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/
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