Bison Year in Review FEATURES 1B Photo by MACY COX Junior Kennedy Williamson and seniors Gracie Hamlett and Regan McClure make coffee and pastries in their apartment kitchen Jan. 16. They opened their home up for guests to try their coffee. Story and photo from The Bison Jan. 19, 2024; Vol. 99, No. 9. Story from The Bison Feb. 2, 2024; Vol. 99, No. 10. Coffee lovers across Harding’s campus had a new place to get their daily cup during the week of snow and university closures, with the help of a few creative students with a bright and fresh idea. Greenhouse Coffee & Bakery opened for business Jan. 16, the first day classes were canceled due to the icy campus conditions. Co-owner and senior Gracie Hamlett said the idea came from a video she saw online this past summer with a similar concept, and she wanted to do something similar with her roommates, senior Regan McClure and junior Kennedy Williamson, in their apartment this winter. “I sent [the video] to my roommates, Regan and Kennedy, telling them we had to do this,” Hamlett said. “We’ve done things like this in the past so we are always looking for what to do next. When snow week began, I knew that this was the perfect time.” The snow began to fall during the beginning hours of Sunday, Jan. 14, and it lasted until Monday night. Many took the first opportunity of the year to play in the snow, but by Tuesday, some of that excitement had died down.That was when Hamlett and her roommates decided to do something fun during their unexpected day off. “The snowfall day is magical,”Hamlett said.“The first full day of snow is the day you go out and play or just stay warm inside, resting. The second full day of snow is when people start to get restless. So that’s the day we decided to do it.” Regan McClure, who helped make Hamlett’s vision a reality, said that it was all about having a fun place to be with close friends during a day where most would want to stay inside their dorms or apartments. “We wanted to see our friends during the snow and also give people something to do outside of their rooms,” McClure said. “Something silly is that we had one of our bedrooms set up as a coat room to have enough room. It was so much fun.” Those who ventured out of their dorms for a free cup of coffee were met with a warm welcome as they arrived at the door. Sophomore Macey Stewart said the environment was welcoming and a fun place to spend a chilly day inside. “Visiting Greenhouse Coffee Shop was definitely the highlight of my snow day,” Stewart said. “Everything about the experience was so inviting and joyful, from the way they took my coat at the door, to the delicious coffee and treats, to the lively conversations with all the friends who came to visit.” ELI DEAN community editor Students craft Greenhouse Coffee and Bakery Dr. Huff hits one-year NYT crossword streak Dr. James Huff ’s claim to fame is not only holding positions as the senior faculty fellow of the Honors College and associate professor in the engineering department, but also that he recently achieved a one-year streak of New York Times crosswords. Though Huff has had on and off streaks for two years, he is on his longest streak of 365 days of completed crosswords as of Sunday, Jan. 28. “[The crosswords] engage me in an everyday habit,” Huff said. “They always wake me up a little bit, but they chill me out, too.” Over the 2023-2024 Christmas break, the Honors College went abroad to Porto Rafti, Greece, where Huff began to share his hobby with his students. It became their daily ritual to complete the New York Times crosswords together. “We started together pretty much every day on our trip over winter break,” sophomore Eric Rice said. “I feel like they’re making me smarter.” Huff and a small group of students have begun meeting every Friday in the Honors House to continue their group crossword solving. Huff projects the crossword puzzle onto a big screen, and they read through each clue together. “We maybe would’ve eventually figured it out on our own, but when you play together, then everyone can bring in their experiences,” Huff said. The group advises that if you would like to start playing, to start on a Monday. The crosswords get increasingly difficult each day, with Sunday being the biggest and most challenging. Tuesday through Thursday puzzles are themed, and Friday through Saturday puzzles are more demanding work. Daily mini crosswords are also available for free on New York Times, and a mid size puzzle is available once a week. Huff says that a frequently asked question is if he cheats on his puzzles. He simply responds, “I don’t cheat, I learn.” Another question he often receives is what he does if he doesn’t have internet service. He said he just makes it work. Rice and sophomore Aiden Joy have since subscribed to New York Times games to keep up with the crosswords they started abroad after seeing the benefit. “You pay essentially 10 cents a crossword, or $3 a month,” Joy said. Neither student played crossword puzzles before their trip to Greece. Huff openly invites all students to join him and other crossword lovers every week on Fridays at 3 p.m. in the Honors House to play along or to watch. RANDI TUBBS features editor
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