It’s early in the morning, first block has just started, and there’s one thought running through every student’s mind: “I wish I was still in bed.” 7:55 is really early, and most of us are suffering from sleep deprivation. Of course, there are the exceptions. The lucky people. The ones whose bright eyes and brains are actually functioning. These are also usually the people who have a wonderful steaming cup of coffee in their hands.

Our world now expects students to be able to do it all. Most students are constantly juggling clubs, sports, and jobs, all while trying to keep their grades up. I’m not even going to go into how exhausting it is to deal with volunteering, college applications, and standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT. Needless to say, I don’t remember the last time I got eight hours of sleep, much less the recommended nine. Plus, apparently it’s the norm now to take, like, six AP classes, each of which brings an increased workload, harder tests, and more stress along with it. Really, at this point, students are pretty much living off of coffee and adrenaline.

Coffee can actually be good for kids. According to medicalnewstoday.com this drink can do a lot, from preventing type 2 diabetes to lowering the risk of liver disease. In a study done by the Harvard School of Public Health, it was found that there was a lower rate of type 2 diabetes among coffee drinkers than among non coffee drinkers. Coffee can also lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease. It has been found that drinking coffee reduces the risk of liver disease by about 40%. It’s lowered by 50% among people that drank three or more cups a day.

Also, drinking coffee can protect against heart failure, which is the second highest cause of death in America. However, most importantly, coffee increases energy levels, making it the perfect drink for high school students. It is safer than energy drinks too, so it’s a good way to get a reasonable amount of caffeine in your system minus the excessive sugars, preservatives, and dyes.

And yeah, maybe it has its own “health risks,” but honestly, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Coffee is helpful if drunk in moderation.

A coffee shop in Brookfield C entral would help prevent against a serious problem: tardiness. Every day, there is a long line outside the office of students waiting to get their late passes. Really, though, can you blame them? Most of them have to stop at Starbucks to pick up the one thing that gives them a chance at staying awake during class. It comes down to two choices: miss the first 10 minutes of class or just not understand the full 90 minutes? It is the very definition of being stuck between a rock and a hard place, but most students go for the option that will keep them from falling asleep in the middle of a Spanish test or a Chem lab (seriously, falling asleep near hydrochloric acid is a legitimate safety hazard. We just want the best for you.)

And while Starbucks gets customers and profits, BC just gets a bunch of tardy students. So, let’s direct those profits that Starbucks gets towards Brookfield Central instead. The coffee shop should pretty much be able to pay for itself once it is established, while profits would go towards making our school a better place.

And finally, the best reason: coffee is really, really good. How could anyone turn down a delicious, cost effective coffee option that’s just a couple halls down? (And anyway, the short walk will make you feel better about the calories in your coffee). Coffee can be steaming hot or iced: great for Wisconsin weather that can’t decide whether it would like to be warm or cold. It’s also great for the notoriously selective BC heating system. Coffee’s rich smell, taste, texture… Sorry, my mouth is watering. Just the smell can bring a warm, happy feeling to a cold or impersonal school. And don’t forget that a little shop here at BC would be a great place to chat for a few minutes with your friends. A five minute break, some bad jokes, and some good coffee can do wonders to brighten a bad day.

So yeah, BC needs a coffee shop. It would be great to get kids to school at our early starting time, bring in some cash to better our school, and unite our students just maybe a little bit more. We can bond over our coffee and four hours of sleep! If you have received that email asking for donations to help set up BC’s own coffee shop, you might have just kept scrolling and forgotten about it. I totally did. But it is certainly a good idea that will not only help you; it will help our business leadership students and the school in general as well.