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Webb Canyon Chronicle
The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
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Power crashes at Webb

Stephen Li, Staff Writer
September 22, 2018
Doris Yuan (‘20) stresses out when Webb loses power. Graphic Courtesy of Summer Chen (’20)

On Monday morning of September 17th, The Webb Schools experienced a campus-wide power outage for one hour and twenty-eight minutes. At 8:52 a.m., during D block, the power crashed. The lights went pitch-black as hundreds of students and faculty members simultaneously disconnected from Webb Connect.

During the power outage, Malik Mbengue, language department faculty member, was having his French 3/4 students take a quiz in the Old School House. When prompted to elaborate on his initial reaction, he said, “I hoped the power outage didn’t last long because some of my plans involved using the internet.”

During the outage, Doris Yuan (‘19) was taking a math test in Mr. Walker’s AP Calc AB class. “At the moment when it went dark, I thought we were going to end the test, because it was really dark.” However, Doris’ hopes were crushed when Mr. Walker continued the test.

Shortly after the power outage, the tech department revived the internet by turning on the generator in the schools. At 10:20, the power came back. The moment the lights and fans turned on in the library, students began cheering and clapping to express their excitement.

Some people had a very personal investment in keeping the power on. Tom Jurczak, science department faculty member, said, “I had a free block, so I was off campus getting groceries—fresh fish for dinner. Then the power’s out. Great. I threw the fish into the fridge and closed it immediately. We still ate the fish and it was really good.”

Tim Coates, Director of Information Technology, informed journalists that the power outage occurred because the utility company accidentally shut the power down.  

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About the Contributor
Stephen Li
Stephen Li, Chief Editor of Media
Stephen Li (‘21) is the Chief Editor of Media this year for the Webb Canyon Chronicle. He only started photography recreationally four years ago, but this skill has helped him contribute to the WCC through improving the quality of photos, an important yet often overlooked aspect of any publication. As the captain of the varsity football team, it’s no surprise that Stephen’s favorite spot on campus is the football field. Because of this passion, one of his many goals is to continue playing football in college, as he wants to increase Asian representation in American sports. This year, Stephen wants to increase the impact the Webb Canyon Chronicle has on the community through gaining more readers, and, as a peer advisor, he wants to continue bringing people together especially in the midst of a pandemic. Stephen’s proven talent for rallying the morale of his teammates and peers is a skill that makes him an irreplaceable member of the WCC team.