College house cafes now serving free refreshments

Several College House cafes are now serving free refreshments to residents after they were preemptively closed by College Housing and Academic Services because of licensing issues.

“I think it is great and demonstrates the resourcefulness of the houses to use these spaces to meet other program objectives while we work through reopening issues,” CHAS Executive Director Martin Redman said in an email.

Harrison College House is currently giving away free coffee in its cafe space Sunday and Monday between the hours of 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., and on Friday between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Coffee distribution is being handled by students.

Gregory College House is running a similar program where, in addition to coffee, the cafe is giving away tea, brownies and other drinks for free. The operation, which runs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., is managed by students on work study and funded by the house budget.

Harnwell College House has taken a different approach, creating a recreational center for students out of the closed cafes. Harnwell “Rec” distributes items for rent, such as CDs and games for residents, and on occasion free food. In addition to being a place for students to gather and obtain items, the Rec center also provides jobs for students, as it is entirely student-managed and staffed.

Riepe College House’s 11th Hour Grotto is currently closed, although Faculty Master Dennis DeTurck said that since it wasn’t operating on the same scale as the other cafes — for example, it didn’t sell prepared food — “hopefully we’ll see the grotto reopened shortly, potentially in October.”

A representative from Rodin College House could not be reached for comment regarding any new initiatives to replace the cafes, although a sign on the cafe says that the cafe is closed until further notice.

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