Olympian Picks ties the West Seattle Olympian Newsroom’s favorite movies, food, and music into a Monday morning wrap-up that brings you the underrated best of the Emerald City.

Bebop Waffle Shop

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Located in the Admiral area, BeBop is a can’t-miss spot for tasty casual dining. Previously a

flower shop, the business has expanded into a queer and women-owned coffee/waffle bar. If that sounds amazing, it’s because it is. Bebop has an imaginative all-day breakfast menu

packed with sweet and savory hits. Their waffle menu contains crowd-pleasing classics as well

as a build-your-own option. Choose from their Belgian, corn bread, or sweet potato waffle and

deck it out with the toppings of your dreams. Their side dishes are no exception to their talents:

fluffy scrambled eggs and crispy waffle-shaped hash browns show a mastery of comfort

cooking. The vibrant interior is the perfect place to enjoy your meal, and when you’re done,

don’t forget to buy some BeBop merch or check out the flower shop still running in the back of

the diner.

Favorites: Lemon Curd Waffle, Coco Chocolate Waffle, and their Salmon Sandy is a can’t miss.

2600 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116

Bebop Waffle Shop

Erykah Badu

For the length of my senior year, I have walked into school every morning listening to a playlist that mainly consists of Erykah Badu. Every single morning during the first half of the school day I listen to this playlist, to put myself in a proper headspace for the school’s environment, that will help me work efficiently and successfully. I’ve watched the gradual transformation between recent times and before I created my Erykah Badu morning playlist, and all I can say is my mornings have gotten so much better. Ever since I started listening to Badu I’ve found a deeper sense of inner peace and am able to embody it every morning, which is very grounding before the usual, chaotic school day. If I were to be asked about recommendations for morning music, I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest Erykah Badu.

Badu mainly produces neo-soul music, with hints of R&B, rhythm and blues, and jazz integrated into her work. She has a beautiful voice and can harmonize perfectly with the instruments she sings over, but what I admire most is the artist’s ability to express herself. Erykah Badu is a free-living woman, who isn’t afraid to be her authentic self in any shape or form. She dresses and speaks as she pleases, and whenever she does she’s always making a significant statement. I’ve picked all of this up just from listening to her music almost daily and watching a few of her interviews, but being able to feel her personality through the songs enriches her music greatly. Hearing Erykah’s zen voice can calm my entire body, as I walk through school and listen to the words. 

My favorite albums by Erykah Badu to listen to in the morning include “Mama’s Gun”, “New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh”, “Baduizm”, and “Worldwide Underground.” All of them have similar themes since they’re within the same genre, but the individuality of Badu’s songs are a perfect balance of being unique by themselves, but fitting perfectly as a song in the album. My morning playlist consists of songs from these albums, and I continue to find more of her music I like on the daily. If you’re someone looking to get into soul music, this is the artist for you. If you’re trying to find music to dance, sing, walk, or study to, this is the artist for you. I would recommend Erykah Badu to any individual – I think her music is diverse and healing enough to cure anyone while they listen to her music. 

As you can see, I’m quite the big advocate for Erykah Badu and her music. I’m not sure why I feel so strongly about listening to her specifically in the morning, besides the fact it’s helped my own wellbeing in my experience. I feel like my head is clearer and my mood is elevated when I start off my morning with a song like “On and On” or “Bag Lady”. I love to listen to “Didn’t Cha Know” when I walk through the hallways between first and second period, and “Fall In Love (Your Funeral)” before lunch. In conclusion, I believe everyone would collectively have a better day if we all started off our mornings listening to Erykah Badu.

Jedi: Fallen Order

Is the Jedi: Fallen Order game one of the best? Due to the new release of Jedi: Survivor, I think we have to review the last game. It is about a young Jedi named Cal Kestis who lost his master during the Clone Wars and is hunted by Darth Vader and the inquisitors. He has been running for quite awhile and forgot how to use the force powers his master taught him. Cal needs to remember these in order to get through different puzzles and obstacles. Soon, he and the crew he meets while exploring the galaxy finally defeat the third sister. As he learns more of his force powers, it gets easier to navigate the planets; gathering new lightsaber colors and customizing your little droid named BD-1. This droid is from Order 66 and became Cal’s when he was found after his master died. The goal of the game is to rebuild the Jedi Order to what it once was before the clones turned. Cal ventures onto different planets to find a cube that is capable of rebuilding. As one of the last Jedi left, this task is pretty hard to fulfill knowing that he is one of the only ones able to complete said task. Now you’ve gotten an overview –  but why is it better than other Star Wars games? Let’s list some games first. Battlefront 1 and 2, Vader Immortal 1-3, and Star Wars Skywalker Saga. Battlefront 2 has amazing quality. However, the story is not as unique as Fallen Order. Vader Immortal is a VR game that has a wonderful story and doesn’t take long to finish. The only issue is the quality. It is a bit poor but great for a VR game. Jedi: Fallen Order is a unique story and great quality with a new look at Order 66 from a padawans POV. You learn so much and solve so many puzzles. That’s why I think it’s the best Star Wars game.

Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

In my personal experience, I have never disliked a Marvel movie. While the theme for the movies may always be the same – the outcome being predictable and repetitive – I have always found some parts of the film enjoyable. However, my long-standing tolerance for the direction Disney has taken the franchise was broken with one of their latest installments, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. 

This movie was a disappointing addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the hype and anticipation surrounding the film, it failed to live up to expectations in several key areas. One of the most glaring issues was the overuse of CGI and action sequences, which left the story feeling rushed and lacking substance. 

To summarize, the plot of the story follows Scott Lang, once again, as he and his family get dragged into the quantum realm; in which Scott fights a new enemy by the title ‘Kang the Conqueror.’  I found that although Jonathan Majors posed as the perfect cast for a thrilling villain, the film overall lacked the spark of fun involved in other Marvel films. 

Additionally, while the humor was present, it often felt forced and fell flat. The performances of the main cast were lackluster and uninspired, with little depth between the characters. Overall, Quantumania missed the mark and failed to deliver the same level of excitement and entertainment that previous Marvel films have achieved. My final rating is 4/10.