Opinion

Cons Of The New Bell Schedule

Denise Farley and Mackenzie Oates
February 3, 2016

While the new schedule has a few pros, mainly getting out early, and athletes not missing as much school, it also has a few cons. Many of us already have a hard time getting up early as it is, but having to get up even earlier is going to push the limit. There are also activities that start before school, do we really want to start those earlier too?

Some of the activities that are ran through MHS have an early practice before school starts. During the 2015-16 school year, band starts their practice at 8:00a.m. because it gives them fifteen minutes to warm up before they actually get into the practice. Thus when the bell schedule changes they will have to start at 7:30a.m.. This then means that they would have to arrive to school at least five minutes before that time just to make sure they are ready to start. Now band isn’t the only activity that start before school, there are many more. The other activities start an hour or even more than that before the school day officially starts.

“I like it but I don’t like it, Band students go early to school [ to ] practice, meaning I would have to wake up even earlier to practice. I’m very half and half on the new schedule,” said Freshman, Tawnie Williams

Melatonin, the hormone that influences our sleeping schedule, affects teenagers the most. When we go through puberty our internal clock is set back three hours. So instead of being sleepy at eight, we don’t feel tired until about eleven. When waking up our brains do not fully wake up until ten instead of seven. Waking a teenager before eight, while they are still half asleep, is basically like asking them to get on an airplane, switch time-zones and adjust immediately. Practically everyday for three to four years until we are full grown.

What is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland which is in the brain. Melatonin regulates other hormones and our internal clock. It is a key factor in us falling asleep and waking up. When it is dark our melatonin level rises, and when it is light it drops.

Teenagers, it seems, stay up really late, like sleeping in until the last minute. Which sounds really nice, until you have to wake up for school. We already push the limit by arriving to school just before the bell rings, and it will be worse next year. With the new schedule, prioritizing your time needs to be a major focus