Java: The Houghton Coffee House

A few students walking into Java 101, the personal coffee house of Houghton University

Coffee is a popular item in today's world. As a stimulant, coffee can boost your brain activity and your nervous system, leading to a boost of energy in the early mornings. Those who attend Houghton University know this all too well, and coffee is often commonplace throughout the day and throughout the campus.

Java 101 is currently the only coffee shop on campus. Java, as it is better known, serves its students a variety of caffeinated and noncaffeinated drinks and beverages, ranging from lemonade to cappuccinos to hot chocolate. While the coffee house might be small in its size, it does not make it any less popular amount those who are enrolled at the university.

Kathryn Wojsiat, a current student of the Class of 2024, works at Java during the evening hours of the weekdays, though only works 1 to 2 days a week at the coffee house.

"Java is more quiet and provides more downtime." Wojsiat said when asked about why she chose to work at Java for an on campus job.

"The free coffee at Java is a great benefit, but the main attraction of food service is getting to have really interesting interactions with customers and coworkers." Wojsiat said. "I had worked food service for years before coming to college and really enjoyed it, so I decided to stick with it in my years at Houghton."

Wojsiat stated she aims to build relationships with her coworkers, often finding them to be a positive to working at Java 101 during the week.

Wojsiat admits there are difficulties to the job, the two biggest being disrespectful students and balancing her school work with her job.

"They arrive right before we close, which forces us to stay late, do not follow instructions on the signs, which makes the job harder, and often completely overlook and bump into me when I am carrying things," Wojsiat replied when asked about the disrespectful students she has encountered. "Fortunately, most of the students are very considerate, but those that aren’t can make the job really hard."

When asked about how she handles the balance between school work and her job at Java, she stated she purposefully plans her work shifts ahead of time so as not to be overwhelmed on days she knows she will be busy.

"I purposefully choose my shifts based on when I have more classes, and then choose when to do my homework based on when I have work. Some weeks I have to do the majority of my homework for the week over the weekend so that I don’t fall behind." Wojsiat said. She added Java doesn't get too busy in the evenings when she works, which allows her time to complete more of her school work, but that it can still be a struggle if there was ever a rush.

"There have been a lot of adjustments in the last couple of years due to staff changes, which has been pretty confusing for students. I think there needs to be more formal training for new employees, as this is something that often gets lost in the confusion." Wojsiat stated when asked if there was anything Java could improve upon to make the work environment more suitable for student workers.

Wojsiat stated how she wished students would be more appreciative of those who work in the food service here at Houghton University, hoping that students could see all the effort put into providing for the students. "We should represent Christ to everyone," Wojsiat added, hoping that students and her coworkers could get along better and show appreciation for one another.

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