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The earthquake in China has had waves of influence hitting closer to home than we think. Less than a month ago, the people of the Sichuan province of China were hit by an earthquake that killed close to 70,000 people The city of Chengdu, where some University of Florida students were studying abroad, was hit the hardest. Luckily, they escaped unharmed and were evacuated to continue their courses in economics, Chinese culture and language at one of Beijing's top institutions, Tsinghua University, one of China's premier institutions

UF economics student Vivek Rajasekhar spoke to us from Beijing about how he didn't feel anything the day of the earthquake, despite being just sixty miles from its epicenter.

UF decided to move the students to Beijing when they realize the Chengndu area was no longer fit for teaching. Rajashekar said his classes were being cancelled or disrupted due to the fear of earthquake aftershock.

Some students have taken it upon themselves to help out earthquake victims. Rajasekhar said while there haven't been any organized attempts, he and his classmates have tried to pitch in as far as possible.

The UF students are happy they they were moved out of Chengdu, not only because of the obvious safety issues, but because Beijing is a much larger city. Rajashekar said, as students, they're getting a much better deal from the study abroad program, living in Beijing for the price of living in Chengdu.

So far, the UF students have been making the most of their stay in Beijing. The 18 hours of classes keep them quite busy, but they have had some time to sight-see.Rajasekhar said they have already visitied the Forbidden City, The Great Wall and Tianannman's Square, but he still wishes he could do more tourist-like activities. But what has been rewarding is the "immersion" the study abroad program offers.

The students have also been able to enjoy the nightlife Beijing has to offer.
Rajasekhar said the city is thriving in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. Despite the earthquake, Beijing was unaffected and the city has continued planning for the event.