ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

French Toast vs Waffles

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French Toast

The sweet smell of maple syrup in the morning is everything, but, what’s even better is when it’s paired with the ultimate breakfast food-- french toast. French toast is not only quick and easy to make, but can be eaten many different ways and has the perfect texture.

Rather than just topping it off with fruit, like another breakfast food I know (*cough* waffles *cough*), I like to spice things up a little with my french toast. One of my favorite ways to enjoy french toast is by adding cream cheese between two slices and topping it with syrup and powdered sugar. When I’m feeling a little lazier, I just add cinnamon sugar into the egg mixture. This adds extra yumminess, but only takes seconds to execute, so you can spend less time making it and more time enjoying it.

“The way the syrup soaks and the butter melts into the bread is spectacular,” said student Lauren Johnson who, appropriately, prefers french toast over waffles. The texture of the soft, warm bread with the butter and syrup is what really makes the meal. In comparison, waffles are usually crunchy and seem like they were cooked for way too long (even when they weren’t!) Also, when you spread butter onto waffles it usually just gets stuck in the little crevices, so instead of an even coat you end up with a mouthful of butter with each bite.

Another pro to french toast is that you can make a bunch of them quickly, and most people already have a griddle or a pan they can use. Waffles, on the other hand, require a special appliance that usually only makes one at a time. When you have a big hungry family, that isn’t going to cut it.

Not only does french toast taste better than waffles, but it is also easier and more efficient to make, and can be made with certain ingredients that bring it over the top.

Story by: Alyssa Turner

Breakfast Battle. Team waffle gained a member of Senior Zoe Tarun, who admits she hasn’t eaten enough french toast to pick it over waffles. Tarun also insisted on illustrating the two as happy, even when she was asked to make it look like they were fighting. Image by: Zoe Tarun

Waffles

Okay, really think about it. Waffles are superior to French toast in every way. We aren’t talking about burnt toaster waffles either; we are talking about thick, inhouse Belgian waffles cooked perfectly to your desire.

Whether you want crunchy or soft, waffles give you the option. Meanwhile, with French toast, you have no other choice but soggy bread. If you really want soggy bread, you might as well make an undercooked waffle.

Even the segmentation of each waffle is designed articulately to allow you to share with ease. French toast would never allow you to improve your friendships as efficiently as waffles.

Waffles have the ideal shape, with each crevice being the perfect vessel for toppings to be delivered into your mouth. Meanwhile, French toast is too flat to retain anything that is placed upon it. Also, what kind of toppings go on French toast? Maple syrup, butter, maybe peanut butter or cream cheese? Well, waffles allow that and much, much more. Whipped cream, fresh fruit, some savory jelly, and even crispy fried chicken is delicious with waffles! The huge selection of toppings makes them the most versatile out of all of the breakfast foods, with each combination giving you a different taste and texture.

If that isn't convincing enough, here are some additional arguments to really seal the deal:

First of all, you can’t name a pet after French toast. Waffles is one of the cutest names for a dog.

Secondly, a waffle doesn’t have to be made from a standard batter. Waffle makers can be used to make anything your heart desires, whether it be hashbrown waffles, chocolate waffles, or brownie waffles for sundaes. French toast, however, will always be French toast.

Lastly, if you aren’t convinced, take it from someone other than me.

"We need to remember what's important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn't matter, but work is third." -Leslie Knope

Story by: Brent Porter

The OG. Agar.io sparked a wave of new web games with the success of its release in 2015. Many know it as the first ".io" game. Photo by: Alyssa Turner

Game Review.io

There are a lot of hidden gems when it comes to free web games that I wish I had known about sooner. There have been numerous occasions where my friends and I would gather in a call after being stressed out by our assignments, sports, and jobs, just to chill out and play some online games. You may have heard of some of them already, such as Scattergories or one of the many “.io” games. Here’s my list of the more major online games, and my rating of each when it comes to enjoyment, replayability, and simplicity.

Skribbl.io

Drawing and guessing is the name of the game. It is simple to understand and easy to get into. You have the ability to customize the words to be guessed and the time limits, making a fun game for you and your friends. The words can lead to creative drawings and funny guesses.

Rating: 4.5/5

Gartic Phone

In my opinion, this is the better version of skribbl.io. At the beginning of each game, players each type their own word or phrase for someone else to draw. After each initial drawing is complete, they are sent to a new player that has to guess what was drawn. Then, based off of that person’s guess, the next person receives the guess and has to draw something based on the phrase/word guessed. This repeats until every player has seen every drawing/phrase. By the end, it is hilarious to see how each phrase and drawing was interpreted. It may take a game or two to get into, but once you get into it, you’ll have a blast. Another thing that I enjoyed was the larger variety of modes in comparison to skribbl.io, giving it a bit more replayability.

Rating: 5/5

Scattergories

This is an online version of the classic Scattergories card game. It is fun and simple, and it earns my recommendation. I am giving it a relatively lower score, though, because of the ugly web design. I also don’t find it as replayable as some of the other games, but that’s just my opinion!

Rating: 3.5/5

ZombsRoyale.io

Zombs Royale is a web battle royale game, meaning that you drop into a map, loot crates and buildings, and fight to be the last one standing. You can play as a solo, duo, or squad of four in the core game mode. The game is skillful and definitely replayable. Although the game is fun and addicting, it sadly tends to have glitches. From personal experience, not only was it difficult to play with friends simply due to technical difficulties, but it was also hard to learn.

Rating: 3/5

Agar.io

This game only gets a decent rating because of its status as the first big .io game and the nostalgia from simpler times. In reality, the game has always lagged for me and still does. It is overly simple in its blob-eat-blob mechanics, and could seriously use an update. It is still an addictive game if you can play with friends, and even has a couple of different modes.

Rating: 2/5

Slither.io

In Slither.io, the goal is to become the biggest snake in the lobby, similarly to how you’d want to become the biggest blob in the lobby while playing Agar.io. In fact, the games go hand in hand, but I personally enjoy slither.io more. The lag occurs less frequently, and the gameplay feels more in your control and skillful. Besides lag, the only real problem with the game is the lack of other game modes and updates.

Rating: 2.5/5

Diep.io

Last but not least is Diep.io. My favorite part of this game is the variety of ways to play. You begin as a simple tank, and level up by firing at enemy players or feeding on random objects throughout the map. You can upgrade your tank, and the upgrades branch off into different playstyles and strategies. That, and the variety of gamemodes makes the game fun to play for hours. It is simple and competitive, just as it should be! Give it a shot.

Rating: 4/5

Story by: Brent Porter

Full Cowling. Unlike how many remember him, here is Deku drawn with his hood up and mask on. While the effects of the picture are marvelous, the artists indicated that this was done completely by hand and his new spray paint technique. Photo by: Krukmeister

Hero's Clashing

After a painfully long break due the Coronavirus, on March 27, 2021, Kenji Nagasaki released the long awaited My Hero Academia: Season 5. While there are many pros and cons to the season, many can agree that it is well worth the watch, along with all the past seasons of the show.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with My Hero Academia, the show takes place in a super-power society where everyone has some sort of superpower, which they call a “quirk.” The main plot focuses on class 1-A, which is the top 20 freshmen in a prestigious, Japanese high school called UA. While UA has other facets, the school mainly teaches teens how to develop their quirks and become “heros.” One particular student, Izuku Midoriya (also known as “Deku”) desired to be a hero himself, but lacked the ability to become one since he was one of the few people that were “quirkless.” However, this all changes when “Number One Hero” All Might gives Izuku his quirk of “One For All,” enabling him to one day become the greatest hero.

Jumping back into the fifth season, the classes 1-A and 1-B are having a combat tournament to see which class is closer to becoming “Pro Heros.” While the writers continue to pour new characters from class 1-B into the show, they once again haven’t failed in providing the excellent characterization they are known for, as well as coming up with new, unique quirks for them to possess.

While I’m still uncertain when it will occur in the season, I agree with Justin McClain’s excitement for the writers “allow[ing] Midoriya to start to use the powers from the previous users [of “One For All”] and I can't wait to see how Tomura will grow from All for One's powers.”

Lastly, I must say that the new theme song is spectacular as always. It includes the perfect amount of emotion and sentiment in the tone of the song while keeping an upbeat nature about it. To top it off, it is sung in the Japanese language, which is beautiful in and of itself. While Justin and I can agree that it hasn’t quite surpassed the first theme song of MHA yet, I believe it’s still barely behind the second opening. However, this could change after hearing it a few more times, so they are tied for second in my book.

Overall, we both ranked this season as 3rd out of all five seasons because, although it is an amazing season, it needs more development and depth in the plot before coming close to surpassing seasons one or four.

Story by: Daniel DuMond

Relaxing Evening on the Water. On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, Adam Dwyer went for an evening paddle on Canadice Lake with Andrea McMahon, Jessica McMahon, and Logan Dwyer. Photo by: Adam Dwyer

Outdoor Guide: Kayaking

Warm months have arrived (mostly), so it’s time to try out a new activity that will keep you busy, provide excitement, and give you a good work out. Kayaking is the perfect choice. You can do it in almost any body of water depending on your ability. You can buy a cheap kayak for only a few hundred dollars if you don’t plan on getting into it, but they can cost thousands of dollars if you really get into it.

Since safety is the main priority, you unfortunately can’t just go jump on a kayak and be on your way. You must always wear a life jacket, as well as a whistle to call for help if necessary. Also, if you decide to kayak at night you will need a light so that other boaters can see you. If you want to try kayaking for the first time, Canadice Lake is the perfect place to start. There are no waves and there are few boats on the lake as well.

Kayaking in rivers is much more dangerous than other bodies of water, such as a lake or pond. You must take certain precautions like wearing a kayaking skirt to prevent water filling your kayak or practicing kayaking in a lake or pond before taking on a river.

There are also many dangers to beware of including logs and large rocks that could easily throw you into the water. If you were to flip over, it could be a disaster. You can avoid this by looking at the surface of the river being disturbed from underneath dangers.

Story by: Logan Dwyer

The Perfect Setup. The Griffins' back yard is an example of a perfect spot to set a decoy out. The bushes are perfect to use as cover. Photo by: Maggie Griffin

Cookin' with Logan: Turkey Jerky

It's 5:30 and you're sitting against a tree waiting for the turkeys to gobble. You can barely keep your eyes open when you hear a loud gobble seventy yards in front of you. It's very exciting, your heart is beating out of your chest waiting for the turkeys to fly down from the roost. Finally they fly down and you get your shot.

One of the most exciting animals to hunt is the wild turkey, but it is difficult. After a challenging turkey hunt has paid off, it’s time to put that lean meat to good use. I suggest making turkey jerky.

You need to add all of the ingredients into a gallon freezer bag and mix it well. Cut the turkey breasts into pieces that are less than a quarter inch thick. Place the turkey strips into the marinade for about 12 hours and then smoke the turkey for about 4 hours on 165⁰F. I recommend using cherry wood or apple wood smoke. Once your jerky is done, enjoy! It is a lean and delicious snack.

Story by: Logan Dwyer

Ingredients

1 tablespoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite flavoring liquid
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound turkey meat

Classic Fathers. This here is a sweet grill that is cooking a hamburger, a classic suburban dad thing. Photo by: ginnerobot

Gifts For Fathers

Fathers’ Day is coming up on June 20. Sometimes it’s hard to come up with gifts for our parental figures and we need help during those times. This article will hopefully give you some ideas for gifts. While Mothers’ day may have passed, we can look and see what gifts are recommended for dads.

Personally, I think the best gift to give to a father figure is something personal and meaningful. Maybe something like a letter about how you love and appreciate them. Hand crafted items do well too, and any gift that pertains to your dad’s interests. However, if you have no clue what to buy for him, here are some popular suggestions. Yes, these are usually for the stereotypical American Dad TM.

Dr. Squatch soap: I know it’s weird, but the soap is amazing.
A grill: Ah yes, suburban dad time.
A grill brush: Grills need to be cleaned.
Hot Sauce Gift Box: Basically a bunch of hot sauces in one box.
Utility bracelet: Since wearing a bracelet without the name utility before it makes it less dadlike.
Photobook: Despite what you might think, your father would appreciate something like this.

Story by: Mia Dixon

R.I.P. On April 9, 2021, the rapper known as DMX passed away. Photo by: Ruff Ryders

R.I.P. DMX

DMX, a hip hop artist born in Mount Vernon, New York, passed away on April 9, 2021. The rapper was only 50 years old when he suffered a heart attack; he was in critical condition for a week before passing away. When a rapper as important as DMX dies, you can only expect all his fans to pay their respect for him, and he had a lot of fans and impacted many lives. People all around the world met up to pay their respects together. You could see 100 motorcycles, dogs and fans just partying listening to DMX’ music. Which tells how much people liked him.

DMX was more than just a normal hip hop star; he was an icon. He did not only inspire fans, but also younger rappers. Majority of rap-loving young adults grew up listening to DMX.

DMX changed a lot of things in the rap community: he often included dogs with him on his album covers, and he made motorcycles an emblem for rap-loving ‘delinquents.’ Overall DMX brought a new style to the rap scene; he was rapping like no one before and that's why a lot of his songs are classics and known by young adults today.

In 2016, DMX became very popular again after the movie Deadpool used his song “X Gon’ Give It to Ya” as the theme song of the movie.

A fun fact about DMX is that he never stated what his name stood for, but his fans have made multiple meanings out of it. Fans have different ideas, but the three most popular are: ‘Divine Master of the Unknown,’ ‘Dog Man X’ and ‘Dark Man X.’

Story by: Ethan Michel

Dear Ethan

I’m currently experiencing a lot of peer pressure from my friends about doing something I’m concerned I won’t enjoy, and I’m not sure how to respond. Any advice?

You can’t let yourself be affected by peer pressure, you have to do what you feel is right. If your friends are asking to do something illegal, or something you feel wrong doing then tell them honestly. But if it is something new and exciting then try it, you only have one life so you might as try as much as you can

How do I prepare/deal with the fact that my boyfriend and I will be going to different colleges in a couple months?

You have to talk it out, decide if you want to stay together and give a chance to a long distance relationship. If you both are ready to make that commitment then have a plan. Some ways to make this work are “facetime dates,” you can have a dinner date or a movie night like you would normally have but on facetime. But, if you decide to go different ways, you can still keep the friendship; in the end you only want the best for each other.

What did you think of the new parking arrangement?

I can’t disclose my official opinion on this topic at this point in time.

Are you going to prom? If so, why?

I am going to prom and I’m going because I have never gone and it only happens once or twice in your lifetime so you might as well go and check it out. I’m sure it will be fun to dress up, dance and if it’s not you can just leave.

Do you have any advice on asking someone out to prom?

Be confident, you can do a prom promposal with a special theme that your significant other likes, for example if she/he likes Harry Potter then do a Harry Potter promposal. Or, you could go more simple and just buy he/she flowers to ask.

Work and school is hard to balance. Do you have any advice?

Make sure you focus on the thing that is the most important, school is very important so maybe you should take less hours at work and focus more on school, during the summer you can pick up more hours again. If you want to keep working here solutions to your problems: set a time to do your homework everyday and do nothing else until you’re done, you could also do some of your homework on your work breaks, or even listen to audiobooks in your car on your way to work if you have a book to read for English class.