What is the deal between coffee versus tea?

Everyone knows that coffee and tea are hot beverages that have been rivals for years. Both can be hot and steamy, and both can be cold and refreshing. Each drink is designed to give a little kick of caffeine to get a day moving, so both of these drinks are primarily consumed in the morning.

But choosing one over the other might say something about your personality. Peter Baskerville, a man with experience in running several cafes, has noticed differences in coffee and tea people. Baskerville feels that coffee people are usually more driven and look to coffee’s caffeine to push them toward their goals. Tea people are more reflective and drink tea for relaxation purposes, he says.

Many people lean toward tea because of its health benefits, but  tea and coffee are actually equally good for you, according to Christian Broadcasting Network Writer Beth Reinke. Each drink contains antioxidants, which protect tissues in your body from oxidants that damage cells and can cause disease, she says. Tea is said to lower cholesterol levels and help prevent blood clotting. Coffee, on the other hand, is said to lower the risk of liver cancer and colon cancer.

Looking around Boyertown Area Senior High School in the morning, the hallways are almost always filled with a tea’s herbal fragrance or the roasted smell of coffee beans. The controversy revolving around these drinks is a matter that needs to be settled.

So, we recently polled BASH students over a few mornings as they visited the school store  — which sells both libations — about which drink they like more. Tea won by a smidgen; out of 45 people asked, 23 of them said they liked it more than coffee.  Most students that prefer tea over coffee explained that tea comes in more flavors and has more nutritional value. Coffee drinkers said that they like coffee better simply because “it’s a good way to start the day” or “it tastes better than tea”.

It seems tea and coffee were pretty evenly matched in their little showdown, but somehow tea was able to push itself to the top. Better luck next time coffee!