Every other Wednesday was late start Wednesday at Lyons Township High School until now. This year LT changed the late start Wednesday to be every week. This is a great way to keep students engaged in school, and help them make it through the week. 

As stated in “Is Capitalism Sustainable?” by John Ikerd, once energy is used to perform work, before it can be used again, it must be reconcentrated, reorganized and restored. Unfortunately, it takes energy to reconcentrate, reorganize and restore energy.” This is why students need one hour a week to regenerate, so they don’t burn out, and become unproductive adults. Because of the weekly late start day, students will now be able to focus in class and it will help their grades. 

Many students struggled to remember which Wednesday was a late start Wednesday last year. A whole two weeks between the late start days made it hard to remember when they were. With this new way it has become a non-issue because students can count on every Wednesday being a late start, making everyone’s life even easier, especially the parents that are dropping their kids off at school.

It must be so much better for teachers to stare into the eyes of students every Wednesday now that they have gotten enough sleep, and have rejuvenated their spirits. The overall morale through the halls of LT is always better on Wednesday when everyone has an extra hour of sleep to get them through the day. If students had time to see their friends before school, it could make their whole day better. Students hold onto the one hour a week to help them through the next day. Making the late start day every week has improved the mental health of many students. They can get the rest and relaxation to keep them from becoming too drained until they become the bare bones of what they were before. 

Some students could argue that this isn’t preparing us for the real world. In adulthood there’s no extra hour of sleep. In fact, there’s even less sleep if people decide to have children when they grow up. 

It helps that adults have a different circadian rhythm than teenagers, which allows them to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. 

Students need an hour of rest to grow. Not only literally but metaphorically. Going through life tired, going through life waiting to go back to bed will only make students’ lives miserable. LT’s motto is Vita Plena, meaning a fulfilling life. How are students supposed to feel fulfilled if they’re tired all the time? 

Students work nonstop all school year, so giving them this one hour break every week is more than needed.

Staff Vote: 25-0