It’s reading period, which means caffeine is even more of a necessity than usual.  Luckily, the Blue Room just added flavored lattes to their repertoire, so now you can satisfy your sweet tooth simultaneously with your coffee fix.  The flavor shots cost an extra dollar, but they save you the annoyance of having to walk to Thayer from the Rock. It’s a quick way to act when the caramel latte craving strikes and your fear of being filmed in the bathroom reigns supreme.

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The College Hill Café brings together two spectacular things: Blue State’s coffee and the ability to use declining balance. It’s hard to even consider going to the Blue State hub further up Thayer when you can use Monopoly money at its bookstore location. If you’re lucky enough to snag a table near a plug, it makes an excellent study location, too, within easy reach of as much caffeine as your little heart desires.

This experience is only made all the merrier by the discovery of two more spectacular things: dirty chai and grilled cheese. Dirty chai, in addition to being fun to order, is delicious to drink. It’ll give you your coffee jolt and tea fix simultaneously by way of an espresso shot dumped into a tall glass of creamy, spicy chai. (How did it take humanity so long to put those two together?) Sip this alongside Blue State’s rendition of the grilled cheese, which panini-presses multigrain bread with sharp white cheddar until it’s charred just-so, providing you with a crispy, melty, soul-warming final product. The sandwich itself inspires angelic choruses; the combination is a magical thing, the perfect fuel for a Sunday afternoon spent studying.

Today’s Morning Mail came with the first tip in a week to better sleep from Health Services. It told readers they should avoid or limit intake of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol – which can all cause disturbances to sleep.

Now’s not exactly the right time to tell students to lay off the caffeine. How else are we supposed to stay awake to do all the reading, writing and studying required of us? And without alcohol, how are we supposed to cope with the crushing weight of finals?

Thanks, Health Services, for a well-intentioned message at the totally wrong time. We’ll be looking forward to what other sleeping tips we’ll receive this week. Next you’ll probably be telling us we shouldn’t go to Cinco de Mayo Fish Co.

Reports are in: Blue Room iced coffee is back.