Coffee Talk

Written by Hope Brakenhoff. Media by Momoka Murata.

What is one thing most college students, or even adults in today’s world, have in common? They love coffee. While that may not be true for all college students and adults, it is for the majority.

Nearly 100,000,000 U.S. citizens drink coffee every day. There is no question that coffee is a huge part of our culture and even the world as a whole. Coffee brings countries together. So many different places are known for their coffee beans: whether it’s Brazil, Costa Rica, or Honduras. Coffee is one thing the whole world has in common.

Coffee can affect a person’s entire day. A good cup of coffee in the morning can brighten a person’s mood and set them up for success. Natty Hepburn, a barista at Jo’s Java, says she has had people mention that she is one of the most important parts of their day; “A good cup of coffee means a good day and bad cup of coffee can mean a bad day.”

Natty made it clear that from what she has witnessed, coffee can have a big impact on people. She loves having the opportunity to brighten a person’s day with a good cup of jo. While being a barista has its challenges, the positives definitely seem outweigh the negatives. As a barista, Natty has the opportunity to interact with and get to know a lot of people. She gets to see the way coffee brings people together. It is a commonality that so many individuals share. It allows opportunities for friendships to be fostered, whether that is from a coffee date or just a random outing with close friends.

While coffee is a major part of so many lives, there are plenty of people who do not enjoy coffee. Natty used to be one of those people and did not fancy the taste of it. Even when she first became a barista she still was not a fan. A part of her just liked the idea of the job, not necessarily the product she was making. Over time, however, she grew to love the taste of coffee as so many others have before.

One of Natty’s favorite parts of being a barista is the opportunity she has to meet so many people. She gets to have short conversations with individuals from varying backgrounds and, because of this, has had the opportunity to brighten so many people’s days. Since she works for the Greenville University campus coffee shop, she gets to interact many fellow students that she may not have otherwise got to know.

As you can see, coffee can have a huge impact on people’s daily lives. Not only does coffee bring people together, but it keeps college students awake for morning classes and even brightens people’s days. Coffee has more power than most would think. A barista sees first hand all of the people who connect solely because of the simple drink. Servers have the ability to make an amazing cup of jo that customers can enjoy and in turn share their enjoyment with others.

So, next time you are sitting in Jo’s Java enjoying your caffeinated beverage, take a second to think about all of the amazing things something a simple cup of coffee can do.

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