By Alli Myers

What’s on your holiday wish list this year? A big reality check is usually a good thing for people around the holidays. Are you asking for too much?  There are a lot of families out there that aren’t as fortunate as others during this time. While you’re dreaming about those ever-famous sugarplums and expensive Apple products, designer clothes or a fancy new watch, there’s a little kid out there that only wants a toy truck or a Barbie doll for the holidays. Some want warm sheets for their beds, or a new jacket with all its buttons to keep warm during winter. The simplest thing could light up a child’s world this time of year through participation in the Adopt-A-Family (AAF) program run by The Salvation Army.

By adopting a family with AAF, both individual and group sponsors help to provide reasonable wish list items to a family that would otherwise have a slightly less merry holiday.

The Salvation Army website states, “Being adopted is designed to be a once or, on very rare occasions, twice in a lifetime event for recipient families.” The guidelines supplied by the Salvation Army state that only $45 is required to make a happy holiday possible for a family of two (one parent and a child). There’s no limit to the amount that the sponsor can give, but it’s surprising just how far that money can go. Of the $45 donation, just $25 can purchase several gifts for a hopeful child, leaving $20 to supply a good amount of food for the family during the holidays.

Students right here at MSU are getting involved this holiday season doing whatever they can to help bring a little joy to their neighbors.

Education freshman Kara Kavulich said that she and her family adopted a family last year, and said that it was one of the most rewarding feelings she has ever experienced.

“It felt amazing to know that I was giving Christmas to two little kids that otherwise would have seen nothing under their tree,” Kavulich said.

Grandma’s Comfort (GC) is a charity right here in Lansing that helps give to a lot of people in the community, especially around the holidays. President Diane Zimmerman is the “grandma” in the name, and is actually an MSU alumna. She founded GC on Christmas in 2005. GC started out supplying blankets but has expanded in the past several years. They now provide birthday gifts, necessities for pregnant women in shelters, comfort bags for women and children in shelters and school supplies. The organization has also helped two orphanages and one boys’ school in Haiti.

The blankets supplied are both hand made and purchased, and also donated from members of the community. GC is always accepting donations, and it is an easy way to get involved right here at school.

Zimmerman explained, “We have no employees; we have a few specialists that help us and about 60 volunteers who help wrap and make gifts.”

Whether you take the time to make a blanket or purchase something that could help a child or a family in need, anything you can do will go a long way with Grandma’s Comfort.

Another way to help out is through Toys for Tots, a well-known program that is run by the United States Marine Corps, Toys for Tots has donation stations where donors can drop off toys that will be donated to less fortunate kids for the holidays.

“I bought a couple toys to donate to Toys for Tots, and I think that is just such a great cause,” said biochemistry and molecular biology sophomore Hailey Caudill. She added that even by spending less than five dollars, she was able to get some coloring pages and crayons that she knows will bring a smile to a child’s face.

“I can’t imagine being a little kid and thinking, ‘Why didn’t Santa come visit me this year?’” Caudill said.

Even though the holidays are meant to be about family, friends and happiness, a gift here and there definitely never upset a child. Anything you can do to help out this holiday season can go a whole lot farther than you think, and the AAF, Marine Corps, Grandma’s Comfort and The Salvation Army have made it their mission to help spread holiday cheer. Stop and think about what you are fortunate enough to have this season, and think about what you can give to others to keep the holiday spirit alive!

Although the distractions on college campuses make maintaining religious practices difficult, some students have found a way to keep their faith strong throughout their college years.

Christianity has a large presence on MSU’s campus. For some students, their faith drifts away from them but for others their faith is strengthened by going to college.

According to a study done by Jenny L. Small, a doctorate student of philosophy at the University of Michigan in 2008, “In sum, the recent studies on college students and religion and spirituality have shown students to be highly interested in these issues and strongly influenced by their families, their peers, and the campus environment.”

“The world is all around you, with drinking and girls and money. All of those things are nice but with being a Christian you have to find a way to navigate through that, but you can’t completely avoid it at the same time,” said advertising junior Richie Christie.

Food science junior Mallory Flanders said, “I am surrounded by the world and I can so easily get caught up in trying to conform myself to what the world wants whether that’s in body or mind or competition.”

Jake MacLean, a pre-med junior and Christian leader on campus, said living in the college environment at MSU is such an opportunity and there are many different desires to have.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“At Michigan State, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want,” he said.

“It’s awesome being a Christian at Michigan State because you have to be a Christian, you can’t be a half Christian. You have to choose to either step out or go out and party away,” said MacLean.

A great way to keep your faith in college is to get involved in a student organization, like campus crusades, where people share your same beliefs and values, said Christie.

“These are great communities of people with the same beliefs and values. These people are there for you when you’re struggling,” said Christie.

“Many Christian students around campus attend smaller bible studies throughout the week whether it’s at their dorm or an off campus location, but there is a weekly meeting where everyone gathers called Real Life,” said Flanders.

“Real life brings me back to Christ. It brings me back to reality instead of the life I try to live in this world,” Flanders said.

With all the distractions and temptations of a college campus, MacLean said, “I’ve had to step out and be a Christian in a place where maybe a lot of people aren’t stepping out.”

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

MacLean is part of MSU’s Campus Crusades. He said, “the Christian community I have, especially with Campus Crusade, has been great because they are also a bunch of guys who are stepping out.”

Small’s study said, “An additional important study found that college cannot be considered the cause of the decline in the religiosity of young adults. In fact, the authors found that ‘those who never attended college had the highest rates of disaffiliation, decreased service attendance, and decreased importance placed on religion.’”

“Being in college increases my faith because of all the struggles that I face because I’ve had to over come them,” Flanders said.

Flanders admits that her faith is challenged and is not always simple.

“It’s easy for me to want attention and want things that give me temporary happiness but I know it won’t give me permanent happiness,” she said.

“I was a Young Life leader throughout high school. Young life is a lot like MSU’s Real Life,” said education junior Lexi Justice.

Justice said now that she is at college she is involved in many groups and has to put in a lot of volunteer hours. It’s hard for her to find Christian organizations that don’t conflict with her other activities and school work.

College students tend to view religion and spirituality in different ways.

“I think often religion is perceived as a political stance or sometimes it’s just used when people have a low time in their life,” said Flanders.

According to the study, “Many college students differentiate between religion and spirituality. Michael Zabriskie found in a study of 1,200 students on four college campuses that 41.5% defined themselves as spiritual and religious, 27.5% as spiritual but not religious, 5.3% as religious but not spiritual, and 14.2% as neither religious nor spiritual.”

Flanders said, “Students shouldn’t feel like they are being judged by the Christian community, anyone can come to Real Life as they are, no matter their background or beliefs.”

This month, I chose a different location for some samplings of student songs. The library is teeming with people the weeks before and during finals week, so I was sure I’d get some good responses. I was right, but after this third round of queries, I’ve learned a few things about students:

1. We have a wide variety of musical tastes at MSU.

2. Someone is always listening to Amy Whinehouse.

3. Someone is always listening to Wiz Khalifa.

4. People often use their headphones as a reason to not talk to you.

5. Every one who does answer is happy you asked!

This month’s mix is pretty interesting, and would be a good playlist to finish up your studying. Watch the video below to see what gets people in the mood… to study, of course.

By Lauren Walsh

As I walked along the Red Cedar River on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I wondered, “Where are all the guys at MSU?”

It’s not as if I am saying that MSU resembles a girl’s boarding school and it’s impossible to meet a guy, but as a twenty-two year old junior, I feel as if the chances of meeting someone decent before graduation are slim to none.

Unfortunately, most female students find themselves in this situation because as they advance through the university system, their dating pool shrinks while for male students, it expands. When girls enter MSU as freshman, their selection of boyfriends is considerable. Underclassmen, upperclassmen, grad students, grad assistants and even PhD candidates make up the dating pool.

Many senior females feel that it’s somewhat social suicide to be dating a freshman boy, hence the term “boy.”  While these boys feel as if dating someone older is like winning the jackpot; they get a more experienced cougar-like woman. Older females continue to struggle to find that potential boyfriend as they age in a university setting. That “other” campus in Ann Arbor is intertwined with a proper city employing scores of eligible young professional men.

(sxc.hu)

“As a twenty-one year old senior, I feel that my only option is to date senior guys because I am not looking to date someone not old enough to go to the bars with me,” said communications junior Aly Weiner.

On the other hand, twenty-one year old males have no bias towards girls as young as eighteen because having that younger girl on his arm makes him look more masculine and virile. The guy feels more superior with a younger girl because it’s as if they are guiding them through life.  When this kind of relationship dies due to lack of common interests, those young girls yet again find themselves searching for that imaginable soul mate. As semesters pass by as quickly as virtues are lost, girls begin to feel that aching pressure in finding that right guy before graduation.

“By second semester, senior year dating seems pointless…starting a relationship so late in college usually ends in a breakup when we both graduate because we’ll probably be going in separate ways,” said human biology senior Ilana Anders.

When many single girls graduate, their ears are boxed by their parents and friends; interrogative questions about if they’re seeing someone, and if not, what they should do to start and by the time they’re in their late twenties they should be rewarding their parents with grandchildren.

As if the stress of job interviews and applications are not enough, many girls feel pressure to meet the right guy during their years in college. On the contrary, many guys as young as eighteen feel that dating in college should be casual and that if something is meant to work out, it will.

“Dating in college is somewhat unrealistic. Everyone is overwhelmed with school work and when I do meet a cool girl, she becomes too attached to the idea that we’ll be together forever. I am not worried about finding a girlfriend though, three more years is a long time, and there are plenty opportunities to meet new people,” said sophomore Josh Kaplin.

After wondering “what had happened to all the guys here at MSU,” I made my way home and realized that maybe I just need to relax. Sure, we might not like dating younger guys and may be getting older, but I feel females should sometimes compare dating to old Chinese proverbs. In this case “Patience is a virtue,” in the sense that to eliminate that pressure, all students should be patient with having a relationship.

Attempting to please our parents, friends or even yourself by jumping into this committed liaison may end in shambles because of pressure buildup and by simply not being ready to completely share yourself with another person. Some of the best relationships begin when people are not even looking—best friends falling in love or lab partners turning a study date into a romantic one. Being patient is important because romance seems to hit people when they least expect it.

Being in a relationship is like opening a book for the first time and finding it filled with boundless dialogue in a foreign language. You may never know if you will end up understanding the context or if the ending will be happy or sad. So, instead of trying to find that book too quickly and then struggling through those pages, females who feel that pressure of finding the right guy when they’re young should be patient.

When you do feel that anxiety and hear those dreaded questions about why you’re still single, use the other functional aspect of that book by whacking that person across the head with it. This will usually get them to be quiet and you’ll probably get a good laugh out of it.

By Alex Tekip

Sports are a constant cultural machine in the United States. They posses both the power to excite and the power to disappoint, but also have the ability to unify – to bring an entire school, city, state or nation together. Occasionally, that power travels, crossing borders, oceans, and cultures in the process. International sports have experienced growing popularity in the United States, and the East Lansing are as well as the campus of Michigan State University are not exempt from this trend.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

There are plenty of clubs at MSU that promote awareness of international sports. One such club is the Kendo Club, whose members practice a historical and popular Japanese martial art and compete against other schools.

The basic idea of Kendo is to strike the top of the head, wrists, throat, or abdomen of an opponent with a bamboo sword called a shinai.  In the competition version of the game, each hit earns a player two points, and the player with the most points at the end of a match wins.

The competitive nature of Kendo makes it very popular in its native country.

“In Japan, [Kendo’s] popularity is similar to that of football in America, with about a million people practicing the art,” said Ron Fox, the club’s adviser, who also works as a physicist at MSU’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.

Despite its popularity abroad however, Fox said that kendo hasn’t quite caught on yet at MSU.

“At MSU, only 25 people practice the club, in addition to an introductory one credit class that about 40 people enroll in each year,” he said. “We don’t have much of a fan base.”

Although he wishes more students were currently participating, Fox continues to promote his club and push his students to their full potential.

“[The club’s] participation rate looks to be increasing over the next few years,” said Fox. “We hope that our fan base will increase as well.”

The Kendo Club organizes a yearly tournament held at Michigan State every year: the Midwest Kendo Federation Student tournament, and Fox encouraged those interested to attend.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Another international sports club at MSU is the Polo Club, which boasts a slightly larger population.

“Our club has almost forty members, the biggest program for a university in the U.S. We have a strong fan base as well,” said club vice president Cassie Scarfone, a senior majoring in human biology.

Scarfone said the club hosts a yearly benefit match against the University of Michigan that “draws in quite a crowd.”

This match, called Poloat the Pavillion, benefits both the polo clubs of Michigan State and the University of Michigan. It is the biggest match of the year for both clubs, and usually provides the polo club with their highest attendance of the season at an affordable cost – tickets are just $5 for students and $10 for other guests.

International sports are also drawing interest in the East Lansing area. West Michigan Capoeira, a martial arts studio that practices an ancient Brazilian sport, has branched off into East Lansing with hopes of sparking an interest wider than just the undergraduate community at MSU.

Capoeira is an art form based on an ancient Brazilian war dance. Individuals who practice capoeria begin by forming a “hoda” circle, then proceed through a series of motions that combine rhythmic dance and martial arts, often in formation with others.

“Right now, we have about ten participants, and most of them are grad students,” said instructor Show Grande . “I’m hoping that eventually interest will spark, and people will investigate and look into capoeira.”

Grande’s biggest wish is that individuals interested in capoeira will have an “epiphany” moment, similar to one he had when he was younger.

“I just walked into a capoeira studio and was amazed at the gracefulness of those involved,” said Grande. “I was so entranced that I had to keep reminding myself that the sport was real, and ever since then I’ve been blown away.”

While international sports clubs are always working to improve their fan base and gain awareness amongst the student body, they are also invested in the passion and drive that team members have.

“I tell my team, ‘Just shut up and do it’. They are all dedicated to the art, and open to what the sport can offer them,” Fox said.

This passion and drive is mixed with a willingness to cross cultural borders. International sports clubs have both American members as well as many who are, of course, international.

“We have had many international students in the kendo club; this year, we have several Japanese members” Fox said.

Many international members are drawn in by their native loyalties to the sport, or want to contribute to bringing the sport into light at MSU, in Michigan, or even the nation, and fight to raise cultural awareness of the sport by changing stereotypes.

“Currently, the polo community is trying to change the stereotype of the sport as an ‘elitist’ game,” said Scarfone. “In reality, anyone can become involved [in polo] and it can be much more affordable than one might think.”

According to Grande, “Investing in an unknown sport is like continued learning.” International sports can help broaden the cultural horizons of students at Michigan State, and, much like American sports, they have the power to bring us all together as one globally united city and campus.

“Practicing a difficult sport gives students confidence in everyday life,” Grande said. “When we all feel like we are accomplishing something together, we become united.”

For more information, contact:

Michigan State University Kendo Club: kendo.msu.edu

Michigan State University Polo Club: msupolo@msu.edu

West Michigan Capoeira: CDOWestMichigan@gmail.com

1. “Sleep + social life = bad grades. Good grades + sleep = no social life. Good grades + social life = no sleep.”-Rachel Bonello
2. “If we all had hearts for eyes, is love what we would find?”
3. “I don’t know how the heck Denard is even being considered for Heisman. #overrated GoGreen!!!!”
4. “Great atmosphere in Spartan Stadium yesterday. Student section and fan base never stopped believing. It made the difference. On to Nebraska.”-Kirk Cousins
5. “I need a girl who loves to chill and watch red wings games with me. #dreamgirl”-Devon Coates
6. “I wish that #MSU had a fall break. Doesn’t a 4 day weekend with a blend of rest and productivity sound delightful? #agirlcandream”-Claire Gonyo
7. “Who’s Lamborghini is that on campus ! I keep seeing it ! #MSU”
8. “asked the kids in my dance class what they were being for halloween & a 11yr old said its too childish #lol”-Iris Tuma
9. “News article for the @TheBigGreen on how I connected with professionals via @twitter http://www.thebiggreen.net/2011/10/17/tweeting-to-the-professionals/”
10. “Forget burning books; They are burning schools.”-Jasnik Parmar

November has brought us unexpectedly warm weather and sudden snow fall. Yet rain or shine, MSU students are always listening to music as they trek to and from class. I know I always want to know what they’re listening to, so once again, I’ve used my privileges as Arts & Culture editor to find out for myself. Watch the video below to see the music tastes of even more students!

By Kevin Burrows

Starting new clubs on campus may be challenging, but after jumping through a few hoops, four girls successfully created a competitive dance team for Michigan State University.

MSU Elite Competitive Dance is a student-run organization, established in June 2011, which provides students with the opportunity to dance competitively at the college level.

MSU Elite focuses on jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and some pom. Group members and guest choreographers choreograph pieces. They will have a spring showcase toward the end of the spring semester.

MSU Elite Dance Team

“We wanted to start our own dance team because we still wanted to be at a competitive level, but not too intense. We wanted to have time to enjoy college life and not be overwhelmed,” said Rachel Bonello, communications student and vice president of MSU Elite.

MSU Elite host events including competitions, conventions, philanthropies, fundraisers, performances and other on-campus events such as Sparticipation and the Homecoming parade, Bonello said.

“Team building, community service and excelling in dance are three important things MSU Elite supports,” said Heather Popoff, MSU nursing student and president of MSU Elite.

The team is eager and excited to start their first year as they have just completed their first dance competition that took place at Cobo Hall in Detroit on November 12.

The competition was hosted by JAMfest, which is international event productions company that hosts about 70 cheer and dance competitions across the United States, Europe and Canada.

After their first and successful competition at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MSU Elite placed first in both the hip-hop and jazz categories. MSU Elite was also awarded best chorography for their hip-hop dance.

“The team worked really hard these past few weeks to make sure we were ready for our first competition,” Bonello said. “It was a great competition to get our foot in the door.”

Bonello added that it was a great feeling to compete with fellow Spartans for the first time.

The team said they are very happy with their accomplishments and excited for future events and are very happy with the support they’ve been getting and hope it continues.

“We all had a lot of fun at our competition and are proud to place first for only practicing for a month, and I am looking forward to growing with the team” Popoff said.

Being a student-run organization offers members the opportunity to choreograph, teach and learn a wide variety of styles.

“Winning isn’t everything. To get awards, work together and represent MSU as a talented university is what we’re looking to do,” Popoff said.

One of the biggest obstacles MSU Elite faced was stabilizing their financial status.

“Finances have been our biggest obstacle, trying to find practice space and costumes that are affordable to us students paying tuition can be a challenge,” Popoff said.

The team is involved in fundraisers such as selling fan shirts and hosting events at local restaurants. They recently held a fundraiser at Dublin Irish Pub on November 9.

MSU Elite would appreciate all and any support from other Spartans, especially for their first event of this new dance team.

If you’re interested in supporting MSU Elite in any way and want more information on all their upcoming events you can visit their Facebook page.

By Alli Myers

Haunted houses are a Halloween classic. There’s always a handful of people who simply love to be scared out of their minds leading up to the 31st of October. The MSU Department of Theatre is the group behind the scenes of MSU’s very own “Haunted Aud”. Every year the department turns the Auditorium, located on Farm Lane and Auditorium Road, into a haunted house for students to go through during the weekend of Halloween. This year, the event was held from the 28th through the 30th. Anyone was welcome, students or not, from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

This year’s theme was a psychiatric ward. The line waiting to go in was set up like the waiting room in a hospital, and the Auditorium was filled with actors from the department portraying the patients and doctors. When let in to the first hallway, visitors were greeted by the doctors and nurses of the ward, who were every bit as troubled as the patients. There was someone following you down almost every hallway, people screaming for help to get out of the psych ward, and amazing props. Among these were patients screaming chained to beds, body parts scattered around the rooms, chainsaws, medical devices and much more. All of this and more often made you forget you were even in the Auditorium.

“The Auditorium is creepy without even trying, so we make it even scarier,” said theater sophomore Shannon Melick. The fact that MSU’s Auditorium has all of the necessary props to put on almost any kind of show supplied them with everything needed to perform a complete makeover on the space.

Peter Martino, a junior in the Department of Theatre studying lighting design, was the master electrician for the event.

“My favorite part about Haunted Aud is having students come through and showing them that our department can do more than put on a play,” he said.

Turning the Auditorium into a spooky haunted house was done on a budget of about $500, Martino said. The event cost $10 for students, and was used as a fundraiser for the theater department.

Melick went through the Auditorium on opening night and said, “The only thing that made it a little scary for me was that I knew almost all of the actors.” She said that hearing her own name down almost every hallway gave her even more goose bumps than she already had, but at the same time reminded her more than others that it was all just a setup.

The theatre department has a few plays coming up for the end of the semester.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“The Beaux Stratagem” will be held on November 20 in the Arena Theater. Melick described the play as a “restoration comedy”. Written by George Farquhar in 1707, it centers around two men trying to find rich heiresses to marry in order to restore their fortunes. Following “The Beaux Stratagem” is the fifth annual Freshmen Showcase, running from Dec. 2-4, where all the new freshmen in the department show off their talent in a series of shows.

Also approaching are a few big events from the MSU Roial Players, a student-led theater group that runs through the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities. “Audience”, a short comedic play, will take place Nov. 17-20. Following “Audience” is “The Laramie Project”, described by Roial Art Director Megan Kelly as “a compilation of interviews surrounding the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student from Laramie, Wyo.”

Between the theater department and the Roial Players, MSU has a lot of shows and events coming up. Tickets for the theater shows can be found purchased from the Wharton Center Box Office, and tickets for Roial events can be purchased at the door in the basement of Snyder-Phillips Hall.

By Emily Green

Since Starbucks opened its doors in Seattle Washington 1971, it has been satisfying coffee lovers and curing the caffeine cravings of people everywhere.  Whether you’re a coffee addict or not Starbucks is still a great place to quench your thirst with non-coffee beverages or to satisfy your sweet tooth with a variety of desserts. Now, 40 years later, nothing much has changed, except for the fact that the company has expanded their brand globally with over 17,000 locations, in 57 different countries, gaining dedicated followers like groupies to a rock band, and it keeps on getting bigger.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

This year was Starbucks Coffee Company’s 40th anniversary, and to commemorate this milestone, Starbucks took the opportunity to spice up their already booming business.   A subtle change that Starbucks has made following their recent anniversary was to alter their long standing logo from the classic picture of a mermaid and the words “Starbucks Coffee,” to simply the picture. Starbucks also came out with a new blend of coffee, called the Tribute Blend, for the anniversary. The Tribute blend is made up of aged Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, sun-dried Ethiopia and Colombia coffee beans.

Also commemorating the anniversary is the publishing of a book by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, titled Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. In the book, Schultz writes about the struggles, like when Shultz decide to step back into the role of CEO in 2008, to help reinstate the company’s financial health, and the eventual success of the Starbucks Company.

“Starbucks is my favorite coffee shop,” said chemical engineering freshman Andrew Lantz. With statements like these we can see why there seems to be a Starbucks mania going on across the country.

Starbucks still appears to be a fast growing and competitive company with new stores seemingly popping up on every street corner. Michigan State is joining in on the mania – on September 26 they opened a new Starbucks store here on campus in Wells Hall, (and yes they do accept Sparty cash).

Jacob Mercado, one of the supervisors of the Starbucks in East Lansing on Grand River, said they opened in the new location because of “growth of the economy and simply because the space opened up.” Students on campus appear to be happy about it, as they anxiously wait for coffee in a line that winds halfway down the hallway.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“I don’t think that the new Starbucks will affect the business of Starbucks on Grand River, people go there when it is convenient for them, but they come here to relax and study,” Mercado said. We saw if this statement was accurate by seeing what actual customers had to say, after stopping by the Starbucks on campus.

“No, I only come when it is on my way to class,” was the response from both Lizzy Wacker, a kinesiology freshman, and Lantz, when asked if they come to this Starbucks regularly.

For the Starbucks veterans who think they know it all, hold on to your seats because you are about to find out some big news. Did you know that there is a secret Starbucks menu? So when the person in line before you orders a drink that takes longer to say than to drink, no, they did not just make it up on the spot. It really does  exist.  Have you ever heard of a Zebra Mocha or a Crunch Berry Frappuccino?  Well they are two of the fun flavors you might want to try the next time you go to Starbucks. If you are interested in checking out  any of the other  secret Starbucks  treats here is a link to a website that will show you quite a few of them: http://www.ranker.com/list/starbucks-secret-menu-items/secret-menu-items.

“The 40^th anniversary was a very big deal for Starbucks as a company,” Mercado said. “It was the first coffee shop of its kind. Starbucks opened up a whole new market and culture for coffee shops. Starbucks was the pioneer of the coffee industry,” Mercado offered enthusiastically.

Seeing someone who believes in Starbucks this much was refreshing. Starbucks has become more than a coffee shop, it is a place where people can go to hang with friends or relax, and it is a social hub buzzing with conversation and the smell of brewing coffee beans.