By Alyssa Poteat
From Colby Jack versus Cheese Whiz to potential upsets over the number one seed cheddar cheese, there are so many possibilities in The Peace Times’ very first Cheese Chaos.
Wanting to create a fun social media trend for the student body to engage in, the Fall 2024 Peace Times staff created the Cheese Chaos Bracket as a parody to the famous March Madness Bracket. Each member named their favorite cheese with hopes it would win the glorious title of best cheese. With notable contenders such as mozzarella and potential underdogs such as Parmesan, the Cheese Chaos bracket will be full of upsets and intense matches throughout the months of February and March.
Will Stadler, co-editor of The Peace Times, had strong opinions on likely winners.
“So I think it’s going to be Pepper Jack. But I think Parmesan is going to get upset as there is no variety in parmesan cheese, you can’t put it on different things,” Stadler said. “Pepper Jack you can put on a different variety of sandwiches, maybe even get crazy mixing into mac and cheese. Whatever cheese wins you will be able to use it in very different cuisines.”
Hernan Ruedas, another one of the sports editors for The Peace Times, shares why Cheddar has the advantage.
“Cheddars the best because I prefer cheddar especially when it’s melted and I like how gooey it is,” Ruedas said. “Swiss cheese is so out, why does it have holes in it and stuff?”
The first matchup consists of seventeenth-seed, Colby Jack versus sixteenth-seed, Cheese Whiz. Both are notable for having their advantages and disadvantages.
Khalia Lewter, a member of the marketing staff of The Peace Times, expects this matchup to be a clean sweep on Colby Jack’s end.
“I definitely think Colby Jack would win over Cheese Wiz. Cheese Wiz is more of a cheap snack that has no form and or true cheese flavor which is fine if you’re looking for something to spray onto crackers,” Lewter said. “But Colby Jack is more authentic, its REAL cheese, versatile and has similarities to sharp cheddar which is a favorite attribute of mine.”
The next matchup is between 21st seed, cottage cheese and 12th seed gruyere. This is projected to be a clean sweep by the twelfth seed, but there is always the possibility of an upset.
The 13thseed, Manchego and 20th seed Havarti fight to move on in the next round. With both being fan favorite underdogs, it’s going to be a battle of grit.
Another notable matchup is between two fan favorites, number 11 brie cheese and number six pimento cheese. Both being fan favorites, fans will have a hard time choosing between these two cheeses.
Elijah Horman, chief of marketing for The Peace Times, has a bit of an emotional attachment when expressing his projection.
“Ok, so my heart says pimento cheese, it has a bold flavor and is a great standalone or paired with crackers,” Horman said. “That said, I think Brie takes the upset victory for having a more complex flavor and being a mainstay in more recipes. It is everything that pimento cheese is, but has more history and culture behind it.”
Mozzarella cheese and Cheddar Cheese stand alone at opposite ends of the bracket. Both are known for being popular cheeses, fans eagerly await to see the potential upsets they may face, especially by number four seed, American Cheese.
Jordan France, a photographer on staff, shares his thoughts on American Cheese, and what may happen later in the bracket.
“The American cheese has attributes that the cheddar cheese doesn’t have, like relatability, dependability and you can never go wrong,” France said. “Cheddar cheese can be streaky, when they are hot they are really good, maybe the best, but, when they get cold they can be pretty bad. As long as American cheese stays consistent it can come on top.”
Make sure to follow us on Instagram at @ThePeaceTimes to cast your vote as the first-ever Cheese Chaos bracket commences!
Graphic created by Alyssa Poteat