From 9th century Ethiopia as a red berry chewed for stamina to the drink that gave Sufi monks energy for overnight prayers in Yemen to the coffeehouses in Constantinople, Cairo, London, and Paris to facilitating the birth of the stock exchange and empowering the Enlightenment’s ideas to the great Industrialization Revolutions factory shifts, coffee was and still is a miracle drug.

What are the benefits of coffee, scientifically speaking? Well, caffeine improves concentration, alertness, and boosts your mood with the release of serotonin and dopamine, the chemical we all know and crave—even though we don’t really think about it that way. Coffee, especially when consumed in plain black form, is rich in antioxidants and reduces inflammation. Of course this is not all scientifically proven by controlled experiments 100% of the time, but the research is highly convincing. But historically, coffee practically changed the world.

Syosset students have varied opinions on coffee consumption. Eliana Leder said, “It boosts my alertness…and it definitely gives you a good rush and changes how you feel in a good way.” Eliot Bih said, “I love coffee; everytime I’m up at 3:00 AM because I have like 7 tests the next day, I chug coffee.” Victor Zhao said, “Coffee’s always useful. I try not to drink it in the morning or in the night, but afternoon coffee is great at keeping me on task.” While many love coffee and use it to their advantage, some disagree about its effects. Nathan Ji said, “Coffee can actually be bad for you. I just feel like you can get too reliant on it.”

Some drink coffee if they have time before school in the morning, some drink coffee when they get home from school, and others drink coffee at night. From working on school work to working out to staying up when needed, coffee serves a purpose beyond simply being an everyday drink of choice.