The Greenleaf Coffee Co-op might not be what you think it is. Many people around campus have the idea that this student-run organization in the basement of Mary Hobbs is an exclusive hang-out spot for a specific clique of friends. I am here to tell you this just isn’t true.

When I transferred to Guilford last fall, I was excited to find a place to drink good coffee and do my homework on comfy couches. Oblivious to any negative rumors, I walked into the Greenleaf and found it to be exactly what I had hoped for: a place to study as well as socialize, or just grab a convenient cup of coffee on my way to class.

Although I knew hardly anyone at Guilford, I found that the Greenleaf had an inviting atmosphere, and it quickly became my favorite spot to do homework on campus. I didn’t have to know anyone to feel welcome there.

As I have become more immersed in Guilford, old stigmas that underlie the social dynamics here have become apparent. At this Quaker school, we are sometimes more divided than our ideals would suggest. One of the tensions I have picked up on is this idea that the Greenleaf is exclusive.

The members of the co-op are the first to admit that not all of these rumors are unfounded.

“The Greenleaf used to be painted dark green,” said senior and co-op member Zak Wear. “It felt like a dungeon.”

Apparently another syndrome of the old Greenleaf was that when someone walked in, everyone stared at them.

It seems that the co-op was a clique in the not-so-distant past, but that isn’t the case now.

“This is a community space,” said Austin Shriner, a senior and co-op member. “This is not the Greenleaf’s personal hang-out spot. It belongs to everyone on campus.”

Shriner attested to the fact that the co-op spends a significant percentage of its meeting times discussing ways that the Greenleaf can become more approachable to the community.

Recently, the Greenleaf space has accommodated several events which aim to involve the community. The Greenleaf has hosted a PostSecret discussion, the annual Bad Feminist Poetry contest, monthly cooking club dinners, and more recently, the first ever Dubious Poetry competition.

Plans are in the works for the Greenleaf to start accepting credit cards, which members hope will make the Greenleaf much more accessible.

But change is a two-way street. The Greenleaf has made significant strides in becoming an inviting space — and hopefully will continue to do so — but it is up to the rest of the community to meet it halfway. In this case, the solution might be as simple as getting your next cup of coffee on campus instead of some nearby chain.

The idea that only a certain group of people frequent the Greenleaf is self-perpetuating: if no new people try it, then the space runs the risk of becoming a clique by default. Just go. Bring your friends. See what happens.