This is the script but it will be actually read as a podcast I just wanted to finalize the script before I fully record the whole thing.
Introduction:
Today we are talking about coffee. You heard me. That brown liquid you drink when you only got 3 hours of sleep cramming for an exam. For a student in college I know coffee is a part of your daily routine but what does your cup of coffee really mean to you. How does it impact your behavior, cultural tendencies, and your wallet? Today we are diving into everything that little brown bean has done to America.
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Background of Coffee in America
To start let’s talk about how this whole coffee thing started. During the Civil War, soldiers were given coffee as a stable portion of their diet.
(I can relate to that, anyone else use iced coffee to substitute a meal)
Anyway, Once the war was over the soldiers brought the tradition home to their families. This “cup of joe” form of coffee is very different from the pumpkin spice lattes and espresso shots that are sold today.
In the 1960s-1970s supermarkets began to mass produce cheaper and lower quality coffee into stores in order to be more cost productive. This alternative mode of production caused a decline of coffee sales in America. During this mainstream decline small specialty coffee bean shops began to gain popularity (aka the expresso royales of the world). “These sellers of gourmet coffee were catering to a growing number of Americans desiring more from their food and beverage purchasers than what the supermarket mega brands were offering”(Tillotson).
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Starbucks History
Starbucks Coffee Tea and Spice was one of the first major coffee shops that spread across the nation, changing the way Americans viewed coffee. Howard Schultz, the head honcho on the Starbucks marketing team in 1982, was one of the main contributors to the beginning of what is known as the the cafe culture in America.
It all started when he visited Italy and discovered the role of coffee shops in the Italian culture.
“Schultz realized that Americans might be potentially ready for this same Italian cafe experience, if given the opportunity” (Tillotson).
So Shultz went to work, and after much convincing he approached Gerald Baldwin and Gordon Bowker, the original entrepreneurs of Starbucks, about running a test run of coffee shops/drinks based off of the Italian cafe culture. And thus in 1985 Starbucks created their first Caffe Latte. The rest is history, from then on out Starbucks popularity skyrocketed. By 1996, Starbucks would have over 1,000 cafes in 32 major North American markets and begin to expand internationally with two new cafes in Japan. Within the next decade Starbucks owned 11,000 American cafes and was present in 40 other countries. Today, Starbucks is the second largest restaurant chain in the United States behind Subway(QSR Magazine).
Cafe Culture
Today, especially as a student it is very common to go to coffee shops to do homework, or a central meeting place for group projects, or even potential employers. However, meeting for coffee with friends was not a common cultural pastime until the 1980’s when Starbucks and other coffee shops began forming in big cities. Yes I said, the 1980’s, This means that it has only been 37 years that the coffee shop culture has been around. Only 37 years of PSLs ladies.
The sudden expansion of the cafe culture quickly caused a cultural change in the way Americans lived their daily lives. Coffee was suddenly more readily available than ever before. Big cities host hundreds of coffee shops, every corner containing either a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Americans do not need to travel far to enjoy a cup of coffee, which has caused coffee shops to be places of leisure rather than a stop and go atmosphere.
Just look at the design of coffee shops, many are filled with places to sit with groups of people or work privately. The relaxing, yet bustling atmosphere of cafes attracts customers of all types to stay and unwind or productively work away on their laptops using the free in house wifi. The coffee shop has been nicknamed a middle ground to office and home because so many Americans view it as both a place of work and leisure.
Coffee in the Media
Media, as always, had a huge role in emphasizing the culture of coffee shops. A perfect example is the TV show “Friends”. In the case you have lived under a rock for the past few years friends follows the lives of a group of six friends in the city of New York. The main characters often come together in a local coffee shop called Central Perk to hangout and talk about their current problem in the show. While there was more to the show then hanging out in a coffee shop the repeated image helped encourage the idea that coffee shops are more of a place of leisure than just a form of fast food.
Today Spotify has playlists of music for users to listen to inspired by coffee shop moods. If we go back to middle school everyone probably remembers when Brandy Melville, a California based clothing store, created an iconic shirt based off of a local California coffee shop called Alfred Coffee. The store’s tagline is “But First Coffee” and Brandy Melville adopted the phrase on a few t-shirts and sweatshirts until this phrase was found nationwide on everything nationwide from mugs to phone cases.
Coffee Economically
As much as we all love a nice iced coffee in the morning, we all know the dent that couple dollar cup puts in our wallets over time. But every time we get that star reward notification we keep going back to spend more money. Brewing coffee at home requires an individual to own the tools and ingredients needed to make coffee. As students we don’t have the time or energy to do that, and usually we have to get up earlier to make it. Spending the inital money all at once for a nice coffee or expresso machine appears more daunting then a few dollars every week. By purchasing from a cafe customers know that their coffee will be made with fresh ingredients and higher end products then they would be able to have at home. Those who decide to buy coffee are willing to sacrifice the extra money in order to have better tasting, higher quality beverages.
While a regular coffee’s average price is $2.70, drinks such as frappuccinos and lattes can get to 5-8 dollars for one drink (Huffpost). A 6-ounce cup of coffee made at home, is about 17 cents a cup per day, which adds up to $1.19 a week and $62.05 a year. A 16-ounce grande coffee from Starbucks, is $2.29 per day, adds up to $16.03 per week, and a hefty $835.85 per year -- the price of a mini vacation. Or a lot of drinks at lion.
While it is tremendously cheaper to brew your own coffee at home due to the status symbol customers receive carrying a coffee shop cup they continue to return regardless of the drain it has on them economically. As basic as it may sound walking into a study session with a coffee you just feel better about yourself, in a way that you are more prepared to take on that class. Socially, being able to drink cafe coffee regularly shows a higher status symbol to others. Media also encourages these ideals through social media. How many times have you seen on pinterest an outfit inspiration posts that includes a girl holding starbucks or posing in front of coffee shops The fact the model is holding a coffee cup in a post about her outfit makes it appear that the coffee is a part of the look. This is just another way society stresses how being able to afford cafe brewed coffee gives you a particular status symbol.
America and Coffee
On the other hand, while coffee is emptying college students pockets it is filling the nations. As a country, the United States is the leading consumer of coffee importing 4 billion dollars worth of coffee beans each year (Huffpost). As a market, coffee shops are the fastest growing niche in the restaurant market with a seven percent annual growth rate (WeVio). This growing market has created tons of job opportunities within the United States border. According to a study done by Statistica, 535,743 employees worked in the coffee and snack industry in 2015. The coffee shop industry has grown since then creating even more jobs and economic growth for the United States.
Health and Coffee
While coffee’s popularity has escalated within the past few decades the long term health effects are still being discussed in medicine. Yes guys, caffeine is not necessarily good for us. The American Heart Association conducted a study of the long term effects of coffee consumption on Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Historically this topic has been researched numerous times since the 1960s due to the fact that CVD and coffee consumption spiked during those years. This particular study took a look at 1,279,804 participants and 36, 352 CVD cases. Participants were divided by the amount of coffee they consumed into three groups; lowest, moderate, and highest. The conclusions showed that there was a nonlinear relationship between coffee consumption and CVD. In fact a moderate level of coffee intake, three to five cups per day, showed the lowest risk of CVD. Which is good for us college kids during midterms who down espresso shots like they are water. Drinking no coffee or an immense amount had no direct relationship to preventing or causing CVD. In the past many patients who had heart issues were told to stay away from coffee due to the high caffeine intake. The results of this experiment, however, show that even decaffeinated drinks do not serve as having any different effect of participants then regular caffeinated coffee. However, more research is being conducted every year to uncover the benefits and risks of long term coffee consumption on the human body so all of this should be taken lightly as we are actively still uncovering information.
Due to the little research available on the long term effects of coffee many Americans remain uneducated as to how much caffeine is too much caffeine. While coffee is commonly thought of as an adult beverage, more and more children are beginning to start drinking coffee. I don’t know about you guys but I started drinking coffee consistently my freshman year of high school. In America we do not have any standards on how much caffeine children can have. However, in Canada children are restricted to 45 milligrams per day. This is equivalent to a single can of soda (Healthline). Problems arise because Americans are not conscious of how much caffeine they are consuming when they buy a cup of coffee because our serving sizes continue to be larger than the average human needs. An American should consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine a day, which is equivalent to four six-ounce drinks (Mayo Clinic). This becomes difficult when a Starbucks Tall (smallest size) is already 12 fluid ounces. With all of these statistics it is not surprising that Americans are portrayed as being addicted to coffee. According to the National Coffee Association’s 2013 survey an average person will drink three cups of coffee a day (USA Today). The nature of a coffee shop does not include people checking nutrition labels and learning what it is that's in their drinks. Although just like all other aspects of life, anything is okay in moderation. While studies don’t currently show any long term effects of this behavior it is important to be aware of what you are consuming as you would any other beverage or food you put in your body.
Conclusion
While the long term effects of coffee are still in the making the impacts the cafe culture has had on America is undeniable. Today 400 million cups of coffee are consumed per day, meaning that in one year Americans drinks 146 billion cups of coffee (Huffpost). The opening of Starbucks has redefined the fast food industry as well as how Americans view coffee. Starbucks has changed the culture of the food industry and introduced a new version of dining that prior to Edward Schultz, was unheard of in American borders. As a country, individuals have become more social due to the opening of coffee shops. The environment of cafes gives people of all backgrounds a place to conjugate. It has connected consumers and given them a place to express their creativity and also be productive. Due to the productive atmosphere of cafe’s, Americans have associated a status symbol around a coffee shop customer. The meaning behind the cafe culture has inspired fashion, media, and design across the country. From the phenomenon “But First Coffee” all the way to “Friends” coffee has impacted almost all media platforms. While the long term health effects are still being discussion more and more research is being done every year. Due to the little knowledge available today consumers have to take it upon themselves in order to educate themselves on what the nutrition facts are when it comes to their morning cup of joe. While it may just seem like a simple bean, coffee has shaped the values and functions of everyday life in America into the society that is present today.
SOGC
What, specifically, is this piece trying to accomplish—above and beyond satisfying the basic requirements outlined in the prompt? In other words, what work does, or might, this piece do? For whom? In what contexts?
For this project the goal still remains similar to what it was when I first created it. The original academic paper was about coffee and its impact on America’s health, culture, and economics. This overarching idea still remains true but I wanted to reformat it in a way that college students would find it interesting. I personally enjoy listening to podcasts that share tibbits of information that I would not usually know. The topic already was interesting and something that students would find interesting that I think by changing the format to being audio is more fitting to students lifestyles. I think as students we don’t have time to read and learn on our own time. So much of our energy goes to classes and studying that we have no time to explore random topics out of our major. That is why podcasts have gained so much popularity as they are the mode that allows for multitasking. My hope with this project is that I can create a podcast that is both informative but still interesting enough to catch the engagement of students. I want my project to be something that makes learning fun to do, even if it is a random topic such as coffee. One of my professors once told me in order to interesting you need to be interested. Ever since then I always try to make a conscious effort to be open to learning new things as it is knowledge that makes individuals interesting to be around. I think this trait is something that is lost in this generation as we don’t read as much as other generations thus by creating a podcast it is an easier medium to evoke learning in the on-the-go lifestyle of a college student.
What specific choices did you make to accomplish the goal(s) you outlined in your response above? Consider the rhetorical principles, methods, materials and technologies (everything from pen and paper to Photoshop) that you chose in your process. Include choices that you might not have consciously made, such as those that were made for you when you opted to work with certain genres, materials and technologies.
The main initial choice I used to accomplish this goal was to make a podcast. I knew that podcasts are currently trending within my age group making it a mode that I knew students would enjoy. Also by using a podcast it relates to the topic of cafe culture discussed in my paper. Cafe’s have turned into popular work spaces between class and home for students. Often times students will listen to music or podcasts while studying. This matches the “grind” atmosphere of cafes and relates to my overall goal of my project to encourage students to start learning things outside of the classroom. Another choice I made when creating my project was to reformat the order of the topics I discussed. In my original paper it reads much like an academic essay starting with background information, then going into each topic. I decided to rework the order for the paragraphs because the current order made it sound too professional. Students listen to lectures all day during the week, they don’t want to listen to an overly serious podcast on their downtime. I wanted the script to read like a conversation. Giving me places to add lib and comments as I would if I was talking to someone in person. Changing the format to be more casual I think make the podcast sound as a friend telling you something cool that she learned rather than you being talked at. The final major choice I had was to keep the age group of the project being college level students. While it was an academic essay read by a professor part of our project was a presentation to our classmates. I decided to keep the same audience as I felt that sharing this topic to people who were younger (elementary level) would not have the same impact as they don’t drink coffee. Then talking to people who were older would not allow me to have the power to lighten up a serious paper. I would feel inclined to make it more complex to challenge older audiences. I liked keeping the audience being college students to challenge me to use a new mode and rework the project to being something that is more engaging and fun to listen to.
Why did you end up pursuing this plan as opposed to the others you came up with? How did the various choices listed above allow you to accomplish things that other sets or combinations of choices would not have?
I knew from the beginning of the project that I wanted to rework this particular paper as it was one of my favorites that I have done and it is my most recent research paper since entering college. However, initially I contemplated making the audience little kids and rework the paper to be explaining what that weird brown liquid is that mom and dad drink. I quickly realized that this would be very difficult as I would need to dumb down a large amount of the language and change the natural flow of the paper. While keeping the audience did let me not make as many drastic changes it did allow me to make a stronger overall impact of my assignment. While it would be cool to change it to little kids, what are they going to do with the information? It doesn’t add anything for them or impact them in any way. By making it for students I can try to spark a drive to learn outside of the classroom and showcase how it can be cool to know fun facts about random topics that interest you. I also for a short time debated doing a video and talking about the topic to friends over coffee over the course of multiple days. While I liked the concept of this idea I liked how a podcast could be listened to while in a coffee shop. No one really watches videos while in a coffee but you look around and everyone has their headphones in. Talking with friends also matches the cafe culture but organizing time to meet with everyone and fitting into other’s schedules by the due date was difficult as it is so I decided to do something on my own would be more efficient.
How did you draw on research and course readings when creating your project? Here you should discuss at least 3 sources, at least two of which should be from the course readings. The final source can also be from the course, or it may be research that you sought out on your own for the purpose of this project. In answering this question, consider how you can articulate the theoretical grounding behind your work, connecting that groundwork to your goals and choices.
Preparing for this project we read numerous articles of other author’s opinions of revamping projects. One reading we did was “Remediation” by Bolter and Gruisin. In the article they discuss how remediation is relative to the media around it.The authors talked a lot about remediation in digital media and all media is a version of what is popular around it. This relates to my project as I chose to make a podcast because I know that is what is popular with my age group right now. Also the idea of short podcasts that share interesting facts or news is a popular category. While I am not directly copying a topic even categories can be trending which is a form of remediation that I am using within my project.
Another article we read was “Transmodality in Action” by Artz, Hashem, and Moody. In the reading the authors discussed how transmodality is the basis of remakes. It allows creators to interpret, adapt, and retell stories which is extremely important in transmodality. I took these ideas into account when I was planning my project. I enjoyed how this article showcased the same idea in multiple modes. While I am not using more than one mode in my project it inspired me to deliver this project in a way that is not usual. I think part of using transmodality is that it engages the audience. My hope is that by using a podcast it is a different mode then students are used to when learning information so my goal is that is better attracts their attention and makes learning more enjoyable. Also because the point of the podcast is to be listened to while in a coffee shop, the audience can also visually see around them a real life cafe culture. They can make analyses of the environment around them while also learning about it, making the experience bigger than just a podcast.
Besides the articles from class I did my own research for the project. As my article uses a lot of sources I had to fact check some of my information to be sure that it still holds true from since I wrote the paper. In one of my statistics I explain how Starbucks is number 3 in fast food behind Subway and McDonalds. This didn’t seem right to me so I double checked it and now Starbucks is ranked number two behind Subway. It was important to me that my information was valid in my project to continue to emphasize the value of learning things you were not aware of before.
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