Halloween got a little spookier when the power went out on campus. The cause was a transmission substation fire that left over 15,000 people in Erie without power.
An employee on site said that the transmission was new and when they put it into service it failed.
The biggest issue with power outages on college campuses occurs when the outage takes place during the day when food is unable to be prepared or when heat cannot function during winter storms.
This blackout did not present any immediate danger to Mercyhurst students, nor did it last long enough to have any serious effects.
For many, the only hassle faced was resenting clocks and thermostats.
The blackout only lasted about half an hour.The problem is that a power outage causes additional concern for our campus.
With no power, freshmen students are unable to get into the wings of their dorms without an R.A. Also, several students were stuck in the elevators.
This can cause claustrophobia due to being in pitch black tight quarters with no real form of communication to those outside the elevators.
Emergency responders were sent to busy intersections to deal with traffic.
Upper Peach Street had power restored within 20 minutes, and most of Erie was with power again shortly after. Penelec restored power to the rest of Erie by midnight.
The irony of the blackout is that it occurred on Halloween. Most people were still able to handle themselves well, but there were a few students who took advantage of the lack of electricity.
Some students put on masks and walked around campus imitating The Purge: Anarchy. Others were attempting to scare other students who were afraid of the dark.
Overall, the blackout did not cause many problems. Aside from many students now avoiding taking the elevator at all costs, a majority of students see it as just a funny story from Halloween 2014.