HSU Hosts Thursday Community Coffee Hours

Hardin-Simmons University is hosting a weekly Community Coffee Hour during fall semester. The event takes place every Thursday morning from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Richardson Library with coffee and pastries provided.

“It’s a low-key, come-and-go event to give everyone in the HSU community a chance to connect,” said Dr. Rich Traylor, Professor of History and Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan.

Community Coffee Hour was designed to give students and faculty in the HSU community a chance to fellowship together. According to Traylor, the weekly event has two goals: to give students an opportunity to improve their interpersonal skills and to develop students’ appreciation for diversity in their community.

Megan Baldree, Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator, said students can broaden their experience in several ways by attending the meet-ups. “Community Coffee Hour is an opportunity to engage and build relationships with faculty, staff, and students across campus,” she said. “We often get caught up in connecting with the same groups of people and this is a place where students can intentionally connect with new people.”

Hardin-Simmons University has a rich and diverse community, with students from across the country and across the world. Each has a unique perspective on life. Community Coffee Hour is an opportunity for students to step outside their own personal “boxes” and meet people who have different world views and opinions.

“It’s important for students to learn that community does not simply happen, but emerges through intentional personal interaction and appreciation of perspective,” said Traylor.

HSU plans to continue Community Coffee Hour as a regular, weekly event. Right now, it is an unstructured time of fellowship and community. However, in the future, Traylor says that it will become a “laboratory” for students to practice their communication skills. By next fall, he plans on adding communication prompts so that students can more effectively practice their interpersonal skills.

Baldree added, “Over the course of the next five years, we hope that the Community Coffee Hour will not only become part of the fabric of the University, but will become a place where people learn to engage in difficult conversations and agree or disagree in constructive ways.”

This is a time for students to connect and chat, unencumbered by the stress of tests and homework. Madison Summey, a Biology major from Grandview, Texas, said she’s enjoying the weekly coffee breaks and the spirit behind them.

“Community Coffee Hour gives everyone a chance to get to meet new people that they might not have otherwise met, and it is just a perfect time for fellowship,” she said.