As finals week approaches, it’s easy for students to get very stressed. Sophomores Aldegundo Brenneman and Anneli Wilson had this idea in mind when they created their club, Coffee and Conversations. During meetings, members are able to drink coffee or tea, whichever one prefers, and have conversations or decompress from a week of school.

The pair initially came up with the idea around the start of second semester during last year. “It kind of started as a joke, because [Aldegundo and I] were both annoyed at how weak the coffee is in the lunchroom,” Wilson said, “but then we thought it would actually be pretty fun to just have a space that’s pretty chill where we can just have conversations and enjoy the company of people we might not normally talk to.”

The club meets at the admissions offices above the Davern entrance, and either Breneman or Wilson will bring in the coffee or tea. Brenneman said that they developed a system deciding who brings the coffee and on what day.

The conversations are fluid and flowing; “We talk about current events, politics, [and] we talk about literature a little bit,” Brenneman said, “just what is going on in our lives; there’s a lot to talk about.”

This view and approach is reciprocated by the club’s regular members. About 7-8 people typically visit the club.

Sometimes they don’t have discussions because, often, everyone has had a hard day or just needs a moment to decompress. However, this idea of flexibility reflects the clubs identity, which is a calm not serious place to hang out and have conversation if desired.

Also, members of the club can start the conversation and it can be about pretty much anything. “Last year, we had a really excellent conversation on artificial intelligence, particularly artificial intelligence generating art,” Wilson said. They are an active artist, and they felt passionately that AI generative art wasn’t ok. Therefore, in the next club meeting, they brought it up, demonstrating the free flowing approach of the club.

The leaders and members stress that the club is a non-commitment. “Its a good opportunity to relax, hangout with people, and get a break from school,” said sophomore Gavin Leuthold.

If one is looking for a place to discuss topics they are passionate about, look no further than Coffee and Conversations. The club guarantees a good way to meet new people, have unique conversations, and to enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee.