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Daylight Savings and Nighttime Awakenings

The newly constructed bell schedule at MC has been the hardest adjustment the teen generation has dealt with since COVID itself. Due to daylight savings and a new law that was passed, prior to the 2022-23 school year, high schools in San Diego County cannot legally be in session anytime before 8:30 am. 

Unlike the board members who seem to get a full eight hours of sleep at night (and even more on the weekends), many high school students feel that this schedule shift is honestly pointless, especially due to the lack of time given for any chances at real life outside of school hours.

“I mean, we start later, but that just means our bedtimes are pushed back even more,” 14-year-old student, Ty Heard, a professional all-nighter said. “My normal one a.m. bedtime is more like… You know what? I don’t even sleep, honestly,” Heard said. 

Along with the fact that the bell schedule does nothing except make students get out of school when it’s practically dark, many students cannot even meet their own bodily needs while in class.

“We aren’t even allowed to eat in class, yet our teachers expect us to get through four periods of lecturing without any food!” 17-year-old student, Hang Gery said. “My potty breaks are inconvenient, and are also now my snack breaks too,” Hang Gery said.

MC’s parking lot when school finally gets out | Photo Courtesy of Pixebay

Once students get out of school, they urgently rush to the parking lot to turn their headlights on because it is pitch black outside by then. 

“MC has become a survival zone at this point. Survival instincts kick in, especially when it is dark and you are on the hunt for food,” a 16-year-old student, Sir Vival said. “The traffic leaving the parking lot is barbaric because everyone is rushing to the VONS shopping center to get their hands on any crumbs of food they can find,” Hunter Gatherer said. 

Students have been sighted showing signs of sleep deprivation and severe loss of brain cells since the school year started. This combination caused by the new schedule has been said to be deadly.

“Last night, I drove my friend home from practice and I swear she turned into a zombie for a split second… it was quite the jumpscare,” Fright Night said.

The zombie-like symptoms spotted in students have created rumors about students always being caught in the bathrooms during certain periods. What is the rumor exactly? That they are replenishing their bodies with whatever they can get their hands on to seem at least half alive, even with running on only Yerbas and…. yeah, only Yerbas. 

Going from school to practices and games is almost immediate if you do not have an off-roll. Students without off-rolls have been seen wearing their uniforms to school every day to prevent being late to any sporting events.

“My daily wardrobe when I am in season for my sport is just my uniform every… single… day,” Wore Haul said. “I don’t even do laundry at this point anymore, I just don’t have the time.”

A PUSD school bus parked spotted parked in front of a student’s house since the crack of dawn | Photo Courtesy of Los Angeles Times

Buses and transportation are also other issues that many students have brought to the admin’s attention.

“I do not understand why the buses get to my house so early. It is literally witching hours when they pull up to my house squeaking and breaking,” Scairdy Cat said. “I have to take anxiety medication because it comes basically in the middle of the night, spiking my heart rate.”

Adapting to the new bell schedule has become a survival lifestyle for many MC students. Daylight savings truly has turned dealing with the new bell schedule into a nightmare. 

Written by Kamara White

Senior, Kamara White, is the sports section editor for the MC SUN staff. She enjoys food, listening to music, watching Netflix, and sleeping. She plays club volleyball at WAVE and is on Varsity for MC.

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