‘Hot Cakes and Hot Takes’ brings controversial opinions, pancakes to Janzow dining hall
Students eat a meal in the Janzow Campus Center dining hall.
Photo credit: Nora Betts
By Johann Nafzger
Students competed in sharing their most controversial opinions over a pancake dinner called “Hot Takes and Hot Cakes” on Friday night, with sophomore Matthew Frerking taking home the prize thanks to a Disney movie argument.
The Janzow dining hall was the stage for students to approach the mic and present either genuine or satirical “hot takes” to their fellow students for evaluation. After presenters gave and defended their takes, the audience of other participants– plus non-participant pancake enjoyers– voted on the quality of each take. Some voters used colored paddles while others used their hands to give a thumbs up or down.
The presenter who gave the take with the highest peer rating won a steak dinner with three guests of their choice. The meal will be cooked by Chartwells Director of Dining Services Patrick O’Brien.
Frerking argued that “Frozen is the worst Disney movie in history,” using older Disney movies and animation styles to back it up. He got his first round of cheers and applause when he stated that “Kristoff [isn’t] anywhere near as charming as Flynn Rider.” Between applause and laughter, audience engagement was apparent.
Other student opinions covered a variety of subjects. The NBA “greatest of all time” debate made its appearance, while other students covered everything from popular animated movies to the attractiveness of American politicians.
However, general voting and vote on finalists saw Frerking take the win by four official votes and lots of cheering.
Among the other finalists was junior Timothy Dose, who argued that “Mater [from Cars] is bigger-hearted than Po the Panda [from Kung Fu Panda].” With sixteen official votes to Frerking’s twenty, Dose’s take nearly won him the victory.
Aware of the close race, Dose said “[he] really just wanted that steak dinner.”
“I think it’s an event that needs to continue on for the next couple years at Concordia,” Frerking said on a less satirical note after the event. “Its a great way to get to know each other better. Not to humiliate each other, [rather] just to make a little joke out of it.”
Frerking said he was not sure who he would invite to the steak dinner at the time, but he was already anticipating it.
Dose said that, after Frerking gave his take, he knew his competitor would win. “I gave him a standing ovation; I knew I had lost… Matthew’s the G.O.A.T..”
“In the lingo of the day, it was ‘absolute cinema’,” Dose said, referring to Frerking’s performance.
Some students ate pancakes during the event, while others did not. Frerking had two and said, “They were really good. I mean, they were just Janzow pancakes, but they were delicious.”
