I remember the first time I applied to work for The Bison … an eager, hopeful freshman applying for a position for which I was far under-qualified. I remember filling out applications and attending interviews with no avail. I remember when I finally got a position with the newspaper as a beat reporter, and I could not have been more excited.

I think every journalist carries dreams of breaking the big stories. Whether it’s Ernest Hemingway writing of his time as a soldier in the Spanish Civil War or Edward R. Murrow prompting the decline of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, every reporter waits for his moment to change the world.

As a fifth-year senior, well established in my place on staff as the head web editor, I never imagined I would be asked to review a black-bun’d, A1-blasted burger from Burger King. It’s certainly not the big story that’s going to make my career. But as Walter Cronkite would say, that’s the way it is for a young reporter.

From the moment I unfolded the wrapper, I knew the A1 Halloween Whopper would be a culinary experience unlike any other. I knew, of course, that the principle distinction of this Halloween-themed burger was the black bun, but I could not have visualized a bun so dark. Imagine if you dipped a bun into a vat of black ink, pulled it out and then put a patty between the bun. To say the least, I was unnerved.

As I took my first bite, my taste buds were overwhelmed by A1 sauce, which is apparently baked into the bun as well as slathered over the patty. As I continued, the A1 overload subsided, and I could taste the actual burger. I have to say, I’m pretty sure it tasted just like a normal Whopper. I don’t think I’ve had a Whopper in quite some time, but this wasn’t anything special.

The biggest difference was in the bun, beyond just the shade. The bun was very dry, increasingly so with each bite I took. I suppose this is a side effect of the pound of dye they must have injected into the bun like a steroid, but I thought it was quite unpleasant. As I ate past the edge of the bun, the inside looked even more disguising. It’s like I could see every molecule of the bread, accented by faint wisps of white.

By the time I finished eating the Halloween Whopper, I was glad to be done with it. Despite the fact that it tasted like a dry Whopper with too much A1 sauce, there was something unnatural about the whole process. Little did I know that the Halloween Whopper experience lasts much longer than the burger itself. If I can offer a vague warning to all who would decided to try this spooky sandwich, prepare for a neon surprise after your meal.

The Bison Multimedia team filmed students reactions eating the new Halloween Whopper. Check it out on the media wall at thelink.harding.edu.