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"We've been in contact, and there's nothing wrong," said Michael Launius, executive director of CWU's Office of International Studies and Programs.

English professor Toni Culjak, who is visiting Sha'anxi Normal University in Xi'an, is closest of the three, and that's still about 600 miles from the epicenter near the city of Chengdu. Anthropology professor Tracy Andrews is visiting Anhui University in Hefei near China's eastern coast. The student, whom Launius declined to identify citing privacy concerns, is in Nanjing, also near the eastern coast.

In past years, CWU students have visited areas near Chengdu, but the university doesn't have standing relationships with universities in that area, Launius said. Two years ago, a faculty-led group of students spent about three weeks there, he said.

Generally, one to five CWU students study in China each year, Launius said. Larger faculty-led groups also visit China for weeks at a time, he said. One such a group cut short its trip in spring 2003 after an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

There has been no reason to curtail any students' China studies since then, he said.

Earthquakes are problematic in China, however, because many buildings are made of unreinforced brick, especially in rural areas, Launius said. Hundreds of thousands died in a 1976 earthquake in Tangshan. In that instance, information was hard for outsiders to get.

"It's a much more open society (now)," Launius said. "They have the Internet, and there's hundreds of thousands of tourists and businessmen walking around China at any time of the year."

About 15 students from China are studying at CWU this year, and Launius did not know whether any of them came from the Chengdu area or were affected by the earthquake. None had come to the International Studies office asking for help, he said.

How you can help

To contribute to relief efforts following the earthquake in China or the cyclone in Myanmar:

* Call 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767), or for Spanish speakers, 800-257-7575.

* Visit www.redcross.org.

* Send contributions to the Red Cross at 302 S. Second St. in Yakima.

Red Cross donations may be earmarked for specific disasters at the time of donation. For more information, call 457-1690.

Financial help is also being accepted by the Mercy Corps at: China Earthquake Fund, Dept NR, PO Box 2669, Portland, OR 97208

For more information, visit www.mercycorps.org or call 800-852-2100.