A 40-minute power outage affected parts of Evanston and Northwestern on Sunday afternoon.

The outage was due to a transformer malfunction, according to University Police.

The lights went out in Norris University Center shortly before 2 p.m., said Cathy Gao, who was doing homework at one of the tables across from Starbucks.

“All of a sudden, the lights shut off,” the Weinberg junior said. “They flickered once, and then they shut off completely.”

Despite the lack of lighting, Gao said she continued working.

“I just like studying in Norris, so it’s not that big of a deal,” she said. “The tables are the right height. And it’s pretty sunny outside so I can still see my work.”

The University Library was also affected by the outage.

Library employees were instructed by security to not let anyone through the turnstiles, said Ann Kim, a Weinberg senior.

This resulted in about a dozen students sitting and standing around the library’s entrance.Jose Dutriz said he waited about 15 minutes but didn’t know when the power would be back.

“I’ll probably wait another 10 minutes or until I get bored reading,” the Medill senior said.Communication freshman Marek Ranbom said he was not fazed by the power outage.

“When the power went out, everyone just continued on,” he said.

Ranbom said he would continue working at Norris until his computer battery ran out.

“I’m here for the view and the atmosphere,” he said. “I prefer it to 1835 Hinman, which is depressing.”

The power returned at approximately 2:35 p.m..

– ALEXANDRA FINKEL