A group of Northwestern students, led by Lisanne Winslow, Ph.D., professor of biology and Fulbright scholar, was traveling in Tokyo, Japan, for a spring break biology study trip when the 9.0 earthquake hit the Pacific island nation on March 11. They were having lunch hundreds of miles from the epicenter of the quake but felt the quake and headed outside with other restaurant patrons.

Originally scheduled to return home the next day, on March 12, the group’s departure was delayed by shutdowns of public transportation and changes in airline schedules. Winslow, who was also accompanied by her daughters and sister, and the students arrived safely in the Twin Cities on March 15. The group was safe the entire time as the heaviest devastation from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami was several hours away from their location.

Tennis coach John Sanny and members of the NWC men’s and women’s tennis teams were in Kona, Hawaii, when the tsunami triggered by the Japan earthquake hit Hawaiian shores. The team had been forewarned and made it safely to higher ground before the tsunami hit. The tennis teams arrived home as scheduled on March 13.

We praise God for His protection of NWC students, staff and faculty, and continue to keep the people of Japan in our prayers.

Alum on the Front Lines in Japan

Scot Eaton ’06 has been leading communications for CRASH Japan, a Christian group helping with relief to the hardest-hit areas of Japan in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. He has lived just north of Tokyo since September.

In an article that appeared in The Bemidji Pioneer, Eaton commented, “The greatest need in my area is just someone to talk to, and counseling—really coming to terms with what’s happened. The greatest needs on the coast are shoveling mud, picking up driftwood. It’s going to take months to clear away all that debris.”