News Articles about Quirkey's

click on the thumbnails for larger pictures		QUIRKEY's Makes News
	Alan Head (center), pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala., says Quirkey's Coffeehouse shows young people they don't have to drink to fit in. Doris La Grone-Kispert transformed the basement of Trinity United Methodist Church into Quirkey's Coffeehouse. UMNS photos by Lyle Jackson	FROM THE UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE Church targets student partying by opening coffeehouse Feb. 27, 2004 A UMNS Feature By Amy Green* Bridget Cabrera likes to spend her evenings at her church across the street from the University of Alabama, where she is a music education student. She gathers at the church with her friends to sip coffee, play games, watch movies and - sometimes - do homework. It is a quiet retreat from the parties her roommates like to throw. "The cool thing is when you get down there, it doesn't feel like you're in church," says Cabrera, 22. It appears Trinity United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa has achieved its goal with at least one student. Troubled by the university's growing reputation as a party school - it was ranked among the nation's top party schools in the annual Princeton Review survey in 2002 - the church decided to give students an alternative to the alcohol-laden bashes they were accustomed to. The result was Quirkey's Coffeehouse, opened last August in a former church storage room with a name that gives an accurate description of the place. With a setting more reminiscent of a "Friends" episode than a church fellowship hall, the coffeehouse has become a popular hangout among students. It shows them they don't have to drink to fit in, says the Rev. Alan Head, church pastor. "It lets them know Christ meets us in our everyday experiences, in familiar settings," he says. "The search for belonging is universal, but Christ can be the center of that. It doesn't have to be the alcohol or party scene." Against a colorful backdrop of custom-made furniture and artwork, the coffeehouse offers snacks and a beverage bar where students can mix cappuccinos and smoothies, three televisions with DVD players and two computers with printers. The coffeehouse also has extra outlets for laptops. "I wanted to present biblical truths in whimsical and quirky ways," says Doris La Grone-Kispert, a church member who designed the coffeehouse. For example, the bar is lined with bottles, each bearing a single letter, and together they read: "Strong drink is an abomination of the Lord." A chalkboard is framed with the verse John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" - written in 27 different languages. The window treatments are galvanized tin, and all the plumbing and wiring are exposed. "I wanted to illustrate (that) so much of what goes on in us, it's known only to God," says La Grone-Kispert. "We don't tell our innermost feelings to everyone every day. But God knows the inside better than the outside." College students make up about half of the 200 who attend Sunday services at the church. Trinity spent more than $20,000 on the coffeehouse, with help from an anonymous donor and La Grone-Kispert and her husband. Students pay for their own drinks and snacks on an honor system, and so far their money has covered costs, Head says. The coffeehouse, open from 6 p.m. to midnight seven days a week when school is in session, targets primarily the freshmen and sophomores who grow restless in the dorms near the church. In particular, Head says, it is designed for those from small towns who might feel lost at the 20,000-student university and may not be interested in athletics or joining a fraternity or sorority. They gather at the coffeehouse for class study groups and Bible study groups. They watch movies, use the computers, play games and order pizza. Eventually, the church plans to offer open-mike nights and possibly draw local bands for concerts. Cabrera says she values the coffeehouse for the friends she has met there. She attends services at the church regularly but prefers getting to know her peers in the congregation and their friends in a more leisurely setting. "It's a place where I spend most of my time," she says. The coffeehouse provides an unusual ministry opportunity, according to Nathan Putman, a student in biology and marine science who lives at the church as an intern. Students who turn out merely looking for good coffee and company might learn about other church activities and become involved. He especially hopes the coffeehouse steers young students away from groups that could lead them into the party scene. "You come to Alabama, and it's a big place, and a lot of folks don't necessarily know a lot of people," he says. "You want to have a place where you fit in and people listen to you and you feel accepted. ... This kind of gives people an opportunity to come together and meet up with good folks." Green is a freelance journalist based in Nashville, Tenn. News media contact: Tim Tanton · (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org FROM THE TUSCALOOSA NEWS* Holy Java! Quirkey's coffeehouse is hip, happening and holy September 07, 2003 University of Alabama college students relax in Quirkey's Cafe in the basement of Trinity United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa Thursday evening. The cafe is open every night from 6 to midnight and has 24 Internet connections. Staff photo \| Jason Getz The Rev. Alan Head, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, wanted something “funky and far out," in the vein of Central Perk, the popular “Friends" hangout, and an alcohol-free Cheers. Doris La Grone-Kispert, a 63-year-old great-grandmother, gave him Quirkey's, a new cyber coffeehouse in the basement of Trinity United Methodist on Bryant Drive. Built as a hangout alternative to the bars on The Strip near the University of Alabama campus, the eclectic coffeehouse has caught the eye of visitors since its August opening. “It's wild," said UA sophomore Bess Copeland. “It's like walking into 'Trading Spaces.' It's something you don't expect to see in the basement of a church." Jesus and Java As coffeehouses have become the laid-back watering holes of 21st-century society, hundreds of Christian coffeehouses and coffeehouse ministries have opened across the country, combining Christ and cappuccinos. Twenty Something, the college and career ministry of First Wesleyan Church in Tuscaloosa, has provided a coffeehouse atmosphere at its weekly meetings for the past six years. “I think it's really been tremendously effective, because I think a lot of times people can be intimidated by walking into a church and seeing the rows of pews and the big pulpit," said Twenty Something programs coordinator Bill McDaniel. “Hopefully, it creates a very casual, non-threatening environment." At Trinity, which has the mission statement, “Where searching people can believe, belong and become," Quirkey's was established as a “belonging" ministry for the thousands of college students in the area. Organizers plan for it to be open on a nightly basis 6 p.m.-midnight and to bring in both Christian and secular musicians on Thursday nights to entertain guests. It is also the site of Bible studies, and future plans include a jazz service. Students help run the hangout, where visitors are on the honor system to pay for drinks and snacks. “It's a place that can be theirs [students]," Head said. “We want them to have ownership." And although the Gospel message remains the same, La Grone-Kispert said the settings and avenues to share Christ are continually evolving, with places like Quirkey's as evidence. As she designed Quirkey's, which was also built in response the UA's Healthy Campus Initiative, La Grone-Kispert had concerns that the church might not approve of some things. But Head had no qualms, even though a “Red Dog" beer sign adorns one corner of the establishment. A Mission Found Head decided a coffeehouse ministry would work for Trinity last fall. La Grone-Kispert, however, didn't immediately jump at the opportunity. “The pastor asked me last fall if I would design it and I told him, 'No,' because I'm retired and I knew what a big job it would be," she said. “And he said, 'Doris, if you don't design it, it will be bland.' So I agreed to take on the project as a mission, one of my missions for God." With an eye for design and a heart for college students, La Grone-Kispert, a Tuscaloosa native and wife of UA chemistry professor Lowell Kispert, set to work revamping the old room, which had been a church parlor and, more recently, a dusty storage bin. A retired interior designer, La Grone-Kispert said she always thought God would call her to be a missionary in a foreign country. But she found her mission work inside the church she has been attending for the past three decades. “Even though I'm white-haired and a great-grandmother, there's still a lot of creativity coming out," she said. “It was really inspired by God." Work on Quirkey's began on May 1 and has cost nearly $20,000. La Grone-Kispert said nearly all of the work was done by professionals under her supervision. “This sort of job is not for the well-intentioned, loving, caring person who wants to volunteer, because interior design has so many things you have to consider that you have to be professionally-trained," she said. The results have surpassed Head's criteria of being a place unlike anywhere else. “I think it's fantastic," he said. “I think it's just a work of art, and I do believe it's inspired. We felt led to ask Doris to do it because she does have that creativity. We didn't want it to be a place with drop-down ceiling lights and some Wal-Mart desk." Symbolic design True to its name, Quirkey's is certainly not the norm. It's designed to provide a comfortable place for students to socialize and study. The room has three 27-inch television sets, two Internet-connected computers, 24 Internet connections for laptop owners, a DVD player, CD player and video game systems - and that's just the basics. All that is presented in a colorful backdrop of custom-built furnishings, artwork and other accessories. Pieces of galvanized tin form draperies. The baseboards are the aluminum skirts found on mobile homes. Vegetable and fruit cans form a pair of bookends. A pair of brown jeans is used as a slipcover for a cushion. Wooden salad bowls are used as the legs of a coffee table. A ladder has been converted to an end table. And not one element of the room is an accident. La Grone-Kispert said every piece has some Christian significance. “I find that visualization, that wonderful tool of the arts, it helps to understand and present concepts and themes," she said. A few snippets of the symbolism: A couple of red walls that meet at the intersection of a funky cross sprinkled with red in the center represent the blood of Christ. The underside of the coffee table features a quote by legendary UA football coach Bear Bryant, “Call your mother." The heating and cooling pipes, as well as much of the electrical conduit are all in full view. “All those things are totally exposed and it represents how in a person's life, there are things known only to us, yet those things are open and exposed to God," La Grone-Kispert said. “He's more interested in the inside of us - our motivations, our reasons and our relationship with him than he is our outside appearance." Behind the Red Dog sign is a row of cut out liquor bottles. Looking closer, letters are found on the bottom of the bottles spelling out, “Strong drink is an abomination to the Lord." “Most people know that there's Red Dog beer out there now, yet you can have as much fun without having the substance abuse," La Grone-Kispert said. A surrealistic painting by La Grone-Kispert is framed on three sides. The painting has several titles, all of which are painted at the bottom - “Life Song," “Who's Driving Your Life Anyway? Let it be God, Let it be God," “Honk if you love Jesus" and “The Sky is Not The Limit." The picture has different roads in a baby blue sky. Most end abruptly, except for one. “There's many different roads you can take," La Grone-Kispert said, “but then there's a road that goes straight up and the sky is not the limit and this is the life of Christ." A Tilley's Endurables (a hat company) sign hangs from the ceiling with the slogan, “Prepare for adventure." “What I liked about the sign is the ëEndurables' and ëPrepare for Adventure,' because life for the Christian is an adventure, the greatest adventure you'll ever go on and it's a life-long one," La Grone-Kispert said. A chalkboard displaying the Quirkey's menu is outlined with John 3:16 written in 27 different languages. “Even if there's a student who comes in here and speaks Swahili, there's something to make him feel like it's his place," La Grone-Kispert said. And so it goes. Looking at the decorations, it's easy to see the place got its name. “I was in here working, and I looked at something and I said, 'That's really quirky,' and I thought, 'This place is just full of quirky stuff,'" La Grone-Kispert said. “The kids won't discover everything for months, because there are little subtle messages everywhere." Right at Home But they've sure had fun trying. Quirkey's grand opening was Aug. 23, and it's been a hit with most of the students who have wandered in since. “I love this place," said UA sophomore Tiffany Holliday. “I came on Tuesday night. I didn't even really know about it. I saw the signs and followed them here. I walked in and said, 'I'm at home.'" That's encouraging news for Adam Randazzo, a UA senior who is one of two students living at the church and serving as a monitor for Quirkey's. Randazzo has anxiously awaited Quirkey's opening all summer. “Aw man, I've been looking forward to it," Randazzo said. “Now it's open and it's really working." Hearing such comments is also encouraging to La Grone-Kispert. Her mission appears to have been accomplished.“It really makes my heart feel good." Chad Berry can be reached at chad.berry@tuscaloosanews.com or (205) 722-0222. The Designer: Doris La Grone-Kispert December 02, 2003 Doris La Grone-Kispert says she just does the things she loves to do. And that’s a lot. Painting, designing, quilting, cooking, reading, writing. You name it, and the 63-year-old great-grandmother has probably done it, is doing it or plans to do it sometime soon. “What an adventure life is,” she said. La Grone-Kispert has been retired since 1989, but it hasn’t been a time for her to ease through life. Even now, she has plans to learn to play piano and possibly go back to school and get a Ph.D. in counseling. “When I was 50, I thought I was getting older, and when I was 60, everything seemed to be freed up,” La Grone-Kispert said. “The pursuit to gain status or real high goals — I just didn’t feel as much. You feel free to be yourself and do the things you really enjoy doing.” When she was 48, she earned her bachelor’s degree in interior design from the University of Alabama. She went back to school four years ago to study Italian for a year, culminating in a trip as an exchange student to Italy in the summer of 2000. During that time, she was asked to paint the ceiling of the Basilica Cathedral in Monte Cassino, Italy. “Being afraid of heights, I had to decline that, but that would’ve been so interesting,” La Grone-Kispert said. The first part of her adult life was spent raising seven children, much of it as a single mom after a divorce in 1972. She hopes her life can serve as an example to others of how quickly things can change. “It’s motivating, especially to young women who find they aren’t in the ideal situation at a young age, to realize to start where you are,” she said. La Grone-Kispert is still active as an artist and interior designer. Her latest work is Quirkey’s, a cyber-coffeehouse on the Eighth Avenue side of Trinity United Methodist Church on Bryant Drive. Loaded with color and Christian symbolism, Quirkey’s was designed as a hangout for college students. Christian symbolism, Quirkey’s was designed as a hangout for college students. Inside Quirkey’s are some of La Grone-Kispert’s works of art. Her painting style is most influenced by master artist David Leffel, with a focus on light and shadows. She also creates miniatures and likes to include the occasional surprise in her artwork. “I like things that you discover later, that you don’t see right away in the painting,” said La Grone-Kispert, who in 2001 took second place in the West Alabama Art Association exhibit for an old master still life. Surprises are something she is full of. She said she likes to keep things interesting and make people smile and keep a positive attitude through the ups and downs of life. “Life is not always great and wonderful,” La Grone-Kispert said. “There are many negatives and difficult things that come in people’s lives, but God sees us there.”
Doris La Grone-Kispert Biographical info Title: Retired interior designer Age: 63 Education: Bachelor of science in interior design from the University of Alabama Hometown: Tuscaloosa Personal: Married to University of Alabama chemistry professor Lowell Kispert; has seven children from a previous marriage; 16 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren Why Tuscaloosa: “Well, why not? There’s so much offered here. The University of Alabama being here brings so much culture in, like the music, the theater and the arts.” Something most people don’t know about me: “I guess what they don’t know is how spiritually led I am, how I look to God in everything I do.” What inspires me: “I am inspired by the Holy Spirit. And, of course, other people who I admire their work has greatly influenced my work.’’ Proudest achievement: “You can’t narrow a proudest achievement down, because you have so many different areas of life.”