Even teachers have addictions—in fact, many of them seem to share the same one: pop. Both inside and outside the classroom, these teachers are pop-passionate.
Photo by Photo by Elinor Melvin
Chris Bennett, history teacher, gets a McDonald’s Diet Coke every morning before school. “Everybody’s got to be addicted to something,” Bennet said. “And I figure there’re worse things to be addicted to, so therefore I’m perfectly okay with it.”
Coke
Chris Bennett, history teacher
Bennett was drinking Coke Classic “like it was water” as a teenager, he says, and has since then developed a passion for Diet Coke.
Can you describe the sensation of taking a sip of Coke?
Oh, absolutely I could. There’s a certain tingling sensation that goes down the back of your throat, that’s the carbonation from the soda, especially if it’s nice and ice cold. And then from there, it has kind of a sweet sour taste that’s very appealing. And then obviously, from that, you get the caffeine kick.
What’s your soda schedule?
I stop at McDonald’s every morning, because there’s nothing better than McDonald’s fountain Diet Cokes. McDonald’s is near the top, if not the top. And then I refill throughout the day as necessary.
Why is pop a fan favorite for teachers?
Caffeine. Period.
What would it be like to give up Coke?
I’ve done it a couple different times just to see if I can. It’s actually kind of fun because you realize there’s massive headaches that you have for a couple days, because you’re tied to the caffeine. But then, after a couple weeks, I’m kind of bored. And I’m like, “Why did I give it up?” and I forget the reason why, so I start drinking it again.
Do you have any soda stories?
My doctor wanted to see what would happen to my blood pressure if I gave up Diet Coke for a month. So I did. And we noticed that there was actually no difference in my blood pressure. So therefore, I started drinking it again. And the cafeteria staff is very happy about that, because I am a significant source of income for the cafeteria. I think most students should be happy that I subsidize the cost of their meals.
Photo by Photo by Elinor Melvin
Elisabeth Siedentop-Wing, special education teacher, shows off her favorite Pepsi product: Diet Pepsi cherry. Siedentop_Wing says Pepsi breaks are her happy place during the sometimes stressful school days.
Pepsi
Elisabeth Siedentop-Wing, special education teacher
Siedentop-Wing’s Pepsi passion began when she tried pop for the first time in college. Since then, she has chosen her favorite as Diet Pepsi over Coke.
Can you describe the sensation of taking a sip of Diet Pepsi?
If it is really, really, really, really cold, it’s nice and sparkly, and it kind of fizzles in my mouth. And it’s like a happy place. Like this explosion in your face. It’s happiness in the mouth.
What’s your soda schedule?
I’ll have a can in the morning, and then midday, like one [or] two o’clock when I start getting a slump. And that one usually takes a couple of hours for me to get through, because I’m all over the place. And then I will definitely have one at night.
Why is pop a fan favorite for teachers?
It gives us a little bit of the caffeine if we need it, when we need it. [And] some of us don’t drink coffee, so we go right to the pop.
What would it be like to give up Diet Pepsi?
I actually did try, and I went six weeks without diet. When I had gone to the doctor, and I was getting some tests, I was like, all right. I’m not gonna have [any]. The response I got from people [was], “Are you nuts? What is wrong with you? I don’t believe you.” But I did. And then I went back [to Pepsi when I went back to work].
Do you have any soda stories?
When I was working in Washington State, they had the Diet Pepsi cherry, [but] when I moved to Illinois, Illinois didn’t have it. So when I went back to visit, nobody knows this, but I loaded up my suitcase with Diet Pepsi cherry to bring it back to Illinois. It was smuggling, and I even called the Pepsi division here in Illinois and was like, “Why don’t you guys have the cherry here in Illinois?”