"Sorry, I was half asleep" shouldn't be an acceptable excuse for missing class at AU, considering that students can't swing a cat on campus without hitting somewhere to buy a cup o' joe.
AU's main campus, which stretches roughly three-tenths of a mile, houses eight places to get your fix, not to mention the proximity of two Starbucks locations (four-tenths of a mile away to New Mexico Avenue and one mile away to Tenleytown). Aside from Torrefazione brand coffee doled out in the Eagle's Nest and the fair trade brew available in TDR, there's Starbucks served at Megabytes Caf? in the tunnel, rather mediocre java available at Wagshal's in the Ward building, Einstein Bros. coffee in the Mary Graydon Marketplace and three freestanding coffee-centric joints: the Mud Box, Pura Vida and the Davenport Lounge.
Is caffeine really such a necessity? What makes one campus coffee locale more desirable than the others? Why not just all band behind one vendor and end this senseless proliferation of caffeinated beverage consumption? The Scene asked some active patrons of the Mud Box, Pura Vida and the Davenport Lounge why they sip where they do.
Environment is everything
The Davenport is popular among students because of its cozier environment and cheap yet delicious coffee selection.
"The music is better," said Katelyn Burcaw, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences of the Davenport. "They always play Spanish music in Megabytes. There's a more diverse musical experience in the Dav." She added that she finds the Mud Box "boring."
Tania Prizio, a sophomore in the School of Communication who works at the Davenport Lounge, said she has never patronized the Mud Box or Megabytes Caf?. To her, the Dav is "a warmer environment ... [and] it's cheaper."
However, students who pick the Mud Box seem to like the freedom it affords them to talk and sip java in the usually food- and beverage-free library.
"I feel like [the Mud Box is] really comfortable. I get claustrophobic in my room," said CAS sophomore Wahida Akberzie.
Amerita Lue-Hing, a sophomore in the Kogod School of Business, said she likes the Mud Box because "It's the only place in the library where I can make noise." However, she said the caf?'s moniker "sounds nasty. ... I think it's a horrible name."
Pura Vida, on the other hand, seems to cater more to those on-the-go and not looking for cozy ambience.
"I usually switch between Pura Vida and the Dav," said Student Government President Kyle Taylor, a senior in the School of International Service. "All the staff at Pura Vida are so friendly."
Evidently, allegiance to one's chosen coffee stop is strong, meaning one thing: The diversity of AU students is reflected in the variety of coffee options on campus.
