Why Vegetarians and Vegans are Wrong

Madison Evans

Disclaimer: This is NOT aimed at ANYONE in particular or at people who are vegetarian/vegan for religious reasons OR by choice. It is not about certain people or about everyone, just some vegetarians/ vegans in general.

Everyone can agree that vegetarians and vegans are always saying, “animal lives matter, too!” and “all animals deserve a chance at life!” Well, many are tired of hearing this. And not that this is everyone, but certain people. They are also always bragging, “I’ve been a vegan for two weeks!” No one cares, Karen. Everyone knows you’ll be stuffing your face with chicken wings the next time you have a chance.

When you look at vegetarians and vegans who don’t brag, it’s fine. For example, people who have learned to grow with other people wearing or eating animal products and will just leave you alone for wearing a leather skirt or fur coat.

Is ¨Dragon’s Breath¨ Really Safe to Consume?

Gavin Mercado

Recently, another food trend has surfaced and people – kids, teens, and even adults have been raving all about it. The popular food item titled, ¨Dragon’s Breath¨ or in some places ¨Snowballs¨ has been causing people to search all over to try the delicious treat.

Now, what is this trendy treat? Dragon´s Breath is rice cereal balls dipped into liquid nitrogen, which is indeed the coldest substance on earth. The liquid nitrogen causes the cereal balls to instantly freeze and this makes a cold ¨smoke,¨ if you will, arise from the cereal puffs.

When hearing about this trend, I knew I had to try it. On Sunday, I decided to visit ¨I Am¨ (#NotSponsored) in the Anaheim Packing District. This little snack place has very trendy desserts that everyone would enjoy like Korean shaved ice, smoothies, and of course, Dragon´s Breath.

A Candy’s Shelf Life

Kirra Kirby

A candy’s shelf life is directly influenced by its ingredients. “For most sugar-based confections, losing moisture or drying out is the main reason,” says Richard W. Hartel, a professor of food engineering. “Find an old box of Peeps or Dots or jelly beans, and you’ll quickly see what that means,” he also says.

Jelly Belly, the major producer of jelly beans with two factories in the U.S., cautions against eating dried-out candies. “If it’s hard to bite down on your beans, you most likely have old jelly beans in your hand,” its website reads. Similar candies with chewy, sugary centers, like gumdrops, also dry out over time, becoming brittle and glassy.

Packaging can help sugar-based candies retain their shelf life. Such candies are often wrapped in plastic to prevent moisture loss, but once you open the package and expose the candies to air, they can dry out within days or weeks.

Peanut Free Zone

Madelyn Fracassa

Lately, kids with severe peanut allergies have had a lot of problems during lunch. Kids have had a hard time avoiding all the peanut butter in the tight and crowded lunch tables, so they have been sitting on the floor away from the lunch tables.

Just because a student has a peanut allergy they should not have to sit on the floor or be very worried every day at lunch, it is not their fault they have a peanut allergy.

To solve this problem and make it fair for those kids that can not even smell peanut butter, Mrs. DeBritton decided to place a table or two in front of F1 that is a nut free zone. Now the kids can actually eat their lunch at a table.

John’s Incredible Pizza!

Gavin Mercado

In all homerooms, students were given flyers for a free $5 game card at John’s Incredible Pizza. However, it is only included with the price of a buffet. So happy eatings and playings!

This new John’s in the Westminster Mall has already opened and is accepting walk-ins any time during its opening. There are brand new never before seen games, such as Breakout and Crazy Tower.

The provided buffet food includes pizza, pasta, salads, and a delicious variety of desserts. I’m talking scones, ice cream, and chocolate covered strawberries. Yummy!

McDonald’s Shamrock Shake is Shaking its Way Back into the Menu!

Caitlyn Timmons

Just as Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte signals the beginning of fall, McDonald’s Shamrock Shake gives us the certainty that spring is on its way!

What is a Shamrock Shake, you may ask? The Shamrock Shake is a seasonal green-dyed mint-flavored milkshake dessert sold at McDonald’s during March to celebrate the Irish holiday, St. Patrick’s Day.

“It tasted minty but less like a candy type of mint and more like straight mint-leaf. It was really thick and that was probably my favorite part. The consistency was just thick enough to make my taste buds happy,”  says Avalyn Walton, a seventh grader, after trying her first shake.

Girl Scout Galore

Madelyn Fracassa

It’s that time of the year again when the Girl Scouts are out and about with lots of cookies to sell.

Being a Girl Scout can seem like an easy thing. All Girl Scouts have to do is sell cookies, but it is not actually that easy. People can be mean, even to fourth grade Girl Scouts just trying to sell some cookies.

Mia, a fourth grader in local Troop 3318 had a very discouraging experience while selling cookies with her mom. Mia walked up to a house and knocked on the door. A man opened the door, took one look at her, and slammed the door in her face. After he rudely slammed the door he yelled, “I don’t want your Girl Scout cookies,” aggressively.

Other than that, most Girl Scouts in Troop 3318 have had smooth and successful time selling their cookies. One Girl Scout Emily Fracassa has already sold $240 worth of cookies in only one week. Another Girl Scout Hannah has sold $400 worth of cookies. One box is five dollars.

All in all, there is no shortage of Girl Scout cookies being sold, and if you have a desire to buy a box or two then you should jump on the opportunity while it lasts.

 

Should Pineapple go on Pizza??

Caitlyn Timmons

Though it’s been around for decades, pineapple on pizza has recently been an extremely controversial topic. People are either praising its existence or reaching for a barf bag and despising the idea of it. Even Gordon Ramsay, a British celebrity chef, claims that “Pineapple does not go on top of pizza. . .” Though the controversy is high, the Cougar Chronicle has asked some of your fellow students here at Stacey the dreaded question: Should Pineapple go on pizza?

So, Stacey, what is your opinion on pineapple pizza? Now it’s your turn to start some controversy! Answer this fun poll to see where all of your fellow students are standing.

What Happened To The $5 Footlong?

Gavin Mercado

Ah yes, we all remember when that $5 footlong song got stuck in our heads. Eventually, though, it seemed to just disappear. What happened to the $5 footlong?

Before we get too far into this, I just want to make sure everyone knows what a $5 footlong was. It was a sandwich deal that Subway made. A sandwich that was well, a foot long. Obviously the footlong is still at subway, but it’s now sold for $6.99.

Now let’s get into the juicy stuff. Many Subway franchise owners are suing Subway corporate office because they claim, “Profits are dropping.” These franchise owners want the $5 dollar footlong back.

They think this great deal will attract a lot more customers. But the $5 footlong ended February 2016. So why are they suing now?

Soda Causes Worse Memory Function

Evelyn Huynh

According to two research studies, researchers have found out that people who drink soda, with sugar or without, may be more likely to develop memory problems and have smaller brain volumes. An article published on April 24 by researchers explains the effects of drinking soda.

In one of the two reports, published April 20, researchers found that people who drank diet soda every day were three times more likely to develop dementia, which is a persistent disorder of the mental process. They had also found that they are more likely to develop a stroke over a 10 year period than those who do not consume any diet soda.

In the other study published in March, the same researchers have found out that people who consumed at least one diet soda a day had a smaller brain volume than those who didn’t drink diet soda. The same study concluded that people who consumed more than two sugary beverages a day, some including soda or fruit juice, had a smaller brain volume and worse memory function.