One year later … and the aftermath continues
One year ago today at 4:31 a.m., UCLA and the rest of the
Southland was rocked by a force beyond anyone’s control.
Today is the one-year anniversary of the Northridge earthquake,
the day both buildings and people broke down, the day the
rebuilding process began.
For UCLA, it could have been a lot worse.
Compared to Cal State Northridge, the Westwood campus suffered
relatively little structural damage: classes were cancelled for a
few days, the water was shut off and Royce Hall closed, but there
were no deaths or major injuries.
We were lucky, if you can call it that.
Others were not so lucky.
At the Northridge epicenter, lives were lost, buildings
collapsed and many of the communities of Los Angeles joined
together to help pick up the pieces.
While luck may not have been on anyone’s side last Jan. 17, to
many of us, the quake served as a wake-up call, showing that life
is not as predictable as we often perceive it to be. Because most
disasters come unannounced, we learned we must live our lives to
the fullest every day.
In a very literal sense, the quake also reminded us of the need
for seismic renovations and safety precautions. As we walk around
the construction sites all over campus, it’s natural to gripe about
the detours and distractions. But regardless of the inconvenience,
we must not forget that much of the construction exists to prevent
further damage in the event of another disaster.
The physical effects of the quake are still visible today. But
after the quake struck, people underwent a desperate need to
connect and communicate, an effect that, one year in retrospect, is
not quite so obvious.
While earthquakes characteristically tear things down,the
Northridge quake, however, had the effect of pulling people
together. And it is this collective community strength that was
crucial to the recovery process.
As with the L.A. uprisings in April 1992, the Northridge
earthquake demonstrated that if we are mobilized as strong
communities in times of calm, we will collectively be better
prepared to undergo times of upheaval.
Now, one year after the Northridge quake, the main danger lies
in forgetting.
As a community of individuals, we cannot remain unprepared. When
forces beyond our control intrude upon our daily lives, we must
take control over them by strengthening the buildings in which we
live, work and learn, by strengthening our communities and our
relationships with each other.
In the event of disaster, no longer can we depend on pure luck.
Happy anniversary, UCLA.