Students and faculty evacuated the Humanities building late Tuesday afternoon to the tune of the building's fire alarm.

Hundreds of students poured outside at about 4:10 p.m. and remained outside for the next 35 minutes as police and fire officials searched the roof and all five floors of the structure. Fire officials have not yet released the cause of the alarm.

SF State student Ellen Lavin, 19, who has not declared a major, was in her ethics and medicine class on the second floor when the alarm erupted through the building. Lavin said the class was preparing to take a quiz shortly before the building was evacuated.

“As we were leaving (the professor) was giving us handouts and telling us to get outside,” said Lavin.

Bruce Smith, 55, a master's student in English, was waiting on the first floor for his English 421 class to begin at the time of the fire alarm.

“First we thought it was a test,” said Smith. “Then somebody saw a truck outside and we realized that it might not be. People were pretty calm, it was an orderly exit.”

The crowd of students waiting outside remained organized as the building was searched. The students passed the time by chatting, smoking, and reading quietly.

Zack Mohr, 20, a history major, sat reading on the curb in front of Café Rosso during his unexpected break from class. Mohr said he was unsure whether or not he was supposed to return to class.

“I'm guessing we are, we just came out in mass,” said Mohr.

When asked if he was upset that the time he designated for class was now being spent outside, Mohr replied, “No not really. What the hell, it's a nice day.”