So, TeamPancakes? or Team Waffles? A few weeks ago, Pat-Med Senior, Kevin Allen, tore Twitter apart by posting a simple poll asking his followers if they preferred pancakes or waffles. What was supposed to be a harmless opinion poll took an unexpected turn and created a great divide amongst the Patchogue-Medford High School students in the world of Twitter. You were either team pancakes or team waffles and once you’ve chosen a side there was no turning back. Life is always full of gray areas. It’s all based on interpretations. No matter what the problem is, you can always find a middle ground. This is simply not the case for such a dividing question. I don’t think anyone expected it to blow up like this, but life is funny that way.

According to Urban Dictionary, waffles are “something large and syrup covered. Sometimes can be distracting to steal own the gaze of any onlooking. Especially useful in awkward situations, arguments, or any other need for an excuse to stop conversations or change the subject.” Here are some things that you can expect to hear from waffles lover. Rylan Jugan, 16, “Waffles are absolutely the superior breakfast delicacy. The impeccable texture and consistency of a waffle are simply unmatched when compared to the flavorless, flat variation of bread known as the pancake.” Here is a perfect representation of the overbearing passion one can have for waffles. Such simple breakfast was recognized as so superior that it made him completely trashed the idea of pancakes. How can something so simple hold such immense power? John Michael “Michael” McCaffrey, 17, “I honestly think it’s pathetic that this was even a debate, the clear winner was waffles from the start.” John has been a very strong advocate for waffles since day one of the debate. He had no doubt in his mind that the taste of waffles would definitely triumph over pancakes.

Which team do you pledge your allegiance to?

• #TeamPancakes
• #TeamWaffle
• I'm an outlier -- #TeamFrenchToast

View Results

 Loading ...

Speaking of pancakes, Urban Dictionary defined them as “a mix of flour, eggs, canola oil, and milk. These ingredients are beaten together in a bowl. When there are no longer lumps in the mix, the mix is put on a griddle to be cooked. A pancake is usually served with syrup, but fruits are added to the mix sometimes to be cooked inside the pancakes. Just like the members of team waffles, the members of team pancakes also had a lot to say to defend their beliefs. Ethan Bedau, 17, “Pancakes, when freshly cooked, melt in the mouth with a slice of butter and some aunty syrup. It’s amazing. Compared to often hard, crunchy waffles, that often hurt my mouth hole.” Lead researcher David Pagan, 17, “With pancakes you can have so many different options. Waffles are just the minority pancake stuff. Waffles can hurt the roof of your mouth if they are cooked improperly. They have ridges. Pancakes are safe. You can make pancakes many different ways.” Lucien Deneva, 16, “Pancakes are so much better than waffles.” Here we see a repetition of the idea that pancakes are soft, easy to eat, and there are many ways to eat them. You can enjoy it with toppings, like fruits, or by itself with some syrup. There are just so many options for eating it. You can never be tired of it. Also, waffles were seen as destructive. If they’re cooked improperly, they can be so hard that they can damage the roof of the eater’s mouth. You will never experience this while eating the soft and fluffy pancakes.

Just like the world of politics in America today, most people feel very strongly about their stand on certain issues and reject anything that contradicts them while refusing to listen to reasons. This is expected when discussing such a controversial topic. But even when the majority had already chosen a side, there will always be an emergent of a third party; a minority group that happens to reject both ideas. And this group believes in the supremacy of French Toast. The members of team French Toast did not have a lot to say about why they believe French Toast is the best, nor did they have anything to say against pancakes and waffles. They simply believe that French Toasts is pretty tasty in its own way and that is all.

Personally, I enjoy eating both pancakes and waffles. Sometimes I crave the soft texture of pancakes drizzled with some sweet syrup. Other times I enjoy the crunchiness of waffles.

Let’s just take a deep breath, take a step back, and think. We have just been so focused on the external appearances and our own context of these two delicious pastries that we’ve failed to see that deep down, they’re both the same. They’re both a combination of eggs, flours, and milk made into a batter. It is how they were brought up from that very first stage that they slowly branched off and became two completely different things. Some of that batter went to the waffle maker, where they were given their waffle characteristics. We as a society decided if those characteristics would be favorable or not. Some of us liked it, some of us rejected it. Same with pancakes. It didn’t go to a fancy machine to become delicious. It simply sat on the stove for a few minutes and became itself. And again, some people can praise it for its simplicity or scold it. We as a society control the value of our foods, the things around us, and the people around us. But why do we have to argue about which is better? I know acceptance isn’t easy but it’s very important in today’s society.

Finally, I was able to get a quote from the creator of the poll, Kevin Allen, 17, “I really didn’t expect so many people to get involved in my poll. It was actually pretty cool.” Kevin expressed his love for pancakes many times and is a proud member of team pancakes. He only joined Twitter recently but was able to start a civil war. He serves as an example that even the smallest person can make a difference as long as they put themselves out there. But then again, who’s idea was it to let Kevin Allen on Twitter?