Seven late starts were added to this school year, further cutting down the number of hour lunches each month. In this week’s Mustang Musings, we asked students their opinion on the subject and the ways they use the extra time. While nearly 70 percent of students interviewed articulated their love for sleeping in, others felt that hour lunch was the better way to go.

“I enjoy the extra leisure time in the mornings but I do miss hour lunches because I’m more likely to do things with friends. On a normal late start morning I either sleep in or go have breakfast with a few friends.” – Junior Colleen McGrath

“It’s disgraceful. We at SDA take pride in all hour lunches and base all of our activities around them. The weekly trek to Jorge’s, In-n-Out, and even to kebab shop. Hour lunch is the mid-week break that we all need to relax and catch up on homework and a little sleep. It takes away a Hallmark quality from SDA.” – Senior Omar Smith

“On the last late start I woke up at about eight, took a shower and watched TV until 8:30. Then I traveled downstairs for a scrumptious breakfast. I made eggs and bacon all by myself. Mom wasn’t even home!” – Junior Chris Still

“I just sleep.” – Junior Rachel Littlefield

“I like late start as opposed to hour lunch because I like the extra time to make all this [gestures to face] happen.” – Sophomore Alex Read

“[I think] that late starts are the best.” – Junior Daniel Clinton

“I do a yoga class at yoga six on late starts and then go get a Starbucks.” – Junior Elisa Barrett

“Every late start I go to the pancake house with my pals and get chocolate chip pancakes because they’re delicious.” – Junior Gabri Posard

“I guess I like [late starts]. You get to sleep in more, but I like hour lunch too. I guess I don’t really have a strong opinion either way.” – Senior Rafael Swit

“I enjoy sleeping in an extra two hours and then watching random episodes on TV.” – Senior Taylor Johnson

“Sometimes I sleep in or go out to breakfast with my friends and my boyfriend.” – Senior Brittany Adams

“I always sleep in on late starts.” – Senior Kelsey Payne

“I like going out to breakfast in Encinitas, like Honey’s or Swami’s.” – Senior Jack Boyce

“I’m kind of neutral about it. I think I preferred one late start because you only need one to catch up on sleep.” – Senior Nick Checcia

“I’ll be getting here at 8:30 to help Glasgow move bricks.” – Senior Irena Weaver

“I think late starts equal good.” – Junior Matt Elicieri

“I plan to sleep in and eat bacon at my friend’s house.” – Senior Elizabeth Tarangelo

“I’ll be hanging out with my girlfriend; she’s leaving for college Thursday.” – Senior Keaton Crow

“I like hour lunch a lot better than late start. I don’t sleep in on late starts, so I enjoy hour lunch.” – Junior Nicholas Vennard

“I liked it a lot last year when there was a late-start once a month. I think hour lunch is better than late-start.” – Junior Cody Meyar

“I wish there were more hour lunches. Once a month for late-starts was good. I don’t really think that the teachers need another meeting day; they deserve a break.” – Junior Sabrina Barry

“I sleep in. I do things around the house that need to get done… There’s a new late start schedule?” – Senior Jeffrey Phan

“I like it… Sleep.” – Freshman Matthew Zounes

“I like it on some days when I have a bunch of homework, but honestly I prefer hour lunch to hang out with friends because I hate to get up on late starts to go out when instead I can sleep in.” – Senior Ashlie Davis

“I like it because I get to sleep in and eat pancakes.” – Sophomore Isabelle Stanforth

“To be honest I do thoroughly enjoy the new late start, but I would also like hour lunch to help my academic rigor.” – Sophomore Grayson Amthor

“I slept in until 8:30 and forgot about school. I almost missed first period. It’s awesome that you get to sleep in, but it sucks that we don’t have hour lunch though.” – Junior Nick McCrink

“I sleep. I enjoy the more frequent hour lunches, but I would prefer minimum days to late starts.” – Junior Alex Smith

“Well, I’m kind of torn. I’m really bummed about Swing Club, and how we don’t get to go off for hour lunch as often, but the lazy side of me is crying out in joy that I get those extra two hours of sleep every two weeks!” – Senior Jill Pickrell

“I think it will take a little getting used to; I will miss the hour lunches though. But I think eventually people will like the extra time in the morning.” – Senior Charles Brown

“Sleep.” – Junior Tenly Feinberg

“I like extra late starts because they’re much better than hour lunch, but I would prefer to have homeroom so I think it’s great as long as they stay on Wednesdays.” – Senior John Landers

“I prefer it because I go out to breakfast with my mother at the Champagne Bakery and get to enjoy a strawberry crepe and a French hot chocolate. Whereas at hour lunches I stay on campus and watch my friends rush to do a piece of forgotten homework.” – Senior Alana Primes

“Personally, I’m not a fan [of late starts] because I really enjoy hour lunches. I can see why they would do it, what with their thinking of teen sleep schedules and stuff, but I’d rather have a nicer day at school and a longer period to relax and stuff mid-day than to have a bit of extra sleep. Also, for those kids who can’t get to school later, it’s wasted.” – Sophomore Nate Neumann

“I actually enjoy [late starts]. It gives people an opportunity to sleep in and enjoy mornings. I like hour lunch but sometimes a change in pace is good.” – Senior Joseph Swit

“I like the extra late starts. They give me a chance to either catch up on sleep or get breakfast with friends. Hour lunch is nice too, but I don’t feel the need to go off campus every Wednesday and the normal half an hour lunch provides a good break between classes also.” – Senior Janine Fischer

“I don’t like the extra late starts, because I like hour long lunch. I usually spend late starts sleeping, because that’s what I do.”- Senior Marissa Schuling

“Oh, I don’t like having more late starts at all. Hour long lunch is way better. I spend late starts sleeping.”- Sophomore Jessica Walsh

“I like having more late starts; I can have breakfast with my friends!”- Junior Lily Cluen

“I don’t like [late starts]. I don’t use them to sleep in and I miss having more hour lunches.”- Junior Emmy Harrah

“I like hour lunches better. I can never find a ride to go to school on late starts so I end up going early anyway.”- Sophomore Rachel Travelman

“I usually don’t sleep in and I finish my AP Bio homework.” – Junior Sophia Schmidt

“I usually sleep in, but if I wake up early, I usually go to Starbucks.” – Junior Nick Frederick

“I get up at 5:30, take a shower, and eat breakfast at St. Tropez.” – Junior Austin Ryan

“I liked having a late start and an hour lunch on the same day instead of having to late starts.” – Senior David Martinez

“I like the new late start schedule because it gives me more time to sleep in and shorter classes twice a month.” – Senior Hyla Schneir

“I personally love the increase in late start days because sleep is a dear friend of mine. Also the traffic [driving to school] isn’t as bad at 9 am compared to 7:30!” – Senior Sam Fierro

“I do homework or sleep. Or feast at home, out, wherever has food.” – Junior Anthony Law

“Well, with extra late starts, I won’t spend as much money [for hour lunch].” – Senior Eli Brown

“I like late starts because I get to sleep in.” – Junior Ana Cardenas

“I’m going to go to the coffee shop with my mom.” – Freshman Jourdania Nourian

“On late starts I either catch up on sleep or if my friends are lucky, I sometimes drag myself out of bed to get breakfast with them.”  –  Senior Kirsten Walz

“I helped the art club move the bricks from the old bell tower [during late start]. But I’d rather have had an hour lunch instead.”  – Senior Danny Vasquez

“I like late starts because I get to wake up to the sounds of birds chirping, take a long shower and get to eat a warm and delicious breakfast prepared by my mother.”  – Senior Jorge Beltran

“I like late start because it lets you sleep and it helps you with homework” – Sophomore Leigh Houck

“I like late start because I get to go surfing before school with my friends.” – Sophomore Annie Abbica

“I like sleeping in on late starts, but it messes up my morning routine.” – Senior Taylor Daymude

“On late start days I get together with my friends and go out for breakfast.” – Sophomore Mona Karimi

“I just sleep and wake up when the sun is out.” – Senior Adira Fogel

“I usually either make pancakes or do homework.” – Senior Nina McKendree

“I’m meeting my friends a half an hour early in the student lot and we’re going to make breakfast.” – Senior Elisa Willes

“I like sleeping in. I mean I liked hour lunches but I need my sleep.”- Junior Ashli Holcroft