September 15, 2008
If you haven’t experienced UD’s power outage, you’ve been kept in the dark. The ’08 Blackout has been, in my five years of attending school here, one of the most interesting natural disasters to ever occur at UD. It might even beat out last winter’s freak snowstorm (remember the igloos and snowbars?). The experiences of this past Sunday have given me a few things to think about, and I even have a challenge to propose.
Let me start with the experience. Sunday afternoon, September 14th, during the high-activity period of the storm, all of campus was alive. Everyone was out doing what UD does best: celebrating. Talk was abuzz about “no class tommorrow” or “that gust blew my dog away” or “did you see the tree that fell on that house?” (My condolences to the girls of Irving and Lawnview).
Trees were downed everywhere; branches, black walnuts, and garbage littered the streets. Power lines were down all over, including behind Kiefaber and Lowes, and on Brown Street. Dust and sediment blew into peoples’ eyes at 20-40 miles per hour. Empty beer boxes played the tumbleweed, blowing down Evanston and Stonemill. Houses and power lines made nice little targets for the trees, especially in the case of Mr. Biology Professor, who is looking at quite some damage. In spite of it all, people were out on their porches, enjoying the lovely natural disaster. A few were even windsurfing throughout the Ghetto, with their sheets spread wide atop their longboards (you probably saw me).
Which brings me to my point. We have experienced a night of no television, no video games, and probably no music. So, let me ask you, what did you do instead? Now that you were forced to relinquish those habits, if only for one night (or, from the looks of it, several nights), did you go outside and talk with your house and your neighbors? Seeing that there was no electricity, perhaps you grilled outside with your community, being sure to consume those meats and beverages before they got warm. Maybe you stood in the ridiculous lines at Chipotle or Wendys.
As the night wore on, I saw friends gathered around candlelight, chatting. The guys on Lawnview made use of some leftover blue glowsticks – leftover from God-only-knows – to light their way. Hosts pulled out their lawn/luau torches. Marianist houses offered a place to sleep and be with others for the night. Those lucky enough to have power invited the unworthy over to catch up on the Bengals game. A group of 20 guys in tightie-whities carrying home-made torches went streaking through the quad, past the gymnasium.
Whatever the event, the community had come alive!
Before 1879, before Edison created the lightbulb, the night was a frontier to be conquered. Think about it: when it gets dark, and you have no light, what can you do at night? Hang with your family and neighbors for a bit, then go to bed. That’s about it. People couldn’t work, couldn’t travel, couldn’t cook… couldn’t do much of anything. Since then, though, we have conquered the nighttime, and now the dark poses no issue for us. Read in bed? I’ll just flip the switch. But, this prolonged blackout has brought us back before 1879 and forced us to experience just how much of a barrier night is. That is one lesson I hope people have come to realize. It’s a neat, if not important, lesson.
My other point actually becomes a challenge. As I mentioned, a result of the UD Blackout is that people went out and did activities with their community that they might not have done otherwise. If you did not, and somehow avoided all this, then my challenge applies even more so to you. It is this: I would like this campus to reduce their dependence on television, internet and music. This is cliche, I know, but you’ve already started! Now, just keep it going. I know plenty of people who literally do nothing but go to class, watch TV and use the internet nonstop, then party on the weekends. I think this could be cut down. Whatever you did Sunday night (ahem), do it one weeknight a week.
Or – now this is old-fashioned – you could read a book. Put down the laptop and cook dinner with your housemates. Step away from the lousy Rock Band drum set and play a game with your neighbors. Or, heaven forbid, get some work done.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my video games and music. I take back my Rock Band comment. Heck, I’ve been going crazy without them , and I’m ready to have them back. But, even so, I resolve to spend even more time in the community than I do now. I strongly believe that everyone on this campus is capable of doing it. I just hope that this blackout has made them see the light.
-Daniel
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