Caffeine in all forms has been normalized in academic and professional spaces, especially on college campuses. Despite being a stimulant drug, coffee is treated more like a staple than a substance with side effects. With coffee’s normalization in the modern-day workforce, the side effects caffeine provides are often overlooked. Workplaces tend to provide free coffee or sell it for cheap since it’s considered a necessity to work.
At the University of Oregon, there are so many places to purchase caffeine: every dining hall, corner market, Starbucks in the Erb Memorial Union and vending machines. From a casual meet-up drink to late-night cramming sessions, caffeine is there.
When you’re in line at a coffee stand, you can see the demographic: young, cool and more importantly, trendy. To coincide with the trendy persona, the drinks tend to be aesthetically pleasing with cute names, like “Lavender Oatmilk Latte” or the “Cocomo”. The closer you get to campus, the more options for caffeine you’re faced with a different stand in every building…