After a tumultuous day of enduring classes, nothing sounds better than a big, iced cup of joe. Yes, I am aware it’s the middle of the winter, but I was born and raised in New England. The option is always iced, but that is beside the point. Being students at Fairfield University, we have a lot to be thankful for, especially when it comes to options for a quick dose of caffeine.
Not only is the East Coast represented by the Dunkin located in the upper BCC, but there is a Peet’s Coffee that speaks for those from the West Coast. Yet for me, there is nothing that beats the ethereal glow of the Starbucks sign that illuminates in the bottom right window pane of the Dolan School of Business. As a College of Arts and Sciences major, my daily venti iced matcha – with oat milk, is about the only time I can enjoy the brand-new building.
Although these options are prosperous and inclusive, there is still an issue that the Stags of Fairfield University face each and every day. There is no option for on-campus cafe enjoyment past 4 p.m. and that’s just for those who enjoy Peets. Dunkin and Starbucks close their doors – or should I say lines, at 3 p.m. each day. Outrageous, am I right?
In all seriousness, this is an issue that is very much a first-world problem. A student could always take the Stag bus or walk into town for options that are open past the time grandparents consume their dinners, or even order on Doordash for those who find themselves too lazy to make the trek off of campus (I’m calling myself out on this one). There is the option of Tully coffee or tea as well, and although convenient, it is lacking in flavor and variety. It is also very understandable that the university would close these cafes earlier in the afternoon due to the extremely hard-working staff already working overtime to make sure us students can be awake during our classes. This is where a potential solution arises. Why not hire more students?
While work studies are available, and some staff members are also enrolled in classes, I believe that there is a wider margin of profit and availability to diminish student grumpiness across campus if the jobs were open to all. From my own experience, a lot of students don’t have class past 2 p.m. most days, meaning that the latest they will be trapped, or I mean sitting in a classroom, will be 3:15 p.m. if the professor is feeling nice and does not hold students past the hour fifteen. Although this may not be the case for a lot of students, I believe that there could be a large majority that would love to gain some extra cash – to perhaps spend back at the designated cafe by pulling on a cafe-themed visor and getting to work behind the counter.
This not only would squander the larger problem of students searching for jobs on campus but would increase staff availability allowing for cafes to stay open longer, stopping students like me, again calling myself out, from complaining about the little things. Now after a long day of tough and demanding classes, students can wander over to their preferred cafe on campus, and spend either dining dollars or their real money, on drinks and sweet treats that will get them through the inevitable towering amount of assignments and studying they have to complete.
Leave a Reply