Elizabeth Decena

Marley Simmons
English 101
18 November 2015
The Atriums Struggles
To the dining services,
I am a freshman currently studying at Western Washington University. Whenever I am in the
mood for coffee or a small snack, I sometimes go to the Atrium around 9 to 11 in the morning.
Although it is a small, busy place, the Atrium is a common place of gathering amongst students
to study, eat, and socialize. When you walk into the Atrium, you can hear and see the liveliness
of the place. It is my usual go to place when I need food or beverage on the go. The campus
itself has other great places to dine at; there are three main dining areas: Ridgeway Commons,
Viking Commons, and the Fairhaven Commons. Aside from the dining halls, there are other
places that are available with food and beverages. Some popular choices that come in mind are
the Viking Union and the Atrium. Having access to various food stops is helpful for a student
who is constantly on the go or when they need to have a general place to study, especially in a
large campus.
The Length of the Line
Students are always busy and depending on the time and day, are on the run. Around breakfast
and lunch time, a large number of students gather in the Atrium to grab a cup of coffee. Data
from Harvard T.H. Chan shows that 65 percent of Americans drink their coffee with breakfast
and 30 percent drink it between each meal. Out of those 65 percent, 54 percent of those coffee
drinkers are over the age of 18. On average, Americans drink about 3.1 cups of coffee everyday.
In short, people consume a lot of coffee on a daily basis.
In the Atrium, the queuing line and waiting time can get very long. More so, the length of the
line may even discourage other customers from continuing their purchase which results in a
possible loss of profit. The line tends to block the area to the other side of the Atrium. This limits
the amount of space in the already tiny place and it becomes crowded. From time to time, people
walking into the Atrium end up walking into the line of customers who are waiting to purchase
their food or drink. When I line up for coffee, it takes about 10 minutes before I am able to order
and this does not include the time I spend waiting for my drink to be made.
As a result, rather than getting coffee on the go I end up spending more time waiting in line.
For some, this can be frustrating and upsetting. Even though it may be something small, it can
add a stressor to a students life. College students are already stressed. According to Anxiety and
Depression Association of America, 80 percent of college students experience stress every day.
The wait time for their meal or beverage tests the patience of the students. Stress affects the body
in harmful ways. Webmd states that stress causes frustration, moodiness, the inability to have
self-composure, and the tendency to want to avoid other individuals. The line contributes to

stress because there is a lot of students and professors waiting for their coffee. Essentially, the
Atrium becomes a gathering for stressed, frustrated individuals rather than a place to relax and
de-stress.
Reducing the Length of the Line
A couple possible solutions to this long line is to hire more staff and to add another coffee
machine. Depending on the time of day, the Atrium can get quite crowded. In order to control the
flow of customers coming in and out of the Atrium, having more staff available during those
busy periods can help lessen the number of people waiting in line. The extra coffee machine will
increase the number of fulfilled orders. People will be able to get their orders in a more timely
manner and can have one or two less stressors out of the way.
The efficiency of the line would reduce the stress of the customers. People will then be able to
leave more quickly and go to their next class or meeting without the worry of getting late.
The Struggles of the Solution
The underlying problem with adding a coffee machine is whether the number of sales will make
up for the funds used to purchase the machine. There is also the question of whether funding for
a coffee machine is within budget for the Atrium. In spite of this, there are other ways to gather
extra funding. Because there is a large body of students on campus, the students and faculty
themselves can contribute to the coffee machine funds through fundraisers, but it is uncertain
whether they are willing to participate and it also depends on the overall contributions collected
over time.
Adding the extra coffee machine also raises the question on whether there will be enough room
in the Atrium. More space will be needed for the machine and adding it will take up more space
and potentially decrease the amount of free space for customers.
Another problem that may occur as a result from the added machine is the impact it would have
on a persons body physically and mentally. The extra machine would encourage people to drink
more coffee. With the availability of more coffee, people may find themselves lining up for the
coffee trend. When a person consumes a lot of coffee, it is not beneficial for the body. In an
article published by Duke Medicine, researchers found that the caffeine in coffee exacerbates a
persons stress and their bodys response to it. This negative effect on the body can cause
increased blood pressure and stress hormones.
The Atriums Future
As a whole, the Atrium is a small space that can hold and provide services to so many people at
once. Because of this small space, the Atrium becomes crowded and people end up waiting for a
longer period of time than intended. This can result in unhappy customers and a possible loss of
profit due to people leaving their place in line. Although it may be small, the frustration of
standing in a long line can be a stressor in a persons life. Possible solutions to this problem
include hiring more staff and adding a coffee machine. Hiring more staff and coordinating the
schedule to assign them during the busy periods may help decrease the congestion in the Atrium
and control the flow of the line. Despite these possible solutions, there are also problems that

may arise. These problems include funds available to purchase a new coffee machine, the space
available for the machine, and the unhealthy negative effects that increased consumption of
coffee has on the body.

Works Cited
Coffee by the Numbers. News. N.p., 04 Oct. 2010. Web 17 Nov. 2015.
Fact | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Facts | Anxiety and Depression
of America, ADAA. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015
Pieper, Carl, Barbara Philips-Bute, John Byrant, and Cynthia Kuhn. Caffeine's Effects Are
Long-Lasting and Compound Stress. - Duke Medicine. Duke University Health System,
n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
WebMd. Ed. Varnada karriem-Norwood. N.p., 15 July 2015. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.