NEV
HE BATTALIC
d from page
he said. The orgai
y are sincerely %
cross the way
said it did.
ly it came across
i any of us mean
id.
Hall Dire,
insom said she
residential advi*
Jea” the event
In’t plan it. wede
, and our staff
the event,” shea
also said the Wal
delivered letten
all Walton reside:
zanizers have alrej
pologized and a
:vent.
ire staff and se\e
tdents will be
ie freedom marc:
e day the Univer
te to mark thetr
Martin Luther Kc
>w this is serious,
e we've nippedi
he said,
ts of the hall said:
i regular Walton H.
r off campus,
t realize it was a :
I never heard of
before.” said Br
sophomore indtisz
i major and Wal;
it.
said the party r
;nt he attended -
ie dressed up at
ncluding Afn.
. he said.
were wearing af:
dressed up as Iff
he said, referrini
lux Klan. “I did'
ere was a probl:
party).”
student and y:
rouna “Boo bo:
is a Walton resid:
s graduation
2002.
hing must have
led,” Davies sa:
eated me I'fff
^ration
xl from page 1
Fleming said,
y of College Stat:
iold events to hot:
ay w ith the theme!
erred Revisited,”®
de. College Star
it ion and market-
ivities will beheld'
i Center on Jan, i;
via Scott, director
'al Services atA&'
featured guest spe-
M's Voices ofPrt
St. Paul Bapi
Mens Choir
Texas will provi-
e said.
1 the events are free
ficatiori
>age one stoiy
I security an A&Mpt ;
16, The Battalion
irlton Jr. was a ret-
eutenant. Carlton i
r Force Lieuteni
d former surgeon^
Air Force.
LI Ob
ief
n, Sci/Tech Editor
Photo Editor
ina, Graphics Editor
, Radio Producerjason
Webmaster
ay through Friday duringt 1 *.
uring the summer sessW |
liversity. Periodicals Pc
is changes to The Battal® 5
1111.
5 at Texas A&M University : ’ f
rnalism. News offices are '
3; Fax: 845-2647; E-m
ship or endorsement byWi.
call 845-2696. For class 1 !
Reed McDonald, and offid p
678.
i Texas A&M student top
aies 254. Mail subscription |
7.50 for the summer or |
i Express, call 845-2611-
H
Aggielife
The Battalion
Page 3 • Friday, January 17, 2003
Taster’s Choice
Local coffee houses attract regulars with diverse flavors, atmospheres
By Marianne Hudson
THE BATTALION
Katie Gardner stands in line waiting to receive
her caffeine dosage of the day. A man in front of
her picks up a copy of The New York Times from
the distribution bin and briefly skims the front
page. In a short time, Gardner is at the front of the
line placing her order with a green apron-clad
Starbucks employee. She is asked to move around
to the pick-up counter to receive her daily coffee.
For Gardner, a sophomore communications
major, the recently-opened Starbucks on Texas
Avenue was her first coffee shop experience.
‘‘I’ve always heard about Starbucks from
friends,” she said, reaching for her coffee in a
to-go paper cup. *T've never been to a coffee
shop before, but when I think of good coffee, I
think of Starbucks.”
Within minutes of her arrival, Gardner returns
to her car, coffee in hand.
Other customers, such as Katie Burrough,
stay to drink their purchases. Burrough, a sen
ior marketing major, snagged one of the few
tables and is writing Christmas thank-you
cards to family and friends.
Starbucks is not a new experience for
Burrough. who has been frequenting the interna
tional chain since she was old enough to drive.
“I’m a loyal Starbucks customer” she said, sip
ping on a steamy roasted blend. “I would have
never expected to finally see one in a place like
College Station.”
While some students and area residents have
long awaited the opening of a stand-alone
Starbucks, others remain skeptical of the impact it
might have on local coffee shops.
Eric Dickens, a 2001 graduate, was a regular at
Coffee Station during his time at Texas A&M.
Visiting College Station for the day, he stops at
Coffee Station to grade papers for his middle
school class.
“When I'm in town, I like to visit the places I
miss the most,” he said. “(Coffee Station) is one of
those places. I'm afraid that places like
Starbucks will hurt these little coffee
shops. You can find Starbucks anywhere,
but places like this are unique.”
Dickens said he prefers local coffee shops
because they offer a more personal atmosphere
than Starbucks.
“At Starbucks, it’s kind of a come in, get your
trap and leave situation,” he said. “But here and at
Sweet Eugene’s, you come in, say ‘hey’ to every
one and chill for a while. You become more than
just a customer to the people who work here.”
Vlad Vladimirov, a Coffee Station manager,
said he tries to get to know everyone who comes
through the door.
“We try to care and get to know our cus
tomers’ tastes, know their name, know all about
them,” he said.
Wearing a red Diamondbacks
shirt and roughed-up jeans, Vladimirov
bounces around the shop, greeting cus
tomers along the way.
A customer who carries a brown paper bag
approaches him.
“This is Alper and he’s an international student
from Turkey,” Vladimirov said. “Today, he’s going
to show me how to make Turkish coffee.”
Vladimirov, who is from Russia, said several
international students hang out at Coffee Station.
He said he wants them to feel at home, and is
experimenting with their native coffees.
All of the coffees served at Coffee Station were
created on location, with the exception of general
coffees such as the Snickers Latte, Vladimirov said.
“I let my employees run wild and create con
coctions that blow people away,” he said.
A few blocks down the road, Sweet Eugene’s
also serves its own coffee variety as well as its
own unique environment. A large graffiti refrig
erator stands by the front door covered with cus
tomer quotes such as “Ever notice that dogs’ feet
smell like Fritos,” and “This mullet was here
1 1/15/02.” Behind the counter, a deer head is
mounted on the wall, equipped with coffee mugs
hanging from its antlers.
Owners Matthew and Aaron Brown, brothers
and College Station natives, said they were
inspired to found College Station’s original coffee
shop in 1993 after traveling the West Coast.
Matthew Brown said starting up a local shop
required long hours and hard work.
“We both worked 120 hours a week each with
out a day off for the first 18 months because we
didn’t have enough money to hire a staff,” he said.
“We knew the town would support it, but we didn’t
know if we had enough money.”
After a few years. Brown said, they were able
to expand. Two additions have been made since
1993, he said.
“We are now big enough so people can stay and
hang around,” he said. “We want people to come
and go and not feel rushed out of their table.”
Lori Doucet, a junior international studies
major, brought her dad and a family friend to
Sweet Eugene's after buying her class books. All
three sit around a wicker table, drinking from
oversized black coffee mugs.
“I would think students would come here
because it is more of a place to gather,” said Kurt
Doucet, Lori’s father.
Burrough, however, is not one of those stu
dents. She said she goes to Starbucks because it is
not as much of a gathering place.
“I like the size of Starbucks because it keeps it
from becoming a big meeting place for organiza
tions like Fish Camp,” she said.
Burrough also prefers the anonymity Starbucks
offers her as a customer.
“1 don’t know any of the people working here,
but 1 really don’t like that type of environment
anyways,” she said. “1 just want my coffee and
want it to be good.”
Campus With a Dream Week
January 18 - 25, 2003
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Schedule of Events
Saturday, January 18
Thursday. January 23
6:00 p.m.
Martin Luther King Program
Lincoln Center
8:00 p.m. Movie: Get On the Bus
Friday. January 24
Monday. January 20
7:30 p.m. South Pacific
10:00 a.m.
Freedom March
Sadie Thomas Park to
Rudder Auditorium
Kemp Elementary
9:00 p.m. Aggie Nights
Showing Higher Learning
A Day On Instead of a Day Off!
Various service projects
and American History X
throughout the day
Saturday. January 25
12:00 p.m. MLK Service Conference
Free tickets at MSC Box
12:00 p.m.
Kick-Off Celebration
Karen Chavez Band
Office
Rudder Plaza
7:30 p.m. South Pacific
Rudder Auditorium
7:30 p.m.
KweLsi Mfume
President/CEO of NAACP
All Week
Wednesday,
Rudder Theater
Dmitri Koustov
Visual Arts Gallery
January 22
7:00 p.m.
Coming to America
12:00 p.m. Lunch box Concerts
8:00 p.m.
MSC 223J
Rudder Plaza
Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Book Discussion:
Thursday
Huckleberry Finn
stud^.
Rumor’s Cafe
£.4k.\
3-
Bring this ad in for
Buy One Get One
Chicken Taco Plate
La
Baja Taco Bar
DRINK SPECIALS
Sunday:
$ 6.50 - 30oz. Mexican Martini Shakers
1 0 Buckets of Beer
Monday:
s 6.50 - 30oz. Mexican Martini Shakers
s 10 Buckets of Beer
Tuesday:
s 2 Frozen Margaritas
s 2 Import Beers
Wednesday:
$ 7.50 Watermelon Mexican Martini Shaker
$ 1.50 Watermelon Singles
Thursday:
$ 1 Tecate cans & s 6.50 Mexican Martini Shakers
s 2 Tecate cans everyday, all day
102 Church St.
College Station
691-TACO
www.restaurant.com/labodega
La Bodega will be happy to
handle your next large party!