By Alana Pelosi

When students returned to campus this past September, they were not only greeted by change in the Student Center’s main café, but they also discovered that the convenient coffee nook, Burlap’s, had been replaced. While removing Burlap’s, a check-point pivotal to many students’ morning treks to class, may seem upsetting, students can rest easy that Pura Vida is there to make their morning even better.

Pura Vida, which has been appearing on big university campuses out west, is a Fair Trade company which looks to benefit less fortunate countries in a number of ways. Primarily, it provides a living for farmers and their families. Lackmann Culinary Services decided to bringing Pura Vida to Hofstra as one of their efforts to go green. Food services director Eisa Shukran said that “Burlap’s was getting a little tired and it had been there for about 10 years.”

Shukran continued to explain that Lackmann decided on Pura Vida because “it’s such a good cause, and they donate part of the proceeds to poor countries.”

While there are no plans to replace the University’s other coffee stops, like Kobrick’s and Starbucks, with a Pura Vida, the current change has had an impact. Since its opening, Shukran said that the overall feedback has been positive, largely because the coffee is really good. Additional factors adding to the increase in sales are the menu changes. Since Pura Vida’s products are partially organic, there is now a better selection of healthier organic offerings in the coffee shop.

While those who frequent Pura Vida may be aware of the benefits behind the organic, free-trade niche, there is still room for more awareness about the cause around campus.

Jennifer Joas, sophomore broadcast journalism major, said she did not hear about the charity behind Pura Vida. “I could tell by all the pictures of little kids in third world countries that it had something to do with charity,” she said.

Simply knowing that some of the revenue goes to charity slightly increases Joas’ incentive to buy there.

Unlike Joas, Jessica Brown, freshman print journalism major, said the charitable aspect did not affect her morning decision to stop there. “I knew it was eco-friendly, but that’s not the reason that I get it from there-it’s just convenient,” Brown said.

Pura Vida is not the University’s only effort in going green. Since earlier in the semester, the University has worked to rid students of misconception that the school does not recycle and has increased the use of china where feasible. Food services is also thinking of creating an incentive plan that would reward students and faculty for using china plates by potentially offering a free meal or donating to an environmental cause or organization.

Dana Pizzi, sophomore accounting major, said of Hofstra’s eco-friendly efforts, “I think the change is really important. The china plates make me feel like I’m having a real meal and getting coffee from Pura Vida is great because it makes me feel healthier.”