It's a ill wind that blows nobody good

Recently, when a subtropical depression, spawned from Hurricane Ike, blew down trees and knocked out power to a million homes and businesses in Cincinnati, I was forced to find alternative ways to do most things - cook, clean and communicate. However, I must admit, life became almost idyllic, I grilled out, read in a lawnchair on the front porch, talked with neighbors, played board games with my daughter, and reveled in the quietude. It was like a nature-imposed camping trip – when the sun went down, our flashlights came out. We all realized how lucky we were – everything is relative. I thought about how my ancestors, farmers in northern Ohio, had lived in the 1800s. Only thing, though, they weren’t accustomed to life with electricity and they didn’t take online graduate classes.

Through this experience I learned firsthand what it is like to be without a computer with Internet connection at home. For a week, I was placed on the other side of the digital divide. When the public library’s power was restored, I used the computers there. It wasn’t quite the same. I had to make a reservation on the computer, for an hour at a time, a clock in the corner of the screen counted down the minutes. I didn’t have the luxury of long leisurely Internet searches, where I could investigate subjects in depth, and jump from one topic to the next. I just stamped out the hotspots – answering urgent emails and reading about assignments that I would have to do sometime later, and checking energy forecasts for any news about when our power would come back. For me there was the hope that “the power” would return any minute, but that’s not the case for so many families and students.

I took away many lessons from the windstorm about what really matters and the benefits of leading a simpler life. As a result of this experience I will be more compassionate toward students who may not have access to a computer at home. I better understand how that may impact their academic life. When I begin teaching, I’ll remember this week, and try to help all students find times and ways to use the computer – perhaps by extending the hours of the media center and ensuring that it is a welcoming, inviting place for all students to come to study and learn.