2008 Woodie Awards
Surviving the halls, one espresso at a time
Forget Starbucks, there are real coffee shops on the Hill
Matthew Martell
Issue: 7/14/08 Section: Entertainment
Residence Hall life is always an exciting change for incoming freshmen. After more than 18 years of coexisting with one's parents, it's always nice to be able to embrace the independence college living has to offer undergraduate students. Seattle University offers its incoming freshman a quaint, warm and friendly living environment that helps to remove the anxiety from the tremendous responsibility that is living independently, while still allowing its students to embrace the diversity and dynamic energy offered by the city of Seattle.
The Residence Halls have their drawbacks, however. Whether you're living in Campion, Chardin, Bellarmine or Xavier, it will take some time getting used to the many and various sources of constant noise you'll encounter during your college experience. Nestled comfortably in the bosom of Seattle's "Pill Hill," no Residence Hall is safe from the din of ambulance and police sirens at all hours of the day. While everyone eventually figures out how to block out the noise, it certainly takes some time to overcome. Likewise, it's difficult to adjust to living in a box-shaped room with another person, and it's harder still to learn how to deal with noisy neighbors, planned treks to the bathroom in order to maintain one's personal hygiene and elevator waiting games that never cease being a hassle.
Fortunately, Seattle is a nocturnal city, and no matter what time you happen to find yourself awake, you can always wander into a coffee shop or a late-night eatery to relax, study, socialize and more.
Two coffee shops are so close to campus they risk being assimilated into its boundaries every year. Of course, one of them is a Starbucks. The other, however, is a cute little coffeehouse known as Stumptown; it's an import business from Portland-whose downtown's nickname used to be "the stump town"-and in a truly Northwestern fashion, all of its beverages pack quite a punch. The standard espresso drink at Stumptown comes as a double shot, so order accordingly. A triple shot mocha will inject the body with six shots of espresso, and the jitters will certainly follow. The prices are reasonable, especially for the added oomph the café's beverages provide. And it's open until 11 p.m. every night except Saturday and Sunday, so the five minute walk required to pay it a visit is more than worth it during cram time before midterms or finals.
The Residence Halls have their drawbacks, however. Whether you're living in Campion, Chardin, Bellarmine or Xavier, it will take some time getting used to the many and various sources of constant noise you'll encounter during your college experience. Nestled comfortably in the bosom of Seattle's "Pill Hill," no Residence Hall is safe from the din of ambulance and police sirens at all hours of the day. While everyone eventually figures out how to block out the noise, it certainly takes some time to overcome. Likewise, it's difficult to adjust to living in a box-shaped room with another person, and it's harder still to learn how to deal with noisy neighbors, planned treks to the bathroom in order to maintain one's personal hygiene and elevator waiting games that never cease being a hassle.
Fortunately, Seattle is a nocturnal city, and no matter what time you happen to find yourself awake, you can always wander into a coffee shop or a late-night eatery to relax, study, socialize and more.
Two coffee shops are so close to campus they risk being assimilated into its boundaries every year. Of course, one of them is a Starbucks. The other, however, is a cute little coffeehouse known as Stumptown; it's an import business from Portland-whose downtown's nickname used to be "the stump town"-and in a truly Northwestern fashion, all of its beverages pack quite a punch. The standard espresso drink at Stumptown comes as a double shot, so order accordingly. A triple shot mocha will inject the body with six shots of espresso, and the jitters will certainly follow. The prices are reasonable, especially for the added oomph the café's beverages provide. And it's open until 11 p.m. every night except Saturday and Sunday, so the five minute walk required to pay it a visit is more than worth it during cram time before midterms or finals.
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