Category Archives: Entertainment

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!

Travel/Food

Canjeero and shaax recipe

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By: Ajmal Abdirahman

Canjeero is a breakfast staple in Somalia. Both my mom and dad would eat it almost every morning when they lived in Somalia. It’s one of my favorites from Somali food. I grew up eating it almost everyday just like my parents. My mom would get up very early in the morning and make a big batch of Canjeero and alongside she would also make her signature Somali shaax!

Canjeero can be eaten in many different ways. Like with shaax (which is Somali tea), with sugar and sesame oil, with goat or camel liver (which is called “beer” in Somali), with oodkaac (which is a Somali dish of preserved jerky style beef cubes), or my favorite way, with honey!

Somali tea (Shaax), was first introduced to Somalia through ancient trade with the Indians and Arabs. It’s typical for Somalis to drink this throughout the day but mostly at breakfast or late at night. Tea is widely preferred in Somalia over coffee. If you add milk to your tea then it is called Shaax Bigaysi.

I asked my mother for her recipes; here they are!

Canjeero Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 cup of self rising flour
  • 1 cup of corn flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3-4 cups of water
  • 1 teaspoon of yeast
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

Instructions on how to make Canjeero:

  1. First combine all the flours in one large bowl along with the salt, sugar, and yeast and whisk well
  2. Add the water slowly until you get the right consistency (thick and smooth)
  3. Then let the batter sit for an hour or overnight
  4. Enjoy!

Shaax Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Cold water (amount is how much tea you want to make)
  • 1⁄2 cup of sugar
  • Cardamom (add desired amount)
  • Cinnamon sticks (add desired amount)
  • Cloves (add desired amount)
  • Ginger (you can use powdered ginger but fresh is best, also add desired amount)
  • Black tea bags or black tea leaves (add desired amount)

Instructions on how to make Shaax:

  1. First grab a kettle and pour your cold water into it
  2. Either boil the water first or boil when all ingredients are added
  3. Add your sugar
  4. Then add all your spices, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and ginger, then let that all boil together
  5. When that all boils together nicely add your tea bags or tea leaves
  6. Boil for a couple of minutes until it gets to a dark brown color
  7. Strain the tea and pour it into your thermos or tea pot
  8. Enjoy!

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Travel/Food

Attractions to do in the Twin Cities

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By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

CanCan Wonderland

This attraction is an amusement built in a historical building.
CanCan Wonderland has many attractions for all ages. Kids and adults can play an 18 hole mini golf course made by 18 different artists. All 18 holes are different and provide different skills. CanCan also has a ping ball arcade and many other retro arcade games. They provide many necessities to have an amazing evening.

Here is a link to find CanCan Wonderland: https://goo.gl/maps/FMmT32SeT7U2

Mall Of America

The Mall Of America has many attractions to choose from! They have an escape room with 12 different room choices from prison escape to a mansion escape. This attraction involves a lot of critical thinking so if you’re good at, that I suggest that you try it out!

The mall also has an indoor theme park with many coasters for all ages from thrill rides like the rock bottom plunge, to zip lining and many kid coasters for the little ones. I recommend the park to younger kids because the thrill rides aren’t as thrilling compared to other places, but overall, it’s a great place to spend an evening out.

If you ever get hungry while shopping, the 3rd and 4th floor have so many restaurants and fast food places and so many varieties of food you can choose from.

One thing that MOA is known for, is the biggest Sea Life in Minnesota; it has more than 10,000 underwater creatures plus the 11 breathtaking exhibits that are filled with 1.3 million gallons of water.

The Mall of America is located at: 60 E Broadway, Bloomington, MN 55425

WhirlyBall

WhirlyBall is a fun place to go out with family and friends! There are so many activities to do such as WhirlyBall, a lot of people don’t know what it is or never heard of it. WhirlyBall is a team sport that is up to 2-4 people per team. You have a bumper car and a scoop with a ball. What you have to do is make sure the ball doesn’t hit the floor and score on the opposite team’s goal.

Some other activities they have are laser tag, arcades, bowling, escape rooms, and if you really enjoy WhirlyBall you can join a Whirly League. You get a lot of benefits if you’re on the team such as exclusive food and drinks, 50% off walk-in Whirly anytime all season. It’s $5 per person for 3 games per night, which will be $75 per week. You need to have 5 players on each team and must be 18 years old to play. They are also known for how many good food options they have.

You can find WhirlyBall at: 2405 East Old Shakopee  Road,
Bloomington MN 55425

Travel/Food

Malawax recipe

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By: Mushtaq Yonis

Malawax is a Somali traditional dish that’s regularly eaten for breakfast across the country and its diaspora. Malawax is a sweet pancake similar to a crepe. Some eat it with honey and drink shaax with it which is a Somali tea.

Malawax is one of the easiest foods to make in Somali culture, which is why it’s great to make before breakfast if you’re in a rush. Just make sure you have this mixture ready in-hand before you start.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons of melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
  • 1 1⁄2 cup plain flour
  • 2 egg
  • 2 cups milk

If you don’t have time in the morning to make this mixture, make sure you make it by blending the ingredients the night before and refrigerate it so it doesn’t go bad.

Instructions on how to make malawax:

  1. Brush a nonstick pan with butter or oil over medium heat
  2. Pour a little batter into the pan and swirl it around to cover it thinly
  3. Cook the malawax till they’re golden underneath, about a minute or two
  4. Make sure the malawax doesn’t stick to the pan by spreading a little oil or butter
  5. Flip the the malawax over and repeat

Then you are ready to enjoy the malawax! It’s best eaten when warm so make sure you eat it before it gets too cold. You can add honey or butter if you want extra taste!

Travel/Food

Cocadas recipe

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By: Pablo Contreras-Galeana

This recipe is the easiest one that I have ever made, it’s very simple and it doesn’t require a whole bunch of steps like the other recipes that I have written about.

You can kind of guess what cocadas are because it’s sort of just in the name, but if some of you guys don’t know what cocadas are, here’s a very short and simple explanation on what they are:

Cocadas are just shredded coconut that has been made into a ball.

It’s really just that, it isn’t that special. It’s just balled coconut.

Even though this recipe was the easiest to make, I never really liked coconut before, I don’t know why, but the flavor of it just made me sick and disgusted, but now that I am older I actually like coconut slightly more. So, this recipe sort of helped me realize that I started to like coconut a little more.

Just to let you all know, this recipe is not mine, it’s by ‘Mi Cocina Rápida – Karen’, you can look her up on YouTube, or use the link that I will put at the end of the article.

Now let’s get into the recipe:

Cocadas

First, here is what you are going to need:

  1. 3 cups of shredded coconut
  2. 4 egg whites
  3. Half cup of sugar

Now that you have all of your ingredients, here are the instructions:

  1. First, you are going to separate the egg yolk form the egg whites
  1. Next, In a big bowl, you are going to place the egg whites and beat them for a couple of seconds
  1. Now, you are going to add the sugar and you are going to beat just enough until the sugar dissolves and the beat it until it’s a foamy texture
  1. Next, you are going to add the shredded coconut and you are going to mix everything perfectly until the coconut is completely covered with the egg white mixture
  1. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the coconut into balls and put them on a tray with a baking sheet
  1. Lastly, you are going to bake them for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and until you see that the cocadas are golden brown

Once they are done, just enjoy 🙂

To learn more about this recipe, and to find the original recipe, go to this link, but beware that the video is not in English, it’s in Spanish.

‘Mi Cocina Rápida- Karen’

Music/Concerts

Iayze (Jace!) – ‘Reverence’

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By: Charlie Boone

Iayze (or Jace!) is a rapper from Fort Worth, Texas that first gained prominence on Soundcloud in the burgeoning underground plugg scene. His sound uniquely blends orchestral samples and ambient soundscapes with hard-hitting 808s and glitchy percussion, creating a trance-like energy that feels more purposeful and well-realized than many of his contemporaries.

On his debut full length album, ‘Reverence’, released on March 7, 2023, it really feels like Iayze is trying to prove himself as a versatile artist. Expanding his sound into spacey R&B on songs like “Bed Side” and “Call on Me”, showing off his ability to sing and penchant for deep, entrancing atmospheres. He melds the atmospheric soundscapes with more aggressive rapping perfectly on the song “Laylow”, produced by another popular rapper from the same scene, DevStacks.

‘Reverence’ is a total of 29 tracks, and an hour long, which is usually the sign of a bloated project, but even though there are points that I wasn’t as engaged, Iayze shows a level of quality control while bouncing around styles that makes even moments that don’t personally appeal to the listener feel fresh and interesting nonetheless. While this makes it easier for different types of listeners to find something they enjoy, this does unfortunately affect both the replayability and cohesion of the project.

Iayze’s previous mixtapes have touched on lyrical themes of mental health, isolation, and heartbreak before, and for the most part, ‘Reverence’ sits in that familiar territory, with most songs feeling lyrically like small vignettes of an idea, juxtaposed with how fully realized and deep the production feels.

‘Reverence’ features a wide variety of producers that bring unique touches to Iayze’s sound, his long-time producer Cullen appears on a variety of tracks that do a great example of showcasing what was great about his previous projects, at a higher level of production value and performances. Songs like “Dee in a Cutlass” and “The Hills” both produced by Biinx, are great examples of what is trendy and happening right now in the underground SoundCloud scene.

In closing, while ‘Reverence’ isn’t as consistent (thematically or stylistically) as his previous work, it is by far Iayze’s most ambitious project, and to be able to make a 29 track album that doesn’t feel boring and stale by the end is truly a feat; especially as an underground artist without a large amount of industry backing.

If you’re looking for an exciting and diverse rap project, and you favor deep, atmospheric production, I highly recommend ‘Reverence’.

Travel/Food

Crumbl Cookie review

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By: Audrey Smith

This week I tried the Crumbl Cookie flavors. I tried 4 different flavors in total. The theme this week was Saint Patrick’s Day, with a gold coin cookie, a green mint cookie, and Lucky Charms cookie.

The first flavor I tried was Lucky Charms flavored. It had a marshmallow cream cheese frosting and it had Lucky Charms on too. Inside the vanilla cookie, there was white chocolate chips and more marshmallows. This cookie was served hot. I would have to say this was one of the best Crumbl Cookies I’ve had. I would rate this a 10/10.

The next flavor I tried was the mint chocolate cookie. It was a chocolate cookie with green mint frosting and a chocolate ganache on top. This cookie was served cold. I thought this tasted sort of like a thin mint but leveled up. Although the flavor was good, I don’t really like mint so I would have to rate this cookie a 5/10.

The cookies and cream cookie was next. It was a vanilla cookie mixed with an Oreo cookie in marble. It had Oreos on top and was drizzled in white icing. This cookie was served hot. It was a good cookie, but I feel like I could have made it at home. I would rate this cookie a 7/10, it tasted good, it just wasn’t that impressive.

The last cookie we tried was the French Silk cookie. This cookie was a dense chocolate cookie, almost like a brownie, and it had a milk chocolate silk frosting with whipped cream. I really didn’t like the texture of the cookie, I thought it was too dense. Along with this, the flavor wasn’t that good at all. I would rate this cookie a 4/10.

Overall, this week was okay, and the Lucky Charms cookie was one of my favorites. I’d give this week a 7/10.

Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

What is Securly?

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By: Tasha Cudinsky

What is Securly? Securly is the tool that the Saint Paul Public School System uses to restrict internet access. For years this system has just been used to restrict what things students can search and what websites we can visit. This year SPPS has changed how they use Securly.

Starting in fall of 2022, all parents and guardians of SPPS students started receiving weekly updates that showed them what their students had searched that week. Additionally, if parents download the Securly app they can view their students search history at any time that they want.

All parents or guardians of SPPS students were automatically signed up for the weekly Securly emails. According to the SPPS tech department, this system was implemented because of the requests of some parents, though it is not clear how many parents requested this.

When this system was implemented, all parents were sent an email explaining what Securly is, and encouraging parents to download their app to be able to view the search history at any time.

Students were not informed about the implementation of this system despite the fact that it is their search history that was being given to parents or guardians.

While parents and guardians having the ability to see their students search history may seem harmless, some groups have raised concerns about this new system. The concerns about this system are that not all students come from a safe and accepting home and may end up being harmed by this new system.

Abuse is not an easy topic to talk about, but it is something that happens, and we need to remember to watch out for those who are going through it. The concern with Securly is that an abusive parent or guardian might catch their student searching something along the lines of, “How do I escape an abusive situation?” Or looking into an abuse victim shelter. If a student ended up in this position, they could end up being put in danger because of a system that was put in place by their school, which was supposed to help them.

Despite the fact that concerns have been raised about how this new system may actually harm the students more than help them, little to nothing has been done to either inform the students, or protect those who are at risk. So far, there has been one announcement about Securly during advisory, and only in Highland Park Senior High, not the other SPPS schools. Other than this, there have been no notable changes with the Securly issue.

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Travel/Food

Pizza Hut decline

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By: Joseph Nelson

We all know that building with the weird roof on the top of it. The same roof that draws thousands of customers into the building to order the now well known pizzas that Pizza Hut offers.

But there’s a problem, the yearly sales for the franchise have only gone down in the years! What does this mean? How has this happened? Has someone finally out pizza’d the hut?

In 1990 Pizza Hut had the reputation of having some of the craziest pizza ideas like the Bigfoot, that was a 2 foot wide and 1 foot long pizza, where at one point made a total of 18% of Pizza Huts total revenue. But that wasn’t even close to the sales of their stuffed crust pizza that totaled around 1 billion dollars worth of sales in its first year.

Along with all these ideas, Pizza Hut served as a more modern and fancy pizza restaurant where families and friends could come together to dine in instead of the now very popular delivery service that Dominos has pioneered. But, like all good things, they must come to an end.

Pizza Hut had finally started to cut down on quality and started raising prices with many critics calling out the change in Pizza Hut sauce as the start of its downward spiral. With this new sauce came new pricing with now a large pizza costing $8.49 instead of $6.49.

With the new pricing came new problems with the teen audience (who was their main audience they attempted to appeal to) being in outrage that their after school hangout spot just got a little more expensive.

The competition didn’t help either, with places like Dominos and Papa Johns making compelling and appealing prices to old Hut customers, with more bang for their buck, with a small Domino’s pizza almost costing only half of a small Pizza Hut pizza.

Now, finally Pizza Hut is seeing the downsides like in 2019 when they were forced to close more than 500 restaurants due to underperformance and lack of finances.

Pizza Hut has been a staple to many with the iconic saying “You can’t out-pizza the hut” but it truly seems like the hut has been out-pizza’d for a long time.

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Travel/Food

Pepsi vs. Coke

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By: Rose Ramadan and Thea Berg

In this article, we will be reviewing the difference in pop flavors. We chose to compare Pepsi and Coke flavors, due to the big controversy surrounding them. We tested regular Pepsi, regular Coke, Cherry Pepsi, and Cherry Coke. We also tested the different pop brands they own. For Pepsi, we tested Sierra Mist and for Coke, we tested Sprite.

Our outcomes were as anticipated. More so than Pepsi, we preferred most Coke products. On a scale of 1 to 10, we assigned each pop a flavor rating. Then a bubble scale from 1 to 10. The aftertaste on a scale of 1 to 10.

The majority of Coke products scored an 8 on the flavor rating. They scored a 6 on the bubbling scale, primarily due to our distaste for bubbly beverages. On the aftertaste, they scored an average of 9.

Pepsi, on the other hand, scored an average of 6 on the flavor scale. On the scale of bubbling, they scored a 5. Finally, they scored an average of 7 for aftertaste.

To dive deeper, let’s review each comparison. To start with regular Coke versus Pepsi; the Coke had more of a refreshing taste. It was more pleasing to our taste buds and overall it had a better lasting flavor. In addition, it didn’t have much of an aftertaste compared to Pepsi, where the aftertaste had more of an unhealthy taste. Because of this, Coke had way more of a higher rating in our books.

To compare Cherry Coke versus Cherry Pepsi, we could hardly taste a difference between the two of them. As stated before, the Coke had more of a refreshing taste. We probably couldn’t tell the difference between them if it came down to it, though. The comparison between these two was hard.

Last, we compared Sierra Mist to Sprite. Sierra Mist, being a Pepsi product, and Sprite, being a Coke product. Though both are on the top of the list for our favorite pop drinks, we prefer Sierra Mist by a lot more. It has a sweeter taste and is more pleasing to our taste buds. It also has less bubbles which makes it more of an appealing option to the two of us.

The differences between the flavors of the regular Coke and Pepsi were subtle, but noticeable. Regular Pepsi tends to be sweeter, but it also has 2 more grams of sugar than Coke does, so the sweetness level makes sense. Coke is a little less sweet and has a more flavorful taste than Pepsi does. Pepsi also has more of a slightly citrusy tang, but Coke has more of a raisiny-vanilla flavor, although both Coke and Pepsi have very similar recipes that both contain carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, and caffeine.

One main difference between these two drink recipes is that Pepsi has the ingredient of citric acid in their drink, and Coke does not. The citric acid is what sets the flavors apart between the drinks and makes Pepsi have the citrus flavor over the vanilla raisin flavor.

Coke also had more carbonation and bubbles than Pepsi did, we thought that Pepsi seemed a little more flat and less bubbly.

Between the 2 of us we both agreed that we liked the flavor that Coke had better than the flavor of Pepsi. We both preferred the less sweet flavor and the less tangy flavor because we thought it tasted more authentic with the raisiny-vanilla flavor.

We also liked the carbonation level that Coke had better than the carbonation level of Pepsi.

Overall, we both agreed that the Coke products were better than the Pepsi products based on a lot of factors. Pepsi had many good flavors, and it had the upper hand with Sierra Mist, but most of the other flavors of drinks were in favor of Coke products.