January – 2013 – Blog Down to Washington | Stories & Conversations about the University of Washington

Archives: January, 2013

January 31, 2013 | Meet

Coffee Break! 10 Places to Get Coffee around Campus

By Alisa Song

Mmmmmm. Coffee

For many college students, coffee is an integral part of school life. As we students cram in last minute papers and stay up late studying for exams, coffee often becomes a necessity. Fortunately for the thousands of students at UW, Seattle is the coffee-drinking capitol of the country.

Over the nearly four years that I have been studying at UW, I have probably drunk hundreds of cups of coffee. Here is a review of 10 coffee shops that I frequent regularly around UW.

1.Orin’s Place, PACCAR Hall

Location: 1st floor of PACCAR Hall, North Campus

Coffee: 6/10
Studying Ability: 5/10
Crowd: Undergraduate and graduate students
Why I come here: Studying in between classes

Review: One of the newer cafes on campus, Orin’s Place was added when PACCAR Hall was refurbished. Orin’s serves Starbucks coffee, unlike many of the other campus coffee shops, which serve Tully’s. The cafe is comprised of a section of PACCAR Hall’s first floor and contains several tables and chairs where many students choose to eat their lunches brought from home. Since the cafe is located right next to a main staircase, it can get extremely noisy during the 10-minute passing periods when students are getting out of their classes.

2. Parnassus Café, Art Building

Location: basement of the Art Building, North Campus

Coffee: 9/10
Studying Ability: 9/10
Crowd: Art students
Why I come here: For studying in between classes, reading, and to drink espresso.

Review: Parnassus is easily my favorite coffee shop on campus. The espresso drinks are always great and the cafe makes the dank basement of the Art building seem quite a bit cozier. Since there aren’t too many outlets, many students like myself choose to bring printed-out readings and study materials.

In the Spotlight: Ron Smith

By Matt Wastradowski

Ronald E. Smith [1] Coming out of high school, Ron Smith thought he was destined for a career in journalism. He enrolled at Marquette with visions of becoming a sports writer. But, midway through that first year, Smith dumped a tray of printer ink in a typography class, ruining his clothes in the process. “This isn’t exactly what I expected,” he remembered thinking.

The next day, looking for a new line of study, Smith asked a friend on the bus about his major. The psychology major talked up his program, leading Smith to take an Introduction to Psychology course. “Almost from the first day, I said ‘This is for me.’ I found my passion,” Smith said.

That was 1959. Smith started at the UW a decade later and has remained busy ever since. In the 40 years since, he’s helped UW student-athletes improve performance, worked with professional athletes, and mentored countless students as a Professor of Psychology and the department’s Director of Clinical Training. It’s that dedication that led one student to nominate Smith for a profile in this space.

Recap: “Faculty Dance/Collaborations” from UW Dance

By Matt Wastradowski

Pamela A. Gregory (front) and Kristin Hapke (back) in “The Rite of Spring” // Photo courtesy Steve Korn

When my coworkers hatched the plan to set me up on six dates and write about them in conjunction with the UWAA’s Arts Dawg program, I became anxious.

I wasn’t stressed about finding dates or subjecting myself to the public scrutiny; rather, I realized that I didn’t know much about the performing arts. I’ve only attended a handful of plays and couldn’t tell you how the Renaissance era set the stage for the Baroque period of classical music. (In fact, I had to look those eras up on Wikipedia.) I respect the arts and admire artists, but rarely enough to make them part of my Friday night.

Naturally, I came into the first of six Arts Dawg performances – the dance production Faculty Dance/Collaborations – knowing next to nothing about dance. In a way, I was the ideal customer. When the UWAA and ArtsUW partnered to create the Arts Dawg program, the goal involved introducing patrons to the wide variety – and high quality – of fine and performing arts offered by the University of Washington.

My date for the evening expressed similar sentiments at the Arts Dawg-only pre-show reception in the Meany Theater lobby. She admitted that she wouldn’t think to attend a dance performance while planning a night out, so she was intrigued by the new experience.

Preview: “Faculty Dance/Collaborations” from UW Dance

By Matt Wastradowski

The cast from “The Rite of Spring”

Collaboration in the UW Dance Program is nothing new. Most UW Dance productions feature partnership with one or two departments, said Betsy Cooper, M.F.A. ’97, director of UW Dance. But no program in recent memory has featured as much teamwork as the next UW Dance production, Faculty Dance/Collaborations. “Dance is a particularly collaborative art form,” she said. “To see the majority of us in the performing arts coming together and working on this level, I’m excited by that.”

Faculty Dance/Collaborations, the second UW Dance Program production this season, spotlights contributions from community performers, the School of Drama, the School of Music, and the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media. “I think the level of collaboration is unique,” Cooper said. “Everybody has come together.”

Archives: January, 2013

Coffee Break! 10 Places to Get Coffee around Campus

1.Orin’s Place, PACCAR Hall

2. Parnassus Café, Art Building

Read more…

In the Spotlight: Ron Smith

Recap: “Faculty Dance/Collaborations” from UW Dance

Preview: “Faculty Dance/Collaborations” from UW Dance

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