Emma Claire Ambroziak / The Mossy Log
The Dovecote is the hottest spot on campus for getting a drink between classes, meeting up with friends or quietly studying for a few hours. The baristas behind the counter make this all happen. Not only do they make drinks, but they also contribute to the ambiance and provide a warm smile alongside your beverage.
Kelsey Johnson has worked at the Dovecote for five years, a chapter of her life soon coming to an end. She was a barista in college and uses that experience here at Lewis & Clark. After being a member of Foodcorps, a subgroup of the Corporation for National and Community Service, for two years, she moved back to Portland, her home. When she applied, the barista position was not available and she worked regularly at the Bon, but shortly after she started she moved to the Dovecote.
“I think I applied to George Fox, and had an interview at University of Portland’s Bon Appétit as well, but they offered me the job here and I preferred the vibe,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t really supposed to be a super long-term thing, but then COVID hit and I was like, ‘I’m just gonna settle here.’”
When not working here on campus, Johnson has spent her time developing her career in electrology, a permanent cosmetic hair removal procedure.
“I am currently doing an apprenticeship in electrology. I think I’m supposed to be done at the end of May, and then, theoretically, I’ll be doing that,” Johnson said. “Me and a previous barista from here, who fully quit when we started the program, we started it together, and once we’re done, we’re going to start a little practice together.”
On the side, Johnson takes care of her pets, plays video games, does crafts and gardens.
“I got chickens the first summer of COVID, I think 2020?” Johnson said. “It was sort of my little COVID experiment that I’d been wanting to do for a while, and I was living at home with my parents who had a big backyard, and I was like ‘You know what, let’s do this now.’”
Johnson’s favorite drink to make for herself is a soy latte with white chocolate and cinnamon, and her favorite drink to be asked to make is a “very dry cappuccino.”
“The longer that, I feel like, you’re a barista, the more basic your drink gets,” Johnson said. “Because you have so many available sugars and drinks constantly that you’re like ‘I just need something basic.’”
Olivia Thompson-Kjesbu was also a barista before coming to work at the Dovecote, and just finished her associate’s degree at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka, CA. She enjoys her job here at the Dovecote while she saves up money to continue her education.
“It’s just a lot of fun. Every day is a little bit different, but you can also still somewhat anticipate what you’re gonna be coming into,” Thompson-Kjesbu said. “Plus, slingin’ coffee at people is fun. It’s just a great time.”
Thompson-Kjesbu is in search of a program that will offer an art major with a philosophy minor.
“I have a couple different options, but it’s more so finding a program that I feel like really speaks to me,” Thompson-Kjesbu said. “Sometimes, I find with different art programs, especially when you get into the upper classes, that they can just kind of be like, ‘Well, you got all the stuff, just figure it out now!’ Which, a lot of it is about inspiration. But yeah, I’m not totally sure.”
Outside of her work here, Thompson-Kjesbu enjoys several creative hobbies.
“I play the bass, I practice that a lot,” Thompson-Kjesbu said. “One of my goals moving up here, I was like, ‘Even if I’m just playing for a crowd of four people at a shitty little dive bar, that’s the experience.’ I do a lot of art. Reading, all that good, fun, boring stuff.”
In terms of her longer-term goals, Thompson-Kjesbu wants to lead a satisfying, enjoyable life.
“Be happy, find success in whatever field or form I may want to, be a good person, that kind of thing,” Thompson-Kjesbu said.
Thompson-Kjesbu’s favorite drinks are a lavender mocha and a London fog. Despite the challenge of an hour-long commute from home, she enjoys the everyday tasks of being a barista at LC.
“Honestly, it’s very fast-paced which is something that I really, really enjoy. I kind of tend to thrive more in that sort of environment,” Thompson-Kjesbu said. “It’s a lot of fun, I love my coworkers. Everybody who comes through is really nice and respectful, and it’s been lovely getting to know some of the students, too. I’m just a barista making coffees so students can get through their midterms, you know? There’s been a lot of triple and quad shots the past two weeks.”
Overall, baristas at the Dovecote express satisfaction with their jobs, and seem to love the environment at LC. To continue making this an enjoyable experience for them, always be friendly to your baristas!
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