29 October 2021
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There’s a Motley-shaped Hole in Our Hearts – Will It Ever Be Filled? rector of The Motley, and The Motley head managers. “We are hoping to get it open this semester… we are really trying to make it work. It also depends on what the administration expects from us and they really expect a lot from us now, especially with COVID,” said Pereira. “I feel like we're very hopeful to [open in] some capacity, whatever that looks like. Even if the space is open and we're not serving any cof fee or anything…I think [it] is hopefully feasible.” said Thomason. Upon its reopening, the staff is try create a more inclusive environment for students. According to Medha Gelli ’23, a former events manager, this includes a narrower focus on sus tainability and physical accessibility through the creation of committees among the managers and baristas. “The [sustainability] subcommit tee was…making sure that all the in gredients of the things we were sell ing [have] labels…We were trying to Photo by Chloe Gorman '22
By Lindsay Ravetz ’25 and Belen Yudess ’25 Staff Writers
W
walk by Seal Court, they see a va cant building with dark blinds shield ing the windows. Juniors and seniors see this area as it once was: the heart of Scripps culture, otherwise known as The Motley Coffeehouse. “The longest line would be right when we opened at 8 a.m.,” said Victoria Genao ’22, a former music manager for The Motley, “It would go out the door.” Those who have never experienced the vibrancy of The Mot ley have one question on their minds: what is going on? The Motley has been closed since March 2020 when Scripps shut down last spring. Upon returning to cam pus, students believed the reopen ing of the Motley would be on the horizon. Much to the dismay of the Scripps community, the Motley has remained closed, even though other 5C cafes, such as Pitzer’s The Pit Stop, and Pomona’s The Coop Foun tain, have opened. run business, traditionally employs around 60 baristas and 10 manag
ers. At the bare minimum, The Motley requires one head manager, as well as facilities, products, and personnel managers. This past summer, only three to four managers indicated that they were willing to return in full capacity due to the heavy workload and pres sures of these positions. Without a full staff, it was challenging to take the necessary steps to begin the pro cess of reopening. However, after returning to campus person learning, many students are eager to join The Motley team. The fo cus has now shifted to training man agers and staff as quickly as possibly. “We are really speed lining everything,” said former Lead Barista Diya Pereira ’22. “The problem is …getting trained by Bon Appetite…We also have to hire new managers and hire baristas.” While some obstacles have been overcome, a much greater one still stands. Since the closing of the Mot ley, delayed communication, Scripps administration has prevented Motley leadership from taking further action to reopen as soon as possible. “I think we just honestly weren’t a priority,” said Genao. A small group of former Motley em ployees have been spearheading the
struggle to reopen the coffeehouse as soon as possible. This includes se niors Julia Thomason ’22, Uma Naga originally being told that The Motley would not be opening in Fall 2021, Pereira had a strong reaction. “I had a big issue with that be cause…you are taking away a piece of the community, you are putting people out of jobs who are relying [on working] at the Motley and [having] that source of income,” Pereira said. “It’s a space on campus that is cen tral to Scripps. I can't imagine Scripps without The Motley.” The clock is ticking on preserving The Motley’s culture, as seniors are the only class who have experienced a full year of Scripps’ beloved cafe. Managers reminisce on their time at The Motley fondly. “We would be blasting music, usu ally Kali Uchis or, I don’t know, some thing upbeat,” said Genao. “You can chat with the baristas…and then the sitting room space is usually super crowded.” Former staff agree that there is protocols in place. This is dependent upon communication between ad ministration, the faculty primary di
[of] waste water as well,” said Gelli. Additional plans to remodel The Mot ley were put to a halt, but conversa tions to make the entryway to the cafe more accessible for people with wheelchairs and other needs contin ued. Gelli then said, “We were all work ing towards the same theme…trying to make The Motley better one step at a time.” From daily innovative whipped cream flavors to the Valentine’s Day Drag Show, The Motley was a unify ing force within the Scripps commu nity and helped showcase the vibrant student body. “The Motley [is] not only geographically the center of campus, but it really was the heart of all social life in my opinion,” said Genao. This is a shared sentiment among many upperclassmen, who consis tently express utter shock when re have never stepped foot in the coffee house. “I feel so bad…Honestly fresh men and sophomore year were two of the best years of my college experi ence here…And that was because of The Motley,” said Periera. It is safe to say that the community is anxiously awaiting The Motley to liven up Seal Court. “I’ve had enough of this weird vibe,” said Pereira. “I need my coffee. I need to be around the people I love. And I want other people to be a part of that.”
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