 by Bradley A. Knoke
Spending time in the Memorial Union has proved to be an extremely rewarding experience. For a while I mulled over how I might concisely describe this “Spirit of the Memorial Union.” After considerable effort, I still hadn’t produced any one-liners or sound-bytes that could do the job- I just had a little collection of vignettes chronicling my adventures in the building. Hopefully, these will speak for themselves.
For a little more than a year now, I have been serving coffee in the Javastop. Last Fall term, I began to notice a change in my interaction with the shop. Now, on my crummiest days, when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, and everything following seems to go pricelessly awful, I look forward to work. The atmosphere and the people, without fail, make me feel better almost immediately. I don’t think that there are too many people who can claim their job as therapeutic, but I can. The environment in the M.U. is just ripe for the cheering one up-it is full of interesting and kind people.
When people hear that I am a barista, they often respond with sympathy: “Oh bummer, I bet that is rough.” The stereotype among the coffee world is that coffee drinkers are notoriously nitpicky, inconsiderate, and disrespectful to the baristas who make their drinks. Luckily, the customers in our store are not this way. In all my days, I can only think of one or two times when an interaction has gotten a bit sketchy. Our customers are wonderful – generous, patient, and respectful. Many of the other employees in the building are regulars, and getting to know them all has been terrific. I like to play obscure music in the shop; many interesting conversations have begun with a customer asking about the music. I have found that the folks who frequent our shop are interested in exploring new things – in the case, music – and their curiosity and interest often begin rewarding and unexpected interactions.
Looking back over the examples above, and thinking of the whole of my experience in the M.U., it seems clear to me that its most distinguishing feature is its people. The stories and situations I have listed hinge upon the company that the Union provides, and demonstrate that its people are of the highest caliber. I don’t know exactly why, whether by design or accident, but the M.U. seems to be a confluence of some of the most interesting minds and personalities on the OSU campus. More than that, the interactions that I daily witness are defined by respect and kindness. It may simply be the case that good people are drawn to the M.U., but it is possible that the spirit of the M.U. has a transformative quality – it is probably a bit of both. |
