Coffee with Emily (refill)

July 16, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

A few months ago, when Coffee with Chloe started, I interviewed Emily. We talked about her natural empathy and inherent desire to help others learn to help themselves. Now, settled into Josiah’s Coffeehouse, Café & Bakery with dark roast coffees and chocolate chip cookies, we’re continuing the conversation. In 2015, Emily graduated from the University […]

Coffee with Vern & Carol

July 5, 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

Me, Carol, Vern (repping his signature Vern's Veggies hat) and Jill Bertus at my senior prom. Courtesy of Carol Tolsma.

Heading west past Avon, S.D., you’ll see rows of cucumbers, cabbage, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and more. Shades of green grow across the city block, backed by a large high tunnel greenhouse and bright red barn. Next, you’ll see two more greenhouses, one connected to a small building. Bright colors peek out from the greenhouse windows: […]

Coffee with PK

June 6, 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

Lea, PK and me by our 2016 science fair project: Analyzing the Effectiveness of Shade Balls on Evaporation.

Paul Kuhlman aspired to extinguish fires; instead, he found a talent for lighting them. Kuhlman, known to me as ‘PK’ since my first math class with him, wanted to be a fireman – or maybe a garbage man. Instead, he’s spent 26 years teaching math and science classes in Avon, S.D., and igniting students’ passion […]

Twitter Coverage

April 28, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

As part of Janet’s multimedia class, I was required to live tweet at two events. These events provided a look at Burst of Sign. Click on the links to read my coverage! Silent Supper: March 7, 2018. Augustana Deaf Awareness hosted a pizza night in the American Sign Language lab. The first 10 minutes were […]

Coffee with Sophie

April 23, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

“I’m just a narcissist,” Sophie said when I thanked her for doing an interview. She’s wrong. Last fall, Sophie and I were delivering yearbooks and I dropped mine on the pavement, smashing the edge. I was disappointed, but Sophie immediately offered to switch with me. This was a kind gesture from a woman whose name […]

Coffee with Anna

April 16, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

I wasn’t sure what to think of Anna Stritecky. A few weeks before Welcome Week 2016, I received an email from one of my Viking Guides: Anna. At the time, I thought Viking Guides would be at least 40 years old, so I thought the terms Anna used in her first email were sorry attempts […]

Coffee with Camden

April 6, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

“Whatcha drinkin’, Chloe?” Camden asked. He watched me sip coffee from a straw. “Coffee,” I said, setting my cup out of his reach. “I don’t drink that, but when I’m bigger I’ll like it,” Camden told me. He resumed playing with his blocks. About a year later, Camden likes drinking “hot chocolate coffee” (which is […]

Coffee with Caleb

April 2, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

I held a beautifully wrapped package with a card resting on top. Excitement grew inside me as I stared at my birthday present from Luke and Caleb. I unsealed the card’s envelope and scanned the card. The card said, “Happy Anniversary Birthday, Chole!” I stared at my brothers. “Are you kidding me?” I tossed the […]

Coffee with Naomi M.

March 28, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

During interim, I took American Sign Language (ASL) 110 with Carmen Steen and started learning an intricate language. When spring semester began and I started multimedia storytelling, I decided to further my work with the interpreting program by featuring Augustana Deaf Awareness (ADA) and its annual Burst of Sign event. This led me to an […]

Coffee with Adventure

March 12, 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

This week, I’m living vicariously through my friends’ Snapchat and Instagram stories. Looking at these, I started reminiscing about trips I’ve taken in the last few years. Today, Coffee with Chloe is a throwback to four memorable trips. Welcome to a few pieces of my past. December 2013: California In December 2013, my sister moved […]