BYU Now Offering Caffeine on Campus

[EmmaLee]

If this isn't a 'last days, sign of the times', then I don't know what is. (I kid)

http://www.ldsliving.com/BYU-to-Offer-C ... dium=email

BYU Now Offering Caffeine on Campus

byLDS Living Staff | Sep. 21, 2017

For the first time since the 1950s, BYU is offering caffeinated beverages.

On BYU's website, Dean Wright, director of Dining Services, answered some questions about BYU's decision to begin selling caffeinated drinks, which are already available in vending machines. The fountain equipment will take longer to change, but caffeinated beverages will be added shortly.

Wright says, "the Administrative Vice President has been supportive and has kept the President’s Council informed" about this change.

About the reasons behind this change, Wright says, "In the mid-1950s, the director of BYU Food Services decided not to sell caffeinated soft drinks. This decision has continued on since that time. Until more recently, Dining Services rarely received requests for caffeinated soda. Consumer preferences have clearly changed and requests have become much more frequent. . . . We strive to offer a variety of food choices and encourage our customers to make healthy choices."

BYU now joins LDS Business College and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in offering caffeinated beverages. Despite this change, Wright says BYU will not highly-caffeinated energy drinks to their drink selection.

[Alaris]

If this isn't a 'last days, sign of the times', then I don't know what is. (I kid)

That was my first thought when I read the subject of this post. What's next? BEARDS???

[Lizzy60]

This made the top-of-the-hour newscast on the radio here in TX.

[Col. Flagg]

Seriously... what's next... coffee flavored ice cream? No!!!

[Arenera]

This is what happens when you lose 7 years in a row to the University of Utah...

[Sunain]

More pressure from the outside world. Caffeine is an addictive drug that is added to drinks like soda for the sole purpose of getting people addicted to it. Why the church still refuses to come out and directly say that drinks with caffeine added to it are against the Word of Wisdom is beyond me.

[Elizabeth]

[Arandur]

Pros:
-May lead some church members to stop treating purely cultural behavior as the pure doctrine of the gospel, and reexamine their actual motives for their choices.
-May reduce judgmental attitudes among church members over this relatively trivial issue.
-Good material for memes.

Cons:
-Caffeine.

Should at least be interesting to see how people react, if at all.

[Z2100]

This made the top-of-the-hour newscast on the radio here in TX.

Really? Have they got nothing to talk about?

[Elizabeth]

When I wrote and read the news there was no shortage of topics. Today, it seems the news is not worth listening to.

This made the top-of-the-hour newscast on the radio here in TX.

Really? Have they got nothing to talk about?

[tribrac]

I would like to choose my words carefully here, so I'm not accused of criticizing.

Sometimes I reflect on the church I see and hear today and wonder what I might think of it if I only saw and heard it through my eyes and ears of 25-years ago. So many things seemed different then, to be sure, I was younger and less experienced, but so much of what I thought the church was and would be has melted away. Which causes me to wonder, was it my teachers or my conclusions which were wrong then? What about my teachers and conclusions now, could they be likewise wrong? What will another 25-years bring?

I like my diet cola, and have for many years.

[lundbaek]

This causes me to reflect on other more serious issues on which the Church generally seems to have lightened or softened its stance over the 57 years that I have been a member of the Church.

[Elizabeth]

but your body does not.

I like my diet cola, and have for many years.

[samizdat]

We know what the prophets have said on the matter of caffeine.

WE also know what the prophets have said on the matter of agency.

Teach correct principles and let the people govern themselves.

#spiritofthelaw #nottheletter

[Arenera]

The reason is President talked about a nameless diet drink. If he drinks it, its ok.

[Lyster]

We know what the prophets have said on the matter of caffeine.

WE also know what the prophets have said on the matter of agency.

Teach correct principles and let the people govern themselves.

#spiritofthelaw #nottheletter

You make a good point. Another could be that we let them govern themselves, but we don't enable. Serving alcohol at BYU would obviously be a no-no. And the reason being that "we know what the prophets have said". Where do we draw the line?

We often reason that the spirit of the law trumps the letter. Yet on careful study, we learn that the spirit doesn't necessarily trump the letter, but helps us understand it.

[Elizabeth]

Not ok with me. A bitter disillusionment.

The reason is President talked about a nameless diet drink. If he drinks it, its ok.

[Juliet]

They are going to sell caffeinated beverages because they want to make money. Even if it may not be healthy, even if it is a little bit harmful, they are going to sell it because it will make them money.

This decision was made because someone was looking at their profit margins and realizing BYU is losing money to competition by not selling caffeinated beverages.

Of course, they are not responsible for the large amount of people drinking caffein, but nor are the students responsible for drinking caffein if BYU sells it, a school that has every one sign a word of wisdom contract in order to attend, a school that publicly announces its values and expects students to adhere to them. It is deceptively sponsoring caffein by way of having the word of wisdom in the honor code, so thereby it is saying caffein is officially permissible in the word of wisdom. BYU must take responsibility for those who justify their choice to consume caffeine on the belief that if BYU sells it, is must be ok because they wouldn't sell it if it was against the word of wisdom as proven by the honor code.

Sell caffein, but take out the word of wisdom portion of your honor code. You cannot do both. Caffeinated beverages are addictive and they are harmful, and though not stated publicly by the church as against the word of wisdom, it is in the grey area because many people become addicted to these beverages and they are harmful to the body. Again, I am all for letting people make their choices, but if you have a contract sponsoring and valuing physical health and then sale harmful addictive foods to make a profit, you are playing a double game.

[Irrelevant]

Break out the popcorn. This should be an entertaining thread...

[Michelle]

The reason is President talked about a nameless diet drink. If he drinks it, its ok.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Arenera]

Did I just buy the first ever caffeinated Coke Zero Sugar sold in #BYU's Wilkinson Student Center?

Yes, yes I did.

CCF3DC4E-28A8-43B4-BF27-28BB295D6BB5-10452-000015B5B3752188.jpeg (160.77 KiB) Viewed 1292 times

[Joel]

From a few years ago

[lundbaek]

BYU has disappointed me in other ways as well.

[Robin Hood]

Seriously... what's next... coffee flavored ice cream? No!!!

Well, it's not a hot drink.

[Yahtzee]

I went to BYU one year. I left after my roommate went off on me for bringing Pepsi into our dorm. And getting dirty looks from students on campus as I sipped its deliciousness on my way to class. Hated being around such self righteous judgement.
Personal opinion, obviously, but I have found sugar to be more addictive than caffeine. So unless caffeine is actually prohibited in the word of wisdom or by modern revelation (and it's not) this is forcing one person's interpretation of scripture into others.
Allowing Sprite but not Coke implies that gobs of sugar is perfectly acceptable for our health. Obviously it isn't, but I don't think many are inquiring of the Lord. They use BYU policy instead to make their choices. It's a big problem that the saints are only looking to salt lake for answers to how they should use their agency.