All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Cocaine Bear’ movie review

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By: Greta Johnson

The 2023 movie ‘Cocaine Bear’ is a 90 minute film based loosely on a true story. It’s about an American black bear in Georgia who ingested some cocaine that had been dropped from a plane into the Georgia wilderness. The bear then goes on a wild killing rampage and its only goal is to ingest more cocaine. Most of the characters in this movie are satire tropes who make bad decisions to move the plot along.

There’s a 13-year-old girl and her best friend (who go into the woods to see the falls), a park ranger, a group of teenage boys, 2 police officers, a mom and a man who works with animals. All these characters have encounters with the bear that are actually pretty funny.

Even though parts of the movie are honestly pretty gory and suspenseful, there’s a comedic feeling to the plot and dialect. I really liked this, I thought it made the movie worth watching and super enjoyable. I really like how all the actors portray their characters. Their reactions and how they handle all the situations feel real, not like some horror movies where they make the worst choice possible every time.

Overall, I really liked this movie. I thought it was comedic and did a great job making fun of a crazy situation. The whole storyline was honestly really crazy. There were many points in the movie that had me so surprised, I was laughing. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants a good laugh but you should be ready for some really bloody and gory scenes that will probably gross you out a little too.

I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

You can see ‘Cocaine Bear’ in theaters.

Science/Nature

A planet that shouldn’t exist

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By: Jasmine Williams

There is a glowing crimson, red, and small planet called TOI-5205b. The planet is 285 light years away. The planet is named after TOI-5205 because it’s right next to it. These red planets are only half as hot as the sun. According to ‘CNET’, this is a dwarf planet located in the Milky Way. These dwarf planets are ordinary stars, and have a very long life span. The heat of TOI-5205 is measured to be around 3,227 degrees Celsius, and the sun, 5,526 degrees Celsius.

It is strange that TOI-5205b hosts gas giant planets because normally dwarf planets do not do that. In general, people had thought that sunlike stars host tinier planets that are not their size. “The host star, TOI-5205, is just about four times the size of Jupiter, yet it has somehow managed to form a Jupiter-sized planet, which is quite surprising!” Kanodia, an astronomer, had stated.

In order to create a gas giant planet, the original core had to have enough rocky material. Also, the disk cannot evaporate before a massive center is made, according to Kanodia. Afterwards, a rocky planetary core is made, and gas from the disk has a large amount of gas. Around the core a large amount of gas from the disk is collected, and it soon creates a luminous planet. For gas giants such as Jupiter and TOI-5205b, a known model of planet formation says that in order to create a rocky planetary core, it requires about 10 disk’s of material that Earth masses have. TOI-5205’s original disk had the ingredients to form a Jupiter-like planet, but it’s odd that TOI-5205’s disk had enough ingredients that gas giants used to make a big planet.

TOI-5205b had bypassed all the guardrails. To conclude, Kanodia had stated, “TOI-5205b — while definitely an outlier — isn’t the only one. If so, how frequently do these forbidden planets form?”

For more information, please visit:

● https://scitechdaily.com/astronomers-discover-bizarre-forbidden-planet-that-should-not-e xist/

Editorials/Student Voice

Religion isn’t an excuse

By: Julia Yang

Before I continue with this article, I would like to say that this article is written for my opinion on this matter, nothing is factual and you don’t have to agree. This article is not meant to offend anyone, I respect all religions and believe everyone has their own rights to believe in what they want to. But everyone has different opinions on this, and this article is mine.

This article is on how I don’t believe that religion should be an excuse for bad or rude behavior.

Let’s talk sexual orientation. There are a ton of religious people that heavily dislike people who aren’t straight. They believe that it’s wrong and isn’t humanly right. I think that’s dumb. Why should your religion be a good reason for you being homophobic? Things like sending children to institutions to try and convert them into being straight, is that religion too? You can’t convert someone’s sexual orientation. They love who they love, and no one can change that.

People that practice religions with God(s) might say they can hear the God(s) talking to them, I personally don’t mind that. You can believe what you want to believe, but you cross my line when you say God(s) told you to do something horrible. I’ve seen people kill their own children just because their God(s) told them to. That’s murder and there’s no excuse for that.

I have also seen that peoples’ excuse for racism is religion as well. Honestly, I can’t believe we live in a world where racism, homophobia, abilism, and murder is excused for religion. So basically, in someone’s world, that’s all okay. When is any of that ever or okay in any circumstance?

There are loads of religious people who aren’t like this, in fact, the majority aren’t like this. But the few people who are like this are giving religious people a bad rap.

Badminton, Baseball, Golf, Scoreboard/Schedule, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field

Sports schedule for: Apr 10-15

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: APRIL 10 – APRIL 15  
MONDAYAPRIL 10 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
TUESDAYAPRIL 11
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:30pm Tennis vs. Cretin-Derham HallHOME
5:30pm Badminton vs. HumboldtHOME
WEDNESDAYAPRIL 12
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
2:00pm Girls Golf Friendship TournamentCedarholm Golf Course
4:00pm Tennis vs. JohnsonHOME
4:00pm Badminton vs. Eden PrairieHOME
4:30pm Softball vs. RichfieldRichfield Middle School
THURSDAYAPRIL 13
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:30pm Boys Golf Conference MeetHighland National Golf Course
4:00pm Track and Field Meet vs. Central / Como Park / HumboldtHOME
4:15pm / 4:15pm Varsity/JV Baseball vs. Minnehaha AcademyFort Snelling
5:30pm / 5:30pm4:45pm | 6:00pmBadminton vs. JohnsonJohnson High School
FRIDAYAPRIL 14
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm Softball vs. Two RiversTwo Rivers High School
4:00pm / 4:00pm Tennis vs. RosevilleVarsity: Roseville High School JV: HOME
SATURDAYAPRIL 15
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
Entertainment

“Are YOU Smarter Than a 9th Grader?”

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By: Daniel Kendle

Hello, hello all, welcome to the 1st-ever showing of “Are You Smarter Than a 9th Grader?”, where we look at your mental prowess measured in comparison to that lovely animal we can’t help but cringe at, children. Specifically, high school freshmen.

In this game we’ll ask you, the audience member, to grab a piece of paper and write down the numbers 1-20. This is because we are going to ask you 20 questions in total, each with 4 possible answers. There is only 1 correct answer to each, and all are true statements.

At the end, we’ll have you tally up your answers. If you get one right, you get 2 points, meaning you can theoretically get a maximum of 40. Then, you multiply your answer by 2 and see how well you did. I’ve included some labels showing your strength depending on how well you did.

And, just a quick side-note: this game is best played with friends! Grab that one pal of yours who just won’t leave you alone about your D+ in Pre-Calculus and show them that yes, you are the superior hominid.

With all that being said, let’s begin.

“ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 9TH GRADER?”

….

QUESTION ONE: “Which of the following is NOT one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world, as of 2023?”

  • A. The Taj Mahal
  • B. Machu Picchu
  • C. The Sydney Opera House
  • D. Christ the Redeemer

QUESTION TWO: “How many counties are there in Tennessee?”

  • A. 95
  • B. 87
  • C. 21
  • D. 25

QUESTION THREE: “Who won the award ‘Best Cinematography’ during the 2023 Oscars award ceremony?”

  • A. ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
  • B. ‘The Whale’
  • C. ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’
  • D. ‘All Quiet On The Western Front’

QUESTION FOUR: “What are the names of the 2 main characters in John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice And Men?’”

  • A. Joe and Farlock
  • B. Benn and Richter
  • C. George and Lennie
  • D. Gobo and Lockland

QUESTION FIVE: “Who wrote the book, ‘The Lost World?’”

  • A. Charles Dickens
  • B. Michael Crichton
  • C. Mark Twain
  • D. Maya Angelou

QUESTION SIX: “A juvenile bison is known as what?”

  • A. A kid
  • B. An infant
  • C. A sprout
  • D. A calf

QUESTION SEVEN: “In the game ‘Wingspan,’ you are tasked with collecting and playing birds on a preserve, as it’s a card game. What is a species of bird that does NOT appear in the game?”

  • A. Heath Hen
  • B. Horned Lark
  • C. Willet
  • D. Canada Goose

QUESTION EIGHT: “How long did World War 1 last?”

  • A. A year
  • B. 4 years
  • C. 8 years
  • D. 2 years

QUESTION NINE: “What day is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated?”

  • A. March 16
  • B. March 8
  • C. March 23
  • D. March 17

QUESTION TEN: “Which primary color combination is necessary for getting the secondary color orange?”

  • A. Red & Blue
  • B. Blue & Green
  • C. Yellow & Red
  • D. Green & Yellow

QUESTION ELEVEN: “What were the spikes on a Stegosaurus’ tail called?”

  • A. Thagomizers
  • B. Spikes
  • C. Ribblebacks
  • D. Spinal Needles

QUESTION TWELVE: “What is the only US state that can be spelled only using the middle letters on a standard keyboard (A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L)?

  • A. Hawaii
  • B. Alaska
  • C. Alabama
  • D. Kansas

QUESTION THIRTEEN: “What symbol on a QWERTY keyboard is known as ‘Caret?’”

  • A. *
  • B. %
  • C. ^
  • D. ~

QUESTION FOURTEEN: “What is the Minnesota State Muffin?”

  • A. Pumpkin Muffin
  • B. Banana Muffin
  • C. Strawberry Muffin
  • D. Blueberry Muffin

QUESTION FIFTEEN: “How many bones are in the human body?”

  • A. 318
  • B. 206
  • C. 79
  • D. 184

QUESTION SIXTEEN: “How many sides does a nonagon have?”

  • A. 9
  • B. 12
  • C. 13
  • D. 8

QUESTION SEVENTEEN: “Which video game won ‘Game of the Year’ at the Game Awards 2022?”

  • A. ‘God o fWar: Ragnarok’
  • B. ‘Stray’
  • C. ‘Elden Ring’
  • D. ‘Neon White’

QUESTION EIGHTEEN: “What is currently the largest living land mammal on Earth?

  • A. American Bison
  • B. African Elephant
  • C. Hippopotamus
  • D. Javan Rhinoceros

QUESTION NINETEEN: “Which of the following devices is used to spin thread and weave fabric?”

  • A. Steam Engine
  • B. Loom
  • C. Anvil
  • D. Printing Press

QUESTION TWENTY: “What are the 3 dimensions in ‘Minecraft’ called?

  1. The Overworld, the Underworld, and the Midworld
  2. The Beginning, the Between, and the End
  3. The Real World, the Slip, and the Waste
  4. The Overworld, the Nether, and the End

…..

Alrighty, that’s all of them! Now that you’ve either written down or remembered your results, let’s go over the correct answers.

  • Q1. C
  • Q2. A
  • Q3. D
  • Q4. C
  • Q5. B
  • Q6. D
  • Q7. A
  • Q8. B
  • Q9. D
  • Q10. C
  • Q11. A
  • Q12. B
  • Q13. C
  • Q14. D
  • Q15. B
  • Q16. A
  • Q17. C
  • Q18. B
  • Q19. B
  • Q20. D

So, like I said, once you tally up your answers – remember, you get 2 points for each correct answer – multiply your amount by 2 and look below to see what your mental prowess equates to.

0 – 20 Points: You’re probably some kind of non-human mammal. In that case, how are you reading this?

21 – 30 Points: You probably don’t concern yourself with random trivia. I suppose it’s admirable how you devote yourself to learning logical facts, but then again, where’s the flare in that?

31 – 40 Points: While you do tend to enjoy trivia, you don’t spend every waking moment of your day studying random facts. Pathetic.

41 – 50 Points: This is generally the standard base for most to be at. Congrats; you satisfy my standards for trivia.

51 – 60 Points: You are definitely smarter than a 9th grader. Then again, that’s practically a given for society at this point.

61 – 70 Points: Where’s your college diploma? Yeah, you’ve earned this title, congratulations! Now go use your intellect to solve world hunger, or something.

71 – 80 Points: Okay, you’re starting to scare me a bit.

And with that, the world’s FIRST game of “Are YOU Smarter Than a 9th Grader” has concluded. Thanks for playing, and I’ll see you next time. I’ve been your host, Mr. Whatsername, and I’ll actually be doing my Geometry homework now.

Books/Art

‘They Both Die in The End’ – Book review

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By: Biftu Osmon

‘They Both Die in the End’, written by Adam Silvera, is a novel about two teenage boys who receive an unexpected phone call informing them that they will die within the next 24 hours and that there’s no way of preventing it.

The novel mainly focuses on the daily rundown of the two main characters, Rufus, who’s an open-minded, spontaneous teenage boy, and Mateo, who’s the polar opposite, an introvert who prefers to keep to himself. These two characters are living completely different lives before they connect through an app meant for people who are inevitably going to die within the next twenty-four hours. It was created so people wouldn’t spend their last day alive alone.

Since they are fortunate to live close to one another, they decide to get together and spend the day bidding goodbye to their loved ones while also engaging in enjoyable activities. The book allows you to see every moment of Rufus and Mateo’s bonding and formation of their friendship because each chapter is an in-depth hour of their day. By the time the day was over, both of them had achieved something they had never imagined they would in their entire lives.

I would rate this book a 6/10. Although the ending was very obvious, because of the book title, I wish the author would have added a more interesting or more major plot twist. I began reading the book expecting it to be a 5 star book because the book had mostly only great ratings, and there was a lot of hype surrounding it all over social media. I still enjoyed the plot and idea the author had, and I would probably still recommend this book to a friend, because I still enjoyed it and I’m glad I read it.

Advice/How To, Sports

Running shoes

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By: Ellie Moore

As the sport of running is growing, the technology of the shoes is getting better and better. What was top of the line 10 years ago aren’t even sold anymore.

The first running shoe invented was in 1865, and the first running spikes weren’t invented until 25 years later in 1890.

Some of the best shoes to train in are the Brooks Ghost 15, Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39, Asics Gel-Kayano 29, Mizuno Wave Rider 26, or Saucony Triumph 20.

The shoes can get expensive, and they only last for 200-500 miles, which is about 3 months, so a lot of people buy the less expensive shoes that aren’t as good. The Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39 are only $92 but they are said to lead to a ton of injuries.

To race well, you need spikes. Nowadays, if you tried to run a race without spikes you wouldn’t be able to place well. Spikes are lightweight shoes that have spikes on the bottom to help you push into the ground.

Some of the best cross country spikes are the Nike Zoom Rival XC 5, Nike Zoom Rival Waffle 5, or the Nike ZoomX Dragonflies. These are all the most light and supportive shoes to race in.

Many distance runners use the same spikes for track as cross country, but if you do sprints or distance, you probably want a pair of sprint spikes.

The best sprint spikes are more supportive and have more spikes than distance spikes. The top of the line sprint spikes at the moment are the Nike Zoom Maxfly Spike, New Balance FuelCell PWR-X Spikes, and Saucony Spitfire 5 Spikes (which are great for beginners).

The best shoes for recovery are any kind of Hokas. They have a soft base and help you have less impact on the ground. If you’re going for an easy recovery run, the Hokas are the way to go.

The better shoe you have will determine how well you race and how well your workouts will go. It is worth the extra money to make sure you don’t get injured and have great workouts and races.

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.

For more information, please visit:

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!