Your first period class is canceled! What’s the first thing you think of doing with your new free time? If Starbucks is a possibility, it’s likely you’ll be there. Just the opportunity to get your hands wrapped around a foaming White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream sends you running to the parking lot.

What students don’t consider is that one grande White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream has 470 calories and 18 grams of fat, containing 150 calories more than a McDonald’s cheeseburger. Most espresso-based drinks at Starbucks have 175 milligrams of caffeine, or two shots of espresso.

“They taste great, but they’re awful for you,” said school nurse Amy Schoeff. “It’s taking the place of something else; people generally don’t have that and food, they have that instead of food.”

Senior Megan Osborn’s morning routine suggests accuracy in Schoeff’s theory.

“I don’t really have time to eat breakfast, and I need energy until I eat something later,” said Osborn of why she drinks coffee before school.

Since caffeine is a stimulant, students feel it helps them stay alert through the day, but excessive intake can damage one’s health. According to TeensHealth.org, side effects of caffeine include anxiety, dizziness, headaches and insomnia.

Nine out of ten students WSPN interviewed admitted to drinking coffee at least every day before school. The same students also claim drinking coffee in the morning helps them get through the school day more easily.

This is also evident walking through the halls of WHS in the morning, when it’s nearly impossible to avoid spotting a student clutching his or her thermos or recently bought Starbucks cup. Students, in general, observe that carrying a Starbucks cup is a trend at WHS.

“They have a lot of good stuff there, I guess, but it’s kind of a fad. It’s like an accessory,” said senior Maeve Moynihan.

A local Starbucks manager says he typically sees 10-20 students between 6:30 and 7:00 am, the majority of which are girls. Of these students he recognizes several as regulars, and he knows them by name. He also has observed that teens typically order grande (medium) or venti (large) sugary drinks such as the Caramel Macchiato, the Vanilla Latte and various frappucinos.

Schoeff also notes the growing popularity of Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts at school. Schoeff explains that some students crave the social aspect of these coffee-runs nearly as much as the drinks they buy.

“Either they need the coffee, or the actual trip to the place is becoming a habit,” said Schoeff. “The more you drink caffeine, the more likely you are to become physically dependant.”

Self-proclaimed caffeine addicts, like sophomores Andrea Cincotta and Vivek Singh, confess the difficulty of going a day without drinking coffee. Despite their efforts to break their habits, Cincotta and Singh have found that the physical effects of withdrawal are too difficult to handle.

“A day without coffee is kind of like when you get two hours of sleep and you have a head cold. Everyone just seems ten times more annoying,” said Cincotta.

Schoeff’s advice for students wanting to decrease their caffeine intake is not to stop immediately, but instead to gradually drink less coffee.

“I suggest they cut back half; at the store you can order a half-caffeinated and half-decaf beverage. You can increase the amount of decaf you drink and decrease the amount of caffeine, and really painlessly you can get off the caffeine,” said Schoeff.