Juice brawl: orange juice versus apple juice
Photo Courtesy of Comic Editor David Potter
Within the past week—as spurred by the universally questionable decision to have the opinion and arts and entertainment editors’ office hours coincide on Thursday afternoons (come visit us!)—there has been an all-consuming contemplation: Which is better, orange or apple juice? Here, we each take this disagreement to the public in hopes of answering this question once and for all via The Lamron opinion section. Within the body of this article, both opponents will justify their sides and then you, dear reader, are left with taking a stance for what you think is right.
Nathan D’amato: Apple juice
Though the answer may seem abundantly clear to those who have indulged themselves in what I consider the nectar of the gods, apple juice is the only contender in this brawl. I will, however, still illuminate my case for the unconvinced.
Like many, I grew up on apple juice and its associated boxes, partaking in them almost religiously, even now this holds true; you can almost always catch me at Letchworth Dining Hall draining the apple juice reserves. For many, this drink evokes childhood nostalgia, sending people back to their youth even upon its mention. This is why my opponent will have you correlate the drink negatively, to be seen as a “baby’s drink”—for better or worse. But why, may I ask, is this a bad thing?
Who doesn’t want to forget about their issues or fatalistic thoughts they are plagued by in adulthood momentarily, in order to revert to a simpler time internally, and sip on a deceptively-sophisticated drink with the ability to send you straight into the deepest recesses of the mind? The negative connotation associated with apple juice has done nothing but propagate a harmful stereotype about a drink that has been the backbone of society since its release in 1868.
If we look at these drinks from a sheer composition standpoint, orange juice does contain slightly more vitamins and minerals, but the fiber and saturated fat levels found within apple juice are noticeably better than in its orange counterpart. This means that both of these juices promote their own health benefits and are consumed for varying reasons.
For me, however, these margins have nothing to do with the enjoyment you get from drinking one or the other. The superior drinking experience comes from apple juice and its nostalgic properties, not its nutritional statistics! When you sip apple juice, you’re not only tasting the exquisite, delectable flavor of a solid unit of a fruit turned miraculously into liquid, you’re also sent down a rabbit hole of dormant memories and hit with a wave of serotonin harkening back to the days of old.
The orange juice industry, Big Pulp as I like to say, would like you to think otherwise. Supporters of Big Pulp have taken it upon themselves to commit a smear campaign on what is a perfectly good, succulent beverage that has been a cornerstone of Western culture—believing wholeheartedly that there is not enough room in the spotlight for the two to coexist. This level of character assassination exists because of this quintessential fact: Big Pulp needs everyone to believe apple juice is inferior.
Without apple juice, our society would be an insignificant shadow of its current self, the world wouldn't shine as bright, and life would cease to have meaning. Be better, embrace your inner child, and seize the vibrant world apple juice allows us to have!
Kendall’s argument for orange juice
Orange juice is a pillar of health and sensory intrigue when it comes to drink indulgence, all the while not really being indulgent at all. While there are endless reasons as to why orange juice is the superior choice to apple juice, the main ones that will be the focus of my case today are: the ease of integration, its variety and superior aesthetic, and the copious mood and nutritional benefits it provides—even if my opponent would like for you to think facts have no place in this discussion. By the end of this I feel you will feel properly oriented and confident in your decision to make the right choice, the brighter choice from a health, visual, and convenience standpoint. So, without further ado, here is my case for why orange juice is the superior juice.
For starters, it is without a doubt, the juice that is the easiest to make a part of your everyday—which is also for your benefit as I will demonstrate later. Ever since the orange juice industry made the decision to market orange juice as a breakfast staple in 1916 in order to combat the sudden surplus of oranges in America, orange juice has been an integral part of morning culture. I have a glass of orange juice every day with my breakfast, and so do many all across the country and beyond; this creates a routine and community around orange juice that keeps it relevant in an individual's life well past childhood in a way in which requires no societal justification or going out of the way to partake for the individual. This is then strengthened by the fact that the popularity of orange juice is due to effective problem-solving, the scope of which we can only admire and aspire to reach.
Let’s be frank: apple juice is an unfortunate color in which it resembles a few liquids you would not want to consume unintentionally—beer and pee. The chance of mistaking orange juice for separate liquid is close to zero, and the vibrant orange color is one that sparks immediate joy, and not just because orange is my favorite color, but because it is an innately uplifting hue. Orange juice also has more variety within the scope of itself, with the complexity of pulp and how each individual enjoys differing degrees of pulp in their orange juice, though the three main categories are pulp-free, with pulp, and extra-pulp. The existence of pulp in orange juice to the extent it is further builds alliances within the orange juice community and allows for us to have light-hearted debate between one another, the same of which cannot be achieved with any innate aspect of apple juice.
Lastly, of course, is all the technical stuff. One of orange juice’s immediate strengths nutritionally is its high vitamin C content. This is important because vitamin C helps the body fight off illness in order to avoid becoming sick. Regular orange juice consumption can have health benefits that are not always directly visible, since vitamin C is significantly less effective in warding off illness when you are already ill. Orange juice can be a preventative agent like many other supplements, but one that is in a tasty, tart, and unique liquid form that is not innately medicinal in any way. While the decision as to which drink is superior is technically left up to the majority, we all know what the answer is.