Skip to main content

Daylight Saving Time

When we think of Daylight Saving Time (DST), we tend to think of it as this day where we just lose that precious hour of sleep. But this day has more untold purposes and history.

Ancient civilizations had a concept of DST when they would adjust their schedules depending on the sun. Modern DST was introduced by a New Zealand entomologist George Hudson. He proposed a two-hour shift forward in October and a two-hour shift back in March; this idea never fell through. In 1905, a British builder, William Willett, had a variation of this concept and suggested that every four Sundays in April, there should be a shift forward of 20 minutes. And in September, the same, but a shift back 20 minutes.

Fast forward to 1918, the concept of DST, which was called “Fast Time” back then, was introduced by President Woodrow Wilson when he signed a law to support war effort during World War I. But seven months later, this biannual time change was revoked; however, cities like New York and Boston continued to use it. It was later instituted again by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942.

Today, DST is adopted by over 70 countries. The purpose of DST is to save energy and to make a better use of the daylight. In a report to Congress, it is recorded that DST saved about 0.5 percent of the nation’s electricity per day, or 1.3 trillion watt-hours in total. That amount could power 100,000 households for a year.

So next time you think of DST, remember all the time and effort it took to create the concept we know of today—and remember to dedicate that extra hour of light to a meaningful cause.

© 2016 Matt R. All rights reserved.

Popular posts from this blog

“So… what are we?”

Nobody goes on dates anymore. When’s the last time a gentleman came to your doorstep to meet your parents before taking you to a nice restaurant for dinner? When has society changed the meaning of “date” to “I’ll text you when I pull up and we can hangout?” The sad reality is that young ladies have accepted the bare minimum, and when a guy treats us respectfully like they should, we swoon. Opening a car door for a woman? Pulling out a chair for her? Bringing flowers as a token of affection to a date? Never experienced that, and any guy that did that for me would win my heart immediately. This new generation views chivalry as outdated, and when a guy does something kind for a lady, the guy expects something in return. Ultimately, men just want sex. Yes, this is a harsh generalization, but we’re growing up in a hookup culture; it’s all about treating a woman well to get in her pants, not out of the kindness of your heart. What bothers me most is, why would you take a beautiful young lad...

High School isn't Forever

When I was asked to write an article for the John Jay newspaper, I was admittedly a bit hesitant. I didn’t think anyone would really want to hear from me. If I’m honest, despite having incredible friends all throughout high school, I couldn’t help but feel like an outcast. A lot of my time at John Jay was spent trying to avoid people. I always seemed to get stuck with all the people that didn’t like me in one class. I tried to be nice, but then I’d be made fun of. When I was mean and defensive, I was made fun of more. I felt like I couldn’t win. Needless to say, high school was rough for me. At the end of my freshman year, I stopped eating. In the beginning of my sophomore year, I weighed 76 pounds. It took me until the middle of my junior year to make it back up to 93 pounds, and I still struggled to keep the weight on for a long time. During most of my sophomore year, I had anxiety attacks three or four times a week. Sometimes they were so severe that I’d get sick. I hid my insec...

History Honors Society Wrapping Party

Hot chocolate, pretzels, marshmallows, wrapping paper and boxes towered feet high; that’s what you would have seen in the cafeteria during the History Honors Society wrapping party. After school, the café was filled with teens getting their volunteering hours while having fun and helping the community. Hundreds of gifts were being wrapped for the children at the Astor Home. Many of the children residing there were not fortunate enough to get gifts from parents or family. The wrapping party exists as a fun activity that helps provide for those who do not have the same as others. If only you could see their faces when they opened the gifts donated by the John Jay Student Body and teachers. Gifts ranged from giant teddy bears to Pokémon cards and comfy clothes, each specially wrapped by students for a great cause. It was really amazing to see how the John Jay community came together to make this happen. I cannot wait until next year to do it again! By Chelsea Co.