The April 13 fire on 17th Avenue left many students shocked and some homeless, and now they’re trying to get back to normal.

Jessica Bohm, a senior in operations management and marketing, and Nichole Stevenson, a senior in sociology, lived on the top floor of the apartment building next door to the fire.

Bohm is staying at the Alpha Xi Delta house for the rest of the quarter and Stevenson is staying with her sister at the Sigma Alpha house.

Most students affected by the fire’s damage received services and shelter from Student Advocacy, and are staying in The Blackwell Inn or with family and friends.

“Student Advocacy has been a ton of help. They have done everything and anything to help with what we have asked for and in like a second,” Bohm said.

Bohm said it was hard to return to her apartment because everything had been torn apart.

The students said some of their belongings were salvageable. Almost everything in the bedrooms was saved, but the living room, kitchen and bathroom were damaged. A fair amount of the damage was from smoke and water.

Bohm said although it’s hard to get back into the swing of things, her friends and family have been supportive, which has helped her cope with the tragedy.

“It’s really, really hard, but we’re just lucky to be alive,” Bohm said. “There are so many more people going through so much more then we are.”

“The university has been very supportive, especially with graduation so that I don’t have to postpone my graduation date,” Stevenson said.

Although Stevenson was worried about falling behind, she said she has been able to keep up with her school work and teachers have been understanding.

“The first day was a long day because I was so physically exhausted,” Stevenson said. “But I got a couple days off to relax and get away.”

Bohm, who was at the party the house’s residents hosted earlier that evening, said she knows very little about the investigation but hopes that students come forward.

“I don’t know who would do this or what kind of motive they could have, but I have a hard time thinking that this person was sane,” Bohm said.

Stevenson was sleeping and had stayed home that night. She said she was shocked when the police chopped down the door to get the girls out. She said she hopes the police are able to find the person responsible for the fire.

“I wish there was something I could do to help,” Stevenson said. “I would benefit from some closure in that aspect, if they caught the person.”

Stevenson said she thinks this tragedy has affected the university and students’ behavior. She said she’s right in the heart of it and the tragedy will definitely force people to think about their actions when they are out.

“I think it will effect some more than others,” Stevenson said. “Everything just changes so quickly.”

Chris Bolte, a senior in economics, lives on the corner of 17th Avenue and Pearl Alley. He said he was only an acquaintance of the victims, but his sister was friends with the victims.

“It’s just a tragic situation, and hopefully they find out who did it,” Bolte said. “It’s obviously scary and forces people to value things a little more.”