Campus Coffee Consumption: Necessity

      

      During stressful weeks like finals and midterms, the principal factor in college students' specialty coffee consumption shifts from convenience to the necessity for an energy boost, according to MSU marketing professor and expert in consumer behavior Ayalla Ruvio. 

      MSU junior Athena Smith, for example, said that she purchases coffee “just for exams or if I’m like super-tired."

      Ruvio referred to this as “the notion of caffeine to boost your performance – at least for the short-term.”

      It is this shared notion that causes coffee shops like Starbucks and Biggby, according to baristas Emily Kaip and Michelle Cusick, to see drastic spikes in their numbers of customers during exam weeks.

      “For the closing shift, it’s usually pretty dead,” said Cusick, a Biggby barista.  “But when midterms and finals and stuff come – that’s when you get a lot of people, ‘cause they’re here studying at the Union and are pulling late nights.”

      Ruvio added that coffee shops typically feature an environment that is conducive to the activities of students: there are tables where customers can use their computers, couches where groups can meet to discuss responsibilities for their projects, and usually soft background music playing that helps many concentrate.

Campus Coffee Consumption: Convenience

      One of the largest factors affecting the increased consumption of specialty coffee by students on college campuses is convenience, according to two baristas and an expert on consumer behavior.   

      At Michigan State, the location of a Biggby Coffee in the Student Union and a Starbucks in Wells Hall provides a major component of the convenience students depend on: considering both buildings are located at relatively central parts of campus, students do not have to stray far from their classes to acquire a latte of their choice.

      Starbucks supervisor and MSU junior Emily Kaip said that at the Wells Hall location, the busiest time on a regular day is "definitely in the morning starting around nine, and probably up until about three o'clock."

      "It's just when people are in class - when people are on campus," she said.

      Biggby barista and fifth-year MSU student Michelle Cusick elaborated on the same observation: "During the day - in the morning - it's in between classes, like right before classes.  And then once classes start, it slows down."

      Kaip added that the quick, made-to-order service increases convenience.

      “I don’t have a coffee machine at home,” she said.  “Coffee machines can be kind of expensive.”

Michigan bottle bill update: Opposition

      The widely supported proposal to update Michigan's bottle bill to include the 10-cent deposit on non-carbonated beverage containers has also met some opposition.
      Cody Roblyer, an MSU junior studying urban planning and an intern with the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, said that "the business standpoint is the opposing force."
      Douglas Cole, the night stock manager at Goodrich's ShopRite, said that the bottle return law is quite cumbersome on grocery stores, and that the amended bill could very likely double the number of returnables they receive.
      Cole believes that the bottle policy is certainly a good thing. "I just don't think the grocery store is the place to do it," he said.
      He pointed out that the residue in the returned bottles creates an inevitable risk of cross-contamination of grocery stores' food products, and also said that the stores typically lose out economically considering that they must employ someone to attend to the bottle machines.
      Along with the grocery stores, Roblyer said that PIRGIM has met resistance from the large beverage corporations, who do not want to be required to charge 60 cents extra for a six pack of any and all of their beverages.

Michigan bottle bill update: Advocates

      Students at MSU are volunteering to support the expansion of the bottle bill, a cause that could significantly impact not only their campus, but also the entire state of Michigan.
      Cody Roblyer, a junior studying urban planning, works as an intern for the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, the organization taking measures to promote an update to Michigan's bottle bill.
      According to Roblyer, PIRGIM is advocating for an expansion of the bill to include a 10-cent deposit on non-carbonated beverage containers, in addition to the carbonated beverage containers cited in the existing bill.
      Roblyer, who petitions on campus with the help of the student volunteers, has found that the majority of the general public is "for" the update.
      Out of a random selection of five MSU students, all five reported that they felt the amended bill could have a significant impact on them and is a good idea.
      Why? "Because I'm a poor college student," Jovanska Almanza said, a response that resonated among the other students as well.
      Lansing residents and frequent bottle-returners Matt Rich and Minnie Miller also support the expansion of the bill, and immediately agreed that it would improve their recycling habits.

Coffee Date Review

      Sisters Sarah and Colleen Otte met for a coffee date at the MSU Union late Wednesday morning between their classes.
      Colleen arrived first and staked out the table just outside Biggby.  Sarah arrived shortly after and spotted Colleen right away.
      "It's so rainy out there!" Sarah said when she reached the table. "Perfect day for coffee. Even though we think every day's a good day for coffee!"
      The two took advantage of the "BOGO" - buy one get one free - coupon they received via the email rewards.  Sarah Otte printed the coupon and retrieved the two coffees.  She got a White Lightning latte, and ordered the Teddy Bear for Colleen.
      Meanwhile, Colleen went to the Union food court and got nachos for the two to split for lunch.  The sisters chatted about their day and classes over their lunch and coffee.
      Before long, the Otte sisters had to pack up and leave for the 12:40 p.m. class they both have.  They took the remainder of their coffees with them to sip while they walked together.

Sisters Coffee Date

      Two sisters plan to meet at the MSU Union on this rainy Wednesday afternoon to get coffee between classes.
      Sarah and Colleen Otte frequently get together to chat over a cup of Biggby Coffee.  The two take advantage of what they refer to as "BOGOs" - the buy-one-get-one-free coupons they receive via the email rewards system.
      Both have morning classes, but are typically released by 11:10 a.m. and then walk to the Union.  Whichever sister arrives first will print the coupon in the computer lab in the basement, then stake out a two-person table near Biggby.  The sisters have three tables that they always choose from, assuming they are unoccupied, for this makes it easier to locate each other.
      Oftentimes, Sarah Otte will retrieve the coffees while Colleen Otte goes to the food court to get the combo exchange offered through her meal plan.  Colleen Otte shares her combo exchange with her sister, who lives off campus and has a limited meal plan.
      On Mondays and Wednesdays, the sisters have a 12:40 p.m. class together, so they finish their lattes and leave the Union to walk together by about noon.