikey Turner, 25, had a short list. "I would take my
cat, my family," he said, "and, damn, yeah, that's it."
"My dog," said Carolin Remmen, 27, who works for the Literacy
Council. "Cash. My ID, definitely. Just the bare necessities," she
said, then added: "My dog above all."
As emergency officials learned in New Orleans, the logistics of
saving pets complicates evacuation plans for many.
Theater major Fiona Lundquist, 20, figures to save her photos and
animals, though she recognizes that hauling out her menagerie may
pose a challenge. "We're pretty disorganized so we'd probably shove
them in a couple of carriers and hope they don't fight!" said
Lundquist, who owns one rabbit, a pair of cats, three lovebirds and
three rats.
Amber Steinfort simply wouldn't leave because of pets. "I'd be like
the holdouts in Louisiana," she said. "They'd have to force me out at
gunpoint."
Saving families, both formal and informal, emerged as another chief
concern.
Will Rhodes, 27, a graduate student in environmental engineering,
didn't think twice about who he'd rescue. "My daughter," he said.
Friends come first for Lyle Croft, a senior studying biology. "I
would bring my housemates," Croft said, "because I wouldn't want them
to die.
"Then I would take my TV," he added with a grin. "It's pretty
important to my life."
Hank Wichmann, 66, would save family, cash and transportation. "My
wife, kids, dogs, money, and car and," the accounting professor said,
"my airboat if I had the time."
Escaping with photos and personal mementos also ranks high.
Assuming his family-- and that includes their golden retriever-- was
taken care of, Ethan Aronson would reach for the hard drive with all
of his digital photos. "My wife made quilts for our two children when
they were born," added Aronson, who was on campus registering for an
emergency medic recertification course. "I'd grab them too."
Hard to replace personal papers and practical items topped the list
given by UAF graphic designer Lisa Penalver, 45. "I would take
important documents, family pictures, my kids, computer (CD)
back-ups, laptops, changes of clothes, food, money," she said.
Earlina Bowden, director of the campus equal opportunity office, said
she would take practical essentials.
"I would take important papers in a portable safe," the 54-year-old
Bowden said, "irreplaceable items that can be loaded into a trailer
or camper, survival gear, extra water,clothes."
Computer technician Bob Callahan, 59, weighed the choices
methodically. "The big question is: A. Do you have a vehicle? Or, B.
Do you have to carry these things on your back?
"Important records," he eventually concluded. "Wills, insurance
papers, passports, birth certificates"
Nick Crook, 18, is visiting family before heading off to the Air
Force. He would save them before reaching for personal necessities,
including clothing, survival needs. "Probably my cell phone," he
added.
Music major Uyoyou Ogbe, 25, would consider both practicality and
luxury. "I'd take pictures of my family, my CDs, several changes of
clothes, my address book, documents, lotion and stuff, money, oh,"
she said, "and food."
"I would bring my favorite books," said Josh Mesch, a 29-year-old
mining engineering student, citing past experience hastily leaving
home.
Commercial fisherman Frank Edwards, 20, would bring spiritual tools.
"My bible and pictures," he said, "because they would help me move on
and preserve memories."
As might be expected in Interior Alaska, many respondents gave weight
to practical considerations.
"Food, water cell phone, gun, sleeping bags, dry clothing, and plenty
of tarps," said Bruce Johnson, a Duckering project researcher. "I
think you could survive anything."
Mike Matsakyan, an economics student from Armenia, would pack solely
what he needs. "I would take food, as much as I could carry," the he
said, "then maybe clothes to stay warm".
"I would bring food, clothes, first-aid kit," said Derrick Blackburn,
25, whose sister attends UAF. "Probably lose everything else. Oh," he
added, "and soap!"
One campus visitor figures to literally pack out his residence. "I
live in a yurt," said Aaron Engers, 21. The Mongolian shelter is
portable, he explained, and fits inside his Subaru. "I'd just fold it
up and put it in there."
Twenty-year-old student Carlos Elizondo would preserve his favorite
diversion. "I'd grab my X-box," he said, referring to the popular
video game system. "To take my mind off the disaster."
Forced to flee, wildlife biology student Andrew Wu, 24, plans to
travel light and fast. "Just get out and get on with life," he said.
"You can replace everything."
Student reporters contributing to this story: Dan Carlson, Amy
Chausse, Michael Dzursin, Lacie Grosvold, Eric Haberin, Ashley
Hudson, Theresa Jacobo, Amy Knight, Rosie Milligan, Aaron Schuldiner.
Kala Shaver, Sarah Sperry, Megan Sullivan, John Wagner, Matt Walker
and Amber Wilson.
Sept 28 2005
What's on your evacuation checklist?
by Journalism 202: News Reporting Students
If forced to evacuate, Aurora Suchland would reach for her creepy
crawler and other non-human members of her household. "I'd bring my
pets--a tarantula, guinea pigs and dogs," the 20-year-old biology
major said.
Francine Davis didn't mention any big spiders, but in a disaster
she'd make a point of saving family pets first. "My husband is
self-sufficient," explained Davis, a 35-year-old fiscal officer for
the School of Management.
Mindful of the chaos and anguish accompanying Hurricane Katrina and
more recently Hurricane Rita, journalism students fanned out from the
Bunnell Building last week and collected evacuation priorities from
about 30 members of this campus community. The non-scientific survey
consisted of a single question: "If an earthquake or other natural
disaster forced you to flee the house, what would you bring?"
Biochemistry student Jeff Gimbel knows where his priorities lie. "I'd
take my pet dog Schooner." After a pause he added, "I guess my
fiancð'Kari would be good, too."
Philosophy student Cody Dout, 24, boiled his evacuation kit down to a
pair of essentials. "Toilet paper and macaroni," Dout said. "You have
to eat and wipe your ass."
Biology major Mikey Turner, 25, had a short list. "I would take my
cat, my family," he said, "and, damn, yeah, that's it."
"My dog," said Carolin Remmen, 27, who works for the Literacy
Council. "Cash. My ID, definitely. Just the bare necessities," she
said, then added: "My dog above all."
As emergency officials learned in New Orleans, the logistics of
saving pets complicates evacuation plans for many.
Theater major Fiona Lundquist, 20, figures to save her photos and
animals, though she recognizes that hauling out her menagerie may
pose a challenge. "We're pretty disorganized so we'd probably shove
them in a couple of carriers and hope they don't fight!" said
Lundquist, who owns one rabbit, a pair of cats, three lovebirds and
three rats.
Amber Steinfort simply wouldn't leave because of pets. "I'd be like
the holdouts in Louisiana," she said. "They'd have to force me out at
gunpoint."
Saving families, both formal and informal, emerged as another chief
concern.
Will Rhodes, 27, a graduate student in environmental engineering,
didn't think twice about who he'd rescue. "My daughter," he said.
Friends come first for Lyle Croft, a senior studying biology. "I
would bring my housemates," Croft said, "because I wouldn't want them
to die.
"Then I would take my TV," he added with a grin. "It's pretty
important to my life."
Hank Wichmann, 66, would save family, cash and transportation. "My
wife, kids, dogs, money, and car and," the accounting professor said,
"my airboat if I had the time."
Escaping with photos and personal mementos also ranks high.
Assuming his family-- and that includes their golden retriever-- was
taken care of, Ethan Aronson would reach for the hard drive with all
of his digital photos. "My wife made quilts for our two children when
they were born," added Aronson, who was on campus registering for an
emergency medic recertification course. "I'd grab them too."
Hard to replace personal papers and practical items topped the list
given by UAF graphic designer Lisa Penalver, 45. "I would take
important documents, family pictures, my kids, computer (CD)
back-ups, laptops, changes of clothes, food, money," she said.
Earlina Bowden, director of the campus equal opportunity office, said
she would take practical essentials.
"I would take important papers in a portable safe," the 54-year-old
Bowden said, "irreplaceable items that can be loaded into a trailer
or camper, survival gear, extra water,clothes."
Computer technician Bob Callahan, 59, weighed the choices
methodically. "The big question is: A. Do you have a vehicle? Or, B.
Do you have to carry these things on your back?
"Important records," he eventually concluded. "Wills, insurance
papers, passports, birth certificates"
Nick Crook, 18, is visiting family before heading off to the Air
Force. He would save them before reaching for personal necessities,
including clothing, survival needs. "Probably my cell phone," he
added.
Music major Uyoyou Ogbe, 25, would consider both practicality and
luxury. "I'd take pictures of my family, my CDs, several changes of
clothes, my address book, documents, lotion and stuff, money, oh,"
she said, "and food."
"I would bring my favorite books," said Josh Mesch, a 29-year-old
mining engineering student, citing past experience hastily leaving
home.
Commercial fisherman Frank Edwards, 20, would bring spiritual tools.
"My bible and pictures," he said, "because they would help me move on
and preserve memories."
As might be expected in Interior Alaska, many respondents gave weight
to practical considerations.
"Food, water cell phone, gun, sleeping bags, dry clothing, and plenty
of tarps," said Bruce Johnson, a Duckering project researcher. "I
think you could survive anything."
Mike Matsakyan, an economics student from Armenia, would pack solely
what he needs. "I would take food, as much as I could carry," the he
said, "then maybe clothes to stay warm".
"I would bring food, clothes, first-aid kit," said Derrick Blackburn,
25, whose sister attends UAF. "Probably lose everything else. Oh," he
added, "and soap!"
One campus visitor figures to literally pack out his residence. "I
live in a yurt," said Aaron Engers, 21. The Mongolian shelter is
portable, he explained, and fits inside his Subaru. "I'd just fold it
up and put it in there."
Twenty-year-old student Carlos Elizondo would preserve his favorite
diversion. "I'd grab my X-box," he said, referring to the popular
video game system. "To take my mind off the disaster."
Forced to flee, wildlife biology student Andrew Wu, 24, plans to
travel light and fast. "Just get out and get on with life," he said.
"You can replace everything."
Student reporters contributing to this story: Dan Carlson, Amy
Chausse, Michael Dzursin, Lacie Grosvold, Eric Haberin, Ashley
Hudson, Theresa Jacobo, Amy Knight, Rosie Milligan, Aaron Schuldiner.
Kala Shaver, Sarah Sperry, Megan Sullivan, John Wagner, Matt Walker
and Amber Wilson.