Still Breathing

Southern California by the numbers:

24: the number of fires
426, 236: the number of acres destroyed
1500: the number of homes burned down
9000: the number of firefighters on the scene

Still doing okay in California. Surprisingly, UCI has not canceled classes and attendance has been low. Many students have family and friends in the Los Angeles and San Diego area, some of whom have evacuated. The air quality is horrible, leading some students to stay inside and miss class so as to not aggravate their asthma-- doctor's orders. At the moment, one of my students does not even know if his family's home is still standing.

In my discussion section today, I told my students that Minnesota does not really have a disaster that is comparable to wildfires. I explained that evacuation does not occur during tornadoes and snowstorms. I told them that UCI not canceling classes reminds me of how the U of M never allowed snow days. Of course, I had to first explain the concept of snow days. Despite the current situation, we had a productive discussion section today. They have a rough draft due on Tuesday, so I helped them lay the groundwork to their essay.