Starbucks released their yearly red cups decorated with white snowflakes and other wintery symbols on November 3, but this year it was different. This year it was just plain red cups. Starbucks Vice President Jeffrey Fields explained that they “wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stores.” Junior Mitchell Vehlewald doesn’t see the controversy.

“Why are people upset? It’s just a cup,” Vehlewald said. “Don’t you go for the coffee?”

Senior Alexandria Ford shared similar thoughts.

“It’s still Thanksgiving so I think it’s okay to not have that,” Ford said. “It has nothing to do with religion.”

Junior Cade Teets puts his opinion on the controversy. In 1997, Starbucks began using their patented red cup in order to generate excitement with the season. It had a jazzy Santa with a combination of colors including red, blue, green, and yellow.

“People are overreacting about their coffee,” Teets said.

And it has been quite the beacon, from attracting regular visitors on social media to Republican presidential candidates like Donald Trump, saying that “maybe we should boycott Starbucks” on Twitter. Some people think that is a “war on Christmas”, that they are going against the holiday. People like senior Jennifer Munson, don’t see it as a war on religion, as her stance is much like the other students.

“Any company can pursue any religious affiliation that they would like,” Munson said. “A design on a cup does not dim my Christmas spirit.”