BY MADISON LEE ’27
On Thursday, June 11, Jericho went dark in a partial power outage affecting both the high school and middle school sides of the building.
The outage occurred at the end of fifth period, with intermittent waves of electricity returning throughout the day. However, many areas of the building were left without power until dismissal, which occurred at the end of ninth period. With limited working WiFi, lights, and devices, many classes had to adapt, temporarily pivoting away from traditional instruction.
Most courses require electronics to learn. Due to the unexpected outage, teachers struggled to continue with their intended lesson plans, especially those who use SmartBoards or computers to assign work. History teacher Ms. Aristea Kakounis had to postpone her original plans for her classes and grant them free time instead. She said, “We kept trying to connect to the WiFi. When we couldn’t, we just hung out and bonded.”
During the outage, students were required to stay inside their classrooms for instructional periods but continued to follow the regular bell schedule for the remainder of the day. As students walked through dimly-lit hallways to get to each class, unexpected connections emerged from the darkness.
With an impromptu shift toward wellness-based activities in most classes, some students passed the time by talking together and playing games. This pause from academics gave students an opportunity to relax and form deeper bonds with their classmates. Ariela K. ’27 said, “I definitely enjoyed having no work for a little bit and getting to spend time with friends instead.”
Other students battled in card games and chess matches to entertain themselves. Ved S. ’27 said, “I played card games because I didn’t have WiFi and couldn’t leave the room.” These games helped to ease the uncertainty of the situation and gave students something to do without work.
Ved further explained how playing games encouraged him to get closer to his classmates. “It helped me make a stronger community—not with friends—but with people I didn’t know. We played and exchanged names, and now we know each other,” he added.
With no electricity, the air conditioning in some classrooms was cut off. Thursday was exceptionally hot, with a high of 93 degrees in the afternoon. Due to the lack of electricity, some water fountains were also not functioning.
Math teacher Ms. Elizabeth Berman teaches in room 128, which became uncomfortably warm after the power outage. She was unable to refill her water bottle before class and worried about potential dehydration in the heat. However, the community banded together to take care of one another under such exceptional circumstances. “Thankfully, some students donated bottles of water during the day to help me out,” said Ms. Berman.
By the end of eighth period, students and families were notified of an early dismissal at 2:03 p.m., rather than the usual 3:31 p.m. dismissal time. As per a ParentSquare notification, periods ten and eleven were canceled, and students were permitted to take the bus home or be picked up by their parents in an organized manner.
The blackout created many challenges, but luckily, the Jericho community responded with resilience and action to keep everyone safe. Even in darkness, the people within the school building could still come together to find the light.
Be First to Comment