Welcome To The Stone Oak Coffee Haus

BY ANNA MENOMINEE, STAFF WRITER

Due to Covid-19, The Stone Oak Coffee Haus shut down from March 19 to May 19, 2020. “I just refused to stay shut when everyone wanted some sort of normal day, and we missed our customers,” Kim Galske said over a follow-up email. “We would have loved to expand our hours, but Covid kept quite a few away,” she said. “Bouncing back from a pandemic has been a challenge, but we are doing well.” Galske still managed to make a few changes such as adding three seating areas to their outside patio and a bike rack. Summer will bring an exciting start for The Stone Oak Coffee Haus, because it will be their ing forward to the crowds that the park and festivals will bring to the area,” Galske said. “We are incredibly thankful to have survived 2020!” Kim Galske originally grew up in Arizona and Southern California, but even though she’s not from Wisconsin, she feels “as though Wisconsin adopted her.” “I feel like this is home even though I’m

not originally from here,” she said. Now, Galske has given Fond du Lac a place that feels like home--The Stone Oak Coffee Haus on Winnebago. The homey feel is in every aspect of this location: from the laughter and loud conversation by the customers to the friendly workers.

The Coffee Haus is a “place to unplug and have more conversation,” which Galske feels we are lacking today. “We want to promote eye-to-eye conversations, articulating our words, telling stories, like your aunts and uncles and grandparents would tell,” Galske said. When I gave my name after ordering my drink, one of the cashiers there told me it was also the name of her daughter, who is getting married. Kim Galske’s hopes of “creating communication” are really happening here, and I felt it as soon as I walked into the door. Conversations through the shop range from serious to light and friendly. Several stories happen all at once, and there’s plenty of space for it with the different rooms customers can sit in. The tables are close together, but each table creates its own world of conversation. The homey feeling doesn’t stop with the people. It’s also in the coffee drinks. Kim Galske said she believes in having a “coffee experience, not a sugar experience.” The menu is very simplistic, which was done to promote conversation. “The Coffee Haus really stands for connecting to our community, and that can start with a conversation at the register since no one knows what to order because of our simplistic menu without pictures,” Galske said. There are two part-time employees working at the coffee house right now. “They come in and help us so we’re able to come out and have a conversation with people like we wanted to and not be stuck behind the counter,” Galske said. The Galskes are very involved in their community. Kevin Galske is the chief deputy of the Fond du Lac County sheriff’s department. Kim Galske is executive director of Salute the Troops, an organization helping veterans. “My husband and I work a lot in the community and we deal with people in dif of ourselves in that way which can be draining,” Galske said. to give in a different way by making people feel good while they’re here.” Already, things are taking shape at the Stone Creek Coffee Haus, but Kim Galske says, “This is just the beginning.” Her plans are to host events such as baby showers and bridal showers, create a small farmers market on Sundays, extend the back of the building in the summer for an indoor/outdoor space, turn the garage into a coffee shack, and expand the lunch hours, serving soups and sandwiches. “We have a lot of people that come in here and say it reminds them of going to their grandma’s house or somebody in their family. Sometimes, a customer will run into somebody they haven’t seen in years and you’ll get that, “Ohmigosh, I haven’t seen you in so long!” and these are really good memories that they will always have here. We hope that continues,” Galske said. Kim and Kevin Galske have created a space for communication here in Fond du Lac. The amount of customers they get on a Saturday morning shows how the community is grateful for this building and all the work the Galske’s have put into it. “This place is open for community members to use,” Galske said. “If they need a space to meet, we will be happy to provide this place for them to come together. Anything is possible with this location.”

“We want to promote eye-to-eye conversations, articulating our words, telling stories, like aunts and uncles and grandparents would tell.”

-Kim Galske

Culture THE COFFEE CATASTROPHE

JOURNALISM STAFF PUTS POPULAR COFFEE LOCATIONS IN FDL TO THE TEST

BY BELLA GESSNER, STAFF WRITER

Like most teenagers do, our staff tends to bicker. We bicker about one thing in specific: Coffee. With our class starting first hour, most of us show up with coffee or other forms of caffeine. Even Mr. Smith, our teacher, joins the conversation about which coffee place in town is the best. So in an effort to bring this argument to it’s well-deserved close, I came up with an idea. We chose five popular coffee places we thought could be viewed as the best in Fond du Lac. Going into this the class was divided pretty evenly between Starbucks and Dunkin. This experiment would put those opinions to the test with the possibility of people liking other places in town or even the opposite of what they thought. his experiment would put those opinions to the test with the possibility of people liking other places in town or even the opposite of what they thought.

The Process

To make every coffee as equal as possible, everyone ordered a medium vanilla latte. A basic yet popular flavor that everyone likes that can be compared. I labeled enough cups for the 6 of us who decided to participate with different letters. The process was to rank all of them with 1 being best to 5 being the worst. Those rankings were added up into points for each lettered cup. Whichever letter had the lowest score was declared the winner. We started off by just taking sips and deciding which cup matched each location. After everyone finalized their guesses, we went over what everyone decided and wrote it on the board, where Hayden put the data into a chart. Then we went through and ranked the letters to decide which one was our favorite.

1st Place - Dunkin

In first place was Coffee D with 3 votes for rank one and a total of 14 points in total. It was revealed as Dunkin, and the room kinda buzzed with confusion. Zach was the only one who guessed Dunkin, and the majority thought Coffee C was Dunkin.

2nd Place - Uba

In second place was Coffee E with 14 points as well. Overall, everyone ranked this one pretty high on their lists. E was Uba, a place nobody really heard of. It was super sweet and the Coffee was smooth and it just hit the spot on everyone’s taste buds.

1ST PLACE

3rd Place - McDonald’s

In third place was Coffee A with 15 points. This was another high ranked one on the list with a lot of 2s and 3s. It was revealed as McDonalds. This one was surprising for some, because it was from a fast-food chain. But it was a really good coffee. It wasn’t too sweet and wasn’t bitter, which made it pretty middle-ground.

4th Place - Kwik Trip

In fourth place was Coffee B with 21 points. Everyone except for one knew it was Kwik Trip. It wasn’t that good to be honest, but it wasn’t horrible. The flavor just tasted kinda bleh and fake. It was the cheapest however, which may be a factor for the everyday coffee buyer.

5th Place- Starbucks

Finally, in fifth place was Coffee C. Starbucks lost with a total 23 points. This was the most shocking of the 5, besides Dunkin. The coffee was just too bitter for all of the taste testers. There wasn’t anywhere close to enough vanilla in it, making it taste bland. This was the most expensive one of the five.

2ND PLACE

As a well known Starbucks activist and a Dunkin hater, I was shocked when I found out my #1 rank was Dunkin and my #4 was Starbucks. The Table here shows each person’s ranking as well as their guesses, as well as the total points and the real location. After believing this would resolve the coffee debate, we then continued to sit there after the taste test and argue about what this meant. Personally, I used the argument that Starbucks has bitter coffee, and I tend to go for sweet. When I order my coffee I order it super sweet and the Dunkin was sweeter. If the Starbucks wasn’t as bitter, I would’ve chosen it. My classmates said my argument is not applicable. While we still stay divided on our taste in coffee, we had a lot of fun planning the taste test. Getting to know each other as people and becoming friends has been one of my highlights of this class. Even though my fellow classmates still cannot admit Dunkin has terribly watered down coffee.

Culture Summer Fashion 2021

BY HAYDEN MASON AND ANNA MENOMINEE, STAFF WRITERS

What a strange year, right? Not only has Covid impacted schools and our communities, but it’s also impacted fashion. The effects of Covid and lockdown have left many brands scrambling for what to do next.

Covid-19 Impact on Fashion With shops closed, consumers were buying less products. Many brands had to draw back, creating a “less is more” way of thinking. In an interview, Achim Berg, a senior partner in McKinsey and Company, talks about just that: consumers wanting less. Berg says, “Brands and retailers are starting to have less collections, less drops...”

During quarantine, online shopping became the new normal for many consumers. This made labels consider a new approach for their business. In fact, Berg says the crisis has given many fashion industries the opportunity to “reshape business models, streamline their operations, and sharpen their customer proposition.” Berg guesses that “Online shopping will dominate because people don’t want to gather in crowded areas.” So, what about the clothing? According to the fashion network, many labels were “going for comfort and minimalistic everyday wear styles.” This was seen in a women’s ready-to-wear collections show in New York, London, Milan and Paris between September 13 and October 6. The collection showed designers going back to basics because people wanted to be comfortable at home. However, after we pass through this pandemic, hopefully things will start looking up. “I’m hoping for the Roaring Twenties. I think we will all celebrate and party,...and fashion will play a role.” Current Trends Another summer with Covid-19 is quickly approaching. It’s certainly been a hectic year, and while we can’t control what’s happening around us, we can control what we wear. So...what are we wearing this summer? Comfort is still as relevant as it was last year! L’Officiel states, “The world’s new habit of working from home influences the inspiration for outfits.” They’ve found that many brands are going for comfort, which can be seen with new loose-fitting trousers, bralettes, knitting, flare dresses and more. This summer, we might see 70s, knits and crochet tops, flare dresses and vibrant and bright colors. L’Officiel says, “The joy of a new spring and the desire to return to normal has brought bright colors.” One color, for instance, is bubble gum pink. L’Officiel guesses this color is trending because of “people’s need for sweetness more than ever right now...and Gen-Z’s obsession with all things Y2K.” Many designers incorporate these bubble gum pink outfits to their runway shows. Face Masks Face masks have been a big part of this year. Vogue’s street fashion captures many images of people sporting masks to protect themselves and the others around them. Vogue says, “These pictures capture a specific moment in time and our mixed emotions; we’re balancing empathy, caution, and the simple joy of being with colleagues and friends.” While the pandemic goes on, it’s important for us to stay safe. Many brands offer fun colors for their masks. For instance, Vogue discusses a model who matched her rainbow-splattered mask to

her utility pants. If you don’t want to go with color and designs, a black face mask is just as stylish. Many articles like Vogue and Runaway agree that black face masks are the most popular. Emma Chamberlain’s Summer Look After watching Emma Chamberlain’s Youtube video, “What I’m wearing this summer,” we got a lot of inspiration. Her first outfit choice, which she called “My summer outfit” is a white tank top paired with Levis shorts. This simple outfit is a great summer look, and is easily paired with accessories and other articles of clothing.

Chamberlain will also be wearing outfits that are inspired “from California in the 90s and earlier.” For instance, she showed us outfits with vintage t-shirts, beachy pants, fun prints, and cut off shorts. Other ideas in her video include long skirts, track shorts, patterned button ups, dad shorts, and crochet tops. “I’m dressed like a golf dad,” Chamberlain says in her video as she sports a green collared shirt, light wash jeans, and a pink baseball cap. “A dad who plays golf who loves cheese and wine...That’s my aesthetic.” The great thing about her outfits is that they can be mixed and matched. There’s unlimited options when it comes to styling clothes. Fast Fashion Consumers want the latest fashion trends. Of course, in order to spend money on clothes, you need money. Brands like Shien, Romwe, Fashion Nova and more are easily accessible websites that sell clothing at a ridiculously low price. All over social media, customers share their try-on hauls with clothing from these brands. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? According to Zeitgeist, a blog that works with sustainable brands, “Three out of five fast fashion garments end up in a landfill within a year of purchase.” Why? Because these garments are cheaply made and most of the time fall apart after a year. Furthermore, according to the United Nations Climate Change News, “Fast fashion makes up 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.” Not only does fast fashion impact the environment, it impacts workers as well. Zeitgeist writes, “93% of brands aren’t paying their workers a living wage.” So, what can we do? For most of us working minimum wage jobs, spending a lot isn’t an option. Instead of purchasing from fast fashion brands most of the time, we can try shopping sustainably. A great way to do this is through thrifting. Fond du Lac has many thrift stores like St. Vincent and De Paul, Goodwill, Salvation Army and Second Impressions. To show you the cool pieces you could thrift, we went to our local St. Vincent and De Paul to find fun clothing that we think fit the summer 2021 fashion. While it’s been a difficult year, brands and designers have taken this into account, using this experience to expand their ideas to give us the best trends. So, look forward to the comfy-chic wear of the summer!

Culture

It’s F’REAL, NO JOKE

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT F’REAL MILKSHAKE

BY Zach holZmann, Staff Writter

Picture yourself on a hot summer day, enjoying the weather with your friends. It’s 90 degrees outside, and you decide you want a milkshake. Where resort to A&W or Gillies. Although these milkshakes aren’t bad, there is a far better option that is being overlooked. Today, I will explain why your best option for a milkshake in the summer is a F’real Milkshake from Kwik Trip. decision is the price. A F’Real milkshake is only $2.99 per milkshake, and the milkshake is 12 ounces. This price isn’t amazing, but it’s reasonable. During the summer, Kwik Trip has a special called “F’Real Fridays” where F’Real milkshakes are only $2. Whether you’re getting it on a Friday or not, these are reasonably priced milkshakes. the milkshake. Anywhere you’d normally milkshake, as well as 3 protein shakes and 3 smoothies. This allows you to be spontaneous with your milkshake cravings, and summer craving. The most unique aspect of the F’Real milkshake is the personalization of the experience. When you’re buying ask you is if you’d like your milkshake to be less thick, normal thick, or more thick. Choosing less thick allows you to drink your milkshake with a straw, while more thick options will allow you to use a spoon and have your milkshake have a texture closer to ice cream. After you choose your thickness option, you get to watch as the machine takes your cup and blends it into it’s beautiful form. After taking out your milkshake, the machine will clean itself in front of you before the next milkshake can go in. This assures that there are no cleanliness issues with your milkshake. After you take out your milkshake, the real experience begins. Kwik Trip has an abundance of customization options throughout the store. Next to the F’Real machine will be located a whip cream machine where you can add as much whip cream as you’d like to your milkshake, free of charge. If you’d like, you can even add the whip cream before you blend it so that the whip cream is mixed in. Kwik Trip also has a variety of coffee area. Although these are intended for coffee, they work for your milkshake as well. You can add sprinkles, marshmallows, chocolate drizzle, caramel drizzle, chestnut and many more toppings. The options are almost endless, and you can either choose to add them as toppings or mix them into the milkshake. You can also add give your milkshake an extra taste. Unlike any other place, you can add all of these you want them, the exact amount you want, free of charge. This allows you not only to have a cheaper experience, but the freedom of experimenting with different customizations with no repercussions. It’s no doubt that other places of options and a good taste. However, F’Real milkshakes offer the cheapest and most personalized experience for your milkshake craving. If you’re looking for a great tasting milkshake that you can handcraft just the way you like, F’Reals are for you.