OPINION: Wanting what I can't have

BY MIA DRAGONE

Have you ever heard the famous saying, “You always want what you can't have”? When it's the summer, you want the snow and the cold, but in the winter, you want the sun and the heat. People can never really be satisfied, and we love the chase of things we cannot have.  

I often find myself in this situation when I wake up and want something refreshing to start my morning. On Stonehill's campus we have a Dunkin located in the Sheilds Science Center that is just like the Dunkins found off campus. But like I said, we always want what we can't have, and I always want Starbucks in the morning. Luckily, we have Ace’s Place in the library that sells Starbucks products.  

The Starbucks offered on campus at Ace’s Place has a limited menu with around 16 drink choices versus a normal Starbucks that has over 170,000 options. That said, there is a tempting drive through Starbucks down the road from campus. 

I get the same thing from Starbucks every time I go, which is a venti strawberry acai lemonade with no berries. And every time it tastes the same. Thankfully Ace’s Place offers refreshers so I'm able to get my drink, but I never think to go there when I want Starbucks. But why would I choose Ace’s Place over a normal Starbucks?  

Both places have their ups and downs. For instance, at Ace’s Place, you can use your meal plan money, but they have limited options, and they don't always have some items. On the other hand, the off-campus Starbucks has a lot of food and drink options, but you have to drive to it and use your own real money, rather than your meal plan.  

As for the drinks, they both taste relevantly the same. If you gave me a drink from each place, I most likely wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Both places have many drinks size options, and a lot of effort is put in from both locations. 

Overall, I think that Ace’s Place is the best option for simple options like iced coffees and refreshers. But for the more advanced drinks like signature lattes and frappuccinos, I would make the drive to the off-campus Starbucks and spend the extra time and money.