Community is Timeless by Samuel

Community is Timeless by Samuel - June 2026 Scholarship Essay

If I had the money or funding, I would open an all-night bookstore/cafe. I would prefer the atmosphere and food options of a cafe, but the seating variety of a library. Some areas (the rooms around the edges) could be dimmer lit, but most would be day-bright.

Of course this couldn’t take the place of housing, but people across classes desire the option for late night community- especially low-energy places, not centered around liquor.

Taking away the expectation of payment could level the playing field. Nowadays, people have a variety of payment apps- a donation-based cafe would work well if the operators accepted payment across platforms. The biggest downfall of charity restaurants is how awful their product tastes, and how low-quality the food provided usually is (let alone coffee).

The downsides of libraries are how badly librarians and security treat their lower-income and minority clients. Visitors at libraries aren’t given the same respect as customers at a store. It’s important people have somewhere they can go to relax, without having to look over their shoulder, without fearing they’ll be targeted or treated as suspicious.

The upsides of libraries are the amount of plugs, and the wide variety of chairs and tables. The downsides of (most) cafes are how uncomfortable the chairs are, and how few there seem to be. Some coffee bars in foodhalls or restaurants have a larger array of options, but they’re so compact and buzzing with noise- and rarely have enough outlets, and the seating tends to veer more wooden.

Respect for customers includes comfort, amenities, and quality product. Places like bars, cafes, foodhalls, community centers- have existed across time in various iterations. People crave the freedom to leave their home at night- and the safety of having somewhere to sit down, even for a night.