Evidently, there are other people with Burning Curiosity, because this week the university posted an explanation on social media as to why the homecoming football game had a starting time of 2:01 p.m. “Coach Ron Finley kickstarted football here at CU in 1987 after football sat in a holding pattern for 30 years. He coached the Fighting Tigers from 1988 to 2002 and was a stickler for details. He would tell his players that the bus was leaving at 9:07 a.m. or that dinner was at 5:33 p.m. The 2:01 p.m. kickoff time is a tribute to the late coach and is referred to as Finley Standard Time!”

So now that you understand FST, let’s uncover some other distinctions of standardizing time that might be unique to our little town of Campbellsville. Thankfully, a friend offered some education on this terminology so I would have some understanding the first time the phrase was used. To be honest, I had not considered how complicated living just a few miles from this imaginary line could be until a colleague discussed having some clocks in their home set to central time and some to eastern because she worked in one time zone and the children went to school in another. Bless anyone who navigates their schedules this way because I don’t think I could do it successfully, but I am learning to be intentional about confirming whether a time given might be central or eastern.

It’s my understanding that here in Campbellsville, we live on Fast Time (or Eastern Standard Time) and Slow Time is Central Standard Time. Unashameably, I have a preference for CST, simply because, as someone who retires for the night rather early, there have been many nights here in Kentucky, where going to bed meant not waiting for dark. Never mind waiting to see the Fourth of July fireworks, I’ll just listen to them from the bed! However, a little online research informs me that the Fast and Slow Time usage arises from an Amish custom regarding Daylight saving time and their preference to Take It Slow.

So, now perhaps a decision should be made, even before complicating matters with whether or not we “gain” or “lose” an hour when the time changes or we move between time zones: Do I want to live on Fast, Slow, or Finley Time? We could probably develop a list of pros and cons for each of these options, however, I am already an advocate for being Elderly Slow, a nod to the Slow Movement, which seems to align with the Amish’s preference of separation from the world’s “rat race” and their dislike of Daylight Saving Time. Erik Wesner offers, “We could call November-mid March ‘Daylight Reduction Time’, perhaps? Or maybe ‘The Season of Sad, Short Days’?”

Placing Daylight Savings aside, I do position myself with the Amish on their preference for analog clocks, but it’s Finley Standard Time that holds the most appeal for this detail-oriented mind. Precision may belong to the Swiss and Amish with regards to clocks, but Finley had the right idea when it comes to navigating life with college students. Class begins at 9:00 a.m., not 9:17 or 9:24 as some of my students seem to prefer. I can relate to students who struggle to master challenging academic concepts, and I can assist with that deficit, but what I cannot understand is their lack of attention to timeliness and the disrespect that it conveys to others. So, what ideas do you have for implementing Finley Standard Time with today’s Emerging Adults whose alarm doesn’t work because they didn’t charge their phone? Do you think Coach Finley would have accepted that as a reasonable explanation?

How would you answer the query from above: Do I want to live on Fast, Slow, or Finley Time? Please consider sharing your answers in the comments below.

References:

Campbellsville University. (2024, October 24). Coach Ron Finley kickstarted football here at CU in 1987 after football sat in a holding pattern for 30 years. [Status Update]. Facebook.

Old Time Chimes. (2024). Simple living: How do Amish tell time. Old Time Chimes. Retrieved from https://oldtimechimes.com/simple-living-how-do-amish-tell-time/

Wesner, E. (2013, March 11). Amish customs: “Fast” vs. “Slow” Time. Amish America. Retrieved from https://amishamerica.com/questioning-daylight-saving-time/