The above quote is from Alex “Figg” Newton (Class of 1966). Read the full memory below:

On November the 9, 1965, I was studying in the main reading room of the Rock around 8 pm and was momentarily gazing outward over the city when all of a sudden the lights of the entire city including the Rock itself went out—completely. It was truly remarkable seeing Providence just go black. Many of us at the Rock figured the lights would all come back on momentarily, so we didn’t move too quickly. But it soon became clear that this wasn’t just a momentary problem and we all wandered through the dark back to our respective dorms—which of course were also dark. We quickly learned that the entire northeast was in a similar situation, so we settled back and amused ourselves as studying was clearly over for the evening. One thing for sure—I was in the perfect seat for the rare event!