Crier wants to know: should we eliminate daylight savings time or keep it?

Every year just before the start of spring, many in the United States set their clock back one hour. Some people love to see more of the sun, while others want more sleep, but where did this practice come from? Many ancient civilizations adopted seasonal changes to their timekeeping to make better use of daylight, but the United States didn’t implement Daylight Savings Time until 1918 to conserve power and fuel during World War 1. Then, it wasn’t until 1966 that Daylight Savings Time became federal law in the United States. With March 10 marking the start of this year’s Daylight Saving Time, Crier asked Conant students whether the United States should eliminate Daylight Savings Time or keep it. 

David Cromer 

“I would prefer to stay on standard time and use a 24 hour clock. I like waking up with the sun and I think I sleep better, too.”

AiMy Phan, ‘24

“I don’t quite know why we still have daylight savings. I mean it was meant for farmers so that they can have more daylight during farming seasons, but why can’t we just have more sunlight throughout the whole year? Why do we have to have less daylight during the winter months? For me it just hinders my everyday life during winter when I have clubs [and] I have to walk home in the dark [and the] cold.”

Alicja Czerw, ‘25

“I believe that we shouldn’t keep Daylight Savings Time as there’s no point in it. I know some people are big fans of the extra hour of sun but the process of changing your schedule and getting used to the time change is exhausting. It would just be easier sticking to one time all year round!”

Jessica Pfeifer

Andrew Taylor, ’26

“I think we should keep it because it’s not really that big of an inconvenience, and it’s kinda fun and funky. I like switching it up, you know. Plus, I think that it is definitely worth it to keep our schedules aligned with when it is actually day and night because I like seeing the sun sometimes.”

Ola Krydka, ‘27

“As someone who is not a morning person, I believe daylight saving times should be kept. Yes, an hour of sleep is stolen from us, but now we get more time outside, a refresh from the short days of winter, and, it actually promotes safety due to longer sunlight. It also benefits us during the winter since we get one more hour of sleep during the cold (which is a blessing in my opinion) and it decreases energy consumption, reduces costs, and protects the environment.”

0