Mom's Café

photo courtesy of yelp.com

Mom's Café

University of Utah - Salt Lake City, UT

Guest Blogger: Monica Goff

Somewhere between moving in to my dorm and having finals at the forefront of my mind, I found comfort in the bottom floor of the Marriott Library in Mom’s Café. It isn’t the most glamorous or unique place to grab a coffee, but there is a real sense of comfort in this little corner of this gigantic campus. I’m not religious, but I always say a little prayer hoping that by the time I get there after classes I will a) get there on time to purchase a delicious ham and cheese croissant, warmed up at your request, before they are sold out; b) manage to catch the one barista who makes iced mochas so brilliantly that I have yet to find a viable replacement within walkable distance of my dorm (and I will walk great distances for a good mocha— she is a god among men); and c) snag a spot next to one of the two unoccupied outlets in the entire café (seriously, this place is lacking in charging options. I need a working computer to, you know, work.). My favorite time to sit here is on a Friday afternoon- firstly, if you come late enough, the pastries will be slightly discounted, and secondly, no one is there. And, yeah, I’m probably crazy to do work on a Friday afternoon but it’s comforting to see a usually vibrant part of this campus being unusually quiet. I still don’t really know who Mom is, but I’ll thank her if I ever meet her.

Embrace In Dependence

I'm so much more independent now!

I gush to my friends from home.

Independent.

You see society's always telling me
girls are more dependent
pointing to T. Swift songs:
phallocentric

Gaga's too outrageous because she worked alone
Making ones own choice
the outrage of control, your body's not your own
redefining your voice

Society claims
we can't fulfill our aims
can't create
without male participation.

And now that I'm starting anew I'm ready to embrace my
independence.
but I also rejoice in being
dependent.

All of us humans are dependent
on earth, on resources
on people.

To claim otherwise is denying our basic need.

I need others.
Friends
Family
People.

And that's not an emptiness or greed.

Needing others is not a "female weakness"
it's not a weakness at all.
Needing others is a strength.
A chance to escape the bleakness
and 
I'm just woman enough to embrace it.

-Rachel SJ

Hallowed Grounds

photo courtesy of www.change.org

Hallowed Grounds

University of Chicago - Chicago, IL

Guest Blogger: Margaret Lazarovits

Yeah, the lighting’s kind of shitty, but it adds to the ambience in the classic, college coffee shop way. It’s more of a blanketing glow, as opposed to the harsh lighting found in most classrooms. Plenty of windows offer natural light, stimulating caffeine-hyped brains to work or socially engage, to create. After sun the goes down, when the Chicago city lights are just as faint as the stars in the sky, the glow is contrasted by the cool blues outside, warming me from the outside in. The white noise of general social interactions is occasionally and harmoniously shattered by the sharp clack of pool balls. The gothic architecture of the grand fireplace at the back wall gives weight to this café’s sacred name, yet the pool tables in the middle of the room hold the center of the maturely colloquial scene, effortlessly blending all the sensually appealing features of the space: the soft, alternative music, the faint yet pervasive scent of coffee, the wood furniture gleaming in the light’s glow and the cozy stuffed chairs. This scene is so needed to escape the everyday droll of dorm life. Personally, here is where I can come to polish an essay or challenge my friends to pool. And in both cases, I will end exhausted, either in my mental capacity to get my all my ideas on paper or in my physical energy from laughing too hard at how many calculations I put into each shot and how disastrous each turns out. Nonetheless, Hallowed Grounds is a place to be, bond, or build. And the coffee’s not bad too.

Coffee Exchange

photo courtesy of Caroline Turner

Coffee Exchange

Brown University - Providence, RI

Guest Blogger: Caroline Turner

The first few weeks of college I ventured in and out of several local coffee shops. Right on campus there are a few chains, but Starbucks Coffee tastes more and more like piss every time I order there. Providence, of course, is littered indie cafés. It was not, however, until several weeks into the semester that I made real use of one other than to satisfy my latte cravings. I went to Coffee Exchange to isolate myself from the regular campus buzz and friends with whom I can’t resist ample conversation. Coffee Exchange’s location is perfect because it isn’t littered with students, but is still busy enough that there are always people working (and let’s be honest, nothing will discipline like social pressure). It can be painful to pay for food and drinks when you’re on a meal plan, so save the coffee shops for when you need to seriously focus. Find one with a variety of drinks and treats to keep something in your life exciting (because often times the work you’re trying to accomplish is not). Coffee Exchange has multiple original brews, teas, seasonal drinks, and baked goods. When it comes to studying at a coffee shop, treat yourself. Buy the largest size, use whole milk instead of skim milk, order a cookie, and make sure to tip friendly baristas (I promise these will all make you happier).

PS- Go to local shops, not chains. Their quality is better, they’re usually cozier, and shopping local is good for the economy (You can’t be a real college student if you don’t rebel against the corporations, right?).

The Crafted Kup

Photo Courtesy of Vassar College.

The Crafted Kup

Vassar College - Poughkeepsie, NY

Guest Blogger: Adam Spiegelman

           My discovery of the Crafted Kup was not merely by choice but by necessity. It was the morning after the first Mug Night of the year and I woke wrapped in the sweet scent of vodka and some unremembered number of cigarettes. My phone said it was 7:50 but I refused to believe it. Across the room I could make out the silhouette of my roommate in blissful slumber. I closed my eyes and adjusted the covers to no avail. I was wide awake and had nowhere to go. I ran through the brief list of places I knew on and off campus that might be open at 8 am on a Saturday morning but came up empty handed. Frantically I opened Google Maps, typed in “coffee shops” and, without fail, a little red pin labeled ‘The Crafted Kup’ appeared a few blocks down Raymond Avenue. Grabbing my stupid Metropolitan Museum Store Balthus tote bag, a nearly empty pack of cigarettes, and my wallet I wrenched on the nearest pair of pants and strutted out of my room.

Stepping out into the grey haze of Poughkeepsie mornings in early September, my not-sober-ness hit me hard. I stumbled embarrassingly across the deserted quad, burning a hole in my sleeve accidentally, and struggling to keep erect. In the moment, I attributed it merely to exhaustion—I have never been a morning person—but as I would soon discover, that was hardly the case. I made it to the Cup just as it opened and, thankfully, there were few other older patrons inside to witness my intoxicated tomfoolery. I squinted up at the menu, ordered a cappuccino, and plopped myself down in the nearest velvet armchair. Before I had the chance to relax, however, my nausea blindsided me, I strode with self-conscious calmness to the restroom in back, and promptly vomited. I sat on the toilet and peed to justify the journey to myself, Instagrammed a selfie in the bizarrely cracked mirror, and, on cue, vomited again. Returning to my seat, I took a few sips of coffee, rested my head on the table, and lay there in defeat for what felt like half an hour but was, in reality, probably no more than five minutes. At that point I tried to take another sip of coffee and wretched. I looked around and could’ve sworn someone had snickered. In my mind nonexistent gifs of my parents shaking their heads and rolling their eyes in disappointment were playing in a loop and I knew it was time to go.

Trying to draw as little attention to myself as possible, I poured out my coffee, placed the dishes in a bin and left, muttering apologies under my breath as I went. The trip back was graceless and hurried and by the time I tucked myself into bed it was as if I had never left. Campus was still silent. My roommate was still soundly snoozing. The only additions were the shame pressing into my aching shoulders and throbbing temples, and my empty stomach’s deep, deep craving for a cup of hot coffee. 

The Cosmic Cup

Photo Courtesy of Cosmic Cup.

The Cosmic Cup

Lafayette College - Easton, PA

Guest Blogger: Emma Glubiak

I discovered the Cosmic Cup because I heard a cool upperclassmen on my floor talking about it. Being the sheep of a freshman that I am, I went there the next morning. I typed the address into Google Maps and headed on my merry way. My journey was short because it turns out the Cosmic Cup is 30 feet from my dorm. I even get their wifi in my room sometimes. I pushed open the door and was immediately hit with the welcoming smell of coffee and fresh baked bagels. The eclectic wooden tables were littered with the Monday morning crowd of hung-over college kids and perky middle aged moms. The speakers played a soft mix of Radiohead and Kanye West. I approached the counter while frantically scanning the drink options. I don’t even like coffee but the choices of teas and smoothies and hot chocolates were overwhelming. The girl behind me must have seen my panic because she smiled and said “Get the Mexican hot chocolate, I live in Mexico and I swear by it.” I nodded gratefully and ordered a small Mexican hot chocolate. It was unbelievably delicious. I’m not even exaggerating when I say my life is divided into two parts: the time before I tried the Cosmic Cup’s Mexican hot chocolate and the time since that fateful day. I’m a changed woman, after my first sip I almost packed my bags to strike up permanent residence at the table by the window. I've tried studying at Cosmic, but I found it to be detrimental to my wallet. Plus I enjoy eavesdropping far too much to ever study in a coffee shop. Instead I reward myself with hot chocolate if I finish a particularly tough paper or if I've had a long day. In fact, since I wrote this, I probably deserve to head over there now…

Café Pi

Café Pi

McGill University - Montreal, Canada 

Guest Blogger: Laura Franklin

I live on a mountain. Not a craggy, colossal peak, but a hill large enough to have a city named after it. Mount Royal. Some days I spend all day in my residence on the mountain when I don’t have class because the prospect of walking back up the mountain at the end of whatever I had ventured out to do is a bit too much for my lazy bones to bear. This past particular Sunday would have been a perfect day to hole up in my cozy dorm room, hiding away from the commotion of the city below. It was the first snowfall of the year and the trail leading to downtown was slippery and cold. Despite all of this, I bundled up and a few of my friends and I traipsed down to find a café to study in. After looking for 20 minutes and nearly giving up, we stumbled in to a dimly lit little shop called Café Pi. Unlike all the other cafes we had checked out, this one was quiet and spacious. I found a little corner in the front of the shop with a low, circular wooden table and wide squishy chairs with worn burgundy red seating. Despite cafes normally being the worst place for an easily distracted person like myself to write a paper, Café Pi felt calming. The light breaking through the cloudy sky assured me of the hours I had ahead of myself to complete my assignment. The jolt of energy from my impeccably prepared London Fog had my fingers typing a mile a minute. The only real distraction I had from my surroundings was the occasional spat between the old Québécois men playing chess a few tables over. After spending hours in Café Pi and completing a good deal of my paper, the walk back up the mountain felt like a welcome opportunity to see the city dusted in snow.

Kafein

photo by Gaby Sant'Anna 

 First up is my review and our only Evanston shop on our list, Kafein.

Northwestern University - Evanston, IL

The first time I set foot in Kafein, it was mid-September, I had been in Evanston for all of two weeks, and I was faced with my first weekend of college homework. Like a seasoned college student, I had saved it all for Sunday evening. Thus, it was with a heavy backpack that I stepped into Kafein with three other freshmen friends. We sat down on a worn in couch in the corner, ordered lattes, and fell in love with the place. This soon became a Sunday tradition. Every Sunday we cycle through Kafein laden with books and weekend gossip. I get coffee if I’ll be there until the 1 AM closing and a milkshake to celebrate lighter workloads and earlier bedtimes. Kafein is not without its drawbacks. They are out of bananas and bagels or something necessary to your order more often than not. Your order will take forever to arrive. It gets crowded. But I love these things. I love getting my milkshake half an hour into an essay, like some kind of reward for staying focused that long. I love looking up from linguistics homework to hear small snippets of a stranger’s conversation. I love the way the waitress makes you laugh about the fact that they are out of bananas. As the weather gets colder, I think the only thing that will change in my Sunday night routine is my order. After all, December is the perfect time for lots of hot coco to go with studying for finals.

xoxo, Claire