Rev. Aaron Rathbun takes a sip from his custom “Stanley Cup.”
By Chelsea Branch ’25
What may seem like a dull metal cylinder that satisfies our daily hydration needs can hold a much deeper meaning. While some of us may not pay much attention to our choice of water bottles, certain Choate community members treasure their unique bottles, many of which have unique features.
The Gallon Bottle
Most people are not unfamiliar with Carter Foster ’24’s legendary gallon water bottle. Foster purchased the bottle his sophomore year because his dorm did not have a water fountain. After filling up his water bottle in the dining hall, he would have enough to last him a whole day. “It ended up being a genuinely practical measure,” he said.
Reflecting on the significance of his water bottle, Foster said, “It’s become a staple of mine. During the winter months, people recognize the bottle more so than me.”
In his English class, his teachers and classmates laugh about the size of his bottle. “We’d always make jokes as to how much water I needed, you know, that I’m overhydrated,” he said. While Foster said that he doesn’t subscribe to recent water bottle trends, he does think that it’s a good way to encourage others to drink more water.
The SodaStream Bottle
Latin teacher Ms. Diana Beste has a SodaStream water bottle that keeps her water carbonated. Due to her distaste for still water, Ms. Beste used to purchase individually packaged seltzer water before coming to the realization that the method was not environmentally-friendly.
For a more sustainable alternative, Ms. Beste bought a SodaStream machine, which creates sparkling water that can then be poured into any container. “SodaStream is great because you buy the canister, you fill it with water, and then you create the bubbles yourself,” she said.
Ms. Beste’s daughter also purchased a smaller, portable Sodastream bottle for her, which she now brings to work every day. The SodaStream bottle can be carbonated directly from the SodaStream machine or filled up by a dining hall soda fountain, and the water bottle helps maintain the carbonation for two weeks.
The Colorful Flasks
Aria Ramnath ’24’s water bottle collection includes two white, one mauve, and one pink Lululemon bottle, as well as a yellow and a blue Hydro Flask. For Ramnath, color is the main factor affecting her choice of water bottles. Usually when she’s perusing the store, she will only buy a water bottle with an eye-catching shade.
“People actually do comment on my water bottles, such as ‘It matches your shirt,’ or ‘Is this one new?’ even when it’s not,” she said. Her water bottles serve as emotional support items, kept by her side at all times, and great conversation starters.
The Self-Cleaning Bottle
Steven Kee ’27 possesses a special self-cleaning water bottle from LARQ, which he originally saw on Shark Tank and received as a birthday gift from a friend. The water bottle has a UV light installed, which helps sanitize the bottle’s contents and interior. He charges the bottle once a month, and the lid lights up every two hours to automatically cleanse itself.
“A couple days after I got it, I left it next to a water fountain, and I thought I had lost it,” he said. “That gave me a bit of a heart attack.” Seeing Kee’s water bottle has also encouraged other people, including his roommate, to purchase similar ones.
For those looking to up their water bottle game, Kee said, “I recommend you get the cheaper version of this water bottle because it does the same thing, but it’s a lot cheaper because I feel like this one’s a bit overpriced.”
The Stanley Cup
Sophia Kim ’24’s unique waterbottle is the pink Stanley Cup 40-ounce Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler — a birthday gift from one of her friends. Kim applauds its pink coloring, which she said “caught her eye,” and its straw, which encourages her to drink more water.
Unfortunately, the bottle has its fair share of problems.
For one, it can be inconvenient to carry around at times. “I had it in my tote bag, and it spilled, and I was in an Uber, and I had water all over my back,” Kimsaid. “My MacBook actually broke down that day, so it was horrible.”
Cleaning the water bottle is also difficult because the top has to be dismantled and the straw separately cleaned.
Kim doesn’t quite believe that Stanley Cups deserves their trending popularity. “I don’t really know if it’s really worth hyping up so much over a water bottle,” she said. Kim herself has received many comments about her bottle, from friends sharing her TikToks on the recent trend to people checking to see if her water bottle has water in it (or if she’s just carrying it around for the aesthetic).
The “Stanley” Cup
Putting a spin on the recent trend, Director of Spiritual Life Rev. Aaron Rathbun created his own version of a “Stanley” Cup based on The Office.
“I saw the trend of enormous Stanley Cups, and when I heard ‘Stanley,’ I immediately thought of the character Stanley Hudson,” he said. “So I made a ‘mash-up’ of the two, with Stanley’s face on the side of a gargantuan chug-jug along with the ‘Stanley’ logo beneath his face in the format of The Office show’s logo.”
Rev. Rathbun’s desire to own a “chug-jug” came from the Fortnite game, although he noted that “this thing is terribly unwieldy and awful to use and lug around.” Nevertheless, he enjoys how well-received the joke has been by students and faculty alike.
His invention also doubles as social commentary stemming from a deeper reflection on the impact of marketing. “Because we’re inherently social, we crave relationships, community, and belonging. And marketers know this and try to get us to buy products in order to fulfill this deeper longing and desire,” he said. “Are they successful? Many would argue that it’s fleeting or unsubstantive.”
