NOTE FROM THE LECTURER DAWN TROOK: Writing 10 is a required freshman composition class at UC Merced, one that causes many groans. During Spring semester I had my students perform community-engaged research. My goals were to connect students with the city of Merced and to encourage them to see their writing as impacting and reaching an audience beyond the classroom. The Downtown Project started when I took my morning section on a downtown tour. One of the most striking things we realized was how many helping agencies are located within this shopping district. These students' essays celebrate the diversity and persistence of this locale.

Words by Zain Mir

Community is “a social group of any sizes whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.” Cinema Café is a great place where members of the community get together and appreciate each other. The place serves delicious food and still keeps your wallet bulky. The downtown area of Merced is well known as the center of entertainment and over time it has established many shops with different variety of goods and different ethnic restaurants. One of the greatest well known and also it is one of the most popular place to eat out in Merced is Cinema café. The restaurant is owner operated. The café is a great place to meet new people from the community and to just hang out. As I interviewed the owner Gerardo Olvera, he shared some of his experience of running a successful business, and the hard work that is behind his success. The café plays a big role in the community in terms of bringing everyone together in the community.

I first noticed this tiny café on Main Street when I was taking a tour of the downtown Merced area. I made a mental note to come back soon. I made it over there today and was quite pleased. It is a tiny place on the corner in the building of an old closed theater, the inside includes the red counter stools and the counter itself; which gives it a cozy feel. There are mostly counter seats and a few tables. There are also tables out on the sidewalk which display a beautiful part of the downtown area. The café is open during the weekdays from 6am until 2pm, on Saturdays it’s open until 1pm, but closed on Sundays. The Cinema Cafe serves both breakfast and lunch.

One of the writing professors at the University of California, Merced, Dawn Trook, has a strong attraction to this café. “It’s really friendly the food is really delicious, portions are great, and prices are great.” It makes a huge difference if the community is involved and actually contributes to what there is. “I just think that it more like a community center, a place where people can meet and for me working at the university that I can actually meet people that are long term residents and been here for awhile.” As we talked further, I found she really admires the owner and the cooks because they know her name which makes her feel valued. Her favorite on the weekends is the chilli verde omelet with hash browns and grilled biscuits. This in fact made my mouth fill with water. Trook also mentions that it’s a community meeting place and she sees cross generational and cross cultural diner as well. Every time she walks in she feels the homey feeling.

According to Trook, the Merced area has not changed a whole a lot but there is more of a movement to revitalize downtown ever since she arrived in the Fall of 2008. “I think the Art Hop started the time I moved here; that’s created a big event downtown more business have had opened downtown.” The university of course plays a big role in the community and what it has to offer.

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