Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/123507
FROM THE EDITOR Strength in community LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Fresh Cup welcomes letters to the editor at comments@freshcup.com. Letters must be 250 words or less. Authors must provide verifiable phone number and city and state of residence. 12 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com sion. And I think many people who traveled to Boston for SCAA have felt similar effects—we were all close to the events, whether it was physically or emotionally. In the aftermath, that spirit of community has seemed to take over. Telephone calls, emails and social-media messages proliferated as we looked for assurances that our friends were safe and also sought to share our feelings and process what happened in Boston. Those who endure terrible occurrences are often left feeling thankful for what they have, and this case is no different. The events in Boston have brought us closer together as a community—not just because we survived, but because tragedies force us to think deeper about the people we are and the ways we choose to spend our time. We were in Boston because we were following our passions by representing our respective companies in the industry we love. And with that in mind, I look toward the future. In the coming weeks we'll attend the World Barista Championship (held at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo) and the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. Like SCAA, these events will see large international contingents joining up to celebrate shared passions. I urge us to savor these gatherings, and to relish in the strength of our unique communities. We have renewed cause to reflect on how lucky we are to have each other. STEPHANIE KREUTTER A pril's SCAA Event came to a shocking end. For a long weekend, thousands had united in Boston to take part in the industry's biggest trade show. It was an ultra-busy, exhausting show for many, but it was also a joyous gathering because the task at hand was ultimately to celebrate coffee. However, the day after the show ended, two bombs erupted at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. A beautiful day—and productive weekend—was washed away by terror. For a tragedy that was entirely unconnected to coffee, it had a deep impact on the industry. We as a community had roosted in Boston in the days leading up to the marathon, and a number of coffee professionals had passed through the area where the explosions took place—some even took part in the race. We were close, and the tragedy couldn't help but resonate with us. My own experience that day was one of particular proximity. Associate editor Dan Leif and I had attended the Boston Red Sox game and were on the subway heading back to our hotel when the explosions took place. The train was evacuated, and we surfaced to the street a few blocks from the site of the bombings. As we walked to the hotel, emergency vehicles sped past us while dazed marathon finishers dotted nearly every corner. This was the extent of the interaction we had with the tragedy, observed from a safe distance. Yet the feelings of the day have stayed with us: notably tension, fear and general confu-