An opinion | by CASSIE REDLINGSHAFER

There is a despised circle of death at STA, one that could be stopped with just 12 oz. of caffeine.  It all starts on Sunday nights when I, understandably, don’t start my homework until 7 p.m.,  stay up until 1 a.m. working on it, and I still depend on morning frees to ‘finish things up’ or to just, ‘look things over.’  So, I spend morning classes on Mondays in a half-awake state, but the half that is awake is focused on finishing left-over homework or enviously staring at Mr. Himes’ “Pulse” mug filled with steaming, delicious smelling coffee. Since I”m not awake for these classes, Monday night homework becomes virtually impossible because I don’t understand what we learned in class. I was busy doing homework or dozing off, remember? You were doing it too.

This worthless morning then leads to lunch where I, and most girls, are finally awake. During lunch and activity I spaz out and play games or attempt to catch grapes in my mouth. This spastic lunch/activity time abruptly ends once 9-10 starts where I, and I’m pretty sure every other STA girl, go into a food-induced coma. I don’t think any of us have ever really been awake for 9-10 because after stuffing our faces and being hyper, we naturally crash. The only thing that keeps us from not falling asleep, most of the time, is the smell of Mr. Fast’s coffee from The Roasterie that prompts us to shoot him death glares out of jealousy. Once 11-12 starts, I come around and am almost completely focused until there are about 37 minutes left of 15-16. Then, my time is spent praying a torrential downpour will miraculously fall from the sky and Ms. Chartier will announce that tennis practice will be canceled so I can go home and nap.

This evil circle repeats daily because once I arrive home, which usually isn’t until around 6 p.m. due to extracurriculars, I have hours of homework. I inevitably don’t finish it, so it carries over to the next day.

If I could purchase just one innocent caffeinated drink at school, this wicked circle would end. One during lunch would make me productive in the afternoon so I could make a dent in my stack of homework, enabling me to go to sleep earlier, pay attention in morning classes, and end this killer circle. Offering caffeinated drinks in the cafeteria would not only stop the circle of death, but it would also stop people from going on covert missions in an attempt to rebel against the circle. These revolutionaries stealthily sneak into the teachers” lounge to buy caffeinated drinks or to steal even a thimble”s amount of coffee. These girls risk everything, well SBRs, detentions, and pride, for 12 oz. of canned energy or a sip of coffee that they need to get through the day. Caffeine is “unhealthy” and therefore not an option in the vending machines. However, we are offered potato chips, candy, and pop tarts which are unhealthier than soda. So how does that work out? When it comes down to it, if STA gives us six plus hours of homework each night, they should offer us 12 oz. of caffeine.