Lights Out

Flicker … flicker … gone.  

Just after fourth period during lunch, Lakeland High School’s power went out. 

Lakeland students all reacted differently.

Evelyn Bowie was excited because it meant she may be able to leave early, while Will Siler, who was working at the Social Bean at the time, found it inconvenient. 

Contrary to what many students wanted, early release was not permitted for Lakeland students. Students went to their classes like normal, only it was anything but that. 

“It was scary walking down the hall in the dark,” said Bowie. Many students used their phones as flashlights, but it was still difficult to see clearly.

Due to the power outage, there was much to do until the power came back on. Much of Lakeland’s work was primarily accessible through online resources and the lack of internet prevented students from completing it.  

Even paperwork was difficult to accomplish because of the lack of light.

“We can’t even see in most of the classrooms,” said Bowie.

Different classes are approaching the lack of light and internet differently. Some classes resulted in using their phone flashlights while working on worksheets and continuing with their everyday work to the best of their ability. Other classes began discussions regarding the general topic of what they were studying. Some classes could not accommodate the lack of light and simply played games as a class during the period. 

A solution many students desired was to simply get out of school early. However, this could have resulted in other complications

The power came back on at 12:58 p.m.