Illustration by Sana Amin/The Gazelle

The cool air touches your cheeks as you walk down the sidewalk past Campus Center. You see a Starbucks vendor surrounded by the falling leaves of autumn, and remember that the changing weather has finally brought the flavor of the season: pumpkin spice. And then you realize that you actually live in the UAE, a country that experiences autumn like Antarctica experiences summer.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Pumpkin Spice Latte, better known as the PSL.

While the hype over the recent conforming of campus cafés to U.S. American tastes is already ridiculous, what makes it worse is the combination of a hot, spiced drink with the continued heat and humidity that make up Abu Dhabi’s fall season. Instead of cardigans and orange leaves, we have uncomfortably sweaty T-shirts and green leaves that change straight to brown, with no variation in between. The marketing purpose of a PSL is to align with the season — not remind the public of what they are missing.

While there are a select few who commend this new addition as a representation of the true Starbucks spirit, the reality is that there is almost nothing to be excited about.

If the PSL were a delicious drink whose tastiness had been defamed by the white girl stereotype, then its enduring popularity would be understandable. But sentiment on campus indicates that the quality of this sugary beverage is less than great.

While a few came to the PSL’s rescue without a degree of sarcasm, there were many eager to give their opinion on why they despised the PSL.

As freshman Ankita Sadarjoshi commented, “The PSL is an overwhelming assault on the senses. It makes me puke-y.”

Sophomore Jihyun Kim had a more moderate stance: “It’s comforting, but not amazing. I expected an actual pumpkin flavor but it was pretty flavor deficient and sugar-excessive.”

In order to better understand the true nature of this black mark on the U.S. American taste palette, I asked an expert. Freshman Thomas Yates worked as a barista back in high school and knows firsthand exactly what goes into your favorite Valley Girl indulgence.

“It’s not a logical flavor at all,” said Yates. “And it’s completely artificial. It’s just fun to say and super basic so people buy it.”

Finally, beyond the poor taste, health concerns and bad cultural integration lies the issue of social stigma. The PSL is one of the many beacons of the so-called white girl community.

This community does not represent those of a specific race or gender, but rather a subsection of the international community that just really loves some good old-fashioned gossip, constant Snapchat updates and the movie Mean Girls. Oh, and Ugg boots. Let’s not forget the Uggs. Maybe even yoga pants too. You decide. This stereotype of the PSL has become so prominent that some will not order one for fear of social repercussions.

As senior Emlyn Van Eps put it: “The stigma around PSLs is so strong that I’m too embarrassed to even order one.”

In order to better understand the phenomenon, I tried the renowned Pumpkin Spice Latte at both the Library Café and East Dining Hall. After a thoroughly unimpressive first latte, I attempted to add flavor through an extra espresso shot. Following these experiences, I can confidently say that this drink is a disgrace to the word latte and additional caffeine only creates a bitter aftertaste to match the artificial taste of pumpkin spice, which is definitely not pumpkin.

While I respect those that find this beverage comforting and satisfying, I believe I speak for the majority of the NYUAD population in saying that this addition to the campus Starbucks menu was both unnecessary and unworthy of the mass advertising that marked its arrival to campus.