2008 Woodie Awards
Student overdoses on caffeine
By: Genevieve Garcia
Issue date: 5/21/08 Section: News
Every semester students across campus scramble to finish term papers and study for finals, wishing that they could have just a few extra hours in the day to finish their work.
For freshman Maria Gonzalez, finding these extra hours last fall meant turning to the power of caffeinated drinks like coffee, soda and Red Bull.
"It was my first semester of college and I was overwhelmed," said Gonzalez, 18. "I had two finals and a paper due all on the same day. I couldn't afford not to stay up and study."
Gonzalez's caffeine binge started around lunch that day when she had a large soda. She followed it with two Red Bulls a few hours later.
"I was feeling pretty good after my second Red Bull. I had all kinds of energy and was able to do most of my paper," she said.
However, the high Gonzalez was on did not last long. Her energy level fell and she became very tired.
Still needing to study, Gonzalez and a couple friends went to Starbucks after dinner. Though she admitted to not being a coffee drinker, Gonzalez had two drinks while there.
"My roommate ordered for me," Gonzalez said. "She got me drinks that were sweet and did not taste too much like coffee. I felt twice as energized afterward."
When Gonzalez got back to her apartment, it was almost 11 p.m. She decided to stay up for another two hours to read through her notes.
Gonzalez's roommate, 18-year-old Jessica Mendoza, stayed up as well after they got back, but she was in her room checking her MySpace profile. She eventually went to the kitchen to get water and saw Gonzalez.
"Maria was sitting at the table studying," Mendoza said. "I saw that she was drinking a soda. When she saw me, she started talking really fast. She just didn't look right."
Mendoza asked Gonzalez if she was feeling all right. Gonzalez said she felt like she was not at all tired. However, she did admit to "tingles" in her muscles and a "heart beating so fast it could explode."
For freshman Maria Gonzalez, finding these extra hours last fall meant turning to the power of caffeinated drinks like coffee, soda and Red Bull.
"It was my first semester of college and I was overwhelmed," said Gonzalez, 18. "I had two finals and a paper due all on the same day. I couldn't afford not to stay up and study."
Gonzalez's caffeine binge started around lunch that day when she had a large soda. She followed it with two Red Bulls a few hours later.
"I was feeling pretty good after my second Red Bull. I had all kinds of energy and was able to do most of my paper," she said.
However, the high Gonzalez was on did not last long. Her energy level fell and she became very tired.
Still needing to study, Gonzalez and a couple friends went to Starbucks after dinner. Though she admitted to not being a coffee drinker, Gonzalez had two drinks while there.
"My roommate ordered for me," Gonzalez said. "She got me drinks that were sweet and did not taste too much like coffee. I felt twice as energized afterward."
When Gonzalez got back to her apartment, it was almost 11 p.m. She decided to stay up for another two hours to read through her notes.
Gonzalez's roommate, 18-year-old Jessica Mendoza, stayed up as well after they got back, but she was in her room checking her MySpace profile. She eventually went to the kitchen to get water and saw Gonzalez.
"Maria was sitting at the table studying," Mendoza said. "I saw that she was drinking a soda. When she saw me, she started talking really fast. She just didn't look right."
Mendoza asked Gonzalez if she was feeling all right. Gonzalez said she felt like she was not at all tired. However, she did admit to "tingles" in her muscles and a "heart beating so fast it could explode."
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