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Starbucks Green Tea, 6th & Union, Seattle CPP Press Release/Starbucks Quote Professor lands quote on Starbucks cup On a campus dominated by commuters who often wear college sweatshirts from every school but their own, doubtful students now have something to be especially prideful about. Political Science Professor Renford Reese recently landed a quote from his latest book "American Bravado" on a Starbucks cup, which is now featured as The Way I See It #294. When Reese received an e-mail from a Starbucks executive two years ago asking him to submit a quote to The Way I See It program, it took him five minutes to reply. The quote, "Insensitivity makes arrogance ugly; empathy is what makes humility beautiful," has made its way onto the short-sized, 8-ounce paper cups amidst close to one million submissions per day. The program, started by Starbucks' Thomas Prowell, features inspiring and thought-provoking quotes and opinions from notable figures that have included Colin Powell, David Copperfield and Josh Groban. "I'm proud of this cup because it gives this type of recognition to this area. Not only to my research, me, Cal Poly Pomona, but also Pomona," said Reese last week in his downtown Pomona loft. "This is my home." The story started in 2006 when Reese received an email from a Toronto, Canada Starbucks executive who professed to be a fan of his writing. He has written four books and numerous articles. Reese, who has never touched a latte in his life, wasn't even aware of the program, but didn't take long to contemplate. "Within five minutes, I emailed her back this quote," he said. "I was working on my last book, 'American Bravado,' so I was in the mode of talking about bravado, talking about humility, talking about arrogance." The executive forwarded the quote to Prowell, who emailed Reese a release form within four months. However, it took an entire year and half after sending the form back, until he was told the quote would be released in mid 2008. Not a Starbucks customer except for the daily newspaper and occasional green tea, Reese had no idea when he would find cup #294. The first spoting was in July when the same executive emailed Reese saying she was surprised to find the cup while getting a short Americano in Toronto. Reese located the quote himself by total accident while attending an honors college retreat at the Cal Poly Downtown Center. "I don't drink coffee so I got one of the small cups to get some orange juice. And there it was, low and behold, 294. It was my cup!" Since then, former students have messaged him with pleasant surprise. Jason Paul, a former student of Reese's, discovered the quote at a San Dimas Starbucks. "I was surprised to see your name on a cup there, but upon reading your quote, I felt enlightened," wrote Paul. "You are a true leader by example of tolerance and compassion." Another, with the subject "you're on the cup," wrote Reese with this: "I was at a Starbucks this morning and guess what quote was on my short Americano!!! I took six cups." Active in his community on and off campus, Reese strives to create sensitive, open-minded, and global-minded graduates from the students he teaches and mentors. He has taught at Cal Poly for twelve years, and consistently says that every year has been a ten. The biggest accomplishment with this opportunity, however, is not just his validation as an author. He is most enthusiastic about the adulation it will bring to the university and pride it should instill in students. "You struggle for so long to get your work out there, get your name out there. Then all of a sudden, it really does, it comes out nowhere," said Reese. "There was nothing I've done to really deserve this more so than any other author or thinker." On the way out of his home, Reese whispered jokingly in the hallway, "Any student that wants their cup signed, or any staff, I'm open. Just tell them to come to my office. I'll sign it for them…as long as they don't sell it on eBay."
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