Chile quake hits home for some students

Karina Martínez and Margarita Villalon were devastated when they first heard of the earthquake that struck Chile last weekend.

Martínez and Villalon, both freshmen foreign exchange students from Valdivia, Chile, immediately tried to contact friends and family to make sure everyone was safe.

“Emotionally, this earthquake has affected all of my country,” Martínez said. “It’s difficult to explain what I feel. It’s difficult to concentrate.”

A massive earthquake measuring 8.8  rumbled through Chile Saturday, killing more than 800 and leaving more than one million homeless. Several aftershocks followed, some with magnitudes as high as 6.9.

Valdivia is approximately 200 miles south of Concepción, the city most affected by the quake.

Martínez and Villalon, both of whom study English and education and plan on teaching English in Chile after they graduate, were relieved to receive news that their loved ones are uninjured.

“People are desperate now and they are trying to find food and water,” Martínez said. “It’s really sad for me, being so far from my country.”

Hitting home for some

Villalon is anxious because there are many people she still has not heard about. She has friends that live in Concepción, but they were not in town when the earthquake hit.

“All of them lost their houses, but they’re okay,” Villalon said.

She said the situation is frustrating for many, as communication with Chile is difficult due to power outages.

“I have friends who are waiting for their parents to get in touch with them,” she said. “The only thing we can do right now is wait.”

Lynn Fischer, a Wellston senior, spent last semester studying abroad in Chile.

Fischer lived with a Chilean family during her time in Valdivia and empathizes with the people she has come to love.

She was able to get in contact with some of her Chilean friends and said they felt the tremors of the quake, but were uninjured.

Fischer said it was strange to see news coverage of the earthquake’s aftermath, especially having recently visited many of the affected areas.

“The people of Chile, their culture is so amazing. They’re so loving and ready to help other people,” Fischer said. “It felt like an earthquake had hit my home. It really did hurt when I heard about it.”

Students interested in supporting Chilean relief can do so through the Habitat for Humanity Web site.