Prepare to “spring” forward during your Spring Break! Daylight savings time begins this Sunday, March 14th, as we jump an hour ahead at 2 A.M. Up until November 7th of this year, we will be getting longer days and shorter nights.  

For Texans, mobile devices and computers will have the correct time displayed automatically, while states that do not recognize the day at all (Arizona and Hawaii) will see no change. According to a growing number of people, these states have the right idea. The idea was implemented in the early 1900s to conserve energy during times of crisis, such as war and economic struggles. Back then, the most prominent opposer of this law were farmers, as they had to start their work at the start of the sunrise, disrupting the practice. Over 100 years later, it seems the cons of DST outweigh the pros, so why doesn’t the U.S. drop it? 

A study in 2005 found that the supposed energy-saving benefits of DST were almost non-existent, which is the primary reason for this idea. In addition, changing clocks can be confusing and hard to follow for some people. However, once a practice like Daylight Savings is put in place, it is very hard to get rid of. Two states – Utah and California, recently proposed to end the policy. However, both were rejected. To reverse DST across the country, it would be required that Congress approves an amendment to the Uniform Time Act for states to have the option. This idea may gain traction with time, as public opinion continues to grow in favor of abolishing Daylight Savings, but there are over 100 years’ worth of clock-changes to reverse. 

It doesn’t seem that Daylight Savings will be going away anytime soon, so prepare to lose an hour of sleep this Sunday night. We may see a future in which our clocks never change through the course of a year, but it will require some federal assistance. For Chargers, though, next week marks the beginning of Spring Break (March 15-19), a break that will be much-needed for many students and staff across campus.