The Mexican Pizza

The Mexican Pizza - Kensley Thorpe (St Francis High School, Twelfth Grade)

Who knew that my obsession with Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizzas and my love of dystopian novels would lead me to my dream of going to college. There is nothing I love more than reading dystopian novels and seeing the characters rise against all odds in an attempt to find the illusion of a perfect society. Along with my literary passions, I also adore Mexican food. Tacos, burritos, tamales…I love them all. But for me, one thing trumps all other Mexican fare. My nirvana of Mexican food…Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza! 

Imagine a post-apocalyptic society that is plagued by government injustice where members of society are fighting to do what is right and build a better place to live; where there is more equality and happiness in a land of scarcity. Everyone does their part to once again make the society a thriving place to live in as they come head to head with the resistance. 

The Mexican Pizza: beefy taste, gooey cheese, and crunchy goodness of a delicious Mexican Pizza make my mouth water. Taco Bell is like a compliant society with an abundance of flavorsome, savory items on its menu. But then out of nowhere the Mexican Pizza disappears off the menu and there is unrest in the world of cheap Mexican eats. The fans of the Mexican Pizza are outraged! Taco Bell is no longer a happy land of yummy, cheap Mexican cuisine. Die-hard consumers are outraged and demand a return of the crispy, circle of tasty goodness. More favorite items continue to disappear off the menu as boycotts are made as petitions are written to make the restaurant great again. It is like a dystopian society where a sudden change from the powers that be are met with turmoil, discontentment and demand for a superior outcome! 

Will the heroes triumph?! In the dystopian novel will the little man create an idealistic world, will there be victory? At Taco Bell will the customers’ voices be heard, and will the Mexican Pizza return to the menu? Against all odds, the corporate heads stand down and create a world filled with delectable Mexican Pizzas in a utopian land of paradise for all Taco Bell lovers! 

Like so many before me, I am still trying to figure out what I want to do after college. Sometimes the idea of going to college can seem as daunting as the tasks the characters in the dystopian novels go through to pursue success. I have been active in my community and service projects from the age of six, involved in numerous sports and clubs my entire life, and have met so many inspiring people along my journey. Yet, as I get to the end of my high school career, although excited, I feel like I am fighting in a post-apocalyptic society trying to figure out how I will survive and decide which path I will move on to. I want to end up like my beloved Mexican Pizza; thriving and back on the menu. I want to use the skills and lessons that I have learned along the way and help society thrive and improve. By going to college and obtaining my degree I know I will get the same exciting feeling inside of my belly as I get when I get that first bite of Mexican Pizza, or when I buy a new novel I just can’t wait to open.

Note: Following the submission of this essay, Taco Bell readded the Mexican Pizza as a permanent item, justice has been served.