University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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After loading up on cayaiu: itiuknts prepare to study at Cafe MHano. With a constant supply oj coj ee, cafes were an ideal study place. Local cafes Brewed Awakening 1807 Euclid Cafe Mi la no 2522 Bancroft Way Cafe Strada 2300 College Avenue Espresso Experience 2440 Bancroft Way Euclid Cafe 1870 Euclid Nefeli Caffe 1854 Euclid Pasqua Coffee 2128 Oxford Center Sufficient Grounds 2431A Durant Avenue Wall Berlin Kaffeehaus 2517 Durant Avenue COMPILED BY TOM LEE Since their arrival at Berkeley, many students are passing on Coca-Cola for something a bit stronger on caffeine-coffee. This extra caffeine helps some stu- dents stay awake to cram for midterms, while other people simply enjoy the taste and enjoy socializing over a steaming hot cup of coffee. Whatever the rea- son, coffee is now a more integral part of many stu- dents ' lives now as compared to when they were in high school. Ajit Thomas never drank coffee in high school, but now he drinks 2-3 cups a day. 1 neverfeltthe need to drink coffee in high school. 1 just drank soda, admits Thomas, a sophomore majoring in Political Science. Plus, 1 didn ' t like the taste back then, before 1 got used to it, said Thomas. Neither did Chengboey Lau, who hated coffee vhen she went to high school. 1 hated it. It smelled bad, said Lau, a sophomore. Lau now drinks around 3 cups a week, or more, depending on how heavy her work load is that week. I still don ' t like the smell, and I don ' t drink it socially. 1 drink it now because the caffeine keeps me awake and more alert. I ' m used to the taste now, but 1 don ' t particularly love it, Lau said. The caffeine doesn ' t keep everyone awake, how- ever. Coffee puts me to sleep. It ' s nice and warm and toasty and it functions like milk. My dad has the same problem, Thomas said. Thomas insists that coffee is a big part of college life. A lot of my friends drink coffee, said Thomas. It ' s a social thing, and 1 just like the taste. I ' ll get some on my own, but more often than not, I ' ll just see a friend and we ' ll go get some coffee, Thomas said. Lau disagrees. The cafe is a big social thing in college, but not necessarily coffee itself, said Lau, who enjoys studying in a cafe, whether she buys a coffee or not. It ' s a more relaxed atmosphere than the library. You don ' t have to be in a totally isolated environment to study. I go there even if I ' m not in the mood for coffee, Lau said. Are students who drink a lot of coffee worried about getting ad- dicted? No, I ' m not really worried about it. Sometimes I go without it for weeksand 1 don ' t get withdrawal symp toms or anything, said Thomas. Both Thomas and Lau agree that the best cafe is Cafe Strada, for its Bianca Mo- cha or Caramel Machiatto. -Stephanie Sato the people seen our in the dining hall are mostly students, some in high school, hut mostly students at Cal. The starting wage is $6.22 hour. It you work there longer, you get a 20 cent raise, Kim said. Kim is well aware of the dining commons ' bad reputation amont; students. He thinks that the complaints are ungrounded. People say that the food is really terrible, but when you think about it. it ' s healthier than almost any other place. IfVou make your own food. you ' re probably not going to have the lu.xuiy of having a salad bar, and ajuice bar, and a milk bar, and all the vanet}-. I think it ' s really good, you have a lot of choices, Kim added. And as for leftovers, They only use lefto ' ers if they can endure for more than a da - or too, Kim explained. Basically we have to throw everything that is leftover from the meal at the end of the shift. But sometimes we do keep it because itsjust a big waste, Kim said. -By Stephanie Sato TIk crowded patto at Cafe Strada was a popular spot for students to socialize and get their dose oj caffeine. 23

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L , Dorm reiuients queue up at the salad bar at the Unit lU dming commons. While many students complained about thejood, the DC did o er health-conscious foods. -he dorm contract includes a basic 14-meal plan, enabling students to eat 14 meals at the dining commons throughout the week. For some this is ajoy, for others, the food is |ust disgusting. Loren Tsai, a treshman, decided to get a 19-meal plan for his Hist year at college. I thought that everyone did, he explains. And most .seasoned strips ot chicken mixed with onions and bell peppers on a tlour tortilla. He also en|o ' s the plain ciiccsecake tor de.ssert. How about the ser ' ice people rlicmseK ' es ' The ' re not ' er ' nice, at least at L ' nit 1 , .said sophomore Maria Pan . The ' pick up the food and dump it on your plate. It seems like they don t want to work of the time, he manages to use most oi them, only missing one or two there, the) ' |ust want to earn money. Its bad enough that the food meals a week once in a v ' hile. But does he really enjoy what he is eatingr No, are you kidding? It ' s nasty. It just doesn ' t taste good, ' said Tsai. 1 don ' t understand how people could mess up sonicdiing simple like macaroni and cheese, he added. Freshman Robert Clark commented, fhe food s really not that bad. Some days it is, though, .so 1 eat cereal when there s nothing el.se that ' s good. Clark ' s favorite dish is chicken fajitas, which consists of Fine Dinin Despite its bad reputation, the resident hall dining commons offered variety and choice isn t that good there, but they have bad service, too, she explained. Tsai .sees the workers dif+erently. Some people are really enthusi- astic about this stuff, he admitted. One such worker is Richard Kim. a third-year chemistry major. who works at the Unit 1 dining commons. He has worked dierc tor one year, and he enjoys his |ob. I needed to make .some money, and the hours are flexible, says Kim, who v orks about 15 hours a week, and gets paid $6.22 hour. I like the people, I get along with them, and vou get a tree meal when ou work, adds Kim. 1 he dining workers are trained in all the |obs, like swiping the meal cards. ser ' ing food, taking care of the dining room by refilling the food and cleaning up. and w.ishing dishes. After die first month of training, if the worker has a preference, then the manager c. n assign that worker a specific task. According to Kim, most of the workers are foil-time staffers, and 22

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Jimiiinracct While students attempt to individualize their dorm room and make their home away from home more aesthetically pleasing, some things become standard... (l) The extra-long twin size mattress makes standard sheets a close but annoyingly impossible fit. With early morning classes and mid-afternoon naps, the bed is in constant use and is usually never made. ® Easy access for late-night studying in bed, plus it doesn ' t disturb other roommates when the room light is on. Q) The dining commons menu is readily visible for reference of today ' s meal. To alleviate the surprise of curried garbanzo beans, students can immediately assess the potential damage and determine whether they will make the journey to the DC for dinner. An alternative is also posted, Dial-A-Meal which lists the menus of restaurants nearby that will deliver in case of hunger emergen- cies, either to compensate for DC disaster or the late- night munchies. m my Home jron Home .k ' h yen, new .md rcriiininv srLidcnts mow inrocimpus hoLisinij to hll .1 total ot almost 5.000 W sp.iccs. A myri.id of options .ircopcn to sttidcnts looking tor a ciivense (5) Laundry: Hamper exceeding maximum capacity after a month without laundry duty. To conserve space, a pair of jeans are conveniently hung on the back of the chair ' In the end, you make best friends and learn so much about yourself and Ife, ' -Grace Su, .sophomore in Integrative Biology awaiting to be recycled in the wardrobe. Q) Newspaper clippings: Conveniently and blatantly posted to reveal the occupant ' s accom- plishments, causes and gripes. (S) Calendar and photos: To remind the occupants of the nearest vacation time and the family, friends and homes they will visit. (2) Stocked with regulation computer hardware, writing utensils and desk lamp. Desk space is crowded, leaving no space to actually work on. (1) (oflome A full stock of Cherry Coke or other soft drink (caffeine-potent Mountain Dew is another favorite) stashed under the bed for ready dosage. 24