By John Lavers
Every fall in keeping with daylight savings time we turn back our clocks an hour. Some people don’t think twice about it, but for a lot of us our new 4:30 p.m. sunset turns the day and our plans into a rushed sprint. Personally, I’m not a fan. Everything from sports to hanging out with friends is harder to fit into the day when we always seem on the verge of night.
What frustrates me the most is how daylight savings time cuts into the little free time which students already have. After sitting in school for around seven hours most of us want to do something other than homework or school sports, but the sun sets so quickly that by the time we’re done with homework, it’s already pitch black outside.
A lot of students feel the same way. Sophomore Gabriel Kaljevic said “ In my opinion, daylight savings time makes after school life far worse for students because it gives us less time to be outside in the sun, which we need to stay healthy and if you play school sport by the time you get out it’s already getting dark.”
That’s true for athletes, but even if you don’t play sports it still limits everyone. It cuts down on the time to walk home feeling safe or to go out with friends and be able to throw a ball around while it is still light outside.
There are also students who don’t mind the change. Freshman Maya Mendez said, “ I actually prefer the early darkness. It affects my mindset because I get tired earlier but in a way, I kind of like that.”
For some people the early night helps them relax, especially while in the holiday season, feeling cozier and making homework nights feel calmer. In general it offers people a reason to stay inside and relax, in my opinion the issue simply lies in the overabundance of this comfort time.
Even though some students enjoy the shift, daylight savings time does more harm than good. The darker afternoons make the day feel shorter and it becomes easier to lose motivation when it looks like midnight at 4:45, most people want to go to bed instead of doing something productive. It can make people feel more tired and less upbeat, especially in the middle of the school year when everyone is already stressed.
Ultimately, daylight savings time affects everyone differently, but I think it takes away more than it gives. Even if some people enjoy the early darkness, it’s hard to ignore how much it limits us after the school day. For a lot of us the days already feel short but daylight savings time only makes them shorter.
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