Gracie Castle
Reporter
In the morning, junior Harriet Prior walks down the hallway with a coffee cup in her hand. After school she walks behind the counter at Zumbach’s. For Harriet, coffee is an essential part of her day. “I drink coffee every single morning. I can’t get through the day without at least one cup or else I crash,” she said.
Despite the consumption of coffee by students, NCHS does not offer the beverage. “The reason schools stopped selling coffee is because there is a school nutrition law that was passed four years ago to promote better nutrition,” assistant principal Ari Rothman said. “They just started selling hot chocolate again because they found a healthier hot chocolate.”
Although it is not available at school, students still find easy ways to get coffee during the week. One option is that students regularly visit the popular coffee shop, Zumbach’s, during school. “I see students during the week [but]more during the day because people go off during their frees,” Zumbach’s employee and senior Shea Durkin said. “Pretty much students just want to get coffee and breakfast.”
Drinking coffee could provoke a drastic change in a student’s behavior. “My concern is that I know that high school kids don’t get enough sleep,” Mr. Rothman said. “And if coffee is readily available, does that mean that more kids will pull ‘all nighters’ to get their work done, knowing that they can just run and get a cup of coffee?”
Research has related coffee to weight gain, along with dehydration and an unhealthy dependence. “For teens, too much caffeine intake can disrupt sleep and even cause heartburn,” registered dietitian Katherine Fowler said. “Additionally, it can lead to increased anxiety.”
An informal survey of over 100 NCHS students that drink caffeinated beverages, found that 53.4% of those students drink coffee. Others drink either tea or other energy promoting beverages. According to Sarah Klein from health.com, 146 billion cups are consumed in the U.S. each year, nearly three times more than tea.
From waking up to filling up, students that do drink coffee, drink it for many different reasons. “I drink coffee before I study for a big test a lot of the time or if I need to stay up late,” senior Abbie Stone said. “It gives me energy when I’m tired.”
Some students, however, do not consume coffee but rather prefer other caffeinated drinks. “I don’t really drink any coffee ever, I drink tea instead,” junior Alex Aliapoulios said.
In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “If this is coffee, then please-bring me some tea. But if this is tea, please bring me some coffee.” Both beverages contain beneficial antioxidants and have most of the same qualities. “There are a lot of research studies out there that say coffee and tea can both be beneficial,” Katherine Fowler said. “Yet, tea is more hydrating.”
Besides all the health advantages or disadvantages, most students still consume coffee without hesitation. “Honestly, I just drink coffee to enjoy it,” freshman Berlin Charles said. “I don’t drink it to keep me awake or alert, but to simply enjoy the taste.”
