Collegiate Times

Students were free to enjoy mugs of their favorite coffee after the lesson.

The smell of fresh coffee lingering in the air is generally a soothing experience for early risers.

At Deet’s Place, this sensation is amplified even more so, with a variety of coffee blends available at the cafe’s Coffee College class.

Entering through the side of Deet’s, a divider covered in large, burlap coffee bags separated the class from students who were socializing and studying in the other half of the cafe.

Long tables were set up, creating an L-shape, giving individuals a perfect view of the instructor. White tablecloths were covered with faux, orange and red leaf vines — a welcoming decor appropriate for fall.

White coffee mugs flipped over on plates were sprawled across the table as place settings for each person signed up for the class.

When a worker placed cinnamon scones on the tables, eyes began to dart around the room in anticipation. Finally, Leann Cook, the Deet’s operations manager, walked into the room to begin the session. It was time to learn — and eat.

Cook has worked with the program for the entire eight years it has been available to Tech students and locals.

“I want everyone to feel fully molded from their experience here,” Cook said. “I like working with the students, watching them grow and having them teach me as well.”

With an enthusiastic smile on her face, Cook greeted everyone and began her lecture on “fives.”

She explained how Deet’s supported five different world regions with its coffee production. Each region takes five years to prepare their soil, five years to grow a coffee bean and five years to pull the beans.

Cook exuded a passion for her coffee knowledge, as she described the intensive labor that goes into growing a single coffee bean. During her lecture, she passed around baskets of different types of beans ranging from dark to organic roast, allowing everyone to examine them closely. 

Oil seeped from them, reflecting off the contours of each bean as a strong aroma escaped their skins.

Truly taking the time to observe the coffee, something that wouldn’t typically be done while in a grocery store, made all the difference.

Michael Dendinger, a junior biological sciences major, was enthused to attend his first coffee class, noting the value of coffee, which he says he finally began to understand that day.

“I drink coffee in the morning and while I stay up studying,” he said. “I throw in things not actually knowing what I’m doing, and with this class I was able to learn where it came from and where it’s processed.”

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A version of this article appeared in the Nov 4 issue of the Collegiate Times.