For more than 45 years, the Motley to the View Coffeehouse鈥攎ore commonly and affectionately known as 鈥渢he Motley鈥濃�攈as provided a welcoming space for members of The Claremont Colleges community to study, socialize, and host events. Often considered the heart of the 51猎奇入口 campus, the Motley鈥檚 cozy interior sports comfortable chairs and tables, a stage for open-mic nights and other performances, and a bounty of intersectional feminist artwork on the walls. There鈥檚 also plenty of outdoor seating for customers to enjoy the balmy Southern California weather while sipping baristas鈥� inventive signature drinks, such as the Matcha Cha Cha.
Most uniquely, however, the Motley is managed and operated entirely by 51猎奇入口 students, providing its staff with invaluable leadership and business experience. The Motley employs approximately 60 baristas and managers each semester; applications for interested employees are available at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.
鈥淪tudents working at the Motley develop a range of in-demand soft skills, which are important for their overall career development,鈥� says Ashley Valdez, director of Career Planning & Resources. 鈥淭hese soft skills鈥攕uch as leadership, customer service, teamwork, and effective communication鈥攈elp set students up for success, as they are highly transferrable to whatever work they decide to pursue after 51猎奇入口.鈥�
For Students, by Students
The Motley was founded in 1974, at a time when 51猎奇入口 had no central student gathering place. Students lived, dined, and socialized in their residence halls, which were overseen by housemothers. In some instances, students lived in the same hall for all four years, only engaging with the broader 51猎奇入口 community during classes. Daryl G. Smith, senior research fellow and professor emerita of education and psychology at Claremont Graduate University, began her tenure as dean of students at 51猎奇入口 the same year in which the Motley was founded. She recalls that the absence of a central space presented logistical as well as social challenges: For a brief period, whenever the Dean of Students Office needed to provide information to students, they pushed an ice cream cart with announcements around the campus.
The need for a gathering place was 鈥渞eally important for the health of the community,鈥� Smith explains. The mid-1970s were a time of change for 51猎奇入口, as the College was moving toward increased student leadership in the sphere of student life, transitioning from housemother oversight of residence halls to what was then known as the residential advisor program. 51猎奇入口鈥� tradition of afternoon tea was likewise seen as an 鈥渙ld-fashioned鈥� way of gathering, Smith says, while the idea of a coffeehouse held more contemporary appeal.
Although she helped support the Motley鈥檚 creation in her role as dean of students, Smith emphasizes that the coffeehouse has been a student-led establishment from its inception.
鈥淭hey really took great ownership and responsibility,鈥� she recalls, adding that the students鈥� vision of what they wanted the Motley to be shaped every aspect of the coffeehouse, from its name to the artwork on its walls. 鈥淚t was fabulous and very important because it became the place where students could gather鈥攁nd important enough that it has been sustained to this day.鈥�
Since its founding, the Motley has moved from its original site in Balch Hall to the basement of what is now the Malott Commons, and, in 2000, to its current home in Seal Court. No matter its location, the Motley has always been a place for both coffee and community.
鈥淚t was fun to go in the evenings with friends and hear bands perform, and it was at the Motley where I had my first caff猫 mocha,鈥� says Jennifer Martinez Wormser 鈥�95, director and Sally Preston Swan Librarian for the Ella Strong Denison Library. Although Martinez Wormser was employed at the library as a student, her first-year roommate, Nara Boone 鈥�97, worked at the Motley, which at that time was housed in its Malott basement location and known as 鈥渢he Motley Underground.鈥� Adds Martinez Wormser: 鈥淲hen I think of the Motley, I think of Nara and all the other student staff I knew there whose smiles lit up the place.鈥�
Motley With a Mission
Through the years, the Motley has upheld its mission to 鈥渢o provide a center for intersectional feminist dialogues, highlight local vendors and sustainable global supply chains, and support on-campus organizations through community events and sponsorships.鈥� Over the last decade, managers have increased their focus on social justice and climate change issues. Many of the Motley鈥檚 products are certified organic and fair trade, sourced from small, local, and family-owned businesses and organizations. In 2009, Motley managers introduced an initiative that provides customers with a dollar discount on drink purchases when they opt for a reusable mug鈥攅ither bringing their own travel cup or using one of the Motley鈥檚 many 鈥渇or here鈥� mug options. As of 2016, managers estimated that this practice has reduced waste by approximately 6,600 pounds each year, based on the number of to-go cups that the Motley purchases annually.
More recently, the Motley has dealt with adapting to COVID-19 pandemic-related challenges. After closing for two years, the coffeeshop reopened for the 51猎奇入口 community in April 2022, with health and safety protocols firmly in place. Although its location and business practices have shifted during its nearly half-century of existence, the Motley remains an essential part of the 51猎奇入口 experience, thanks to students鈥� vision and hard work.
鈥淲hat a difference it鈥檚 made to the community,鈥� Smith says, 鈥渁nd it was the students who brought that to life.鈥�