Fall has officially come to the Hill. The trees have changed colors and shed their leaves and the temperature has steadily dropped, making Gambier feel like a scene out of Gilmore Girls. On Nov. 5, Kenyon and the majority of Americans will get yet another reminder that autumn is here: the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) in 2023.

For many on our campus, the extra hour of sleep is a welcome respite from the breakneck pace of the semester. However, the biannual time change, which has been the law of the land since 1966, is both antiquated and harmful to our health. The United States should move to a standardized time that remains the same throughout the year.

Though the American mythos around springing forward and falling back paints farmers as the main beneficiaries of DST, it was originally introduced to help save energy. Rather than having to burn wax, wood or coal in the evenings, the extra hour was meant to give people the chance to work more in the daylight. Now, the science around whether DST actually saves energy is inconclusive. 

More serious than a questionable environmental and economic benefit, the time change involved in DST can have major negative public health impacts. Studies have shown a rise in heart attacks when DST begins in the spring, and the time change and hour lost for DST can lead to disruptions to our bodies’ circadian rhythms.

Although Kenyon students may not be hugely inconvenienced by the return to DST — especially since the hour lost happens over spring break — we won’t be college students forever. An hour lost or gained has significant impacts on our well-being. It’s time to stop letting DST clean our clocks.

Sincerely,

Katie, Audrey and Hannah

The staff editorial is written weekly by editors-in-chief Katie Sparvero ’25 and Audrey Baker ’25 and managing editor Hannah Sussman ’25. You can contact them at sparvero1@kenyon.edu, baker10@kenyon.edu and sussman1@kenyon.edu, respectively.