This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Miami (OH) chapter.
You may have heard the gossip sweeping through campus about a potential policy change that is near and dear to many students’ hearts. That’s right, Miami is considering banning Keurig coffee makers from all residence halls on campus. I received word of this devastating news through a member of the Community Leadership Team (CLT), which works closely with Residence Hall Advisors (RHA’s) to promote a positive res-life experience. When I asked a CLT member about the potential Keurig ban, the response was, “tell your friends not to ask for a Keurig for Christmas.”
The Keurig is the perfect collegiette appliance; it’s small, energy friendly, and dispenses perfectly portioned cups of coffee with the push of the button at a cheaper price than at the local coffee shop. They are ultra-convenient and very popular amongst students who need caffeine to keep them going (especially during finals week!). However, residence hall administrators believe that the Keurig is putting too much stress on the electrical outlets and adding to already steep power demands.
Ironically, the 700-watt microwaves that are permitted in residence halls use about the same amount of power, if not more, than the Keurig. The Keurig requires 1,500 watts of power for the initial heat up, which takes about two minutes. After that, the machine requires only as much electricity as a 60 watt light bulb. This power requirement seems miniscule when compared to hair dryers, which use about 1,000 watts and are used for much longer than two minutes at a time.
Students of Miami need to band together and advocate for the benefits of the Keurig to get the university’s attention. It is safe, convenient, and just like many other things, it is perfectly fine when used in moderation.
HC Miami will keep you posted as we hear more news on the potential Keurig ban. For now, use up the remainder of your Medium House Blend cups in the case that after returning from J-Term the ban is in full effect.