By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
Daylight Saving Time (DST) in 2024 began on March 10 at 2:00 a.m. local time, moving the clocks forward an hour. This Sunday, at the same time, will mark the end of the seasonal time adjustment, moving clocks back an hour and adding an extra hour in the day.
Over the years, DST has faced opposition from many who believe clocks should permanently stay on summer hours with no clock shifts due to its effect on people’s circadian rhythms and sleep health. These effects have raised public health and safety concerns, with some demanding Congress implement a law solidifying summer hours with no clock shifts.
Students at Fort Hays State University hold varying stances on the issue; some want DST abolished, while others want to keep it.
“I’m not a big fan of it,” sophomore Anthony Arial said. “I hate having to change my manual clocks, and I just don’t see any purpose behind it. I get frustrated about it when the time comes and I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s Daylight Saving Time!’ I like it when it goes back [an hour].”
Sophomore construction management major Marisol Arenivas sees DST as a nuisance that can pose challenges to her family’s trucking business.
“I’ve been used to it my whole life, but I know it does affect a lot of truckers since my family owns a trucking company,” she said. “So, I know it has an effect on them with their schedules and loads.”
Arenivas points out the safety hazard that DST poses to the trucking industry, given her family’s involvement with the business.
“Whenever we do loads or unloads, certain types of products have to be loaded during the day,” she said. “Some can also be during the night or wintertime. So, making sure you’re getting to a site on time is really hard. Accidents can happen, and it can be a hazard too.”
Arenivas, like others, thinks DST should be abolished in favor of permanent summer hours.
“I feel like there’s no point in having it,” she said. “If we just stick to one time, I think we’re good.”
While sleep schedule and safety are concerns, some oppose DST due to its emotional impact on their well-being.
“I’m waiting for that seasonal depression,” said Student Engagement student employee Cody Linn. “It’d be getting dark and cold, and I’m not a big fan of that. I’d be getting more tired because you get out of class at two or three [in the afternoon], and the sun’s already coming down. I feel more tired, and then five o’clock hits, the sun’s down, and I’m ready for bed.”
Students who hold mixed opinions appreciate having an extra hour but feel there is no need for it anymore.
“I wish we could stick to one time so it can make my life a whole lot easier,” junior Madison Albers said. “We get that extra hour one night, which is cool, but I feel there’s no use for it anymore. Our technology has advanced to a point where it’s not needed.”
Others hold a neutral stance on the debate over DST, stating they adapt to it quickly.
“Everyone else says they don’t like it and want it gone,” freshman Conner Miller said. “It’s never really bothered me too much. I hear other people complaining about how it affects their sleep schedule, but I just adjust my clocks and go with it.”
Andrew Waller, a junior majoring in technology and engineering, is part of the demographic favoring DST.
“I enjoy it in the fall,” he said. “It’s alright in the spring and it’s nice to get that extra hour of sleep and it’s also nice to have the sun rising a little earlier.”
Unlike most students, Waller believes DST should be maintained.
“I think we should keep it,” he said. “It helps farmers because it gives them more time to work, especially in the summer.”