What do butterflies and mushrooms have in common?
Chandy Dancey
The answer is they’re both types of popcorn! As you may have read last week, I have become somewhat of a popcorn connoisseur. By that I mean that I’ve become slightly enamored with popping my own popcorn at home and also highly impressed by the fact that plain popcorn is actually good for you. (Get your fibre in, folks! Your digestive tract will thank you.) This week I’ve fallen deeper down the popcorn rabbit hole, however, and have discovered there are two types of popcorn — butterfly and mushroom. The butterfly type is the signature theatre kind with its lovely, fluffy shape, but the mushroom type looks more like a nuclear explosion cloud. (Don’t worry, that’s where the similarities stop!) When you get caramel popcorn or kettle corn it’ll often be this fungi-shaped type since it has more surface area and can withstand being coated or candied. Now that I know this odd bit of trivia, I feel like the world has suddenly opened up. I don’t just have to eat butterfly popcorn all the time; tonight we’re snacking on mushroom popcorn, baby!
Building relationships one hand at a time
Steve Hartwig
Sitting around a card or games table is the indoor version of sitting around a campfire. With COVID-19 restricting our lives and in some cases, forcing us to stay home, game night can become a major fixture in a weekly schedule that everyone looks forward to. Game night can be entertaining, a major stress reliever, or a chance to get to know people on a different level. Conversations while playing games can cover a wide range of topics, and the time to listen to others is important for developing closer ties to the people around you. There’s nothing people in your household want more than your time and companionship; the games are just the medium for more personal time and connection. Pick up a deck of cards, find a game to play, and see how much fun and enjoyment you can get from building relationships one hand at a time.
Evolution for bathers
Carissa Wiens
As of recently, I’ve taken to soaking in the bath with a beer and a book to close off my days. Bubbles are always a delightful addition. But after being submerged in water for over an hour my toes are intensely wrinkly. I don’t have much of a problem with it, but it got me thinking: how does water make my feet look like that?
Scientific American suggests that over millions of years, our bodies have adapted to become pruney when in water to better grip objects, like gathering food in wet vegetation or in rivers. And our feet follow suit in order to be more slip resistant in the rain. Of course, we wear shoes now and rarely gather our own food, so it doesn’t serve us much purpose these days.Â
But I must say that I am thankful that our hands and feet still get pruney because every time I drop my phone in the bath, my highly textured fingers are able to grab it quickly enough that only minimal damage affects it.Â
Anime is on a continuing uprise
Kathleen Clingwall
As someone who has been a longtime lover of anime, it is interesting to watch it climb the pyramid of popularity. I am actually quite relieved that it has gained the appreciation it deserves, instead of being considered weird or nerdy. Watching an anime movie or show has to be one of the more comforting things to me. Curling up on my couch or in my bed, lights dimmed, with any Studio Ghibli movie playing is so dreamy. I believe there is an anime out there for everyone, whether it be sports, food, fights, or just a slice-of-life. Anime, especially Studio Ghibli films, are made with so much love and are so visually pleasing that they are guaranteed to warm your heart. Each Studio Ghibli film is so rich in detail, from bright fields of grass and flowers, to magical dragons and creatures. Some top anime favourites of mine that I’d like to share are Hunter X Hunter, Haikyu!!, The Seven Deadly Sins, Castlevania, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Spirited Away. All of these can be found on Netflix.
Elyssa English/The Cascade
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.
Steve is a third-year BFA creative writing/visual arts student who’s been a contributing writer, staff writer and now an editor at The Cascade. He's always found stories and adventures but now has the joy of capturing and reporting them.
