When the lights go out

Posted by admin on Nov 3, 2005 in Community | 0 comments

Almost twelve hours after it all began, I sit, gorging myself on leftover Timbits, and contemplating the similarities between Lord of the Flies and the TWU campus, when the lights went out. Maybe it can all be blamed on mid-term related stress, and the power outage was merely a catalyst for chaos; regardless, we students do some mighty strange things when an unexpected situation arises and no authority figures are in sight. All sense of consequences (i.e. failed mid-terms the next morning, or being expelled for arson-related reasons) evaporate, and we congregate outside in the dark, wind, and rain. We girls saw it as a perfect opportunity to jump in puddles and frolic around like fools, a need I’m sure no guys will understand. But then, there were the guys…who felt the need to take off their clothes…shirts, pants…etc. I barely missed witnessing a flock of guys in thongs, who set fire to the lawn between Douglas and Robson and then ran away. There were also people in capes…alright then, enough said.

The point is that I, a sensible, diligent third-year, joined in and puddle-jumped with the best of them. (And let me tell you, there were some fan-freakin-tastic puddles out there!) After a time, the water level in my shoes was high enough that I could no longer tell if I was in a puddle or not– it was time to dry off. Once dry, I headed into town with friends, searching for light, warmth and…Timbits. Entering Tim Horton’s last night was like walking into one of my classrooms. Clustered around tables, TWU students studied, ate, and talked, just thankful to have found at least one corner of their world that was still illuminated.

One forty-pack and two ice caps later, we drove back. The security guard felt the need to warn us that, in fact, the power was off, and oh, you better watch out for “The Streakers.” I imagine she told everyone that. How many times in your life do you get to warn people about streakers?!
The campus had quieted down by this point– no more fires, fireworks, water balloons, and, sadly, no more streakers. I went to bed in a caffeinated-post-adrenaline-state, hoping for sleep, hoping that my food wouldn’t thaw out completely, and hoping that my 9 a.m. midterm would be postponed. However, thanks to the good people at BC Hydro, the power flickered back on at 7 a.m. this morning, in time for all classes to proceed as scheduled, and for me to gulp down some more coffee before heading off to fail an exam for the first time in my life.

My question is, what makes us do it? What primal urges lie deep in our psyches, unexpectedly springing forth, creating such chaotic scenes? While watching the fireworks being set off, I overheard one guy remark, “Huh, I’d expected anarchy, or something!” And one wonders, if last night was not anarchy TWU-style, then what is? Do we actually have to put a pig’s head on a stick and hunt each other down to fit into that category?

While trying to fall asleep, my roommate remarked that, after all, at this school, it’s really all about Community Standards. My response: it actually seems more like it’s all about waiting for the perfect opportunity to break Community Standards.
So here’s to the next power outage, and hoping that next time, the male species stays dressed.