Zack Weber

Over the past few weeks, PAHS has experienced quite an abnormal phenomenon that has led many to ask: is time travel really possible? March 8th, 2009 marked the annual spring Daylight Saving Time, which normally consists of advancing clocks by one hour. However, the clocks here at the high school did not comply with the change. On the contrary, since Daylight Saving Time the high school’s clocks have rotated wildly, leading to many problems throughout the school day.

The uncooperative clocks have caused much confusion among students and faculty during classes. “When is this period over?” has been replaced by “WHAT TIME IS IT ANYWAY???” Without any measure of time, test-taking took on a whole new level of difficulty. The malfunctioning clocks wreaked havoc on PSSA test-takers, and the unusual bell schedule did not help the problem. Normal, everyday activities such as signing passbooks and dismissing students from gym class have been complicated by the unruly clocks. Also, I know students (and teachers) can relate when I describe that dull class that seems to drag on and on…and on. The inability to anxiously check the time is beyond frustrating—especially when you just can’t WAIT to get to Taco Day.

Your browser may not support display of this image.So, what exactly was causing the problem? The classroom clocks are controlled by a central system that was installed in the high school several years ago. The system was set up to account for Daylight Saving Time, and the three main bell schedules were also programmed into it. However, in 2007, President Bush extended Daylight Saving Time by moving the date up four weeks in an effort to save energy and gasoline. That change, combined with the wear-and-tear on the clocks’ mechanisms, caused the system to malfunction. Consequently, the classroom clocks stopped working correctly.

The physical apparatus was finally fixed on Thursday, April 2nd. There was as an issue with the output relay in the system, and there was also a shorted circuit. The repairs were completed, and the majority of the clocks fully adjusted themselves the next morning.

The “Great Clock Catastrophe of 2009” was indeed a one-of-a-kind experience. The ordeal lasted 25 days (19 school days) and frustrated teachers and students alike. Thankfully, our (unintentional) time-travel experiment has ended.