Student, mother watch rescue efforts from The Woods

By Sue Loughlin
The Tribune-Star

ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS May 13, 2008 11:54 pm

— On Tuesday evening, NingYi Zhang and her mother, Cunhui Yao, watched Chinese television for the latest news on the earthquake that has claimed more than 12,000 lives in their homeland.
Zhang, 33, is an assistant professor at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, where she teaches math. She and her mom are from Shangdong Province, quite a distance from the earthquake’s epicenter, so their immediate family and friends are OK. Shangdong is northeast of Sichuan Province, where the earthquake occurred.
Zhang, interviewed at her Terre Haute home, said the earthquake did affect her sister-in-law’s family, who lives very close to the epicenter.
Zhang’s brother and sister-in-law live in Japan, but they were able to make contact with the sister-in-law’s family. “Their house has damage,” but it wasn’t completely destroyed, Zhang said.
The family is staying in a tent in a safer location. There is still much concern about aftershocks, Zhang said.
While Zhang’s mom is staying with her in Terre Haute for several months, Zhang’s dad is still in China and will donate funds for earthquake relief on behalf of his family.
The area hit by the quake is beautiful, but mountainous, she said.
She is concerned about people trapped under buildings and rubble who are still alive but can’t be rescued because they are in remote locations, she said.
“They are trying to send firefighters and army there, but there are places they can’t get to,” Zhang said.
She and her mom hope that water, medicine and other critical supplies get to people in a timely manner.
She said her mom has visited Sichuan Province, where the earthquake happened, but she has not.
The area hit by the earthquake “is a very pretty place … It’s special. It’s like a national park,” Zhang said. It’s also home to many pandas, a national symbol for China.
While Zhang has to spend much time preparing for the summer school class that she teaches, her mom has been glued to Chinese TV. “She’s my TV update,” Zhang said.
Also monitoring the tragic events in China is Bingqing Liang, an Indiana State University doctoral student, who goes to the Internet to receive the most up-to-date information.
Liang, who is from Guangdong Province in southeastern China, is studying geography and eventually would like to be a professor.
“I just feel sorry for my country. We have enough bad news,” she said.
As of Tuesday, the death toll had climbed past 12,000 in Sichuan Province, and the number appeared certain to rise far higher as rescue and recovery efforts moved forward.
A friend of Liang’s is from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Her friend, now in the United States, has talked to her family in China and the family is OK.
Another friend from the Chengdu area had trouble reaching her family by telephone.
“The lines are busy. Many people are trying to call their homes,” Liang said.
The area devastated by the earthquake is known for its natural beauty and has many visitors, she said.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.

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