Nickie Hayes
Editor-in-chief
As a college student, drinking caffeinated beverages, especially in the midst of the term, is all but too common for me. Energy drinks, coffee and tea are all on the roster. Moreover, with all the new energy drinks that are hitting the market, there might be too many options to ease my fatigue. However, coffee, in my mind, is the ultimate caffeinated beverage. I can make it at home, so it’s the most cost effective option, and I don’t feel as bad drinking two to three cups throughout the day versus that many energy drinks. Having a Red Bull is like an indulgence nowadays. Also, I know exactly what’s going into my coffee: I put a couple tablespoons of my favorite almond milk or oat milk creamer and I’m set.
Although, just six months ago, I probably wouldn’t have said coffee was my favorite. Two years ago when the Delta COVID-19 strain swept the nation, I got sick with it and lost my taste for some of my favorite bitter delights, like dark chocolate and coffee. It’s taken years but I can finally say I’ve acquired my love for coffee again, for better or worse.
Natalie st. Denis
DEputy editor
My go-to caffeinated drink, if I’m not feeling a RedBull, would be my Starbucks order. During the COVID-19 lockdown I was scrolling through Tik Tok when I came across a video of a girl explaining her favorite Starbucks drink. Normally, I try to sympathize with the baristas by not asking for a super complex, seven different substitutes kind of drink; however, considering the base of this drink was already a simple iced chai tea, I figured I should give it a try. So, first I shamelessly order the Venti size, consisting of an iced chai tea latte with oat milk. Then I ask for two pumps of brown sugar syrup and Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam on top. That’s all there is to it. While I usually order it just for its sweet, sugar cookie-like taste, I only recently realized how much caffeine is actually in it.
Munya Chimanye
Editor
The topic of caffeinated beverages happens to be one of my preferred topics of ponderance. I started drinking coffee at the tender age of ten in the company of my mother, who, by all means, is a certified addict to the bitter bev. If not indicated clearly by her coercing her child into coffee dates, the fact can clearly be seen from the coffee cup corpses that litter her pickup truck. But coffee just never did it for me. To feel the adrenal surge in my veins I need something harder, colder. I need a Red Bull, preferably in the eight ounce can, because a friend of mine and myself believe that it carries the greatest potency. I prefer not to know what taurine is so, to this day, I have managed not to look too hard at the contents section of the tasty can.
Jess Landman
Staff Writer
I am not much into caffeinated beverages. Coffee has always been too bitter and I was never interested in the high-sugar caffeinated sodas. I’ve tried caffeinated Bublys, but they are not really my style. There has been one drink, which is considered caffeinated but not really known for caffeine, that I find myself reaching for quite often. I love tea. I have drunk iced tea for as long as I can remember as a refreshing summertime drink. I will drink any flavor and any brand of iced tea, my favorite being sweet tea. I have recently been trying to get into hot tea as well, my favorite so far being green tea with some honey.
Peculiar Joseph
Staff writer
It may sound funny but I actually do not like artificial energy boosts. I feel as though, as long as we eat healthy and maintain a balanced diet, we, as humans, should be fine. I think people are just never satisfied with their energy level and feel the need to boost their energy, but I personally do not see the need for that except in certain, very specific cases.
Molly Ryan
Staff Writer
As a college student, I am always exhausted and can always use a refreshing iced coffee. My favorite caffeinated beverage is sadly seasonal: the pumpkin spice latte. Pumpkin spice lattes always bring me happiness because fall is my favorite season and, to top it off, it wakes me up. This drink is great when made anywhere, but I especially enjoy it from Dunkin Donuts. If you add whipped cream, it will automatically taste better. Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors and coffee is one of my favorite drinks, so when you mix those together I am automatically joyful. When pumpkin spice isn’t available, I usually just stick to a plain caramel iced coffee. It usually does the job, but nothing will ever top my pumpkin spice.
Ziaire ferrell
Staff writer
When it comes to energy drinks I’m no stranger. I’ve liked them since high school but when I came to college I developed a love for energy drinks. My favorite caffeinated beverage is Yerba Mate, which I love for its amazing taste. I am not really a tea drinker, so when I first tried Yerba Mate I thought I would not enjoy it, but after I took my first sip I fell in love. If I’m having a long day and still have to push through in order to get work done, I go to the express store on my college campus and grab at least two of them. Since then, Yerba Mate has become my go-to drink. I rarely ever pick up any other energy drink, and if I do, the express is probably all out of Yerba.
APN 