"We Proudly Serve Starbucks"

     On most college campuses, cafes claim to "proudly serve Starbucks."  They may be proud to be serving Starbucks but what ends up inside the cup with the green mermaid-lady symbol is something that they probably should not be proud of.  I am by no means claiming that every cafe has sub-par baristas, just the ones I've been to on my campus.  I am extremely fond of Starbucks, call me a typical white girl if you wish.  I have even gotten my dear boyfriend addicted.

     Due to my love for this company, I can depict each drink I receive.  Whether they add too much milk to my latte or forget a squirt of vanilla, my tongue knows what is wrong in that cup.  Rarely do I ever face problems at Starbucks shops or kiosks, so I did not think I would have a problem with the cafes on my campus.  Well, it's been four years here at ISU and I still dread paying for a sub-par drink between classes when I need a little pick-me-up.  The main problem here might just be my sick addiction...nah!  The main problem is that whenever I decide to order an iced vanilla chai latte, all I taste is milk.  Every.  Time.  But hey, at least I'm building strong bones!

     If you are going to have a cafe on campus, maybe you should have baristas that know what they're doing.  Instead, there are people working that are so busy chatting away that they don't pay attention to what they're making.  This turns into the complete opposite of what you ordered.  "I'll take a salted caramel mocha latte," turns into, "Here's your blended mocha."  Sadly, they're too nice to you to send it back.  Not to mention the ten people behind you that are already mad they're about to be late to their next class because of the slow service.  So the only option here is to accept the pain of knowing that what you pay for will end up being a surprise in a cup, kind of like roofies.  Only differences?  Girls get into the party free and coffee doesn't make you blackout.  That being said, take the advice of a senior and stick with the crappy cup of wonder.

References: www.starbucks.com
Photos: www.facebook.com/katerinamking

Bad Hair Days

     We all have those days where we set our alarm to an earlier time so we will wake up and shower before our 9 am class the next morning.  Only problem with this tactic?  The snooze button.  We turn off our alarm, as well as the three set after it until we finally lift our greasy heads from our pillows.  Only to realize that there is only ten minutes to get ready and leave for class.  Awesome, right?  Then the debate begins.  “Do I skip going to class with my nasty hair that I haven’t washed for three days or do I go and promise to shower during my one hour break?”  Pros and cons start running through our groggy clouds.  “If I go, Mom will be proud of me but I have to give up an hour of Pinterest so I can shower on my break.  If I don’t go, I can sleep an extra hour, shower, and grab a latte, Pinterest later and even put on makeup.  Hm…okay fine, I’ll go to class.  You’re welcome, Mom.”

     So the hair goes up in a tangled ponytail or messy bun (whichever your preference).  Why bother brushing when it’s still going to look gross?  Onward to class we go, wondering the whole time if people are judging us.  All the while, we’re trying to convince ourselves that you don’t care what other people think: self-empowerment and all that.  What’s even more helpful with the whole “feel good about yourself” jazz is when we get to class to find out we’re doing group work.  Oh joy…close up interaction.  “Please do not smell me or look at me.  While you’re at it, don’t bother talking to me either.”  Of course that wish does not come true.  “You want my opinion?  Oh, now you want me to do all of the work?  You guys are great, so great!  Thank you for making me regret my decision of coming to class.”

     We all know how this day ends.  A headache sets in, chocolate becomes involved, etc.  Some of us go home, shower and then proceed to our last class.  Others of us go home and decide to watch whatever is on our Hulu queue.  Those of us choosing the Hulu road get sucked in by the drama on the Bachelor or the intensity of Grey's Anatomy and don't want to leave it.  In the end, this group gets what they wanted since waking up, a skipped class.  All in all, bad hair days are not fun and DO impact our whole day.  Tid-bit to the men reading this: most women wash their hair every other day to help hair keep its natural oils and to not let it get dried out.  Plus, do you know how much effort washing long hair (for those of us with it) takes?  Exactly, you probably don't.  Now you're not allowed to judge.  Let's be honest, we all know you were doing just that.

References: www.pinterest.com/katerinamking ; www.hulu.com
Photos: www.facebook.com/katerinamking