Oklahoma students worry over families’ safety

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    By JEANELLE CARDEN

    On Monday night BYU student Dana Anquoe watched the news in horror as a tornado ripped through Kansas and Oklahoma. Anquoe, 20, a sophomore from Del City, Okla., majoring in secondary health education and athletic training said the tornado hit less than a mile away from her home. Anquoe said she stayed up until 2 a.m. watching CNN.

    “I was flipping channels from CNN to NBC — and the destruction was everywhere. I saw places where I had been, places I had driven past, the place where I grew up — everything was gone,” Anquoe said.

    Although Anquoe has lived in Del City for the past 20 years she said she has never been in a tornado.

    Anquoe said she couldn’t call home at first because she didn’t have a calling card, but she knew that her family was okay because if they were not, someone would have called her or she would have had a bad feeling.

    Other students weren’t so sure about the safety of their family. Brendan Fairbanks, 25, a BYU law student, from Oklahoma City, Okla., said all circuits were busy when he tried to call home Tuesday night. As of Tuesday morning, Fairbanks was still unable to reach his father and twin brother.

    Angela Hartsell, 20, a junior from Oklahoma City, Okla., majoring in interior design, also had problems getting through to her family. She said her brother in Oklahoma had to call her.

    Hartsell said her brother and sister-in-law were okay after taking shelter in a local fire station. Hartsell said her brother told her the shelter was packed with people carrying all they could, from pictures to animals.

    Hartsell said although her family is safe, they are without water and electricity, and are still under a tornado warning.

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