As fall begins, SHS students prepare for a long-awaited break and the many drinks perfect for the chilly weather. Year after year, all the fall flavors compete to try and be the dominant flavor of the season. Shelves in coffee shops and supermarkets alike have begun to fill with the pungent, distinct smell of pumpkin spice. In an Olympics-style race, pumpkin spice has pulled through to take the top spot yet again.

Gone are the days when additives like cinnamon, cranberry and apple reigned supreme in warm drinks sipped by kids coming in from playing in the frigid cold. Southport area grocer Al Spice has seen the decline of popular fall flavors firsthand.

“I had to make the switch to pumpkin spice rather quickly,” Spice said. “It was all pretty unexpected. All I’d stocked before was little jars of the stuff.”

Students across the U.S. have been affected by this phenomenon. Stores in the Southport area have shown an increase in sales to high school kids, especially during the hours of 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., which is peak time for students to be out.

Even foods that have no connection to fall are getting influenced by this trend. Potato chips, gum and milk are among those tainted by the pumpkin spice storm. Many people object to this situation, some of whom previously supported the movement. Junior Pam Grady believes that the spice has a nice scent and taste but worries about the consequences of such an over saturation in the market of flavors.

“With pumpkin spice being everywhere, there’s no room for any other flavors to shine,” Grady said. “Where’s the pear, ginger and butternut squash?”

Once fall is over, one can only savor the absence of pumpkin spice until an even worse enemy arises, peppermint. There’s nothing like the sting of cold weather complimented by the chill of peppermint to signal the winter months, according to Grady.