Benjamin Rizzo
On a hot, sunny day in the Pierce College campus mall, a glass-enclosed vending machine stands as a tribute to everlasting thirst.
“Enjoy a refreshing drink,” the machine beckons, as its robotic arm readies for motion across the stacks of neatly assorted liquids.
“Choose selection,” it demands, noting the interior temperature reading of 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
There are so many choices, yet just one selection.
Of all the liquid refreshments in the world, if you had to pick one, just one, which one would it be?
In a recent survey, 100 Pierce College students were asked to name their favorite nonalcoholic beverage. Answers ranged anywhere from the ordinary concoction of iced tea, to the peculiar mixture of Minute Maid Tropical Punch.
Nearly half (43 percent) of those surveyed chose water as their preferred means of refueling. Meanwhile, another 23 percent provided some more intriguing alternatives.
“Orange Mango Motion Naked Juice,” said Christina Escobar, 19, second-year student whose major is undecided. “It tastes like a Mango-A-Go-Go from Jamba Juice.”
“Mountain Dew Game Fuel,” said Vince Mano. “I drank that stuff and I was up for like two days.”
When asked if he was concerned about any of the side effects of drinking such a beverage, Mano said, “If the drink tastes good, I’ll drink it. That’s my motto.”
Some other students, such as Omar Flores, also seek a beverage’s energizing capabilities. Flores routinely indulges in a Monster Energy drink, cracking one open after his track meets and soccer games, in hopes that it might help see him through his nine-hour shift at Ralphs supermarket.
There are even students who look to their drink for help in hindering infectious diseases.
Kombuchi tea, as one student explains, is a form of fermented mushroom tea known for its antibiotic effects on the body. The tea is sold at Whole Foods, so any concerns that this student is hallucinating on campus can be put to ease.
Acai juice is another alternative pointed out by one art history student. Acai is a type of berry grown in the Amazon rainforest that has more antioxidants than pomegranates, and twice that of blueberries.
Then there are those who take pleasure in some of the more traditional options.
One exuberant student displayed her fondness of Coca Cola as she raised her can to the sky, undoubtedly immersed in a caffeinated rush.
“Any diet soda,” said Izabell Karaghossian, 20, third-year biology major. “It’s guilt free, but still gives me that sugar rush somehow.”
Arizona’s colorful assortment of teas and juices came in third among students, bringing in a respectable 12 percent of those surveyed. Coffee brought up the rear, tallying 6 percent.
“I drink my coffee every morning as well,” said Beth Benne, director of the student health center. “But water is your best bet.”
According to Benne, caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic that makes students urinate frequently. This is a problem in the heat, as students already lose essential body fluids through sweat. Students must drink twice the amount of coffee as compared to water to gain these essential fluids back.
As night falls on campus, the glass-enclosed plethora of canned and bottled beverages is a fragment of its former self. A mere four bottles of water remain on its depleted shelves.
Triumphant, the machine rests and prepares for its next day of class at Pierce.
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