Students looking for a pick-me-up between classes are out of luck.
As of November, Sage Dining has removed three energy drinks – Monster Energy, Reign Total Body Fuel and C4 Energy – from the available beverages during upper school snack.
This change was a result of a decision by Director of Operations Sarah Jenks, who oversees the lunch and snack options.
“We just recently made the decision that the second-level energy jump is not something that we want to provide as an institution for [students],” Jenks said.
She cited the concerns of the south campus nurses as the driving factor behind the change.
Caroline Williams, south campus nurse, wrote in an email, “Energy drinks can have mild (upset stomach) to life threatening (irregular heart rhythms) side effects. The most common side effects are increased heart rate, BP, anxiety, dehydration, insomnia, headache, stomach issues (nausea, stomachaches, digestive problems) [and] feeling jittery.”
She said she has noticed an increase in both energy drink consumption and side effects in the student body, and that these side effects are most prevalent during busy exam seasons.
“[The side effects] are probably more prevalent than we know,” Williams wrote. “We usually only see students when the side effects get bad enough for them to worry and/or come get medication.”
Energy drinks usually contain 100-200 mg of caffeine, yet the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommends adolescents ages 12 to 18 should limit their daily caffeine intake to 100 mg.
These concerns caused Jenks to remove energy drinks from the dining hall for the foreseeable future.
The nurses are not the only ones noticing this trend. Sarah Kerst, upper school Spanish teacher, said that she has become concerned about how they can make symptoms of anxiety worse.
“If [students] have any anxiety or nerves or in general emotions happening it just amplifies them,” she said. “[If they are] already nervous for a test, when [they] drink an energy drink it goes out of control.”
She is also concerned about the overall effect of caffeine on student sleep.
“I think my opinion is so strong because it goes against the belief of actually sleeping as much as you should,” she said. “There is so much research about going to bed at a consistent time, and I know you guys work hard, but sleeping from 11:00 [p.m.] to 6:30 [a.m.] is so much more beneficial than drinking and serving kids energy drinks.”
By removing energy drinks from the dining hall, students who do not have access to energy drinks at home are completely cut off.
This is the case for freshman Avika Adatrow who only had access to energy drinks at school, but not anymore.
“I’m kind of mad because the energy drinks help me power throughout the day, and I don’t have any from home, so I just need the ones from here,” she said.
Jenks, however, said that she thinks parents should make the call as to whether or not their children consume energy drinks on a daily basis, not the school.
“It would be very difficult for me to answer [a] mom when [students] go buy three Monster drinks because [they] have been up all night studying for a test, and [they] have an adverse reaction to those,” Jenks said. “I can’t condone what we did as an institution to allow [students] to have that even if it is [their] choice.’’
Students can still bring their own energy drinks from home. That’s freshman Mamie Bush’s plan.
“I’m sad, but at the same time I never bought them [from the dining hall] because I bring my own drinks to school,” she said.
Senior Mollie Wexler doesn’t see the appeal of energy drinks.
“I don’t like caffeine because it makes my heart race, it makes me shake and I get dizzy,” she said. “I don’t know why. It’s just with energy drinks, and that’s when I feel it. So, I’m very against them.”
She also noted the potential risks of consuming that much caffeine daily.
“I think everyone should make their own decision. If it doesn’t make you feel bad then that’s one part, but also we don’t know the long-term effects of them,” Wexler said “We don’t know what’s going to happen from drinking a can or two of Celsius every day.”
Despite their potential negative effects, many students are sad to see energy drinks go. This is the case for Junior Alana Wade.
“It actually upsets me because I am an avid Monster drinker, and I’m an energy drink person,” she said.
But caffeine is still being sold during snack. Other beverages like Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper will remain in the dining hall for the time being.
“We are going to continue to offer a few caffeinated drinks right now,” Jenks said. “Anything can change at any minute.”