CEDAR FALLS - Jennifer Livingston arrived at the University of Northern Iowa student center last week prepared to study.

Along with her books, the pre-med student toted a pink highlighter, a well-stocked iPod, and, most importantly, a 24-ounce bottle of Diet Pepsi.

Like millions of Americans, Livingston chugs down her share of the fizzy stuff, especially when it's time to cram. But despite our national love affair with soft drinks, dating back to the 1800s, we still haven't settled on a uniform term for the beverage.

The question remains: Pop or soda.

"I'll always say pop," said Livingston, taking a swig of her caramel-colored drink. "It's what I grew up saying, and I don't really see myself changing."

And therein lies the crux of the issue. The pop vs. soda debate is largely geographical and unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, said Luanne Von Schneidemesser, an English professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The scholar, also a senior editor with the Dictionary of American Regional English, published an academic paper on the issue in 1996.

"I noticed discussions among my students about whether soda or pop was the right word, so I looked into it," Von Schneidemesser said. "They're both right, of course. People tend to stick with what they grew up saying."

In 2003, researchers at East Central University in Oklahoma surveyed more than 120,000 people from across the county on the pop-versus-soda question. They found that soda is most commonly used in the Northeast, greater Miami, parts of northern California and areas in Missouri and Illinois surrounding St. Louis. Pop, on the other hand, is the term of choice in the Northwest, Great Plains and the Midwest. Folks throughout the South, New Mexico and central Indiana call their all their soft drinks Coke. Lesser known terms for the product include "dope" in the Carolinas and "tonic" in Boston.

"Words like this become a mark of identity for people," Von Schneidemesser said. "The debate continues because people have a real connection to their regional dialect."

The Iowa-based chain of Kum & Go convenience stores tried to settle the argument once and for all this summer with their "Pop vs. Soda" campaign. During a three-month period, customers could vote for their word choice by purchasing a fountain soft drink in either a red pop cup or a blue soda cup. About 12,000 people tallied their preference in a corresponding online poll. But in the end, the retailer, which serves 12 states, was also unable to come to a conclusive decision on the pop versus soda question.

"It was half and half," said Meggan Kring, director of communications for Kum & Go. "It leaned a little bit heavier toward soda in the store, and more toward pop online.

"That's why we decided to come together and name our new promotion 'soda pop.'"

Shane Henninger, manager of the Pretzelmaker kiosk in Waterloo's Crossroads Center, worked at the Kum & Go station in Elk Run during the summer soda-pop campaign. Henninger, a soda supporter, said customers enjoyed talking about contest.

"We had to wear ties that said pop or soda," he said. "Some people would heckle me, just for liking soda."

At the mall, customers mostly ask for pop with their pretzels, even though the marque clearly classifies the beverage as soda, Henninger said.

He lets it slide.

"I'm not a big soda activist or anything," Henninger said. "But it is fun to talk about."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.