Daily Archives: March 31, 2023

News, Travel/Food

The healthy cereal lawsuit

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By: Joseph Nelson

We all remember the sugar coated cereal we would eat before school started, or while watching our morning Saturday TV. But we all know that the “best way to start your morning” slogan that would appeal to kids and parents was completely fabricated right? Well, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) feel’s as though the marketing for these cereal should not have any saying of how it’s “healthy” or “good for you”. Now, I’ve loved cereal when I was a kid (when my mom would let me have them of course) but I feel like I knew this wasn’t healthy at all, so would this change much? The answer to that is yes!

With this new rule, the FDA will mandate that foods labeled as “healthy” must contain food groups like fruits, whole grain, dairy, and other added ingredients that must now fit a certain criteria in order to be approved as a “healthy” cereal. Now, what are the actual stats of this rule? Well, the rule will limit all cereal to no more than 2.5 grams of sugar per serving. This would restrict multiple food brands from being on the store shelf with what now would be false advertising.

To put it into perspective, Fruit Loops are 12 grams of sugar per serving, Lucky Charms are 10 grams, and Cocoa Puffs are also 10 grams. This means that these “healthy” foods are now 4x-5x over the maximum amount of sugar, per serving, that is allowed within these cereals.

Now, large cereal companies like General Mills and Kellogg’s, decried the proposed nutritional criteria and threatened legal action against what they say is a “violation of their first amendment rights”. The companies are going on to say that the healthy labeling requirements are an unconstitutional reach from the government power over the food industry. But the FDA says otherwise.

The FDA goes on to counter the claim of “lack of free speech” with a brief but thorough statement “cannot explain why consumers cannot make their own healthy decisions based on [nutrition labeling] data”. Rather, it seeks to limit the food companies’ ‘speech'” effectively saying that with this new proposal, the product’s ingredients will be completely transparent to the consumer and will give them a completely unbiased choice of whether or not they put that candy bar in their cart.

Now, how will this change for the consumer? Well, we know that the average day Fruit Loop consumer will probably still be filling the pockets of the big corporations. But the new single mom walking down the aisle, looking for a healthy cereal for her kid, will now see all these cereals around her and will be able to accurately choose the best healthy option for her and her kid.

That isn’t stopping me though, Cocoa Puffs will forever be my childhood favorite.

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Advice/How To

Things to do during spring break

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By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

Road trips

Something that is fun to do while you’re on spring break is going on a road trip anywhere with your family, friends, or by yourself. It’s a good way to get out and get to know new places, it’s also a fun way to bond more with your family and friends. You jam out to music, have deep talk, you get to think about things to yourself; there are so many things you can do while being on a road trip, just make sure to enjoy it and make special memories.

Cuyuna Trail

If you are a person that enjoys bike riding and nature, Cuyuna Trail is the best place to do all of those activities. You can go during the winter, spring and summer time. During the winter, the mountain’s trails get heavy snow and it works great with a fat tire bike, and in the summer, you can “glamp” in tents.

Something that I like about Cuyuna Trail is that if you want to start biking, or you already know how to, but aren’t prepared to go up the big trails, Cuyuna has beginner, intermediate and advanced trails. The trails are groomed and all vary in distance and difficulty, and if you don’t have a bike, at the entrance they have some bikes set up that you get to rent out for $40 dollars/4 hours. $65 dollars though, will get you a full day of bike riding. To make having adventure a lot easier, there is a cabin a few minutes away from the trails. Cuyuna Trail is the best way to enjoy the outdoors.

Union Rooftop

 Union Rooftop is the best way to spend your spring break if you are looking for an aesthetic place to eat out with friends, or with a loved one. Union Rooftop is a glass-enclosed rooftop space with a spacious bar and skyline views. They have amazing food and deserts options. It’s a great way to spend your evening with your loved ones.

Clubs and Activities, Entertainment

5 fictional podcast recommendations

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By: Bijou Kruszka

Podcasts are becoming more popular every single day. They allow anyone to become completely immersed in a world from the comfort of anywhere they can listen to audio. One of the best ways to experience stories is through fictional podcasts, but it can be hard to find a really good one. Here are my top 5 personal recommendations for fictional podcasts.

#1: ‘The Magnus Archives‘

First on this list, and arguably the most popular, is ‘The Magnus Archives’. ‘The Magnus Archives’ is a horror podcast which follows Jonathan Sims, an archivist at the Magnus Institute, as he transcribes their files into an audio format. Every episode brings a new short horror story, which eventually starts to thread together into a larger, mysterious narrative.

Pros: There is a lot to like with ‘The Magnus Archives’. Every story
in the series is very creative and effectively horrific. From the very beginning, every episode delivers something interesting and fresh. It is also genuinely scary, something that can be hit or miss in an audio medium. Once you get a decent amount of episodes in, the show also creates a lovable cast of characters in addition to the main narrator.

Cons: If you’re someone who needs plot fast, this show is not for you. It takes a considerable amount of episodes to reach any small thread of plot, and when each episode is 25 minutes, it feels significantly long to move past the beginning. Additionally, the beginning episodes are not skippable, as some are necessary for plot details later.

#2: ‘Welcome to Night Vale‘

Next, we have one of the original audio dramas, ‘Welcome to Night Vale’. ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ (WTNV for short) is a radio show detailing the odd happenings of the titular small, desert town. Each episode follows a similar format: news, with a small episodic story flowing through it; then the weather report (which isn’t the weather but fun indie music from smaller artists); and then a conclusion, with the wrap up of the episodic plot-line and a few wise words from Cecil Palmer, the radio host and main narrator.

Pros: WTNV is a fun ride all around. Its comedic writing is top-tier, and Cecil’s deadpan delivery only elevates it further. The setting is consistently bizarre and fun to be in. As the podcast progresses, the town feels more and more tangible, with a recurring cast of quirky characters. There are genuine heartfelt relationships built, especially between Cecil and out-of-town scientist Carlos. The diverse catalogue of music built by the weather segment is also enjoyable. There is also a huge backlog to listen to, as they’ve been uploading every two weeks since 2012.

Cons: WTNV doesn’t really have much of a plot. While there are recurring characters and some arcs that extend outside of episodes, no central plot stays for very long. It also doesn’t have much variety in terms of sound, as most episodes are simply Cecil talking. This makes it a great podcast to relax to, not so much to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you’re looking for a high stakes podcast centered around one ongoing conflict, WTNV is not for you.

#3: ‘The Penumbra Podcast‘

‘The Penumbra Podcast’ is technically two podcasts in one. It alternates between storylines every chapter, “Juno Steel” and “The Second Citadel”. “Juno Steel” focuses on the titular character, a private eye on futuristic Mars, as he entangles himself in space crime through a series of fun characters. “The Second Citadel” is set in medieval times, and focuses on a group of knights trying to protect their kingdom and navigate their personal relationships.

Pros: ‘The Penumbra Podcast’ is fantastic. Each storyline is treated with the utmost care and is incredibly interesting. Both stories are absolutely fantastic with fully developed casts of characters and wonderful writing. There’s also lots of splendid queer and disability representations through a diverse array of characters. “Juno Steel” does a lot of creative things with its sci-fi settings and its characters are all incredibly distinct and fun. “The Second Citadel” creates a lot of interesting conflicts with its world-building and the variety in plot-lines is fun to see. If you like diverse, well-built characters, Penumbra is certainly for you.

Cons: With the way the storylines alternate, it can be easy to get jumbled up. Sometimes, this organization can lead to confusion in listeners and cause them to lose details that become central to the plot later. It also is fairly long. Each chapter is at least two episodes, each about 45 minutes long. While the Penumbra has settings you want to stay in for that long, if you’re looking for more bite-sized pieces, it’s not quite right for you.

#4: ’36 Questions‘

’36 Questions’ is a story about Judith and Jase, a couple trying to rekindle their deteriorating marriage by answering the titular 36 questions, proven to make you fall in love with the other person. ’36 Questions’ is different from the other podcasts on this list in two ways: it’s a musical, and it’s only 3 episodes long.

Pros: If you want something short to start listening to audio dramas, ’36 Questions’ is up your alley. Telling a complete story in approximately 3 hours, this is incredibly short compared to everything else on this list. The music for this is also splendid. Jessie Shelton and Broadway legend Jonathan Groff are both fantastic singers, and all of the songs feel very cohesive and are enjoyable to listen to. The central conflict is very grounded and the characters are realistic and well-rounded.

Cons: While it’s a pro, it’s also a con: this podcast is short. The ending isn’t exactly satisfying, and listeners will want to stay in this story for longer than what they’re given. However, there isn’t a whole ton of room for the story to expand. The main two characters are the only two characters (unless you include Henry the duck, which unfortunately I am not) so there isn’t much variety in the story itself.

#5: ‘Wolf 359‘

‘Wolf 359’ is a sci-fi podcast following Doug Eiffel, an astronaut aboard the USS Hephaestus, as he records his experiences in space via audio logs. He witnesses everything from aliens to mutiny, and he always has some quips to accompany it.

Pros: ‘Wolf 359’ perfectly balances both comedy and
drama. While Doug always has a joke for every moment, it’s not
afraid to get very tense or heartfelt. The crew aboard the USS
Hephaestus is completely charming, and they are all very well-developed. The overarching conflict is interesting for sure, but the filler episodes are sometimes even better. Overall, with an enjoyable cast and fantastic writing, this show is one you don’t want to miss.

Cons: This one is not the simplest to follow in terms of overarching conflict, especially if you are not a sci-fi person. The show throws you into the void of space, both literally and figuratively, and for those unacclimated to the genre, this can be somewhat jarring. I wouldn’t recommend this one as a first for new audio drama listeners, as the show has a tendency to move on pretty quickly without explanation.

In the end, the world of fictional podcasts is very diverse and has a lot to offer. Should you listen to any of these and enjoy them, you might have a fun time at HPSH’s very own audiodrama club. We meet every Thursday after school in the choir room. We discuss fictional podcasts of all kinds, sharing new recommendations and listening to episodes together. We hope to see you there!