[Englecturers] Coffee Update (and related matters)

[Stephanie Hammer]

Dear Carole and pals (!);

I read with delight of Carole's pioneering efforts in the
matters of the coffee "store" and pub.  I support these worthy
goals and wish you all the best.  I think that many of us are
pursuing similar efforts in different arenas.  My personal
project is encouraging faculty to boycott the bookstore after
several years of memos and meetings failed to produced any
substantive changes.  I would encourage anyone who is unhappy
with the bookstores' prices and services to use the Riverside
Book Exchange, located on Big Springs Road.  It's not a pretty
store, but they buy the books and have them and are very
pleasant, at least in my experience.

Thanks and here's to caffeine and alcohol on campus!

Best
Stephanie Hammer
Comp Lit



---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:07:58 -0800
>From: Carole Fabricant <carole.fabricant at ucr.edu>  
>Subject: Coffee Update (and related matters)  
>To: rise.axelrod at ucr.edu;, Steven.Axelrod at ucr.edu;,
John.Briggs at ucr.edu;, joseph.childers at ucr.edu;,
Andrea.Denny-Brown at ucr.edu;, kimberley.devlin at ucr.edu;,
devlinucr at earthlink.net;, Emory.Elliott at ucr.edu;,
jennifer.doyle at ucr.edu;, cfabs at mindspring.com;,
carole.fabricant at ucr.edu;, John.Ganim at ucr.edu;,
George.Haggerty at ucr.edu;, GEHaggerty at aol.com;,
keith.harris at ucr.edu;, KATHERINE.KINNEY at UCR.EDU;,
katherine.kinney at ucr.edu;, Tiffany.Lopez at ucr.edu;,
Vorris.Nunley at ucr.edu;, Toby.Miller at ucr.edu;,
michelle.raheja at ucr.edu;, Stanley.Stewart at ucr.edu;,
James.Tobias at ucr.edu;, jamestobias at mindspring.com;,
Caroleanne.tyler at ucr.edu;, Deborah.Willis at ucr.edu;,
Traise.Yamamoto at ucr.edu;, susan.zieger at ucr.edu;,
susanz at ucr.edu;, lindon.barrett at ucr.edu;,
heidi.braymanhackel at ucr.edu;, erica.edwards at ucr.edu;,
setsu.shigematsu at ucr.edu
>Cc: englecturers at lists.ucr.edu;, susan.brown at ucr.edu;,
tina.feldmann at ucr.edu;, linda.nellany at ucr.edu;,
kathleen.carter at ucr.edu;, cynde.sanchez at ucr.edu;,
kathleen.carter at ucr.edu;, stephen.cullenberg at ucr.edu;,
georgia.warnke at ucr.edu;, thomas.cogswell at ucr.edu;,
john.fischer at ucr.edu;, scott.coltrane at ucr.edu;,
vmill002 at student.ucr.edu;, edna.bonacich at ucr.edu;,
michael.kearney at ucr.edu;, dale.kent at ucr.edu;,
ray.kea at ucr.edu;, stephanie.hammer at ucr.edu;,
elizabeth.lord at ucr.edu;, carl.cranor at ucr.edu;,
david.glidden at ucr.edu;, christine.gailey at ucr.edu;,
theda.shapiro at ucr.edu;, linda.tomko at ucr.edu;,
michelle.bloom at ucr.edu;, francoise.forster at ucr.edu;,
devra.weber at ucr.edu;, randolph.head at ucr.edu;,
june.oconnor at ucr.edu;, judy.kronenfeld at ucr.edu;,
marina.pianca at ucr.edu;, marguerite.waller at ucr.edu;,
alicia.arrizon at ucr.edu;, pya.chatterjee at ucr.edu
>
>Hi folks,
>
>A couple of things to report since my last communication.  Andy 
>Plumley replied to my email, saying that the coffee "bus"
(it's a 
>truck!) was only temporary until a planned coffee "store"
(the word 
>choice didn't inspire confidence) opens in Phase II of the
Commons 
>construction.  I gather that others of you who also emailed him 
>received a similar reply.
>
>I had "cc'd" the email to several UCR administrators and the
next day 
>discovered that Acting Chancellor Grey had passed my letter
on to EVC 
>Wartella (whom I'd forgotten to "cc"), who in turn passed it
along to 
>Al Diaz, the Vice-Chancellor (one of approximately 8,345 by
my most 
>recent estimate) for Commons Facilities, including Dining,
Design, 
>and Construction.  She apparently urged Diaz to contact me
(which he 
>did) in order to respond to my concerns.  I accordingly
arranged a 
>meeting with Diaz, who suggested that Plumley be included.
>
>Last Wednesday afternoon I met both Diaz and Plumley near the 
>entrance to the Bookstore.  The location was my idea, as I
not only 
>had a few things to say to them (!) but also wanted them to
give me a 
>tour of the Commons and show me exactly where the new coffee
place 
>would be located, as well as point out any additional spaces
under 
>construction that might be serviceable as faculty lounges,
hang-out 
>joints, etc.
>
>I was immediately taken to the Printing and Reproduction
'Shop' (the 
>place where you go to have readers made up for your classes).
 The 
>people behind the desk glared at us in a none-too-friendly
manner -- 
>the reason for which I understood better after I was told
that they 
>were being ejected from the premises to make way for the coffee 
>"store".  I would like to think that the apparent imminence
of this 
>removal was in some way related to the flood of angry emails
Plumley 
>received about the absence of a coffee venue on campus.  P
assured me 
>(several times) that the remodeling of the space would begin
very 
>soon and that the coffee "store" would be up and running
sometime 
>during the spring quarter -- though he also kept mumbling to
himself 
>that they first had to find an architect (which didn't inspire 
>confidence that it would be ready anytime soon).  I think
we'll have 
>to maintain a close surveillance of the premises (pardon my
Homeland 
>Security lingo) to make sure that satisfactory progress is
being made 
>and that the projected date of opening doesn't keep
disappearing into 
>the distant future.
>
>The space itself isn't bad (though perhaps not as spacious as
one 
>would like).  It has definite potential and could (in the
right hands 
>and under the right direction) be turned into a satisfactory
coffee 
>venue to drink, mingle, and relax in.  P suggested the model of 
>Starbuck's (which I guess is a step up from a shopping mall food 
>court) but I countered with a less sterile and plastic model.  I 
>emphasized the importance of comfortable seating, the right
kind of 
>lighting (preferably not the kind of florescent overheads
used in 
>U.S. torture chambers abroad), and the need to extend the
hours well 
>into the evening.  I also suggested that it be designated a 
>laptop-free zone so that the venue doesn't turn into a
study-hall for 
>undergrads or a place where they set up their computers and play 
>video-games or go on MySpace for hours on end.  The undergrads 
>actually have several quite decent lounges in the Commons
which are 
>already furnished and open; it's the grown-ups (yes, there
are a few 
>of us around) who don't have anywhere to hang out or interact.
>
>I then explained to P & D the difference between a coffee
"store" and 
>a coffee-house, making it clear it's the latter we want.  P in 
>particular seemed very taken with this distinction and
declared that 
>from now on what they would be building is a coffee-house. 
I'd like 
>to think more than semantics are involved here.  P suggested
that one 
>of the walls of the Printing Shop could be broken down in
order to 
>link the coffee-house to the bookstore, along the model of a
Barnes 
>and Noble.  Given the kind of bookstore we have I'm not sure
that's 
>such a good idea, especially if it will absorb the
coffee-house into 
>what is an essentially commercial (not to mention
ugly-as-sin) venue; 
>but some modification of that idea might be the best we can hope 
>for.  Let's face it, a Cafe Trieste (SF) or a Caffe Reggio
(NYC) it's 
>not going to be; this is Riverside, after all.  But maybe we can 
>maintain enough pressure to make it as close to one of those
venues 
>as reasonably possible.  Nothing is yet set in stone re the 
>coffee-house (other than its location) so now is the time to
push 
>ahead for what we want.  If you have any suggestions in this
regard 
>please send them along to me.
>
>I won't bother describing the rest of my tour of the Commons
except 
>to say that there are actually a few spaces in it with a bit of 
>(human/communal/aesthetic) potential.  (Maybe we can get
together a 
>band of raiders to try to "liberate" a couple of these -- I
don't 
>think they'd necessarily be missed.)  D waxed enthusiastic
over what 
>he kept calling the "Piazza" -- the area below the
second-floor patio 
>with (rather ugly and uncomfortable) chairs and tables along the 
>perimeter.  For a moment I got carried away and asked where the 
>fountain would be situated.  D looked at me as though I were 
>crazy.  Oops, I guess he didn't have the Piazza Navona in
mind.  Oh well.
>
>I did though forge ahead and stress the need for landscaping
-- for 
>trees and greenery all around that side of the Commons -- and D 
>assured me those were part of the plans.  For those of you who 
>haven't been keeping abreast of things, huge swaths of the
natural 
>environment on campus (e.g., the lower playing fields) have been 
>destroyed and are being covered over by ugly slabs of
concrete -- 
>mainly to accommodate the needs of Engineering, Business & 
>Management, etc.  (And wait until the plans for the Medical
School 
>progress a little further -- that will bring a whole new
chapter in 
>the horror story of what's occurring on campus.)  I told D the 
>faculty would be very upset at any further destruction of the
natural 
>surroundings to make space for more ugly concrete structures, 
>especially (but not only) around the Commons area.  He seemed
to be listening.
>
>I don't think D (nor the EVC, nor anyone else up the food chain) 
>wants the faculty to be upset -- or at least they don't want
them to 
>express their upset in public, attention-getting ways that
would tap 
>into (and roil the waters of) what is obviously a deep well of 
>discontent at UCR.  I have no illusions about why P & D asked
to meet 
>with me -- it certainly wasn't because they're seriously
interested 
>in hearing my ideas about what a real university campus
should look 
>like and offer its members.  Their aim was damage control,
pure and 
>simple.  Still, I think we can make use of that motivation
for our 
>own purposes, to try to exert at least some modicum of
control over 
>our surroundings and ensure that D's "piazza" doesn't
insidiously 
>turn into something that looks like a WalMart Plaza.
>
>I want to conclude by mentioning one other (very necessary!)
project 
>that goes hand-in-hand with the coffee-house: a campus pub. 
I raised 
>this issue with Plumley -- specifically, about turning the Barn 
>(back) into a pub (a real, British- or Irish-style pub) --
and he 
>expressed interest in pursuing the possibility.  It's absolutely 
>scandalous that there's no place on this campus where grown-ups 
>(faculty and grad students) can get together and relax and
converse 
>over some good ale or stout (or whatever your favorite liquid 
>indulgence is), especially in the evenings after many of us
get out 
>of class and have to traverse a dark, largely abandoned
campus that 
>might as well have a "Closed" sign hung up on it.
>
>There are many places in the world where such a campus would
prompt 
>students (and faculty!) to march in protest, man the
barricades and 
>nail 95 Theses on the door of every Administration Building in 
>sight.  That's not because there are more alcoholics or coffee 
>addicts on foreign campuses but because they have an
understanding 
>that a real education encompasses a range of experiences that
can't 
>be reduced to formal classroom or lecture-hall activity.  We 
>dutifully trudge from one overly formal and over-orchestrated 
>academic event to another, which invariably take place in ugly 
>sterile-looking boxes housed in ugly sterile-looking
structures that 
>have the effect of numbing the mind and soul.  Does anyone
really 
>believe that this is what genuine intellectual engagement is all 
>about?  Where are the spaces on this campus where spontaneous, 
>creative (and, I might add, "critical" in every sense of the
word) 
>ideas can flourish and be expressed?  But I guess that's just
the 
>point -- what use do such ideas have for the kind of highly 
>bureaucratized and corporatized institution that UCR has become?
>
>I'd estimate that a good 60% of the learning that goes on at
Trinity 
>College, Dublin (for students and faculty alike) takes place
in pubs 
>in and around campus.  Ditto (only moreso) the learning in
French 
>universities that takes place in cafes on and around
campuses.  I 
>daresay a substantial chunk of the greatest literature and
philosophy 
>of the 20th century would never have been produced if venues
like 
>taverns, coffee-houses, piazzas, and cafes didn't exist.  I
realize 
>that U.S. academic culture is very different from the
European one; 
>but even in this country, truly outstanding colleges and
universities 
>tend to have campuses that encourage maximum interaction
among campus 
>members in comfortable and sociable venues where ideas as
well as 
>liquor (or java) can flow freely.  I'd be willing to give
10-to-1 
>odds that the very institutions UCR is desperately trying to
emulate 
>and always wants to be compared with have campuses of this
congenial 
>nature.  So how come we don't try to imitate them in this
regard as 
>well as in others (that are often far less achievable)?
>
>Needless to say I didn't put the matter in quite these terms to 
>Plumley.  He (like the other 8,345 V-C's running the campus
these 
>days) is a 'for-profit' kind of guy and couldn't care less about 
>genuine intellectual engagement or the spontaneous flow of
ideas.  He 
>is however interested in the spontaneous (or maybe more
organized) 
>flow of cash and accumulation of capital, so my observation
that a 
>pub on campus would attract a clientele with disposable
income that 
>at the moment spends its money elsewhere, in bars and
restaurants 
>around town, did make an impression.  He told me that the campus 
>liquor license is held by the University Club (which of
course at the 
>moment has no home since it was thrown out of its old digs by
the 
>School of Management) and that it would presumably have to
approve 
>the selling of alcohol anywhere on campus.  (This is a new
one to me; 
>in the old days liquor was available in various different venues 
>around campus, at receptions, lectures, etc., and no one
needed to 
>give [or get] 'permission' from anyone.)  P is on the University 
>Club's Board of Directors and said he would present this idea
to them 
>at their next meeting.  I told him I'd draw up a design for the 
>inside of the new Barn pub.  There is of course the little
matter of 
>where the money for the renovation will come from -- but I
think we 
>need to deal with one thing at a time here.
>
>In closing, my thanks to the many of you who heeded my
request to 
>send Plumley an email and /or who let me know that you
support my 
>efforts to improve the quality of life on campus.  Since I'm not 
>necessarily going to continue circulating lengthy emails to the 
>entire department, I would appreciate hearing from others of you 
>(either by email or a note left in my mailbox; my office
phone still 
>doesn't work) who agree with what I'm doing and I'll make
sure to 
>include you on an ever-growing list of people who have
seconded my 
>complaints and want to be kept in the loop about developments
on the 
>coffee/Commons/pub front.
>
>Even a quick note of general interest and agreement is fine
at this 
>point and something I'd be happy to receive.  But I'd also
like to 
>hear from those of you who would be willing to help out in
various 
>ways.  Toward the end of this quarter I'd like to start paying 
>regular visits to the site of the new coffee-house (i.e., the
present 
>Print Shop) to monitor the progress of the construction and
(if need 
>be) to contact Plumley with concerns about delays or the
slowness of 
>the process; but because of my own hectic schedule when I'm in 
>Riverside I won't be able to do this alone.  If you're
willing to 
>help out in this regard please let me know.  I also intend to
offer 
>my services to help pick out furniture for the coffee-house
-- anyone 
>interested in doing this with me?  I could also use some
assistance 
>in drawing up plans for the interior of the Barn pub.  I've
certainly 
>spent enough time in pubs to know what a good one should look
like 
>(no smirks or snide remarks, please) but my draughtsman's
skills are, 
>alas, limited.  (Down the road I might also need your help in
trying 
>to convince the relevant boards of directors and administrative 
>bodies that they should get behind the idea of a campus 
>pub.)  Finally (for now), let me know if there are any of you
willing 
>to walk around the campus and note down areas of greenery
that we 
>should insist upon retaining in the face of the mindless
expansion 
>currently taking place here.  If we don't identify these
places now 
>and make it clear to the Powers That Be that we're willing to
fight 
>for their continued existence, they will surely go the way of
the 
>lower playing fields and there will come a time when we'll
have to go 
>to a natural history or photography museum to remind
ourselves what 
>native trees and plants, orange groves, etc. used to look
like in the 
>'old days', before their total disappearance (think "Soylent
Green").
>
>Thank you for hearing me out and giving serious consideration
to my proposals.
>
>Best,
>Carole
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"I don't like geniuses... they're dangerous."

THE FOUNTAINHEAD, Alisa Rosenbaum, aka Ayn Rand