Archives Coffee House, located cozily in the heart of University of North Dakota’s campus, regularly hosts events to give back and engage with the Grand Forks community. Archives Coffee House is a common spot for both students and faculty. Archives is now introducing an event that our campus has never seen. The coffee house is inviting UND staff and faculty to participate in “Guest Barista Week,” from February 6th through February 10th. Students are given the opportunity to nominate UND staff or faculty to function as one of the coffee shop’s baristas. The staff or faculty member selected must be nominated by at least 5 people and will get to be a barista for an hour. This will provide students with the opportunity to visit and order from their favorite professors. It is a fantastic, and a fun opportunity for students to engage with faculty and staff in a way that has never been done before.   

Upon sitting down with Archives manager, Kellie Rygh, there is more information as to how this event came to be. “One of the psych professors, Dr. Ferraro, planted the idea, and we are going to run with it” Rygh said. “It really gives students a chance to see their professors in a different light.” This fun and new event will give students the ability to see their UND staff and faculty in an environment they are not used to. The sign-up sheet for the event is currently located in Archives Coffee house, and there is also a sign-up sheet available on Archives’ Facebook. The sign-up sheet will not be available for much longer, so make sure to get the names for the nominations in quickly.  

In addition to “Guest Barista Week,” Archives hosts Open Mic Night every Tuesday evening from 7:30pm-9:30pm. During open mic nights, Archives encourages participants to create and perform music, recite poetry, or tell stories, just to name a few. Archives open mic nights attract a full crowd, making it a fun and energy filled event that is worthwhile. Activities like the ones that Archives provides create a new and fresh contrast to regular campus events. The events at Archives provide a warm and welcoming environment, usually outside of normal school hours. This allows students to attend fun events and make friends outside of classes. Looking down the road, Archives Coffee House is also working on a “Speed Social” for the Valentine’s Day season where individuals will get 5 minutes to try and make new friends along with other fun games to get to know others. Dates and times for this event will be provided as soon as they are published and available.  

Whether you need a warm coffee, a cozy study spot, or a fun event to attend, Archives is the place for it all. Make sure to stop in at Archives during “Guest Barista Week,” to see your favorite staff and faculty work as baristas, and make sure to keep an eye out for the unique events that Archives will be putting on the next few months.   

Sadie Blace is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].