THE ECHO

By Aliyah Surakat // Reporter • Illustration By Aliyah Surakat

Brightly colored cans tucked into backpacks and resting on classroom desks have made Alani energy drinks a familiar sight among students. While the brand is marketed as an energy booster, students say their reasons for drinking it are not always about staying awake.

For junior Rumaysa Azem, Alani is more about flavor than function. Azem said she drinks Alani only occasionally, usually in the afternoon, and not for energy. Her favorite flavor is Pink Slush.

“I really just drink it for the taste,” Azem said. “I don’t need it to stay awake.”

Azem said she usually gets six to seven hours of sleep on school nights and first started drinking Alani after seeing it grow popular on social media. If Alani did not exist, she said she would likely replace it with juice or flavored water.

Other students rely on Alani for more than just the flavor. Junior Katelyn Paquette said she drinks Alani about one to two times a week, typically in the morning before school or later in the afternoon.

“I drink it for both the energy and the taste,” Paquette said.

Like Azem, Paquette’s favorite flavor is Pink Slush. She said she averages about six hours of sleep on school nights and began drinking Alani to help her get through busy school days. If Alani were unavailable, Paquette said she would most likely turn to coffee instead.

Not all students have positive reactions to the energy effects. Junior Emi Oladugbagbe said she drinks Alani rarely and only for the taste. Her favorite flavor is Orange Kiss. She explained that energy drinks affect her differently than most.

“It gives me heart palpitations,” Oladugbagbe said. “It actually makes me sleepy, not awake.”

Oladugbagbe said she usually gets seven to eight hours of sleep on school nights and first tried Alani out of curiosity. If the drink did not exist, she said she would replace it with water or herbal tea.

Although Alani is labeled as an energy drink, student experiences suggest it serves different purposes. For some, it is a source of energy during long school days. For others, it is simply a popular flavor trend. Together, their responses show that caffeine affects everyone differently, even when the can looks the same.