*This article does not represent the views of Her Campus FSU
As many of you have probably heard, there has been much controversy about the new holiday cup Starbucks has released for the fall season. This year, unlike the previous years, Starbucks has to decided to release a cup that is simplistic featuring only the green Starbucks logo on a solid red cup. Starbucks has stated that the new cups minimalistic design was made so customers can tell their own holiday stories as the red cup is to meant to be a blank canvas. While many people invited the new cups as a positive sign of the holiday season, others were outraged with the new cup designs. One customer in particular, social media personality Joshua Feuerstein, stated in a video that he posted on Facebook that Starbucks is “waging a war on Christmas.”
He goes on to say that “this is not about a cup. This is about a much bigger war on Christmas.” He explains that Christ is being taken out of Christmas and proposes that everyone should prank Starbucks by ordering a beverage and telling the employees that their name is “Merry Christmas,” as Starbucks employees are not supposed to address any specific religions. Two different hashtags have surfaced: one opposing the Starbucks cup controversy, #ItsJustACup, and one for the Starbucks cup controversy #MerryChristmasStarbucks. Florida State University students had a lot to say about the Starbucks cup controversy.
Courtesy: Starbucks
“As a Christian, I find other ways to show my faith, not through my coffee cup! I can’t say it will stop me from my peppermint mocha obsession!” said junior Humanities major Allison Lathrop.
“I think it’s stupid, but I also think the media is blowing it out of proportion. How many Christians do you think actually agree with them? Everyone I know says this Starbucks thing is just as stupid as I do,” said junior Accounting major Rhiannon Wilson.
“Just because a few radical Christians made a fuss over these cups, doesn’t mean it’s the view of the majority. I love the red cups, they’re simple and stylish and I’m a Christian.” said freshman English Literature major Kellie Brown. “It’s definitely not the opinion of the majority of Christians, and I know I’m still going to be faithfully getting my Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks this winter.”
As the controversy has taken over the media this past week, Americans have missed many important news stories that have gone on. Here are nine things we should be talking about instead of the Starbucks cup “controversy.”
1. Uber and Lyft have announced that starting next year, homeless veterans in the metropolitan areas across the country will be able to get free rides to job interviews, work, and for other important needs.
2. College students across the country are standing in solidarity with the students at Mizzou after race related threats quickly escalated.
3. Daniel Fleetwood passed away from a terminal cancer, but before he passed he received his dying wish of watching the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens before it has been released in theaters.
4. SeaWorld in California has decided to completely phase out their killer whale show featuring Shamu by 2017.
5. President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to retired Army Captain Florent Groberg.
6. The American Postal Workers Union officially endorsed Bernie Sanders for U.S. President in 2016.
7. A Russian passenger plane crashed in the Egyptian desert killing all 200+ passengers. Much of the information surrounding the plane crash is unknown and many different theories have been released.
8. The ISIS attacks in Paris, France.
9. The Presidential debate of 2016.