Since 2008, The Great California ShakeOut has had people drop, cover and hold on to increase awareness on earthquake safety.

It was reported that 10.4 million people participated in the 2014 California ShakeOut and this years drill has already exceeded that number.

In the U.S., the total number of participants from 2014 was over 20 million.

Globally, the drill had over 43 million participants.

The ShakeOut is not strictly held to its Oct. 15 date either, if people or organizations wish to participate on another day they can simply state that while registering.

While the drill is held at many middle schools, high schools and colleges, some students felt that the time could have been utilized better by students.

Mark Contreras, biochemistry major, said, “For it to take this long, I was hearing that a lot of people had delayed quizzes and tests.”

He felt that though the drill is necessary and important, but that maybe college students didn’t need the drill.

Some students were even unsure of what was happening.

One student posted to Instagram during the ShakeOut. The caption stated that there was a fire drill, when really it was the ShakeOut

https://instagram.com/p/83dKjGlZku/

Some students were totally unaware that the drill was going to happen.

Diego Del Carmen, kinesiology major, said, “I actually had no idea [about the drill],”

He said that there was some knowledge of the drill but he was never sure of the exact day or time, though he is glad that it took place because “It’s good to remind people of what to do during an emergency.”

There was even confusion during the drill where some were informed via sound system that it was a hazmat drill and students were being held inside of buildings.

President Fierro responding to a professor on Twitter that there was a misunderstanding and that’s why they drill.

And so with 15.2 million outside of the U.S. to be exact, preparing for the next earthquake, the ShakeOut shook our campus and the world.