The sickness going around campus has affected people from Starbucks baristas to pledge mistresses.
Mackenzie Baltz, sophomore and Pi Delta Pledge Mistress, and Zack Curtis, senior and on-campus Starbucks Barista, have been affected by the sickness going around — yet in different ways.
Baltz has been sick the last couple of weeks, with she and her roommate sharing their illnesses, making the sickness last longer.
“It started off for me as a stomach bug and for [my roommate] it was an upper respiratory infection, and then we gave it to each other,” Baltz said.
The dorms make the situation less ideal and more contagious.
“I know I have seen a lot of girls in the dorms constantly getting sick,” Baltz said, adding, “and then their roommate gets sick, so it’s hard when you live in such close quarters.”
As the Pi Delta Pledge Mistress, Baltz saw many girls in other clubs getting sick, but noted that, “A lot of our girls weren’t as sick as in other clubs.”
Baltz observed that the week after pledge week was the worst, health-wise.
“People were so drained, their energy levels dropped, so their immune system dropped, and they were getting sick left and right,” she said.
Baltz rested a lot to help herself recover.
Curtis revealed the secret of the Starbucks drink, “The Medicine Ball,” also known as “The Coldbuster.” These drinks are listed on the secret Starbucks menu online.
“Make it with lemonade and steep that with hot water first with one ‘Mint Majesty’ and one ‘Peach Tranquility,’” Curtis said.
Since so many people were using this drink to bust their colds, they ran out of “Mint Majesy” and had to resort to using “Jade Citrus Mint, but now they are out of the latter as well.
However, there is another way to create this beverage.
“When we have both options it is either mint teas, or just the mint tea without the peach, or some people steam it with apple juice.”
Curtis had never heard of “The Medicine Ball,” but said she would be trying it very soon.
For more information on this drink and other secret menu items, visit starbuckssecretmenu.net.