Coffee vs. Credits

Local students report spending $200,000 a year on coffee at the multiple coffee shops located in Needham, Massachusetts. From Starbucks to French Press to Dunkin, the options are plentiful, but the prices are ludicrous. Even disregarding costs comparable to a mortgage, students are still faced with a tough choice: getting a coffee to get them through the treacherous school day, or having enough credits to graduate. The recent hour changes of the Needham Heights Starbucks have induced hundreds of tardies for students, forcing them to take the hour-long trek down Needham Street to the Newton Starbucks. As representatives of Needham High's students, it is not our fault that the Needham Starbucks has changed their hours of operation; we still need our caffeine! Without it, many students would fall asleep in class, if they even made it there at all. So, administration, should we really be penalized for trying to stay awake for the entirety of the school day? Give students late passes to get their coffee. It is a necessary component of completing  a high school education.