When the Lights Go Out
The power went out today for a little over an hour. (Behrend has had probably three times the number of power outages than I experienced as a student at Allegheny, and I’ve only been here three years.)
It made me think about an observation I made at Allegheny during power outages there that still holds true today. When the power is out, people all of a sudden like each other. The power outage forms these bonds between otherwise complete strangers. Perhaps it’s the lack of technology that keeps us from being distracted, or maybe it’s just the simple novelty of the experience. Interpersonal communication is hauled out of the closet, brushed off, and put to the test.
Of course, the only thing funnier than seeing this happen is seeing it dissipate. As soon as the power returns, things go back to normal. These possibly new relationships built among strangers, perhaps floormates who had never dared speak to each other before, are ended just as quickly as they started.
I look forward to seeing how this dynamic plays out as I continue my career in higher education.
