Kenyon Experiences: Blackouts
Gambier, Ohio is really in the middle of nowhere. We don't have those fancy, reliable generators that people in the big city have- when the power goes out, it's out. The most recent blackout was this past Sunday. Here is my experience.
8:30 am: I wake up. While it is torture to force myself to climb out of my cozy bed at this time, I have a lot of homework to do.
9:05 am: I meet my friend for coffee. Although the barista gets both of our orders wrong, we still maintain high spirits. We have no idea what is to come.
10:40 am: We meet our other friends for breakfast in Peirce. It's a really exciting breakfast because they have really good melon and peaches. Again, we think everything is going our way.
11:15 am: I move to the library to study. It's going to be a long day, but thankfully I remembered to grab my bag of banana chips before I left my room.
12:45 pm: The power goes off and then back on. It flickers maybe two more times. Not uncommon, so I think nothing of it.
1:43 pm: Due to the amount of coffee I drank this morning, I'm off to the restroom for about the third or fourth time.
1:45 pm: THE POWER IS OUT I REPEAT THE POWER. IS. OUT. I attempt to wash my hands in the dark but it's really hard especially since I keep thinking I'm about to get murdered in the pitch black-ness of the bathroom.
1:48 pm: I make it back to my study space alive. My friend and I genuinely think that at this point, the power could be out all night and we might not have class tomorrow!
Studying by the light of the sun! Like the good old days.
2:10 pm: I realize both my phone and computer are dying. Which isn't too big of a deal, since I'm just doing reading. But still.
2:26 pm: A librarian comes over to notify my friend and I that there was a FIRE which is why the power is out. And we have to leave the library because it is closing. I freak out a bit because the book I'm reading for class is all about a fire in 1949. Woah life is weird sometimes.
2:40 pm: After searching through a bunch of dark buildings, I discover that all of my favorite study places are taken. I don't feel like studying outside, mostly because there are tons of people milling around and generally being very excited about not having power. They are noisy, and I'm easily distracted.
Conveniently (for some), there were some tables sitting out which were useful for outdoor studying.
2:45 pm: So I move to Peirce. Which I guess is what everyone and their mother decided to do... that place was packed for a Sunday afternoon.
Trust me, this really is a lot for a Sunday afternoon.
4:09 pm: This is a really anti-climactic ending... my friend comes in to say the power has been back on for awhile. I just couldn't tell in Peirce because they hardly ever turn on the lights during the day due to the great natural lighting. So much for having class cancelled tomorrow...
All in all, this was a pretty routine blackout. Not like the time this summer when the sky pretty much fell down onto us in the form of so much water and knocked the power out for 24 hours. Not like the time last winter when I had to sleep with almost all of my clothing on for survival. Nope, just your normal, everyday, Kenyon College blackout.