The Purpose

Why do college students yearn for the dark, smooth drink that stains our teeth and contains an addictive chemical? What is the appeal of a cup of bean water? Well, as someone who openly considers herself a coffee connoisseur, I believe the reason college students glorify coffee has a lot more to do with the overall journey, rather than the drink itself. There is a subconcious pull towards the process of walking to a coffee shop, ordering the coffee, and sitting down in the restaurant with a good book or handful of classwork and simply absorbing the moment.

This being said, the actual drink does play some sort of role in this emotional process. Many people have certain tweaks or quirks that they add to their coffee, such as different types of milk, sugar, or the temperature they’d prefer their drink. I’ve also come to realize that there are a lot of students who would rather drink the caffeinated teas that are served at some of these coffee shops because they simply cannot stand the powerful taste of coffee that washes over their tongues, yet adore the previously described “coffee shop” environment.

The real question then becomes: Which coffee shop on Penn State’s University Park Campus provides the best stereotypical college coffee experience for the largest variety of students? I seek to address this concern and uncover the hidden gems of Penn State’s coffee circle by reviewing each restaurant and comparing the most important aspects that mix to create the perfect coffee shop experience, such as ambience, offerings besides coffee, the price, taste, and feel of the drink, and location on campus. Varying between the basic chain restaurants to the small mom-and-pop shops, I will work to ease this question plauging every freshman coffee addict’s mind and will select the champion of State College coffee shops!

Simple Beginnngs: EDGE Coffee

To begin this competition, I decided to start small and simple. EDGE coffee markets can be found in most of the commons around campus and are hidden gems. Their locations are quick stop-and-go kiosks, their drink menu consists solely of starbucks branded items- even including the frappuccinos and chai teas- , their plain, black, smooth, grande Pike Place freshly-brewed coffee is a mere $2.50, with milk add-ins at $0.70 and espresso shots add-ins at $1.00, and their food vending ranges from baked treats to quick snacks to full meals. If this doesn’t seem appealing yet, these shops do have a leg up on some of the more romanticized ones because students are able to order ahead on Penn State Eats, contributing to it being a quick, safe, and tasty option for an on-the-go meal and coffee run, frequent in the lives of college students.

What’s the downside, you ask? Well, due to the quick-meal nature of EDGE coffee shops, the atmosphere struggles to live up to the perfect coffee shop standards. There are few tables spread out around the common area where students can sit and work, but there is no difference between the interior design of the dinings halls and of these shops. Both, quite frankly, are as bland as the rice I ate with dinner tonight. Coffee shops are supposed to have a pop about them, some sort of design element that lures students in and makes them feel like their living the life of a pinterest influencer in fall. EDGE, unfortunately, falls short in this category.

My conclusion of this first dive into the dark brown world of coffee is that EDGE is an easy, cheap, and excellent choice for busy-bodied students who need a quick pick-me-up. However, I am still in the dark about other coffee shops as of now, but would hope that there is one that offers a better ambience, as well as cheap prices. Until next week, we’ll remain on the EDGE of our seats!