Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Coffee Shops on Campuses

My argument is for coffee shops on college campuses.


Caffeine is one of the world's most widely consumed stimulants; so popular that coffee houses are popping up all over the world. Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance from the leaves, fruits and seeds of over sixty plants, when consumed the effects are felt within moments. These effects have become almost a necessity in the fast paced, demanding society we live in today.

Since College is such a drastic change in atmosphere, schedules, class loads and stress, many students rely on coffee to get them through the sluggish moments of their day. Studies have shown that students who consume caffeinated beverages such as coffee or tea before class have a better mood and concentration level. Further studies have shown that foods containing caffeine are not harmful when consumed in moderation. The U.S. FDA has classified caffeine as a safe food additive. Most people are able to control the amount of caffeine they consume in order to maximize the positive effects and eliminate the negative ones.

Coffee shops on college campuses not only provide convenient access to coffee and tea, they also provide a great study environment and a place for students to come together and converse.

4 comments:

  1. Coffee is awesome. I honestly don't know how I would survive early mornings/late nights for papers if I didn't get me some coffee. The problem I find with official coffee shops like Starbucks is the price. My one complaint is that I prefer for my money to stay in my wallet as much as possible, and four bucks for a cup of joe is a bit much for my tastes.

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  2. I love coffee! Although coffee has been said to be addicting, I believe the pros outweigh the cons. Many people relay on this beverage to pass the day and have an energetic and positive outlook each day. Why take this away from them if it helps? I agree with you and think that at least one or more coffee spots should be on campuses. It helps students who are tired and need to study. While time management is curtail to a college student, there are never enough hours in the day. I don’t know anyone who gets the correct hours of sleep or who is never tired when studying. Coffee is a simple way to boost someone’s energy and help them think positively.

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  3. I will admit to being somewhat of a self proclaimed coffee snob myself, but I wonder if adding a coffee house to every college campus is a wise choice. If students are relying on caffine to "get them through the sluggish moments of the day" as you state, I would have to believe that the level of caffine intake has went from moderate to extreme. At these extreme levels of consumption, caffine has quickly moved away from not being harmful to being the exact oppisite. Not to mention the fact the the average cup of coffee house Joe (ex. Starbucks and Higher Grounds) contain approximately 3x's the amount of caffine as a normal cup of coffee. Do we really need to add another drug addiction to the growing list in our society. If college studnets would learn to avoid the evils of procrastination and poor study habits, they wouldn't need this added jolt to get help them survive. And the real issue....every $4.00 Vente Cinnamon Dolce Latte that you consume means less money for Beer on the weekend. Now that's an issue. Oh...I guess that's Jeff's topic! Gotta go..I need to stop by Starbucks before I head to class. :)

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  4. Personally, I am an energy drink guy myself but I feel as if coffee and energy drinks fall under the same category. I completely agree with you Trina, especially on the part about having more coffee houses would provide an excellent study area. This might sound odd but the idea of going to study in a library for me is somewhat intimidating and off-putting. If IPFW had two or three larger coffee house style locations studying on campus would be so much more attractive to me. Not to mention most coffee houses are stocked with ooey gooey cinnamon rolls! :)

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