Five More Minutes

Bella Wysocki '25  ~  November/December 2023

“Just five more minutes” we think when our alarms ring at ungodly hours of the morning, but we trudge out of bed anyways. Maybe if you had just gone to bed a half hour earlier, then you would have the energy to wake up… or maybe school should just start later.

With the latest reduction of Nardin’s start time from 8:10 to 8 o’clock in the morning, there have been many arguments against the 10 minute robbery. Although it was just 10 minutes, it was 10 minutes well spent. 10 minutes of extra sleep, 10 minutes of adjusting to the school atmosphere, 10 minutes of eating breakfast, getting water, cramming in a quick study session right before a first block unit test; 10 minutes of freedom. The 10 minute time change was not just simply a small change, it was a decision that took away a small pocket of reprieve for students.

Now, if you look on Google almost every site suggests an 8:30 am start time for high schools; so why would we be going back? As a private school as well, there are other factors we should consider to accommodate students. It is known that the atmosphere of Nardin is stressful to say the least. Students are constantly studying, and filling in extracurriculars whenever they can. When we should be getting sleep at 2am, we are studying. Do we not deserve a few extra minutes of rest in the morning? Not to mention the long commutes many students take. While some may neighbor the Academy, we still have students that drive close to an hour to make it to school every day and then have to rush to class as soon as they walk in. How much rest do you think they’re able to get between school, activities, and commute time? 

With challenges that not only come with being a student, but also being a teenager, it is important to consider how decisions affect the health of our students, including the decision of taking away 10 minutes we considered as freedom. Those 10 minutes allowed us to take a break, but considering recommendations of a later start and busy student life, should we be getting more?