Wednesdays are the new Fridays.

Because of the new schedule approved by principal, Mark Greenfelder, school on Wednesdays doesn’t start until eight. This is helpful for both students and teachers so they can look better, feel better, and be more effective.

The first and most obvious reason is sleep. Because my day is so busy with sports after school. Because I am now a junior, my nights consist of hours of homework each night. Because my life is so hectic, I normally don’t go to sleep until midnight, at the earliest. Now that school starts late on Wednesdays, I can either sleep-in later (if my homework is all done) from the night before or wake up a little earlier and finish it in the morning. I am assuming that teachers like this because students get more homework done, which, in turn, means better grades.

On a sports level, coaches and athletes like this later opening because it’s easier to have morning practices before school. They can either get in longer practices or wake up at their regular time and get home earlier in the afternoon. In particular, cross country does extra mileage on Wednesday mornings to lessen the intensity at the afternoon practices.

Teachers don’t let the extra time go to waste. They have mandatory meetings in the mornings before school on Wednesdays now. This way they can spend more time afterschool helping their students, which will help bring up their student’s grade averages. Students who need help after school are sometimes let down by their teachers on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays because of their meeting requirements.

For those students who like to get dressed up some days, Wednesdays provide a great opportunity. We can wake up at a normal time, but not have to stress about hurrying to get ready and make it to school on time. The girls like me, who spend an hour straightening their hair, will finally have time to do so without losing sleep.

In addition to the more time to prepare, students will also have 40 minutes less of school than on a regular day. What student doesn’t like the idea of less time spent in school, and more time spent hanging out with their friends, or doing their homework?

Some students prefer to spend their extra time in the morning going out for breakfast at local restaurants like Panera, Einstein’s, or Starbucks.

No matter the reason for the advantage of Wednesdays, we can agree that it is a beneficial change for all of us.