One of the most anticipated additions to the new wing was the Cafe. The gift of the class of 2016 has finally come to life, and the student body has quickly broken in the new space. In fact, some students are going as far as saying the Cafe is the “New Commons” (with the exception of lunch, when the Cafe is closed). They may be on to something -if you walk past the Commons during any time except lunch, it’s nearly deserted. Instead, Upper School students can be found throughout the new wing, with most of them populating the Cafe.

So, why is the Cafe so popular? It seems to be the perfect merge of last year’s Commons and library. Students are there all day, according to Ms. Manginelli, Flik’s point person in charge of the new space. It’s a multi-functional area that is used by Upper School students for homework, socializing, and eating. “It’s a great addition because you get to enjoy the food and a good workspace,” noted Pam Jaramillo ‘19. “Sometimes it’s more of a social space because people can get loud.”

It also helps that it’s in the middle of all of the action – most Upper Schoolers have to walk by it quite a few times every day to get to class.

The Cafe is appealing for a lot of reasons. The visually attractive floor-to-ceiling windows and picture wall of students make the space enjoyable to sit in. But the most widely talked about feature of the new space is the expensive coffee machine, which has proven just how caffeine addicted the St. Luke’s student body really is. According to Ms. Manginelli, the machine has produced 894 cups of coffee in the first three weeks of school. At $2.50 a cup, that equates to $2,235. Needless to say, the machine will have no problem paying itself back. Flik is also open to requests from students regarding snacks and beverages to serve, so if you have any ideas, let them know!