Our View: Food for thought after the spring break lull

The Stater’s Sunday production night coming back from spring break is never the most productive. As staff members file back in from their respective travel destinations (no, we didn’t sit in Franklin Hall all week), small talk permeates the newsroom.

At one point, though, the casual conversation took a turn as the subject shifted: The mention of Girl Scout Cookie season sparked a half-hour debate over which cookies reigned supreme.

Design Director Addie Gall vehemently touted Tagalongs as the best, simultaneously claiming Samoas to be “disgusting” to the agreement of several other staff members. Taking exception to the degradation of the coconut-based treat, Print Managing Editor Lucas Misera joined the fray, passionately defending Samoas.

Looking to diffuse the tension, Assigning Editor Henry Palattella recommended an elaborate system of voting to officially formulate a KentWired ranking of seven different Girl Scout Cookies: Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Trefoils, S’mores and Savannah Smiles.

After an in-depth, journalistic investigation, here’s what we found:

Tagalongs were a runaway favorite. In the 10 participants’ rankings, the peanut butter-chocolate confection ranked no lower than fourth on the list.

Thin Mints finished behind Tagalongs. While it was never a legitimate contender to finish first, it was a mainstay in the mid-tier, a consistent cookie that drew minimal ire.

The highly-divisive Samoas ranked third, much to the dismay of half the voters. Samoas tied Tagalongs for first-place votes with three but finished in the bottom two for four of 10 voters.

S’mores and Do-si-dos, a less-polished version of the Tagalong, tied for fifth.

In sixth place were Trefoils, the punchless shortbread cookies with a penchant for mediocrity.

Savannah Smiles faired poorly, coming in as the worst cookie. The zesty, lemon-based cookies left a sour impression on the staff, warranting a bottom-two ranking for seven different voters.

If you’ve already familiarized yourself with the carousel of Girl Scout Cookies, you probably have your own opinion. And that’s fine.

If you’re new to Girl Scout Cookies, there may be opportunities to purchase from leftover inventory at roadside stands if you’re lucky enough. If you give it a shot, consider this your guide.

After all, the staff was 10 minutes late to its meeting for this.