Left to right: Seventh graders Jack Dooley, 12, Alex Letchworth, 12, and Scott Browoning, 13, and their fellow classmates at Langston Hughes Middle School drop under their desk and hold on as they participate in the Great ShakeOut national earthquake drill, Reston, Va., Thursday, October 18, 2012. Students in the Washington, D.C. region are now participating in the earthquake preparation program for the first time after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the area in August 2011. According to the program's website, an estimated 18 million people are participating this year. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)