Lehigh Coffee Club creates space for conversations
Otto Capps, ’22, has a long history with coffee.
His family owns a coffee farm in Brazil, which is where he spent his formative years. In September 2018, he sought to establish a way for his passion for coffee to be expressed on campus, and thus founded the Lehigh Coffee Club.
“I was in the library with a group of friends who were civil and mechanical engineers and were discussing starting a club,” Capps explained. “I was in business school at the time, and I wasn’t as busy as they were, so I decided to start a club. What is something I truly adore? That is coffee.”
Students sample cold brew coffee from Saxbys, Zekraft, Lit, and The Joint at an event. The Lehigh Coffee Club is a newly formed campus organisation dedicated to initiating conversations over a cup of coffee.
Capps has channelled his passion for coffee into the largest club on campus, with over 600 members on their mailing list encouraging students to engage in conversations over coffee.
As Lehigh lacked a coffee-centric club, he decided to found the Lehigh Coffee Club.
Capps explained that the club’s mission is to bring people from disparate parts of campus together, allowing students to interact with those they might not speak with otherwise.
The club frequently collaborates with other campus clubs and organisations, including Peer Health Advisors, the Conservation Club, and SEAL, with whom they host events and have tailored conversations.
“Our mission is truly to spark meaningful conversations over a cup of coffee,” Capps explained.
According to Capps, coffee serves as the vehicle for these conversations. He described himself as a social person who enjoys meeting new people, which he can do through the club’s events.
Capps shares organisational responsibilities with co-president Abby Sowa, ’23, who is currently on leave from Lehigh to complete a Co-Op.
Previously the club’s vice president, Sowa took on the role of co-president this semester.
