We all know how it feels to need a refreshing drink or a pick-me-up as the day drags on. For Lasell students, the most reliable place to grab something quick is our campus Starbucks. It is familiar, convenient, and usually fast enough to squeeze into a busy schedule. The drinks are there, ready to be ordered, and yet if you have a class after 3 p.m., you are out of luck. The lights go off, the registers close, and anyone who still has half a day of commitments ahead of them is left without an option.
I, like many of my classmates, have classes that begin at 3:30 or later throughout the week. No one wants to show up more than half an hour early to class just to grab a coffee. It is not realistic, and for students with back-to-back schedules, it is impossible. Some days I rush straight from one class to the next and barely have time to grab my things. The idea of running across campus before three just to make it before the cut-off is stressful and often unattainable.
This is not an isolated annoyance. I have heard countless classmates complain that they could not get a drink before Starbucks shut down for the day. For some students, that location is one of the only food or beverage options they can access between classes. Not everyone has the time to walk off campus for a drink, visit the dining hall, or find the funds to use delivery apps constantly. When the only campus coffee shop near our main academic buildings closes so early, it creates an unnecessary barrier for students who rely on small caffeine boosts or even a quick snack to get through long afternoons and evenings.
Lasell is a community filled with students who juggle academics, jobs, athletics, internships, clubs, and rehearsals. Many of us are not done with our day when the clock strikes three. Lasell is a campus that prides itself on supporting student life, and should therefore also support students’ schedules. Extending the Starbucks hours, even by an hour or two, would make a real difference. It would acknowledge that students are still moving, working, studying, and existing after mid-afternoon. It proves that our school understands what student life can actually look like.
Though we understand that the staff are working overtime already with the extra edition of Starbucks closing at 3 p.m. simply does not meet the needs of a modern college campus. Students who are in the Science and Technology Center deserve access to something as simple as a coffee or a refresher later in the day. A small change in hours would go a long way toward creating a more supportive and accommodating environment for everyone.
–Dec. 8, 2025–
