Castle residents turn dorm into coffee house

The rise in coffee prices did not seem to affect Community Service Living and Learning Program students Friday night when they transformed the Castle into a coffee house. In an effort to expand weekend on-campus social options, the Castle, which houses 20 undergraduate students, set up tables, baked desserts, brewed coffee and decorated their lobby to create the look and mood of a coffee house. The event, which included live entertainment, took place from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Admission was free, but sponsors asked for a $2 donation for food and coffee. "We wanted to create a relaxing environment so people could get together and have some good conversation," Wharton sophomore and program participant John Seeg said. The event featured three University musical performances -- Off the Beat, the Suitable Boys and Janet Kim. Each performed for about 20 minutes. "The groups were great," said College sophomore Amy Jacobs. "It's nice to get to see Penn talent in a natural, relaxed atmosphere." Castle residents said Friday night their motive behind the coffee house was to give University students another option for campus entertainment. "There are few on-campus alternatives to fraternity parties or watching movies in dorm rooms," said Bridget Dugan, a first-year Education graduate student, who helped organize the coffee house project. "With crime and people not being 21, this is a good opportunity [for on-campus entertainment]." Castle residents said although the majority of their community service is performed off-campus, they also need to focus their attention to their immediate surroundings as well. "A major part of the community is the Penn student-body and one aspect of community service is serving it," Seeg said. In addition to providing a social outlet for students, residents said they also wanted to raise awareness about the Castle and its programs in general. "A lot of people don't know that this is a residence," said College junior Shelly Waldman. "We have a dining service, open 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. which is open to all students." Although it felt like a coffee house for the majority of the night, during Off the Beat's performance, it seemed more like a concert hall. All conversation stopped and the standing-room only crowd listened intently. "We don't [usually] get a chance to perform like this," said Off the Beat president Cres Pellecchia, a College senior. "It was a lot more fun and laid-back?We were singing for the fun of it." Although the Castle's maximum occupancy is about 75 people, at one-point 155 coffee connoisseurs were counted, Dugan said. Residents said they were thrilled with the turnout and plan to repeat the event monthly. Although they will charge for next month's event, all coffee houses will be free after that, Dugan added. The Castle residents also said that they are seeking four students to fill vacancies in the program.

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