Taiwan By Judson C. Davis Capital Times Staff Writer As monks chant mournfully and bereaved relatives weep over the death of loved ones, Penn State students struggle to identify with the loss felt by those living in Taiwan. But for at least one member of the Penn State com munity, the tragedy and devasta tion hit home. Dr. Yochia Chen, associate professor of engineering at PSH, has been watching the news from Taiwan with both heartfelt and professional concern. Chen has done extensive research on earth quakes and their effects on build ings and bridges. His primary concern, under standably, was for his family. Chen has a father, three sisters and one brother living in Taiwan. His siblings all have families and two of his sisters live in Taichung, the third largest city in Taiwan and just 20 miles from the quake’s epicenter. “At the beginning, it was pret- CAMPUS POLICE REPORT By Kristy Pipher Capital Times Staff Writer September 16,1999 5:13 p.m. Escort service. Provided escort for student from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. 10:08 p.m. Escort service. Provided escort for student from the library to Meade Heights 11:10 p.m. Escort service. Provided escort for student from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. 11:14 p.m. Escort service. Provided escort for student from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. 11:17 p.m. Motorist assistance. Provided a jumpstart to a vehicle. 11:19 p.m. Traffic stop on Kirtland Avenue. A verbal warning was given for traveling at unsafe speeds in a residential neighborhood. 11:40 p.m. Power outage in Meade Heights. Power restored to Meade Heights. Earthquake H ty tough to reach them because communication systems were knocked down,” stated Chen. After several attempts, he was able to talk to one of his sisters. “I was very relieved to hear that everybody was okay.” Chen exclaims. One of Chen’s sisters lives on the ninth floor of a downtown Taichung high-rise apartment. Fortunately, her building was spared. Being afraid for herself and her two young children, she refused to return to her apart ment. Instead, she opted to stay with her sister, who lives in the same city but in a much safer two-story building. She returned to her apartment a week later only after govern ment engineers certified the building safe. With land being a precious and expensive commodity in Taiwan, it is not uncommon to find that most people live in high-rise apartments, much like September 20,1999 9:57 p.m. Escort service. Provided escort for student from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. September 21,1999 1:38 a.m. Domestic dispute. Husband and wife had a dis- agreement. There was no physi cal altercation and peace was restored. 7:46 p.m. Report of a large group of smokers in front of the Olmsted Building. A verbal warning was given. 10:28 p.m. Escort service. Provided escort for student from the police station to Meade Heights. September 22,1999 9:59 p.m. Traffic stop at College Avenue and University Drive. A written warning was issued for a moving violation. 10:02 p.m. Traffic stop at College Avenue and University Drive. A citation was issued for traveling the wrong way on a one-way street. 10:07 p.m. Escort service its Home for Engineering Professor the one Chen’s sister resides in. Many high-rise apartments collapsed under the 7.6 magni tude quake that struck in the early morning hours of Sept. 21. “This is the reason for so many people being killed,” explained Chen. “Most people were asleep when the quake hit and were unable to escape the devastation.” At last count, the unimagin ably large number of dead had totaled more than 2,000. Being familiar with Taiwan’s building codes as they pertain to earthquakes, Chen was surprised to find out that even some of the newer high-rise apartments, built after codes were changed to con sider earthquakes, had toppled to the ground in a heap of rubble. “Around 1985 the [Taiwan] building industry adopted a mod em seismic design code,” stated Chen. “What got me the most was that buildings three to five years old, built to withstand earthquakes, collapsed!” Provided escort for student from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. 10:09 p.m. University regula tions violation. Requested that a group of smokers move from the front entrance of the Olmsted Building due to University smoke free regulations. September 23,1999 3:03 p.m. Student assistance. Escorted a student who was a theft victim in Middletown Borough back to their Meade Heights residence. 5:02 p.m. Motorist assistance. Provided a jumpstart on student vehicle, 6:30 p.m. Traffic stop on College Avenue. A citation was issued for a speed-related mov- ing violation. 6:55 p.m. Traffic stop on College Avenue. A citation was issued for a speed-related mov ing violation. September 24,1999 1:18 a.m. Noise complaint. Checked the area for disorderly subjects. A verbal warning was Reports are surfacing daily of violations of building codes by those in the construction industry eager to maximize profits by cut ting comers. Eighteen contractors, engi neers, architects and surveyors have been ordered not to leave the country while other investi gations continue, television reports say. Authorities in Taichung County released on bail four men involved in the construction of a collapsed building, the United Daily News reported. Three oth ers were denied bail in a case that allegedly involved collusion and the use of shoddy materials. Fears are now turned toward deadly aftershocks that persist to shake and rumble across the island country. Nearly 8,000 were registered by Sept. 27, with 20 to 50 tremors occurring each hour since the major earthquake struck. “Aftershocks can last for given. 11:57 p.m. Noise complaint. Complaint of disorderly groups. A verbal warning was given. 6:10 p.m. Traffic stop on College Avenue. A traffic citation was issued for a speed related mov- ing violation. 10:38 p.m. Escort service. Student patrol provided an escort from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. September 28,1999 7:25 p.m. Motorist assistance on Wharton Avenue. Provided a jumpstart for vehicle. 7:28 p.m. University policy vio lations. Disbursed a group of 15 smokers from the front of the Olmsted Building who were vio lating the University’s smoking policy. 7:33 p.m. Escort service. Student patrol provided an escort from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. 7:34 p.m. Escort service. Student patrol provided an escort from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. weeks, if not months, causing further damage to already weak ened structures” stated Chen. On Sept. 26, an aftershock, which measured 6.8 in magni tude, shook the country, killing at least three people, injuring at least 58 and burying 20 in the rubble of yet more collapsing buildings. Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau listed the initial quake at a 7.3 magnitude, a little less than the U.S. Geological Survey’s 7.6 estimate. Chen explained that the differ ence is because Taiwan uses a different standard from the com monly used Richter scale. Taiwan is hit by dozens of earthquakes each year, but most are centered in the Pacific Ocean, east of the island, and cause no damage. The quake that hit Sept. 21 was the coun try’s second deadliest - a 7.4 magnitude quake killed 3,276 people in 1935. 10:04 p.m. Escort service. Student patrol provided an escort from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. September 29,1999 10:15 p.m. Vehicle assistance. Provided a jumpstart at the Olmsted Building. 10:35 p.m. Escort service. Provided a student escort from the Olmsted Building to Weaver Avenue. September 30,1999 6:10 p.m. Traffic stop on College Avenue. A citation was issued for a speed-related mov- ing violation 8:00 p.m. Escort service. Student patrol provided an escort from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. 8:35 p.m. Escort service. Student patrol provided an escort from the Olmsted Building to Meade Heights. 8:38 p.m. Traffic stop on College Avenue. A citation was issued for a speed-related mov- ing violation.
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