Megan Lander | Student Life Editor
September 20, 2024
After coming back to school each year, there is always that one person who complains about summer not being long enough. In turn, the usual response is, “I know right!” or “summer went by way too fast!” or “half of the time it was cloudy!” The truth is, they are actually right. Every year, our seasons slightly shift, and this is a direct reflection of the built-up greenhouse gasses globally produced.
Each season lasts around three months but with severe climate change and global warming, there is a couple weeks difference, give or take, that either shortens or lengthens the seasons. These past years, California has experienced intense “May gray” and “June gloom.” The school year tends to end at the start of June and with the stationary cloudy weather, our summer is cut short with August marking the start of a new school year.
In what feels like the blink of an eye, August rolls around when the sun is finally out, the UV is high, the ocean is warm, and it feels like a true summer. Sarah Sevilla, a junior at San Clemente High School, comments, “I feel stuck and trapped inside the class when I could be in the fresh air at the beach. My family lives here for a reason.” Many students prefer the school year to start later and end later to enjoy their few remaining free summers before entering the real world where “summer” does not exist.
Summer is not the only reason why the school season should be postponed. It would effectively improve the sleep schedules of students and teachers as the daylight hours are more aligned. However, there are significant downsides and reasons for why the months of school are the way they are. If school started too late, there would be less time between the beginning of the school year and winter break, and more time from winter break to the end of the school year. The proportions would be off and ultimately create a more stressful couple of months for both groups.
While in theory, a longer typical summer would be nice, it would be a whole process to shift the algorithm of schools. Nothing can be done about climate change to reverse the damaging effects it already has on our physical and emotional worlds. Overall, the message is to take in every last breath of summer air before the season of waking up early, going to bed late, and repeating the next day.
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