Beep. Beep. Beep. The iHome rings at 7 a.m. loud and clear to wake up Carolyn Kosewski and to get her ready to begin her Monday morning.
“I’m a morning person — if I have coffee!” the sophomore laughs.
Kosewski is a Fairfield University overachiever. She is a double major in accounting and international business, maintains a high GPA, participates in extracurricular activities, and plans for an internship or job. She takes advantage of all the opportunities presented to her.
But with all of these demands on college students, Carolyn and many of her Fairfield friends need a way to stay motivated and continue mulling through these tasks. How about the most popular drug on Fairfield’s campus? Coffee!
She’s not alone. Over 50 percent of people over the age of 18 consume coffee every day. Here’s an inside look at one coffee addict at Fairfield.
A Day in the Life of an Addict
After finally shutting off her alarm and getting out of bed, Kosewski prepares for a busy day. On her way out of McCormick, she grabs her travel mug strategically placed right next to her desk so she will not forget it.
Before her 8 a.m. Italian class, Kosewski grabs a bite to eat at the Barone Dining Hall. Along with her food, Kosewski indulges in a cup of light roast coffee. She fills up her travel mug with some dark roast.
DAILY INTAKE BY 8 A.M.: 26 OZ.
Kosewski somehow manages to get through her two classes. She goes for a run to relieve some of the stress of her college life – and the jitters that may come from all that joe.
Coffee may help the run. Based on sports performance studies, caffeine can lead to a 24 percent improvement in endurance and a 4 percent improvement in strength performance, according to www.runningwarehouse.com.
Kosewski then heads back to Barone for lunch. Around 12:30, Kosewski meets her friends for social hour. After her meal, Kosewski has gotten in the habit of having dessert with a cup of coffee…or maybe three.
DAILY INTAKE BY 1 P.M.: 56 OZ.
Because the stimulation from coffee lasts around three or four hours, a coffee drinker might reach for another cup of coffee around mid-afternoon. By relying on coffee to make it through the day, the average coffee drinker can become addicted, which could result in serious problems in the future.
Her caffeine intake has motivated her to get some work done at the library. Because of her addiction, though, Kosewski reaches for another cup.
“I get coffee from Chef’s. On a crazy day, I might get a large,” says Kosewski.
DAILY INTAKE BY 4 P.M.: 76 OZ.
Before dinner, Kosewski decides to take the 5:15 Stag Bus into town to buy some groceries.
“I’m a ‘Dunks’ girl!” exclaims Kosewski, while admitting to the likelihood that she would grab another coffee at Dunkin Donuts in Stop & Shop.
DAILY INTAKE BY 5:30 P.M.: 92 OZ.
When coming to the realization that she drinks much more coffee than she was aware of, Kosewski states, “I try to cut myself off at 6 (p.m.) because I try to go to bed by 11.”
According to an informal survey of 45 Fairfield students, 85 percent said that they tend to drink more coffee during the week as opposed to the weekends.
Furthermore, about half of those surveyed said the weather affects their coffee intake. When the weather is cold, they often drink more hot coffee. However, some admitted to resorting to iced coffee in hot weather to get their caffeine fix.
When heading to dinner around 6 p.m., Kosewski will attempt to avoid coffee because of her Dunkin’ Donuts splurge. However, she did admit that if it were finals week, and the library was offering free coffee, she would drink at least one free cup.
“I always get the coffee. I go to town on the free coffee,” says Kosewski.
DAILY INTAKE BY 8 P.M.: 100 OZ.
She claims that she normally stops drinking coffee in the evening to avoid sleep problems.
Although this example is somewhat extreme — even for Kosewski –she said this does happen on days when she has a good amount of work to do and, of course, during finals.
While she might not consume over 12 servings every day, Kosewski says that she does “have at least six…most of the time, probably more.”
An addict?
“I’ve been drinking coffee for so long, I don’t even think about it. …I don’t even realize I’m a coffee drinker,” Kosewski claims.
Based on a medical consensus, caffeine is a drug. As opposed to causing an addiction, people experience a physical dependence on it, according to a CNBC TV story.
Yet the network called its news report, “The Coffee Addiction.”
While many students see the positive immediate effects of their caffeine intake, such as increased alertness, many say they do not consider the negative long-term effects.
Coffee, like most things, is not bad in moderation; however, when drinking it becomes a habit, or there is a large intake in one sitting, then it can create problems for the body. The term “moderation” is often thrown around very loosely.
Numerous studies define an acceptable coffee intake to be around one to four servings a day, allowing up to 32 ounces. However, two “cups” of coffee served in today’s society could quickly add up to this suggested limit.
While students may enjoy its taste, the alertness it gives them, or the social aspects involved with coffee, they should remember that business owners recognize college students as main consumers.
Instead of always reaching for the easily accessible cup of coffee, students should remember to drink in moderation and not simply depend on this popular and addictive drug.
Fairfield University Advertises the Drug
Fairfield promotes coffee drinking in a number of ways. While experiencing the daily grind that is the life of a college student, Fairfield students experience another kind of daily grind.
When asked if Fairfield tries to make coffee more appealing to students, James Fitzpatrick, assistant vice president at Fairfield University responds, “Oh, absolutely! That’s part of a marketing plan in offering different types of coffee.”
And it’s available anywhere you want at the University.
Barone Cafeteria
Aside from the daily coffee choices of light roast, dark roast and French vanilla, there were advertisements on all of the tables for the seasonal flavor, cozy caramel. Fitzpatrick states that seasonal flavors are often introduced to avoid having the same coffee all the time.
Jazzman’s
According to Fitzpatrick, although Fairfield does not financially benefit from Jazzman’s, he claims that “Jazzman’s is part of the overall food service organization… If I were to eliminate Jazzman’s totally, even though it isn’t a positive financial operation, there would be a big hole in terms of class days and visitors being able to get coffee and snacks.”
The Library
In addition to increasing the variety of foods, at Chef’s Table just inside the library, the company has also done some things to make their coffee more appealing. Flavored syrups and special drinks, such as half hot chocolate and half coffee, draw in students with many different tastes.
During finals, the library also offers free coffee and tea for students. This extra motivation comes along with the extended library hours, giving students a little stimulant to continue powering through their work.
Fairfield’s Town Bookstore
The first stop on the Stag Bus route into town is the new Fairfield University Bookstore. Just inside, visitors will find a Starbucks. Although it is not a complete Starbucks yet, there have already been many coffee goers, according to Fitzpatrick.
“I think it’s going to be fascinating over the next year for me to be directly involved with Starbucks and having a professional attachment to coffee,” says Fitzpatrick. “Starbucks has the potential to be a very positive opening on the bookstore for the Fairfield community.”
Fitzpatrick also hints that there may be a Starbucks coming to campus, too.
Kosewski is was happy to hear about this possibility. She admits that despite attempting to limit her spending, she would be more likely to “stop there for a fix once in a while.”
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