Most students rely on energy drinks to last throughout the day, with the hard schedule and hours of work. But what if energy drinks are actually depleting your energy?
There are many different types and brands of energy drinks, some of the most popular being Monster, Alani, and Celsius. Each energy drink has something different to it, but they all share the same basic ingredients.
Most energy drinks contain 80-150 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, which is equivalent to a 5 ounce cup of coffee, or two cans of 12 ounce soda, states National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health. Some other common components of energy drinks are taurine, methylxanthines, vitamin B, ginseng, guarana, yerba mate,, maltodextrin, inositol, carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone, and ginkgo biloba. Which, to most people reading this article, means nothing.
Maybe you don’t know anything about the other chemicals and add-ins and stuff from above, but doesn’t creatine sound familiar? Or maybe taurine? Creatine is a protein found in your body, mostly in your bones and brain. Creatine helps your bones and muscles flex, and can enhance your physical performance. Although we get it from natural resources like meats, seafoods, milk, and eggs. But get too much of it, and it can cause gastrointestinal issues, dehydration, and weight gain. Long term effects can be kidney damage, liver damage, and muscle cramps. Taurine is an acid that helps the body with several functions. While it is used in energy drinks to help cells with energy production, it also helps the body process bile acid and balance fluids, salts and minerals. Too much taurine can cause stomach pain, liver pain, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
Energy drinks have so much in them to boost performance and alertness, and can be good before you do hard physical activity, or hard workouts, but you can’t just go through them like they’re juice boxes; one after another. With all of their ingredients, it dehydrates your body fast if you don’t drink water with it, which is why even with an energy drink you should still drink water. If you don’t do the right things with your energy drink, you’re actually depleting your energy rather than enhancing it.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4682602/
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/energy-drinks/
https://www.reagent.co.uk/blog/chemicals-in-energy-drinks/
mayoclinic.com
Advertisements target teenagers and young adults by making the drink look fresh, new, and popular. They use vibrant colors to attract teens, and they promote drinking energy drinks by showing models who drink one and get a glow-up.
These advertisements are everywhere: during a YouTube video, a YouTube short, and social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. Advertisements are put on social media to attract their target audience, which are teens and young adults, who are often on social media. They post them on social media because they know that kids our age and young adults will watch it and take more interest in it.
While making these advertisements, they use muscular and beautiful women and men to imply that drinking energy drinks can make you look like them. Advertisements also hire celebrities to perform in their commercials, which can appeal to people who know them.
Nowadays, you’ll see a lot of students in the hallways drinking energy drinks such as Alani Nu, Celsius, or Monster, but why do they choose to drink these instead of other beverages like coffee or Gatorade? After interviewing some students, we have the answers.
Energy drinks are meant to improve energy, alertness, and concentration (Raman), and they are popular at gyms, colleges, athletic events, and now, grade schools. Most energy drinks are made primarily with caffeine, B vitamins, artificial sweeteners, and sometimes sugar. Some energy drinks have way over the recommended daily intake of caffeine, and this can make them especially addictive. While energy drink addiction may not be as bad as some other addictions, it can still lead to health problems in the long term. Many of these drinks even have warnings on them specifying that they are not for kids.
We interviewed one eighth grader, Mason Kennedy, who was drinking a Monster, why he chose to drink it. His response was, “They taste really good.” This shows that because of the excess sugar and sweeteners in energy drinks, they may also be chosen just because of their taste. He regularly drinks energy drinks, and he’s not going to stop anytime soon.
Some students also choose to drink energy drinks before their sports games or practices for extra stamina. After a few games using energy drinks, they may start to rely on them to be able to keep up their performance. Without them, they might feel like they don’t have enough energy to play in their game or practice.
Another person we interviewed was Mrs. Collins’ son, Sean. We interviewed him to get a different perspective because he is much older than most students. When asked why he chose energy drinks over other drinks, he responded with, “They taste good and take 10 days off of my life every time I drink one.” Considering his response, we questioned, “Do you feel it is safe for students in middle or high school?” Sean is 22, and his opinion is “Definitely not middle school and probably not good for anyone under 15.”
We also asked a student who was drinking their first energy drink, “Why did you decide to try an energy drink?” She said that she was influenced by the internet and her friends, and she just wanted to try one. She said that her first impressions were that it tasted pretty good, but smelled artificial.
If you drink energy drinks often, take a minute to ask yourself: “Why?” After reading this article, will you keep on drinking them?
On February 27, 2024, my brother was hospitalized due to complications rising from the Monster energy drink. This incident was a direct result of its high caffeine content, various stimulants, and excessive amounts of sugar. My brother combined Monster with Red Bull, leading to dangerous spikes in his blood pressure and ammonia levels in his brain. Doctors informed us that his heart was under extreme stress and could have potentially exploded.
I believe that no one should consume energy drinks, particularly when natural sources of energy are readily available.
Current studies show there have been 34 deaths linked to energy drinks, the youngest being Davis Allen Cripe, who tragically lost his life at just 16 years old. He ingested too much caffeine from both a latte and an energy drink, collapsing hours later at his high school in South Carolina. Such alarming numbers reinforce my belief that these drinks pose a significant risk to our health.
Some may argue that energy drinks can provide a quick energy boost or improve athletic performance. Some supporters even claim that moderation can make these drinks safe for adult consumers. However, this perspective often overlooks the serious health risks associated with high caffeine levels, especially for adolescents whose bodies are still developing. Studies indicate that many energy drinks, including popular brands like Celsius, lack FDA regulation, leading to inadequate oversight of their ingredients and safety. Consequently, their consumption can lead to insomnia, anxiety, heart palpitations (which occur when your heart is beating too fast or irregularly), and increased risks of type 2 diabetes.
In 2025, I’ve observed a worrying trend: individuals under 18 are consuming these energy drinks, often leading to severe health issues and potential hospitalization. If this trend continues, the consequences could be dire, with some young people even risking their lives. It is imperative that parents take action to protect their children from the dangers of energy drinks. Implementing limits on these products and initiating conversations about health can make a significant difference in preventing future generations from facing serious physical and mental health challenges.
We must prioritize the health of our youth over the brief benefits of energy drinks. By having informed discussions and leading by example, we can reduce the appeal of these perilous products and promote healthier, more natural alternatives.
The new drink of 2025 is energy drinks, but this quick uprising in popularity has not brought the right age group. Teenagers all over the world have been seen with energy drinks (specifically Alani and Celsius) every day. How bad is this? Let’s look at the pros and cons.
I did some research on the cons of energy drinks; One 12 ounce Alani contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, which is equal to 0.2 grams of caffeine. 200 milligrams of caffeine is NOT safe for teenagers. Too much caffeine in children and teens can cause increased heart rate, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, digestive problems, and dehydration. Eventually, it can also lead to sleep problems, and sleep is very important for development. Children are also more sensitive to caffeine than adults due to their smaller body size.
After doing research on the advantages of energy drinks, there were no obvious ones. The only good things about energy drinks are the fact that they taste good and that they give people energy on early mornings. Here are some quotes from students who may or may not drink energy drinks. The questions were simple. Why do you not like/like energy drinks? And are you aware of how there can be serious effects on your body? Maddie Karll said “I love energy drinks because of the delicious flavors and the energy they give me on mornings when I have to wake up early. I am not aware of all of the effects, but I know that they can cause heart attacks.” Another one of our students said “I am not allowed to drink energy drinks. My parents dont allow them in our house because my dad had to go to the hospital from drinking an energy drink. Therefore, I do know the effects of energy drinks and I don't think kids should be able to have them.” One last student says “I love Alanis specifically, the flavors are great! I understand the effects of them, I’ve only had like 3 just to be careful.”
Out of these three students, 2 of them either haven’t had one or had a few. As kids and teenagers, it is really important to stay away from energy drinks because they could cause serious problems, even death. A lot of us started drinking energy drinks because the popularity increased in school and social media. Although you might want to be more popular and engage in trends, you still have to stay safe and make sure you are protecting your body. There are too many risks of drinking energy drinks. There are a lot of good options out there that taste good but are also non-caffeinated. It is SO important to think before you act. Drinking something so simple like an energy drink can put you in the hospital so quickly, so make sure to think before you decide. Stay good to your body!
The Red Carpet Dance was an extravagant event hosted by the PTSO and SGA on Friday, April 11, 2025, and our eighth graders had the opportunity to come and have a fun night out! The gym was decorated for the dance, and students enjoyed eating pizza, chips, and more, all provided by the SGA. Throughout the event, music was played by DJ Jay Wheelz, and many students had fun requesting songs. Later in the night, the lights in the gym went out and the music cranked up. Everyone loved dancing along to “The Cha-Cha Slide,” “The Cupid Shuffle,” “The Cotton Eye Joe,” “The Chicken Dance,” and especially, “FE!N.” Throughout the night, the attendees were able to take photos at a photo booth, capturing moments with both students and teachers. Thanks to the SGA, the PTSO, and all of the parent and teacher volunteers that made this event possible!
The 6th graders woke up early on April 23rd to get on the buses to Atlanta. This was the biggest field trip of the year for the 6th graders, for they went to the Georgia Aquarium, an Atlanta Braves game vs the Cardinals, MLK’s childhood house, and the Coca-Cola Museum. The students and chaperones stayed in hotels for one night.This was all packed into 2 days, but it all started when the 6th graders arrived at school at 5:00 am and got on the buses. It was almost a 6 hour drive, and when they got there, they walked straight into Truist Park for Braves vs Cardinals. It was a close game, and in the last few minutes, Eli White from the Braves hit a home run. That won the game for Atlanta, 2-1. There were a few groups of kids from Brawley that got on the Jumbotron? What is that big screen called? After the game, it started to rain, so everybody was bolting to the buses, which then continued on their journey. Our next stop was MLK’s neighborhood when he was young. There we saw the church where he was a pastor/priest/reverend guy, and we saw his old house. It was pretty cool to imagine that he grew up in an actual regular life like all of us. After that, we went to the hotels and got some sleep. We woke up at 7:00 in the morning to get ready for the day though. We made it to the aquarium after a long drive and saw some cool fish. There were huge whale sharks, manta rays, puffins, penguins, and there was a sea lion show and a dolphin show. Right across from the aquarium was the Coca-Cola Museum, so everyone walked there right after. The Coca-Cola Museum was fun, and it was cool to see how the company started. There was a room where we could try every flavor in every country, and also try flavors that have not come out. Also they had a gift shop that was huge. Pretty much everybody purchased a souvenir from this awesome shop! That was everything that happened on the trip, and I think it was enjoyable for everyone, even with the long bus rides. There were so many cool places to go, and we got to experience a little bit of all the fun things to do in Atlanta.
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Phoenix Gazette! In this article, I’ll be covering the robotics competition. Let's get started!
What do students do at the robotics competition?
Mr. Hager explained that there are four parts of FLL robotics—the innovative project, the core values, the robot design, and the table runs. According to Mr. Hager, the innovative project part is “a research project that builds solutions to a challenge.” The core values part is “ when the team is given a challenge to work through as a team.” The robot design part is when the contestants “show how they programmed the bot, added extensions, solved problems, selected missions, and overcame challenges with the bot in hand.” The table runs are where they place the bot on a table and do their actual robot challenge with getting points by performing tasks on the table per the scoring rubric.”
Who were the winners?
This year, the eighth grade team at TBS got first place in the competition. The seventh grade team got second place, and they were awarded the Rising Star award. This award means that the team is now expected great things from and has great potential in the future. The sixth grade team got third or fourth place and two awards, the Robot Performance award and the Spirit Award
How long has the Brawley robotics competition been going on?
According to Mr. Hager, they have been competing at the ISS competition for years now, and this is his third year running it.
How long did the competitors have to prepare?
Mr. Hager states that they have the ability to begin in July, but TBS usually begins in September.
What tips would you give anyone who wants to join robotics and partake in competitions?
Mr. Hager says you should come prepared to work, both as a team and independently, and perform all four parts of the competition. “It's a lot of work doing the innovation project and building core values routines. But you must begin early to win.” He quotes.
Would you consider joining robotics?
This year, our eighth grade Musical Theatre class performed Seussical Jr.! This iss a fun one-hour show that combines classic Dr. Seuss stories in the form of a musical. In case you didn’t go, we’ll give you the gist. Its plot has a lot of fun subplots, but the main story is about a boy named Jojo who follows along with the Cat in the Hat while Horton the Elephant tries to save the Whos. The Whos live on a dust speck, which makes it hard for Horton to save them. Along the way, some monkey siblings and Sour Kangaroos make trouble for Horton, and Gertrude, his neighbor, tries to help him.
One May 9th, Mrs. Mayhoff’s Musical Theatre class spent the day in the gym rehearsing. They ran through it twice, with the first being their first time running through the whole show at once, and the second time was a dress rehearsal. With such a small amount of time between rehearsal and their performance, they did a great job pulling it off! The whole cast gave it their all for their final performance, and it showed. A big thanks to the audience for coming and supporting the students, and thank you to the P.E. teachers for letting them take over the gym. Let’s give thanks to the cast, for putting on such a great show, and finally, thank you to Mrs. Mayhoff! The show could not have gone on without her! Congratulations to everyone involved with Seussical Jr.!
On March 23, 2025, the Odyssey of the Mind team went to Jacksonville, North Carolina to compete in the Odyssey of the Mind state competition. They competed in the spontaneous portion and then performed their skit. The team got 6th in the state, unfortunately not making it to the world-level competition in Michigan. We wish them better luck next year!
The month of April was nominated for Arab American Heritage Month. This month was nominated because Pierre Subeh advocated for a month celebrating Arab American heritage. April was nominated because spring brings new beginnings and symbolizes hope and growth. The colors associated with this month are green, symbolizing paradise, white, for purity, black, meaning power, and red being courage. West Asia and North Africa are common places for Arab people to be from.
You can explore the culture of Arab American Heritage through food, music, clothing, films, and many more. Many books you can read are The Proudest Blue: A Story of a Hijab and a Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly. This is a children’s picture book about two Muslim sisters in school.
The Arab American National museum, located in Dearborn, Michigan, is the only Arab American museum in the United States. This museum has many culinary, literary, and family experiences for everyone to enjoy in this museum. Many reviews say this museum is a very educational and entertaining place to enjoy your time. Although it is very far away from North Carolina, you can still enjoy it by watching documentaries about the museum or just watching a documentary about Arab Americans.
Some cultural foods you could try to connect with Arab Americans are hummus, couscous, pita bread, vegetables, rice, and meat; These are just some of the staples and meals that many Arab Americans enjoy.
Whenever you can celebrate and enjoy Arab American Heritage Month, do it! You could also help local businesses to celebrate. There are many different and all meaningful ways you could celebrate and commemorate Arab American Heritage Month. How will you celebrate?
Earth Day is an annual event that is dedicated to spreading awareness on environmental issues. It takes place every year on April 22. This day encourages people to join in on taking action in the environment around them. People often contribute to activities like picking up litter or planting trees and flowers. Earth day first started on April 20, 1970, when 20 million Americans protested and urged the government to take action to protect our planet. These people sparked a huge global movement on our planet that continues to make a difference to this day. How do you celebrate Earth Day?
April Fools’ Day, in most countries, is the first day of April. It received its name from the custom of playing practical jokes on this day—for example, telling friends that their shoelaces are untied or sending them on so-called fools’ errands.
The story goes back to the 1500s in France when the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar) was replaced with the Gregorian calendar (introduced by Pope Gregory
XIII and still used in most parts of the world). In the old Julian calendar, the new year began on April 1, but with the new Gregorian calendar, the new year was set to begin on January 1.
News did not always travel fast in those days so not everyone got the word that the start of the New Year changed to January 1. They kept celebrating it on April 1, and they were widely mocked as April Fools.
I hope you learned something new about April Fools Day!
Holi is a sacred ancient tradition for people who are Hindu, a holiday that is celebrated in the many states of India with regional holidays in other countries. It is a cultural celebration that gives Hindus and non-Hindus alike an opportunity to have fun with friends, family, and neighbors by throwing colored water and powder at each other.
Throwing colored powder and water symbolizes the celebration of joy, love, and the triumph of good over evil, and it's a playful way to break down social barriers and celebrate new beginnings.
Holi originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world. Holi celebrations take different forms in various parts of India, and can last up to 40 days in some regions and just two days in others.
Holi, a vibrant Hindu festival celebrating spring and the victory of good over evil, is rooted in the story of Prahlad's devotion to Vishnu, an important god for Hindus, which saved him from his father's evil plot and Holika's, the father’s evil sister, fire.
Cinco de mayo is the celebration of the Mexican army’s victory over the French second empire which occurred at the battle of Puebla on may, 5, 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. The primary reason for the Battle of Puebla was the Second French Intervention in Mexico 1861-1867, where France, led by Emperor Napoleon III, invaded Mexico to establish a pro-French monarchy.
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with parades, music, food, and often, the enjoyment of Mexican beverages, particularly in the United States. In Mexico, the focus is more on commemorating the victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla.
Mother’s Day is a special holiday to honor and celebrate our hardworking and deserving mothers. This day falls on the second Sunday of May each year (Ann Jarvis’ day of death). This year it falls on May 11th. This is a great chance to show how appreciative we are of our mothers and everything they do for us on a daily basis. So what are some ways to celebrate with your mom? Some common things to do for your mom is to get gifts such as cards, flowers, chocolates, and more. Fun fact, the white carnation is commonly viewed as the official symbol of Mother’s Day! Just simple things like that can really show your appreciation for her. Many people go out for brunch or a fancy dinner to celebrate as well. Another common thing to do for your mom is make breakfast in bed, nothing could be better than lying in bed with some delicious eggs and toast! It really depends on what makes your mom happy, but whatever that is you should try and keep in mind gifts and celebrations. Next, let's take a look into the history of Mother’s Day. It originated with Anna Jarvis, a social activist who after the death of her mother, held a memorial ceremony to honor her mother and all mothers, in Gafton, West Virginia. The date of every second Sunday in May was established in 1914 by president Woodrow Wilson, who made this special holiday official! So in honor of this amazing and important holiday make sure to let your mom know that she is loved! By doing whatever you think would make her happy. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, thank you for all you do!
This year, Memorial Day is on May 26. Memorial Day is always on the last Monday of May. We observe Memorial Day as a holiday and are let off of school for the day if the school year goes that far out. Memorial Day is to honor and remember the Military personnels who died fighting for our country. These are the main people we commemorate on this holiday. This holiday also applies to anyone who has died serving in any branches of the military, for example any Presidents who were assassinated.
Some people might get his holiday confused with the holiday, Veterans day in November. These holidays both honor the veterans in our country but Memorial Day only celebrates the ones who died serving for us. Veterans day celebrates everyone in the military, even the ones who didn't
die. Like other American holidays, Memorial Day also has the colors red white and blue associated with it and these are the colors largely worn to celebrate.
In Waterloo, New York on May 5 1966, Lyndon Johnson, the 66th president declared the birthplace of memorial day. They had a celebration to commemorate the local veterans who died fighting in the Civil War.
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act, passed in 1968 and signed by Johnson, established Memorial Day as a federal holiday and shifted its observance to the last Monday in May. This change was intended to create a three-day weekend for federal employees and boost the economy.
To celebrate the veterans who died you can go to a local community to watch a parade honoring them. You could also ask your family if there was any one in your own family who passed away fighting or in the military serving our country. You could also support charities and other organizations held by businesses or communities. Another way you could celebrate Memorial Day is to have your American flags fly high in the sky to show your appreciation.
The biggest and most popular Memorial Day parade, held in Washington, D.C., is called the National Memorial Day Parade. The National Memorial Day Parade is considered the largest, featuring marching bands, veterans, and active-duty military personnel, with many decorations and festive colors to show off the appreciation. Another famous celebration is the Memorial Day Parade in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Portsmouth's parade is one of the longest-running in the country. Hawaii is also a popular place to visit because of the large population of military personnels.
On Memorial Day, remember to celebrate and honor everybody who has died for our country and take the day to appreciate everyone who has ever served for us.
Read through these practices that people used to do at school, and compare them to what we do now!
Starting off with what students had to do in school:
Cursive writing
Home economics: cooking, baking, sewing
Wood shop
Metal shop
Film development
Dewey Decimal System in school libraries
Most of these practices aren’t done in schools anymore, except for a select few, such as the Dewey Decimal System. This is still used in some schools to organize library books.
These days, more and more schools are abandoning these, but they may still be used in other ways or in different situations, areas, ect.
Can you believe that people had to take these classes in the late nineties and even early 2000s?! Do you wish any of them would come back?
Last Week of School Schedule!
If you are a 6th grader, you will have your iPads collected on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, you will also have your IB Trait Awards.
If you are a 7th grader, you will also have your iPads collected on Tuesday and Wednesday. Also, Tuesday is field day! On Thursday, you will have your IB Traits Awards.
If you are an 8th grader you will have field day on Tuesday, and on Thursday you will have your Promotion Ceremony!
For all grades, Friday will be our last day and it will be a half day!
Have a fun summer!
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