MEAD students host Coffee House to cap study

The aroma of their subject lingered in the air when students at MEAD hosted a Coffee House last week.

Teens at the alternative high school had just completed an in-depth study of coffee. “We had three focus groups,” teacher Kristi Amend said. “We studied the history of coffee, the economics and ethics of the coffee trade, and the health effects of caffeine.”

To celebrate the conclusion of their study and to share what they’d learned, the students and staff invited family members and the community to a Coffee House, held at the Calvary Chapel youth center next to the school.

From the origins of the brew to its cultural impact, students were armed with eye-opening facts and interesting stories. For example, the next time you savor a sip of freshly brewed java, you may want to thank a goat.

The story of the discovery of coffee buzzed around the tables at the event. Legend has it that a goat herder in the Ethiopian highlands noticed his goats became more active and didn’t sleep after eating certain berries. He tasted some and found them bitter, so he tossed them into his campfire. The aroma of the roasting berries proved enticing.

Amend laughed and said, “Apparently, he put the beans in some water and voila – coffee!”

Amber Nelson, 16, found coffee history fascinating. She studied the brew’s evolution from 1600 to 1652. “Capt. John Smith worked the coffee trade,” she said. She believes this was his real attraction for the Indian maiden Pocahontas. “He was 40 and she was 16. I think the romance had much more to do with coffee than with true love,” she said.

Also of interest was the fact that coffee was once known as “Satan’s Brew,” because it was often served in brothels. “But then the pope baptized it and coffee became a Christian drink,” Nelson said.

Seventeen-year-old Violet Ruthruff’s group studied the health effects of caffeine, and what they discovered surprised her. “There’s caffeine in stuff like Midol and even ice cream,” she said.

She knows this because as part of their research, students took several field trips, including a trip to a grocery store. They looked for products that contained caffeine and because so many people add sweeteners to their coffee, they also studied different types of sweeteners.

“We found sugar is everywhere,” Amend said.

While the students shared their findings, staff members served samples of drip coffee and French press coffee, as well as treats prepared by the students.

The cookies and muffins were sweetened with refined sugar, raw sugar or honey, and guests were invited to share which treats they preferred.

As Malia Salboro, 16, sipped her coffee she said, “Did you know coffee is the second-largest traded commodity in the world? It’s second only to oil.”

The students also visited Roast House Coffee and learned about coffee production from bean to cup. “Coffee costs just cents to produce but consumers are charged $3 to $5 a cup,” Amend said.

Bad news for coffee drinkers like Salboro. “I love it a lot!”

So does Amber Nelson. When members of the health group shared that the average adult should only have 300 milligrams of caffeine per day, Nelson sighed. “I drink probably five times the amount I’m supposed to.”

She also found her taste in coffee has changed. “When you get the really good coffee, you don’t need sweeteners – it tastes good all by itself.”

Throughout the coffee project, Amend asked the students to keep in mind three questions: How do my choices affect others? What can we learn from past practices to create a better future? And, as a consumer, how can I make a positive impact on society and nature?

The answers to those questions made fair-trade consumers out of many of the students who enjoy coffee. “Shade-grown coffee is best for the environment,” Salboro said. “I’m more aware of the coffee I buy and I’m making more ethical consumption a priority.”