ROME – Although Monday's earthquake devastated the area around L'Aquila, Italy, Marquette students studying in Rome are safe.

Emily Kaitis, a Marquette junior studying at John Cabot University in Rome, said she felt the quake.

"At first the room started vibrating, then it started violently moving back and forth," she said. "I could see the buildings across from me getting closer and moving farther away."

Initially, Kaitis said she didn't know what had happened. Then, her roommate's mother, who was visiting and staying in a nearby hotel, called to make sure the Marquette roommates were alright. It was then Kaitis figured out it was a quake.

Kaitis' roommate, a junior in the College of Business Administration who wished not to be named said she was restlessly sleeping and was suddenly awakened by the shaking.

"I felt like everything was moving and I was standing still," she said. "I dozed back into sleep thinking I was dreaming and then my mom called at 3:44 a.m."

The student's mother, said her hotel room began shaking and at first she thought it was a large truck on the street outside. She said she could see the key in the door swinging back and forth and felt that something was off.

But others didn't even know of the quake until morning.

Erin Walsh, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she slept through the entire ordeal, even as roommates Feracota and Kaitis talked about the shaking.

The students aslo said she has been fielding concerned e-mails from family and friends all day, and is glad to be OK. None of the students were concerned for their safety.