Good Soup: A Meal’s Redemption

JAMIE BURTON Staff Writer

The light sobbing continued on for most of the night. At last, from deep within the confines of the Panera Bread kitchen, there came a final exhale, a hopeless plea of frustration and regret. There lay the day-old half-pint of Tomato Basil soup on the desolate counter, who, like so many of its compatriots, had become just another fallen soldier in a dying genre of cuisine. In today’s culinary age, the modern-day soup has indeed taken a back seat in the dining experience, but this was not always the case. In fact, the key to the modern soup’s revival may be digging deeper into the dish’s true purpose.

Soups have been a worldwide cuisine standard for centuries, being simple enough for the poor and sophisticated enough for the wealthy at the same time. Over time however, public support for soup has diminished remarkably. So how did this happen? How did this beloved dish become so coldly forgotten?

appetizer only, an inviting opener to a more substantial meal. There would be no more pressure to sacrifice nutrition for taste; emphasis would be finally placed on experience above all else. Free from societal constraints, the modern soup will have room to blossom with boldness and creativity once more.

Yet still, some ask, why even bother? Why adopt such a risk for so little reward? Think back to the dayold half-pint of Tomato Basil soup. Haven’t we all felt hopeless at one point or another, yearning for direction in a purposeless world? Saving the modern soup would be in turn saving a part of each other as well. It would show us that even when life grows stale, innovation can still prevail. That we can bring taste back into our lives by knowing where we truly belong. In this sense of belonging and purpose, we will all discover what gives us flavor at long last.

My feet ache as a torrent of pain washes down my legs, and another bead of sweat slowly crawls down to settle on my already-glistening face. The repetition of step after step starts to fade in and out of my brain, and I discover that my body is in a sort of trance. My mind is a whirlwind of regret and heat while the miles ahead stretch out of focus. Who would ever want to do something like that?

Believe it or not, I do this for fun. From August to November, the cross country team voluntarily participates in running for seemingly unending periods of time. No one can seem to understand why, seeing as our sport is every other sport’s punishment, but that is what makes it all the more enticing and enigmatic.

No matter what rumors may say, cross country can be for anyone. I like to think that it is 70% mental and 30% physical. If you let your mind weave a string of inner doubts and complaints, that will be reflected in how your run unfolds; instead, maintain a positive mindset. I try to focus on the future: it will eventually end. An ideal start to an optimistic cross country career is by running earlier or later in the day, when the weather is cooler. Train your mind to accept its unfortunate circumstances, and focus on existing in the moment.

While people say that cross country can be uselessly difficult or pointless, running is a base type of sport that has existed for thousands of years and strengthens personal endurance and form for other sports. Because of cross country, I can last the entire 85 minutes of a soccer game in a sprinting position. My body recognizes the familiar pattern of rushing footsteps, uneven breathing, and heightened spatial awareness. No good thing comes easy, and this sport is a perfect example.

In my opinion, the most important part of cross country is the bond formed between teammates, which can be just as strong as the bonds formed in any other sport. A dozen people suffer together in a seemingly individual sport when, in reality, cross country is as much of a team sport as any other; shared trauma bonds like nothing else. Pinewood runners represent Pinewood every time they step onto the course. Not many people respect the sport, so your teammates are there to relate.

There is almost nothing as gratifying and invigorating as capturing the runner’s high halfway through a strenuous run. In that moment, a calm serenity takes over, and all knowledge of one’s whereabouts and purpose slowly fades away.

I signed up during freshman year on a whim and a moment of daring stupidity and haven’t found a valid enough reason to leave yet, so maybe you should give it a try.

Simply put, soup has never experienced much modernization. It was always a traditional classic in a world of change, something reliably consistent. However, soup’s reluctance to evolve over the years has had a negative effect, as it has submerged the dish to unforeseen lows.

The problem is that the modern soup, as we know it today, is unproductive. It has become a hassle, a culinary chore that yields little reward compared to other more efficient dishes. As a result, the modern soup loses support, and in turn innovation, as the unforgiving cycle of fading into the culinary background continues. However, the modern soup need not be without hope. In order to save itself, the modern soup must turn its focus inward to who is at its watery core. The ugly truth is that the modern soup can never be successful when expected to be the main course. It is at its best as an