Caffeine has become a huge part of the American culture. Many products are out there that contain caffeine as a main selling point; whether it be to drop some pounds or to get some energy.

The caffeine craze is even evident here on Skyline’s campus, with students hanging out in the quad with cups of coffee they got either in the café or in the cafeteria. Phil Jolley, who runs the coffee cart, says that on average, the café in Building 1 sells around 10 gallons of coffee per day.

According to an article on www.sfgate.com, caffeine has become a major business these days, raking in billions of dollars every year. On top of that, over 500 new energy drinks came out over the past year worldwide, increasing the industry by roughly 80 percent.

“They are coming out with these caffeinated beverages like Red Bull, and they came out with one last week called Cocaine. It’s got more caffeine in it than Red Bull,” said Dr. Stephen Hearne, psychology professor at Skyline, referring to the many energy drinks that hit the market this year.

Cocaine was pulled out of 7-Eleven stores in October because it projected an image the company did not want on its shelves; the drink also has a secret throat numbing ingredient that emulates its namesake.

The FDA has brought even the safety of these drinks into question, and a hearing has been planned for December 5.

“Caffeine is a stimulant. It shortens your reaction time, it increases productivity,” said Hearne. “To me, it’s more of a symptom of a problem, than a problem itself. The mere fact that we have so many Starbucks coffee stores in America is an indication that we are not getting enough sleep.”

Hearne also added that the average American gets between 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, but if you let a person sleep as long as they want or need to, they will sleep from roughly 9 to 10 hours a night.

The popularity of coffee and energy drinks just shows that we are a sleep-deprived culture, looking for other sources of energy then a good night’s sleep.

Coffee and energy drinks have become a staple in the college student’s life. All of us students can sympathize with one another, as we have had long nights staying up late working on papers, downing cup after cup or can after can of whatever perks us up to keep us rolling on through the night, or awake through those long class hours. I know personally that without energy drinks, coffee and caffeinated tea, I could not have made it though some of the weeks I have had here at Skyline, especially through midterms and finals.

Renee Garrett, a receptionist at The Learning Center, says that she cannot handle having coffee: “I get really wired, and I can’t come down. Takes me a while ’til the caffeine comes out of my system.”

“I am very glad that we have a Starbucks right here on campus,” says Terez Shelby, as she studies in The Learning Center. “That helps a lot on those mornings I just can’t get my eyes open.”

Coffee has become such a part of culture that even movies and TV are talking about it. Take a look at the show Friends. The main place they all hung out was at a coffee shop. There is even a movie out there called Coffee and Cigarettes; a fine film about people sitting around drinking coffee. Coffee, whether we like it or not, is here to stay and has become a part of our culture.