Starting this school year, every other Thursday, the students, staff, and faculty of Benet Academy are treated to a late start to the school day. The Benet community can enjoy a slow morning, or a few extra hours of sleep to get their Thursday started right. The administration introduced the 9:25 AM arrival, as opposed to the traditional 7:45 AM, in place of the previously exhibited “Asynchronous Day”. As students from Benet Academy come from across a wide range of towns and counties, the aim is to allow students, especially those with longer commutes, to be able to recharge and rejuvenate for the following school days.

This modified schedule has already been rolled out twice so far, once on August 31st, and the other on September 14th. But how do students truly feel about this change? Senior Shannon Early discusses the situation. “I personally love the late start schedule,” she says. “I really enjoy having the extra day to catch up on my sleep. I am a person who really likes to get eight hours of sleep, and sometimes that doesn’t happen during the school week. I think it’s a good way to refresh; I understand that some people think it ‘shakes it up’ a little, but I think it’s important, as a student, to get good sleep.” However, her sentiment is not shared by the entire student body, Senior Ford McDonnell contrasts, “It might be better if it was on Friday instead”.

Needless to say, the new late-start schedule is a big shift for the entire Benet community. As the world shifts towards a more remote working environment, the question remains on whether or not this delayed start will become a staple of Benet Academy for years to come.