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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2003)
Cafes allow for social interaction, study time Some students prefer local cafes for quiet studying and social opportunities By Athanasios Fkiaras Freelance Reporter University senior Bobby Wood said coffee is a vital element in his college experience. Without it, cramming for his accounting homework the night be fore it is due would be impossible l or this reason, Wood finds himself fre quently spending evenings at Ihe Buzz, a cafe on the ground floor of the EMU. "Hey, it's open as late as the library, and it serves coffee," Wood, an ac counting major, said. Wood plays the guitar, watches lots of television and has cable Internet — an environment that he said is not conducive to studying. The Buzz does have "open mic" nights on Mondays and live music on Fridays, however, and on those days Wood's studying must be done elsewhere. Enter the Starbucks/Espresso Roma dichotomy. Located close to each oth er on East 13th Avenue, each also has its own unique following. While Wood doesn't go to either often enough to have a preference, there are the loyal devotees such as sopho mores Tyler Stout and Kawika Victor. "I support small businesses, and (Espresso Roma) has really good food," Stout said. Both said they en joy the quiet atmosphere and the friendly clientele. Junior Rachael Danley, on the other hand, prefers Starbucks. "Starbucks is consistent," she said. "1 do like independent coffee shops, but with Starbucks, you always know what to expect." Danley said that in contrast to Espresso Roma's quieter music and academically oriented scene, Star bucks has a livelier atmosphere. The breakdown she said, is as follows: "If you want 'froofy drinks and a chance to meet people while you're studying, go to Starbucks. If you pre fer a quieter setting and stronger cof fee, go to Espresso Roma." Other close-to-campus cafe alterna tives include the Common Grounds Cafe in the Hamilton Complex and Clancy Thurber's Underground in the basement of the Collier House. Both take campus meal points. Wood said that as far as he is con cerned, no matter where one goes to study, it cannot be at home and coffee must be part of the equation. Athanasios Fkiaras is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. Adam Amato Photo Editor Sophomore Anna Mezger-Sieg studies at The Buzz on Oct. 7. Mezger-Sieg said she studies in The Buzz because it is more relaxing than the rest of the EMU. The Buzz also offers "open mic” nights on Mondays and live music on Fridays. University host to wide range of activities, groups A variety of student clubs, including political, social and environmental activist groups, are on campus Aimee Rudin Freelance Editor A wise man once said variety is the spice of life. What he may have meant was trying new things keeps life interesting. In following, the University hosts several opportuni ties tor students to get involved with different groups, clubs and activities. For students with a taste for political debate, the University College Repub licans, the Uni versity College Democrats, Campus Greens and Generation Dean all have groups r on campus. Members of the College Republi cans tout them selves as the con servative voice on the University campus, and their Web site said their pur pose has always been to help facili tate conservative students' needs in exploring the Republican Party, as well as acting as a campus outlet for the state and na tional Republi can Parties." The group has existed at the University for the last 50 years and current ly has an office on the ground floor of the EMU. The College Democrats, lo cated in Suite Four of the EMU, operates as a ven ue through which University stu dents can gain experience in "cam pus, local, state or national politics through voter education, voter registration, vot er turn-out ef fort" and other aspects associat ed with the De mocratic Party, according to the group's Web site. Students with political persuasions off the beaten path may want to check out some of the groups housed in the Survival Center located in Suite One of the EMU. "Inside the Survival Center you can find a wide variety of organiza tions, from animal rights to envi ronmental groups, human rights and independent media," Survival Center co-Director Marshall Kirk Patrick said. The Survival Center is also a good source for valu able information on issues pertaining to social justice and environmentalism, ac cording to its Web site. This fall the Survival Center is working with the Multi-Cultural Center on a weekly film series. One of the most visible groups in the Survival Center is OSPIRG. The group focuses on student activism and public interest issues. This year OSPIRG members at the University will be focusing on Kg the Willamette || Campaign to I* clean up the p Willamette |j River, a renter's P rights hotline r, and programs to assist the hungry and homeless pop ulations of Eugene. The Oregon Stu dent Public Interest Research Group will hold a general interest meeting at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15 in the EMU Ben Linder room. Across the hall from the Survival Center in Suite Three of the EMU is the University Women's Center. The Women's Center is dedicated to pro viding "information, support, and services to facilitate education around issues of feminism, women and gen der" on the Uni versity campus, according to its Web site. The Women's Center is mvoivea witn several campus events throughout Turn to ACTIVITIES, page 10B emu craft center Outdoor Program 014617 The University of Oregon Testing Office is an official ETS computer-based testing site. Testing is available year-round, Monday-Friday, 2 sessions a day. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 541.346.2772 or by visiting the Testing Office. The Testing Office is located on the 2nd floor (Rm. 238) of the University Health and Counseling Center, 1590 E. 13th Ave., Eugene OR. The period of greatest demand is usually Sept, through March, so it makes sense to plan ahead. For more information visit the Testing Office web site at http://www.uoregon.edu/~leatiiig/ you need to take • GMAT • TOEFL* PPST/P Do GRE
