coffee feature story - ROUGH draft

Coffee and the College Student

Every morning on Wittenberg's campus, hundreds of students wake up and smell the coffee.

Some people get the hot beverage because they love the dark robust taste. Some people buy a large cup o' joe in order to sit through an 8 am lab without dozing off. And some people brew it in their houses or dorm rooms on a daily basis without giving it a second thought – it's just another part of their morning routine.

Witt students have varying reasons for their coffee habits. Senior Janelle Mahowald is a self-described "coffee addict." Drinking the beverage mostly for its caffeine benefits and not for particular enjoyment of the taste, she estimates that her average intake of coffee on a daily basis is between 8 and 9 cups. As a chemistry and French double major, Mahowald credits her busy class and work schedule as incentive to keep the pots brewing. She says that her body has gotten so accustomed to the daily coffee intake that she can't function as well without it. "When I get up in the morning, I can't see straight until I have my first cup of coffee. On mornings when I don't have time to make it, I get pretty severe headaches."

Other students helping to fuel the international coffee trade have chosen to do so because they just plain enjoy it. Katie Torrey, a 19-year-old freshman, has been drinking coffee since she was in high school. "I started drinking it regularly because my friends liked to, and then I really started liking it." Torrey owns her own coffee maker to use in her dorm room because it is more economical and she doesn't enjoy the coffee from Post 95.

Although many students like Torrey prefer to brew their own coffee, there are still many others who take advantage of the coffee options offered through campus dining services. Mary Black is the supervisor of Cafe a la Carte, the grab-and-go dining option for students passing through the Science Center. She says coffee is probably the most popular item for students who stop by the food and drink stand, especially in the mornings. "I make six pots every morning at 7:30, and by 8:00, half of them will be empty." This trend continues throughout the morning schedule, fueling the tired minds of students on their way to class. Even past noon, Black doesn't get a break from keeping the coffee pots full. "I feel like I'm making coffee all day, all the time."

Whatever the cause for coffee habits, it is easy to see that the popularity of the hot beverage won't be declining anytime soon, especially for Wittenberg students.

Carl Loney Interview - Draft 1

Gretchen Dellner
Chief Carl Loney Interview Story – Draft 1

Alcohol infractions. Sex offenses. Can-collecting thieves. And…snakes in the urinal?

These are just a few examples of the kinds of reports that Wittenberg Police Chief Carl Loney has received in his eight years in charge of the university's Police and Security unit. The Springfield native has been at work in the law enforcement field since he was 18 years old, and since becoming head of crime-fighting on a college campus, the excitement of police work has not diminished.

Loney visited Professor D'Arcy Fallon's Intro to Journalism class on Wednesday, February 3rd to discuss the role of the Wittenberg police on campus and in the everyday lives of students. He talked about the many facets of his job as chief of police and the differences between a city-wide police department and a college security unit.

"Lots of people think of me only as 'the e-mail man.'" Loney said, referring to the constant stream of messages sent out to campus regarding any severe weather warnings or crimes, on-campus or just nearby. The chief asserts that his main goal is to keep the public informed, no matter how trivial the subject might be. "I firmly believe in giving information as fast as I can."

With 13 police officers, Wittenberg's security department is a force significantly larger than that of most small college police units. The department has full authority of the campus, handling around 90% of all crimes at Wittenberg. Major criminal cases are handed over to the Springfield Police Department on occasion.

Loney cited alcohol infractions as the most common crime on campus, although he stated that these reports have decreased significantly in recent years. "Things have changed for the better," Loney said of the climate of alcohol abuse on campus. "Students seem a lot more respectful."

He credits the Witt police force for being relatively understanding of the student atmosphere, saying that the officers who provide escort rides for students late at night are not necessarily looking to arrest anyone walking home from a party, but rather are just trying to "prevent underage trouble." However, Loney stated that there is one thing the police officers prefer when they are driving students home – "please, just don't puke in our cars."

Concerning the long-standing yet technically illegal Wittenberg tradition of streaking the hollow, the Chief once again prefers to approach the situation with a grain of salt, saying "it ain't like robbing a bank in my book." Loney is leading the security department with the intent of preserving safety and overall well-being of the students at Wittenberg, which he understands to require a certain degree of lenience on his part.

Loney's attitude about his job reflects his good feelings about the campus student body. "I wouldn't trade it," he says. Streaking, snakes, and all.