At the start of the cafeteria, a lot of students help because they know they can do it. They get strong. They are not thinking [that] this is another culture so you cannot do it or be shy or be ashamed or something like that.

Rouda, Stacey, and Nadine explained that the students and instructors in the coffee shop have "open minds". This means that there was a feeling of equality that enabled the students to work together in groups and to help each other. In addition, explained Rouda, "Group work is more friendly and happy; you can laugh, you can talk, you can do whatever you want."

Newcomers Are Trained by Oldtimers

The coffee shop established a routine in which oldtimers, students who have worked in the coffee shop and are able to independently perform a job, train newcomers. The program has continuous intake of new students so a newcomer can join at any time during the term or school year, as in the example of Stacey training Farah to set up the counter, make the coffee, and serve customers. Hannah described how she worked with new students one day when Carrie was absent.

I can teach a lot of things that I learned. Like last Tuesday, I was supervising them. Carrie was not feeling well, so for those who have a little difficulty reading, I was supervising. I was helping them when they see the recipe. I was helping them when they are not sure. I was helping them and telling them which one is exactly the one they are using. Most people, they have a little difficulty measuring. Most of them, I was telling them and pointing [for] them.

In addition to helping newcomers learn to do the tasks and jobs in the coffee shop, oldtimers pass on a way of communicating. Fran said that she learned about this from Carrie when she first began working in the coffee shop, and has since passed on her knowledge to new students. During the group interview, she told Carrie how this occurred.

You were really great at providing those guidelines for me, without telling me. So I was trying to observe Carrie at the beginning for those first two or three months really. You really taught that well, and you're demonstrating that to me so I'm pretty sure that is what they are picking up. So that's really great. You have to take full credit for that because that is the way that you present yourself to them and so when they have to make a decision, they've heard how you've said, 'Can I help you with this?' or 'Do you want help with that?' Rather than someone simply coming down on them. So you can really see how they pick that up, that mannerism.