The Condor Poll: Say Goodbye to Coke and Pepsi

Everyone knows about the famous rivalry between Coke and Pepsi, but at Cal High, that is such old news. A poll went out to our Condors asking, “What’s Your Favorite Soda?” Students could choose between Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, or Dr. Pepper. The results were honestly surprising—the most “popular” sodas were actually at the bottom, with Coke receiving a measly 17% and Pepsi a staggering 8%.

So, who won? Dr. Pepper beat out Sprite by eight votes. To put it in the words of senior Faith Tippit, “It’s lowkey just better.” Dr. Pepper has gained a lot of popularity over the years, and as a Dr. Pepper fan myself (I am currently writing this while wearing Dr. Pepper pajamas), this poll makes perfect sense to me. “It isn’t an overbearing flavor, and it tastes better than a lot of other sodas,” freshman Matthias Ruiz shared.

Many were shocked to see Sprite get so many votes, but the soda is often overlooked. Angel Heredia stated, “Sprite is by far the most versatile.” When you feel nauseous, what soda do you tend to lean on? Most would answer Sprite. Other students share this sentiment; other sodas can be too sweet or too carbonated at times, making Sprite a solid, reliable option. “You can basically have it at any time,” Angel added, noting that “LeBron was in a Sprite commercial,” which officially earned his vote.

Now, of course, there were Coke loyalists in the poll like Didi Jimenez, who argued, “It’s the perfect soda. It’s been around for so long—iconic red, iconic taste.” She’s right—Coke has been around for a long time, but Cal High tends to gravitate toward a different red soda. On the other end of the spectrum, some students still favor Pepsi over Coke. Take Nataly Delgado, for example: “It’s slightly sweeter compared to Coke, and when it goes flat, it’s actually decent.”