For many Bucknell students, coffee is a daily ritual: a lifeline for early morning classes, long study sessions and late-night projects. But for the members of the Bucknell Coffee Society, it is more than just caffeine – it is a way to connect.
Founded in the spring of 2024, the Bucknell Coffee Society has quickly grown from a small circle of friends into one of campus’s most vibrant new communities. “We’re really the on-campus coffee club,” said senior chemical engineering major Maya Fetzer ’26, one of the club’s founders and current president. “We’re just a group of students who really love to bring people together over something that we all have in common, which is our love of coffee.”
What began as just a dream between Fetzer and Shane Coudriet ’26 has now become a campus staple. The two were inspired after taking Bucknell’s coffee-themed dinner seminar, where they explored the science, culture and history behind the drink. “We loved it, and we thought we needed more of this in our day-to-day life,” Fetzer recalled. “So we decided to start a club.”
From its humble beginnings as a 10-person signature list and a few informal meetups, the Bucknell Coffee Society has developed into a hub for students seeking both caffeine and connection. “It has since absolutely exploded in terms of popularity,” Fetzer said. “As of the last time I checked, we have around 180 members. We can usually get 25 to 30 active people per meeting, which is really exciting!”
The club hosts a wide range of events, from study sessions with local brews and music to hands-on learning workshops. Members can try out new brewing methods, practice pulling espresso shots or even roast their own beans. “We teach people how to make different kinds of coffee. We learn different methods of brewing, how to pull an espresso shot and make a latte or even how to roast your own coffee beans and make your own blends,” Fetzer said.
Part of the club’s mission is to support local businesses and promote ethical sourcing. The Coffee Society primarily partners with Fresh Roasted Coffee, a Sunbury-based roastery known for its transparency and sustainable trade practices. “They’re really great about being transparent about where they source from and where they’re doing their processing,” Fetzer explained. “That’s really important to us, that the beans are sourced fair trade and that we contribute positively to the coffee culture.”
In addition to hosting events on campus, the club connects students with Lewisburg’s growing coffee scene. One upcoming event will be a Culture Coffee Spotlight. “Anyone from Bucknell can come [into Culture Coffee], say they’re here for the club and we’ll pay for them to get a free drink,” Fetzer said. “They can try maybe something they don’t usually try, or even try Culture Coffee for the first time.”
Other events blend creativity and community in unexpected ways. “We did mug painting, which was super fun,” Fetzer said. “We also did a coffee tasting at the Parents’ Weekend bingo, so we brewed a bunch of different coffees and had people try them with their parents while they were playing bingo.” The club’s next big event, a roasting session before Thanksgiving, will let students roast and package their own blends to take home for the holidays.
What makes the Bucknell Coffee Society stand out, Fetzer believes, is its openness and accessibility. “It’s such a broad interest that you can come in from any level,” she said. “We have people who are purists—they like their black coffee, they measure the water and the beans—and then there are people who’ve never had anything outside of a K-pod before. We accept people from everywhere.”
That inclusive philosophy extends to how the club approaches coffee itself, as both a craft and a cultural connector. “Coffee is such a fundamental part of our routine,” Fetzer reflected. “We need third spaces. When you’re not in your room and you’re not in the classroom, where are you? For so many people, that’s sitting somewhere and enjoying a cup of coffee.”
She sees coffee as more than a productivity tool; it’s also a social ritual. “We use coffee as a way to go, go, go, but also as a way to hopefully relax,” she said. “To sit in the library, or Amami, or Culture, or Seventh Street Cafe, and enjoy the atmosphere, drink your cup of coffee and socialize with someone. I think it can really act as a vehicle to build community.”
Students who want to join the Bucknell Coffee Society can follow the club on Instagram at @bucknell_coffee_society or email Fetzer directly to be added to the email list. Whether you’re a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur or someone just learning the difference between cold brew and iced coffee, there is a mug waiting for you.
