Volume 62 Issue 4 NONPROFIT Darien HighSchool ORG. 80High School Lane Postage Paid Darien, CT 06820 u.s. Darien, Conn. December 2000 Permit No. 43 nowBal Students are "Sleepless in DRS" Neirad Investigates Sleep Deprivation at the High School • By Edward Briganti officer of Post 53 gets anywhere from Studies also indicate that the bio­ Associate Editor two hours to an entire nights' sleep logical rhythms ofadolescents show that Do you ever hit the "snooze" but­ when on duty. they may not need to go to bed till later, ton on your alarm clock in the morning "I get more sleep this year than I but also need to sleep later. Having to two or three times? Do you feel over­ did year though, because I have more get up and go to school in the fourth tired after lunch sitting in class? Have frees and I can do work in school," says quarter oftheir sleep time makes it much you ever fallen asleep in class, or at moredifficult for them to get the sleep the wheel while driving? If you do, they need. you, like many other people across Tired students are more !ikely to the country, are probably sleep de­ doze off in class and are less able to prived. concentrate as a result of the body's A new scientific study con­ natural reaction to fatigue while try­ ducted by the National Sleep Foun­ ing to accomplish a task. The body dation shows that on average, teen­ responds with an increased flow of 'agers are getting about two hours adrenaline. However, this adrenaline less sleep a night than they need, boost is hardly enough to help stu­ putting them at risk for car crashes, dents concentrate, it only keeps their falling asleep while in class and gen­ body functioning and causes them to eral moodiness. Teenagers need nine be edgy and distracted. The irony is hours and 15 minutes ofsleep a night that many students are staying up late for optimal functioning, yet teenag­ to study so that they can do well in ers are staying up too late and wak­ school and get into a good college. ing up too early. With the many activi­ senior Beth Newman. "I usually work Math teacher, Mr. Daniel Haron on ties students at Darien High School are on school nights until I can't do any­ average, gives about 45 minutes of involved in, along with the rigorous aca­ more and I fall asleep, I go to bed later homework a night to his AB Calculus demic courseload, sleep time is being cut on weekends but I also wake up later." class that many seniors are taking. He back. When asked if he felt sleep de­ notices many students in the hallways Senior Beth Newman, an honors prived, senior Matt Gangl replied, "Ev­ half~awake and stumbling through the student, varsity fieldhockey player, and ery day ofmy life." See Sleep Page 4 Ecstasy use rising to all-time high • By Lexi Deluca users with a feeling that one person de­ drug can counteract the fear of possible StajfWriter scribes as "totally different, and you side effects. "Everyone says it's the best can't stop yourself from saying things experience oftheir life and I really want Although, according to a new sur~ you want to say and you say everything to try itbut it scares me a little bit," says vey, marijuana usage among teens is you're thinking because it's just a a junior who prefers to remain anony­ dropping, the use of the drug ecstasy is chance to say what you want and have mous. The effects ofecstasy are indeed at an all time high. According to the not few; they can include psychologi­ survey conducted by the Partnership cal difficulties, including confusion, for a Drug-Free America, teen usage depression, sleep problems, drug crav­ ofecstasy has doubled since 1995 and ing, severe anxiety and paranoia, and this poses a concern for many who can also involve symptoms such as are aware ofthe effects ofecstasy and muscle tension, involuntary teeth the permanent tolls it can place on a clenching, nausea, blurred vision, body. The survey also finds that 32% rapid eye movement, faintness, and of teens in 2000 have close friends chills or sweating. who have used ecstasy, up from 24% Yet the negative effects of the in 1998. drugs don't faze some people. "It's The drug, which can come in a like you enter an entirely different variation offorms including liquid and world, you only see the good side of a tablet, is mostly swallowed. It is most people listen and tell you what's on their everything, and you open yourself up commonly used at raves among college mind." Yet after the serotonin goes up, to the people around you because you students to provide for a better mood the drug has already damaged the neu­ feel as if you can trust them because and it induces feelings of warmth and rons which release serotonin and the nothing can go wrong," claims an happiness and greatly lessens people's chemical cannot restore itselfto the level anonymous senior. It's often called "the inhibitions by increasing the level ofthe it was at before, it will permanently be hug drug" because it causes users to chemical serotoninin the brain. Seroto­ lowered. become especially friendly and open to­ nin, most frequently referred to as "the Students have mixed feelings about ward others. happiness chemical," shoots up and the drug. No one fails to recognize its Nevertheless, not everyone is taken no stays up for several hours, providing dangers, but sometimes the allure ofthe See Ecstasy Page 4 . In This Issue Inside Opinion Inside Arts &. Leisure Inside Sports NoventJer 23, New QrIaan High Sd100I The Florida Recount Simon & Bill Review Family Man Turkey Bowl VI See Page 2 See Page 8 See Page 14 o --I DeCClnber 2000 2 Kids need sleep, school starts too early NEIRAD At 7:39 a.m., a flood of students plete or tests to study for. School were to change its starting walks into the school, trying to get to The other schools in Darien have time, perhaps the conduct and atti­ class before the tardy bell rings. They later starting times because the admin­ tudes of the students would be this yawn, stumble, and look off into space, istration assumes that younger children positive year-round. expressing with actions how many stu­ need to sleep later. However, this is of­ There is one flaw in this idea. For dents feel: Darien High School's start­ ten not the case. Usually children in the the high school to start later, the bus ing time is too early. elementary schools go to bed rather early, schedule would have to be changed, Every morning, students are ex­ so they wake up earlier as well. Teenag­ because there are different morning pected to rise and be ready for all of the ers are biologically inclined to go to shifts for the elementary schools, challenging classes they take during the sleep later and wake up at a later time. middle school, and high school. How­ day. This would be far easier ifstudents This is because melatonin, a hormone ever, the schedule could be switched, had had a good night's sleep. Sleep dep­ causing sleep to occur, does not start so that the younger kids go to school rivation amongst teenagers is a problem its production in teenagers until later at earlier. Younger children grow fairly -CHIEF Darien experiences first hand. Darien night. Melatonin is first released at sun­ steadily, and do not need a large eanGill pi High School should have a later start­ set in younger children, adults, and se­ amount of sleep, nor are they always Laura aedonald ing time to eliminate tired, sluggish stu­ nior citizens, so they are better equipped even able to sleep late. Teenagers are dents in class, to awaken earlier in the morning. As a constantly going through growth A day at Dalien High School starts result, it is difficult or sometimes impos­ spurts and changes, and thus have a 0ClATE EOrroR at 7:40 a.m., so anyone who cannot drive sible for teenagers to be productive in need for time sleeping. Also, many or be driven to school must catch the the morning when they have not had elementary school students wake up d ard Briganti school bus between seven 0'clock and enough rest that night and are still in earlier anyway, and spend their time EDITOR 7:15. If they want to take a shower be­ the middle ofa sleep mode. watching television or playing instead fore school, which many students do, At one point last year, Darien High of sleeping. Mike ullivan they must get up between six o'clock School's schedule was altered to ac­ Darien High School would ben­ and half past six. This is way too early commodate the CAP tests, which all efit immensely from having a later for most teenagers. sophomores in the state of Connecti­ starting time. The students deserve According to Health teachers in the cut are required to take and pass. Since to be able to sleep later and longer, high school, seven to eight hours of the tests took hours in the morning, not just for their academic perfor­ ARTs LEISURE EDITOR sleep are necessary each night. In order school started later than usual for the mances, but also for their health and Chri Famighetti to wake up at six o'clock, while getting other grades.