The Yard: Volume 4 Issue 1

Volume 4 Issue 1 October 2015 College of Charleston’s student-run feature magazine

cisternyard.com

Meet the

PRESIDENTS p. 26 Faces of the Farmers Market p. 6

Emanuel AME: The City Behind the Nine p. 20

Come Celebrate with

WEB launch PARTY! Free Food Giveaways

October 22

Free Swag Live Music

@The Cistern

6-8 p.m.

Inside the Yard 4 Letter from the Editor

Volume 4 Issue 1 October 2015

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Fall Events

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Faces of the Farmers Market

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Riley in Review: A Retrospective

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Charleston’s Next Mayor

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Holy City Horror Stories

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The 4th Wave: Coffee Culture in Charleston

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it Shine: 20 Letting The City Behind the Nine

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Falling for New Eats

26 The Executive Powers 30

Teachers Read Rate My Professor Reviews

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A Mile in Her Shoes

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What Should Your Real Major Be?

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The Swamp Fox: The Right to Bear Arms

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38 8 Editor-in-Chief OLIVIA COHEN Managing Editor COURTNEY EKER Creative Director WESLEY VANCE News Editor JUSTINE HALL Sports Editor SAM OLEKSAK Feature Editor KATE POWER Satire & Opinion Editor JOSHUA MULVANEY Blog Editor CHELSEA ANDERSON Design Assistant SAMUEL McCAULEY

Contributors CHELSEA ANDERSON, MADELINE LITTLE, SAMUEL McCAULEY, KATE POWER, JUSTINE HALL, MICHAEL WISER, HANNAH WOOD, OLIVIA COHEN, JOSHUA MULVANEY, WESLEY VANCE, SIGRID JOHANNES, SCOTT HARVIN, COURTNEY EKER, MACKENZIE HOISINGTON, MADELINE EDWARDS, CHELSEA ANDERSON, CARSON SCHAFER

media news radio

For advertisement inquiries with The Yard, please email: cisternyardsales@cofc.edu

Letter from the Editor My right hand still bears the scars of fire ant bites from this summer.

I was working on a farm, harvesting carrots from hard Georgia clay, when the ants started to crawl up my hands; a meager trickle quickly became a swarm. My hand burned. My heart rate elevated. I needed relief. But first, I had to finish harvesting another 10 pounds of carrots.

My hand burned for days afterward, but those were the sweetest carrots I’ve ever tasted.

These scars remind me that growth and perserverance are often painful, but the sweetness of the outcome makes up for the bitterness of the journey. In this issue of The Yard, we explore the growth of our city, through leadership changes (pg. 10) and through times of intense pain (pg. 20). We see how our culture’s myriad ebbs and flows push us to become more inspired and connected (pg. 18), and how it is possible through hard work and dedication to change systems formerly mired in the muds of bureaucracy (pg. 26).

The notion of change can be scary, but it will happen regardless of whether or not we want it. And when change is accompanied by determination, by the overwhelming belief that after every rainfall comes harvest, we become unstoppable.

Olivia Cohen Editor-in-Chief

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events FALL

arts

food

October 17 The Rockumentary Series The Grove at Patriots Point 12-9 p.m. $5 in advance, $10 at door citypapertickets.com

October 18 4th Annual HALOS Oyster Roast Harborside East in Mount Pleasant 4-7 p.m. $35 in advance, $45 at door charlestonhalos.org

November 1 Native American Dance Performance Buyer Auditorium at The Citadel 2-3 p.m.

Free and open to the public

October 24 Charleston Mac Off The Grove at Patriot’s Point 2-7 p.m. $10 general admission, $75 VIP charlestonmacoff.com

November 4-8 Charleston International Film Festival Charleston Music Hall charlestoniff.org November 10 “Hate Won’t Win” Art & Healing Symposium The Cigar Factory 6 p.m.

Free and open to the public RSVP required 843.722.2706

November 8 Coffee Tastings, Latte Art, Brunch!

The Cigar Factory 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $10 for students in advance, $12 for general admission in advance charlestoncoffeecup.com

music October 24 Lipton Be More Tea Festival ft. The Roots North Charleston Waterfront Park Doors open at 1:30 p.m. bemoreteafestival.com for ticket info October 31 Ohm Radio’s Halloween Fest Palmetto Brewery Doors open at 12:30 p.m. $5 for students, $15 for adults ohmradio963.org

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by Justine Hall photos by Hannah Wood Fall is in the air, the humidity has finally subsided and fresh produce is in abundance: cue the perfect time to visit the Charleston Farmers Market conveniently located in Marion Square. When the dining hall may offer less than appealing options and eating out in Charleston can quickly take a toll on a college student’s budget, there is no better place to turn than the farmers market, where you can find fresh pasta for a dollar a serving, more produce than you’ll know what to do with and a plethora of friendly faces.

It’s hard not to see the appeal, but in case you need more convincing, look no further than this article.

Why does everyone go crazy for pumpkin spice flavored anything every October? Because it’s seasonal; no one is drinking a pumpkin spice latte in May. This same concept used to apply to all foods, only eating apples in the fall when they are naturally in season, tomatoes in summer, avocados in spring. Food actually has a season when it is meant to be eaten relevant to the area it was grown. While everyone loves peaches and they can easily be purchased from Harris Teeter any day of the year, in North America they are meant to be enjoyed during the summer months when they are grown and ripened locally. You will, without question, be able to see and taste the difference of a South Carolina peach purchased in Marion Square compared to one grown internationally and shipped across thousands

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of miles wrapped in cellophane sitting under the harsh lighting of your favorite chain grocery store.

We should get as excited about seasonal produce found at the farmers market as we do about pumpkin spice every fall. While this may sound daunting, it is easy to do. Go to the farmers market every Saturday morning and see what is being sold. If you find yourself in Marion Square next Saturday, you may come across sweet potatoes, pears, carrots and apples accompanied by a farmer who will be more than happy to give you cooking suggestions and tips because, let’s be real, we are still college students.

However, if the thought of cooking is more terrifying than taking all your finals in one day, not to fear! You can still find plenty to eat at the farmers market. From food stands to olive oil, homemade pickles and even handmade cards there is something for everyone at the Charleston Farmers Market - even if it is just good conversation.

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Mike Shaughnessy, “Boiled Peanuts Man”

Shaughnessy got started in the peanut business after he retired. “A friend of mine had a road stand in Summerville so I decided to do the same and started frying them,” he said. For a while, Shaughnessy sold peanuts on the side of the road, but now he’s at the farmers market every Saturday and ships his peanuts all over the United States and Virgin Islands and to Canada.

Lisa Zayton, Normandy Farm and Bakery

A sign on the table of Normandy Farm and Bakery reads, “Good bread is good for you.” And as Zayton describes it, the bread is more than just good. They ground the flour for their breads on Thursday, mix the dough on Friday and bake the bread on Saturday morning at 3 a.m. to be sold in Marion Square. When asked why students should come to the farmers market, Zayton’s response was simply, “They wake and bake so you don’t have to.”

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Ludo Van De Wiel, Best Pickles in Charleston “If you can’t take the heat you don’t take the beat,” said Van De Wiel in regard to his wife’s homemade spices and pickles that she has sold at the farmers market for the past 25 years. “We are literally homemade.” His wife makes all the pickles and spices from their home, growing the peppers used for the spices in their backyard. “I’ve seen people cry and their noses are running and they’re sweating but you don’t want that, I don’t want that.” Van De Wiel loves spicy food and says the trick with spice is that “it’s all about the taste, enjoying the flavors of the food.” In the 90’s, he and his wife owned a Jamaican restaurant in West Ashley. Van De Wiel’s wife is Jamaican and got him hooked on spice years ago. “This stuff, let me tell you, is addictive. I cannot live without this stuff.” Van De Wiel has many repeat customers who keep coming back for the pickles, spices and good conversation with the “pickle man” himself.

David Howe, Owl’s Nest Plantation Howe started selling his produce at the farmers market in 1992. “I used to be a business and management consultant before I changed careers,” he said. Howe moved to South Carolina over two decades ago and started farming Certified Naturally Grown produce at Owl’s Nest Plantation, which he says is “the same thing as organic.” Howe’s current favorite thing to grow: a purple peruvian fingerling potato.

Jeanne DeCamilla Olinda Olives and Olive Oil After retiring from teaching third grade, DeCamilla created her “Charleston Blend” olive oil from olives grown on her family orchard in California. She adds local spices to the olives, which she has been selling at the Charleston Farmers Market for the past five years.

This summer DeCamilla added a “dirty martini grind” to the table priced at a reasonable $5 for college students.

DeCamilla emphasized that farmers markets are not out of students price ranges. “We have our regular size bottles for $14 and a smaller size for $10 and for college students, we offer a refill for $8, so once you get started you can just bring your empty bottle back.” She added, “We’re open until two and most college students are up by two so the hours are good, too.”

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Riley in Review:

by Olivia Cohen Historic City Hall, where Joe Riley has worked as the mayor of Charleston for the past 40 years. (Photo by Wesley Vance)

Cheering Riverdogs fans filled the bleachers of the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park during the team’s season opener on April 9. Hot dogs and peanuts appeased hungry stomachs as an early spring breeze caressed the crowds from the banks of the Ashley River. The crowd was cheering neither for the herculean hitting nor the fine fielding. Rather, they cheered for the stadium’s namesake as he inaugurated the final season for his home team as mayor: Joe Riley.

Riley’s relationship to this city and its inhabitants is intimate, defined by far more than a typical public servant’s devotion. He won the hearts of his constituents 10 times over, defining his tenure over the course of 40 years and earning a spot among the longest presiding mayors in the United States. Among his laundry list of accomplishments while in office: constructing Waterfront Park, creating the Piccolo Spoleto festival and spurring the development of high-end shopping and restaurants on King Street. His tally of honors and awards affirms his achievements.

All good things must come to end, though, and Riley will celebrate his last day in office this December. So how did his journey begin?

The year was 1974. Riley was finishing his first term as a legislator in the South Carolina House of Representatives a position he won after graduating with a law degree from the University of South Carolina. He intended to practice law full time but this path was deterred when he was urged 10

to run for mayor. “In ‘75 ... either there was going to be a candidate that could be a racial bridge builder or it was going to be a divisive election,” he said. “So people urged me to run because they felt I could be a racial bridge builder and so that’s why I ran for mayor.”

He won.

The very first City Council meeting he attended was the one over which he presided, but it was far from the last.

Riley continued pursuing his vision for a better Charleston, one not defined by suburban-flight and violence as it was when he took office. He saw past the city’s frayed edges, recognizing its “beautiful bones” and knowing that it “had a wonderful future.”

Riley’s plan for achieving his vision was unconventional.

He took risky real estate investments, including what is now Charleston Place Hotel, and insisted on developing parks and improving public transportation. Opponents could be fierce, but Riley persevered, confident in decisions guided by “studied, thoughtful input.” Once he established assurance in a decision, no obstacle was too big to overcome.

“You’re confident that it’s the right thing to do and you know [obstacles are] just part of your job,” he said. “So if it’s lawsuits or criticism or controversy, you have this clear, earned assurance that what you’re doing is correct so you just hang in there.” the yard

Although 40 years have passed since Riley first walked through the doors of City Hall, his vision has remained constant. Particularly vital to his dream for Charleston is racial harmony. It is why he ran for mayor, and he seeks to constantly improve upon this goal. The racial progress he has made while in office was tested this summer when nine people were shot while praying at Emanuel AME church.

Addressing racial harmony, he said, “We must continually work on inclusiveness and understanding of each other, and so that’s the most important work in progress and I’m very proud of where we are, how far we’ve come.”

Riley attended every funeral.

The Emanuel tragedy shook everyone to the bone,

“helping make important and worthwhile things happen” a definition he lives up to every day. So what advice would one of the most successful people in Charleston give his twenty-year-old self ? Learn. Work. Have good values.

Take care of family. Treat people nicely. Give back to the community … Not that any of this is different from what he actually did.

And that’s just the kind of person Riley is. His life philosophy is simple; its composition is that of adages and values we’ve all heard before. But to carry out those life tenets so gracefully, thoughtfully and consistently creates greatness.

Riley is confident that the direction he created in

Mayor Joe Riley at his home away from home in City Hall. (Photo by Joshua Mulvaney)

spurring anger and passion and a newfound impetus for change. Riley is building upon the energy of these emotions, constructing a just future from careful study of the past. By the end of his term, he hopes to raise $75 million to construct the International African American museum, which will be located on Gadsen’s Wharf on the Cooper River - the entry point for over 100,000 slaves to the United States. He believes the museum will educate everyone about African American lives, experiences and contributions that “haven’t been well presented.” A special exhibition will focus on the Emanuel shooting.

Raising $75 million is not an easy feat, but for Riley, it is just part of the job. He defines success in his career as

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Charleston is the way it should be going. In another 40 years, he hopes that his vision for the city will be further advanced along the same lines, but with even better public education, public transportation, historic protection and parks. These were all components of his original platform in 1975. His mission is clear, and now he just needs someone to carry on the torch.

Perhaps his ultimate secret to success, one that he has epitomized throughout his career, lies in this final piece of advice: “Seek something that you like to do. [It’s] really more important than money because life is - it’s finite. So seek to do something in a good way.”

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Ready to Replace

· Founded WINGS in 1996, a

nonprofit helping elementary school children develop social and emotional skills · Cofounded Project XX SC, a nonprofit women’s advocacy group · Collaborated with Mayor Joe Riley as his campaign manager · Led fundraising efforts for Hurricane Hugo relief, the Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC and the Coastal Community Foundation · Awarded the Order of the Palmetto in 2010, South Carolina’s highest honor for public service · Currently the president of Lewis Walton LLC · Attended the University of South Carolina and has lived in Charleston for more than 40 years · Mother and member of the LGBT community

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Maurice Washington

Ginny Deerin

the candidates

· Elected by the South Carolina General Assembly to the South Carolina University Board of Trustees in 2001. Chair of the board from 2002 to 2008 ·Graduated from South Carolina State University · Worked as an insurance and financial advisor · Served on the Charleston City Council from 1991 to 1999. Chair of the Ways and Means Committee and the Community Development Committee · Appointed Mayor Pro Tem in 1992 · Appointed to Gov. Sanford’s transition team in 2002 · Currently serves as President and CEO of Trust Management, LLC, which provides financial and consulting services · Served on the boards of Trident Urban League, Spoleto Festival USA, Communities in Schools and South Carolina Coastal Conservation League

William Dudley Gregorie

On Nov. 3, for the first time since 1975, Charleston will elect a mayoral candidate other than Joe Riley. The end of Riley’s mind-boggling tenure is enough to make this election interesting, but don’t underestimate the candidates themselves.

Here is a quick breakdown of their experiences and accomplishments. We also asked the candidates to respond to the following question: “What is your single most important message to young people and students?” Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

· Served as the South Carolina Director of the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. During his time there, HUD became far more active, with expenditures rising from $660 million to $1.4 billion · Ran for Mayor as an independent in 2007 · Elected District 6 City Councilmember in 2009 · Spearheaded the Horizon Foundation development in western Charleston, a $1 billion project focused on creating economic development and affordable housing in the area · Named Mayor Pro Tem in 2013 · Earned a B.S. from Benedict College, an M.A. from Howard University, and did postgraduate work at Catholic University and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard · Serves on a number of boards and at charities

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Riley

BY SIGRID JOHANNES

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CANDIDATES

Toby Smith

· Founded Southern Oil Company in 1978 · Appointed by Mayor Riley as Director of the Dept. of Economic Development, coordinating initiatives to revitalize upper King Street · President of the Rotary Club of Charleston and the Crisis Ministries homeless shelter · Cofounder and president of S.C. Strong, a rehabilitation program for ex-convicts · Served with Lowcountry Aid to Africa, the Palmetto Project, the Coastal Conservation League and the Charleston County Human Services Commission · Attended Georgetown University · Husband, father of five and active in his faith community

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· Served at the CIA for eight years, working both in the United States and overseas · Member of the CIA’s Women’s Executive Leadership Program · Worked at the Charleston County School District and led their first bond campaign · First black director of the Public Affairs Group at the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce · Worked on increasing financial literacy and credit counseling for Family Services, Inc. and IMARA Woman magazine · Worked at Midland Park Community Ministries as Executive Director. During her time, the number of clients fed by MPCM increased by 25 percent. · First black woman to run for Mayor of Charleston · Attended the University of South Carolina and did graduate work at American University

What is your single most important message to young people and students?

“

“

John Tecklenburg

Municipal Election day will take place on Tuesday, November 3rd from 7am-7pm

“As mayor, I will take action so our city fits the lifestyles of young people and students -- that includes more transportation options, affordable housing and diverse job opportunities for college graduates.”

- Ginny Deerin “It doesn’t matter where you come from. It’s where you’re going. Treat people right, work hard and study hard.”

-Maurice Washington “Local elections directly influence the day-to-day lives of all voters, both young and old ... It is especially important for young voters to become involved in the civic process.”

-William Dudley Gregorie

“As mayor, I will do everything I

can to make opportunity pervasive throughout our city, and to ensure that it remains a vibrant center for music, creativity and the cultural arts.”

- John Tecklenburg “The decisions that will impact you most over the next 10 to 15 years are being made now, which is why it’s very important for you to be engaged.”

-Toby Smith

Leon Stavrinakis is also in the running for Mayor, but declined to comment to The Yard.

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HOLY CITY

HORROR illustrations by MADELINE LITTLE

STORIES

Students at the College of Charleston are advised to be wary this Halloween. Horrific experiences in the greater Charleston area have been reported, and they show no sign of stopping. Commuters have been sucked down storm drains. Downtown dwellers have woken up in their rentals covered in vermin. Bikers have been launched from their cycles by swerving cars. With chaos surrounding us, it seems the students at College of Charleston are anything but safe. CisternYard News reached out to students to share their Holy City Horror Stories - their frightful experiences lie below. Read on, if you dare…

August 31, 2015 was one of the wettest days on record in Charleston (that is, until Joaquin). Tropical Storm Erika swept through the region, leaving torrential downpours in its wake. As a city beneath sea level, the Holy City was already at the mercy of an infamous king tide. The monsoon and monstrous tide held the city hostage: busses were unable to run, mudslides laid waste to major roadways and downtown denizens waded through the streets. However, class for College of Charleston students

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by SCOTT HARVIN

was neither cancelled nor postponed, causing unsuspecting students Grace Hall, Jessica Helms and Andrew Ackerman to brave the storm and commute from Summerville. The trio, already panicked to miss their first class, was trudging through the waters of downtown. “Once we got to the Marion Square side,” Grace recalled, “the water was up to our knee caps.” As they continued to wade on, Grace suddenly disappeared, sucked down by a storm drain, the cover removed by the flood.

“The water was up to my neck and I knew that you could only see my bookbag and my umbrella,” Grace recounted.

“That was the only part of me sticking above the water.”

Jessica and Andrew rushed to her rescue, but to no avail; Jessica fell prey to the gaping drain, getting sucked in over Hall. “I was shocked,” Jessica said. “I mean, I didn’t understand what was going on.” Andrew, the last of the three above water, knew he had to act quickly to rescue his friends. “I didn’t really think much when it was happening, I just had to do whatever I could.” Andrew gave Jessica enough momentum to move Grace’s backpack to the side

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of the storm drain and climb to safety. However, Grace was still very much trapped in the drain. “I was just trying to swim,” she said. “It was after she fell in trying to get me out, she kind of shoved me, and that helped to give me the momentum to get out of the hole.”

Shell-shocked, soaked, but alive, the trio assessed the damage: Jessica and Grace’s electronics and textbooks had suffered severe water damage, rendering them useless. “My phone was in my pocket and my textbooks were gone and my computer was in my bookbag. Everything was soaked,” Jessica said. The shaken commuters called their parents to inform them of their brush with the drain, and Grace’s parents took action. “My parents emailed the city, and we are also in the process of filling out a claims form,” she said. “The College is going to help replace our textbooks, but as for our electronics, there is no word yet on whether anyone will be able to help us out with that.” Looking back on their deathdefying experience, the commuters cautioned against travelling to class in unsafe conditions, warning that no one should make the journey if they feel they might not make it safely. “Keep in mind that it’s possible,” Jessica said in reference to the incident. “They don’t tell you that it’s possible.”

Perhaps the perils of the commuters do not frighten you? Well, imagine renting a house downtown, as many thousands of College of Charleston students do.

Everything seems picture perfect and move-in day has finally arrived. The instant the happy renters walk through the door, vermin begin assaulting them, biting every inch of flesh they can access. That is precisely the fate that befell College student Erin Barlow, who had a flea infestation in her rental by the Crosstown. As she moved her possessions in, Erin noticed many itching sores, wondering what could possibly be causing the pain. “As it turns out, the people who had lived in the apartment before us had three dogs and two cats, so their house was overrun with fleas,” she recounted. “Our landlord didn’t take initiative to exterminate them.”

Within the first two days, Erin had been bitten approximately 50 to 60 times, suffering many painful sores and complications from the bites. “I moved into our house on August 10, and I am actually still recovering from the flea bites,” she said. However, the renter had housemates moving in; warn them as she might, they were still not prepared for what awaited. Recalling her housemate Emily’s reaction to the infestation, Erin reported, “When she moved in, she was freaking out.

She yelled, ‘This is terrible, I can’t live here!’” The fleas

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were ever-present, having burrowed down through the floorboards of the historic house, nesting in their foundation. At night, the vermin would continue their assault. “I would wake up with like six to eight fleas in my bed, like at the foot of my bed,” Erin said. Finally, exterminators were called to the scene. After no fewer than five visits, the fleas were wiped out. “I just think we should have known the history of the apartment before we moved in,” she concluded. “We were just totally disgusted.”

Still not scared? Perhaps this last story will do the trick. One of the wonderful aspects of living in downtown Charleston is the ease of biking. Every day, hundreds of residents are seen haphazardly weaving in and out of traffic. College student and CisternYard Radio DJ Carson Keeter was doing just that one August day. Keeter was biking with his friend on Hagood Street, when suddenly, an elderly driver cut across four lanes in an adjacent parking lot, causing another driver to swerve in response. Too late to react, Keeter was taken out by the swerving vehicle. “I ended up on their hood, and on to the side of their car, and with a broken bike and a messed up hand,” Keeter recalled. Bike and hand badly damaged, the cyclist had to go to the nearest shop to repair his bike in order to get home. “I had to buy a new bike part,” Keeter said. “That was worse than breaking a bone.”

Although this may have been the worst of the incidents, this brush with Charleston motorists was not Keeter’s only experience. “I’ve been hit four times in total,” Keeter recounted. Another fateful day, the cyclist was out by the Battery when a car attempting to parallel-park suddenly swung in front of him, causing him to fall into the median. Quick on his feet, he immediately escaped the median to avoid any more tangles with vehicles. In addition, the bike enthusiast recounts that he has run into suddenly opening car doors. As if the wrath of the 2,000 pound cars was not enough, Keeter has had to brave ill tempered motorists after accidents. “It’s either going to be ‘Oh man I am so sorry,’ or ‘What are you doing? Get out of the road,’” he said. Keeter can still be seen enjoying a bike ride through downtown today, but has reported that he has seen other unsuspecting bikers fall victim to cars, and although he has never seen someone get seriously injured, it may only be a matter of time.

Be wary, the danger is out there, and it has an all too common characteristic of striking when you least anticipate it. You have been warned.

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The

th

Wave: Coffee Culture in Charleston

by KATE POWER photos by MADELINE LITTLE It’s a movement. Call it hipster, generational, a newfound awareness. Whatever label you choose to apply to the recent surge in independent coffee culture popularity will probably fit. The creative, alternative lifestyles of an inventive and inspired generation have influenced the demand for places that reflect these very attributes.

We want modern. We want fresh. We want to feel connected. We want to be alone, but not lonely. Coffee shops are community builders - essential to the infrastructure of society today. In a world where everything connects, where everyone seeks connections, coffee shops are bridges. Oneof-a-kind coffee shops attract the person seeking more than a grande coffee from Starbucks. They attract the people who want good coffee, who care about what they’re drinking, who want an experience rather than an in-andout cup to take on the go. These spaces are being created to host communities, to build relationships and to give people coffee experiences they won’t forget.

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This is the fourth wave: a community of coffee drinkers gathering in independent coffee shops on city streets, drinking carefully crafted coffee roasted from the finest beans. It was a quiet emergence. Now, its presence is loud and overflowing with a contagious energy - especially here in downtown Charleston.

“Coffee culture has finally hit Charleston,” said Jayme Smith, co-owner of Black Tap Coffee on Beaufain St. “People are beginning to understand and want good coffee.”

Smith and his partner Ross Jett moved to Charleston in 2012 to open Black Tap. Owning a coffee shop began as an idea and grew quickly as the result of an online chat between the two former college roommates. Smith lived in California at the time and Jett in D.C., but it was no more than a year following this fortunate conversation that the two were trying their hand at running an independent coffee shop in downtown Charleston.

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According to Smith, it started slowly. “It’s easy to get down on yourself,” he said, “but the key was to keep pushing.” Now the two run a successful destination coffee shop. Each cup of coffee is brewed using the pour over method, Smith maintains is the purest way to make a cup of coffee.

Black Tap never settled. In the beginning, people would walk in, Jayme said, take one look at the price, and walk out. “That hasn’t happened in a few years.” People now are more willing to pay $3.50 for a cup of good coffee. “Some people are more accepting than others,” he said. “You can’t cater to everyone...we could have had a ready-to-go coffee, but we didn’t. We stuck to this and it’s been very beneficial.”

Black Tap is pristinely black and white, excluding the outside, which stands painted in shades of purple. Tall windows let the light pour in, illuminating and freshening the small space. In the center is a community table that fosters conversation and collaboration while lining the walls stand bar stools for independent, isolated work. “We want people to be able to come to a place that makes them feel comfortable,” Smith said. “That two minutes or that two hours in here, whatever it is, hopefully goes a long way in helping people with their days.”

The shop derives its vibes from a sense of community and productivity. “I think our space stimulates people...it’s clean, modern. Some people work really well in places like this.” Black Tap does just that for students at the College of Charleston. A popular place to study and get a cup of coffee, the environment makes homework feel less taxing and tedious. Ah, the magic powers of a coffee shop. “It can be, in a way, an escape from reality,” Smith said.

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Coffee has always appealed to an intellectual crowd, to a community of people with goals and ambition, to people who possess a desire to affect the world. This following has enabled coffee culture to grow and played an integral role in its direction. “That is what has driven this industry,” Smith said. “People’s jobs today are way less centralized…[they] aren’t working nine to fives anymore. There is a demand now for places like this.”

But Black Tap attracts more than just a young and intelligent hipster crowd. They see customers from all walks of life enter their wooden doors. Smith and Jett want first and foremost to provide people with a good cup of coffee, but they also seek to inform and educate. “If we give them our knowledge on coffee and see them really receive it, then we see them the next day, then we see them every day...if we can change people’s perspectives on what coffee is and what it can be, that’s a really rewarding thing to be able to do as a coffee shop owner,” Smith said. “That’s part of the job - to spread this culture.”

Another coffee organization dedicating themselves daily to spreading this culture - Counter Culture Coffee - opened a training center on Spring St. earlier this year.

Counter Culture is a North Carolina-based coffee company leading a continuous search to find the best coffee beans from around the world. Counter Culture works directly with the farmers and then utilizes its own roasting methods, placing value on transparency and sustainability.

Since its founding in 1995, Counter Culture has observed a growing interest in coffee beyond just its caffeine content. “Sustainability is a priority to us,” said Park Brannen, sales and regional development manager 17

for Counter Culture in Charleston, “and that means more than just the efforts we make to be environmentally sustainable. I think it can also mean the way that we work to support our partners and help them to grow their businesses. There are several ways in which we do that, but I think the biggest is Counter Intelligence.”

The Counter Intelligence program educates retailers and consumers. “If people understand the product they are serving,” Brannen said, “we find that it is often the case they take greater care in preparing coffee and can translate their own passion to the customers they serve.

The more people that find some amount of inspiration or even something as simple as skill building, we think can pay dividends in the future.” Counter Culture supplied coffee beans to Black Tap when they first opened, helping them develop and expand their knowledge. Now, Black Tap roasts its own beans in a warehouse on Sullivan’s Island.

Counter Culture currently supplies several local coffee shops including City Lights Coffee, The Muddy Water Coffee Bar, Bull St. Gourmet and Brown’s Court Bakery.

Brannen said it was a pretty easy decision to open a training center in Charleston once they observed the growing interest in their product. “We work hard to be present and have real relationships,” he said, “specifically with the people that are a part of these businesses, and it’s helped us to grow to the point where we are at now.”

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When asked about the role of coffee in society today, Brannen notes the complexity of this question. “I can tell you what it means to me, personally,” he said, “relevant to my perception of society. I see it bringing people together, bridging the often far-reaching gaps between vastly different backgrounds and proving itself to be a rallying point. In the sense of the industry that produces coffee, I’ve met people all over the world with wildly different backgrounds from different cultures. This exposure has shaped my worldview and many of these people are now some of my dearest friends. Outside of the coffee industry, in my own personal life, coffee is an almost ubiquitously enjoyed idea that initiates social interaction.”

Another established independent coffee shop in Charleston, Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer, originally roasted beans from Counter Culture and has since grown enough, like Black Tap, to roast and distribute its own brand.

“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about those guys [Counter Culture],” said Jason Bell, one of Kudu’s owners and lead roaster.

Bell has been providing volumes of Charlestonians their daily doses of caffeine since 2010. Originally called Kudu the African Experience, Bell and his two partners took over the coffee shop in 2010 and have since grown it into the unique gathering space that it is today. Located in the heart of downtown at 4 Vanderhorst St., Kudu serves a significant number of College of Charleston students due

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to its proximity to campus, quality coffee and energetic atmosphere - a perfect cure for that essay angst. “CofC really helps our business,” Bell said. “It always has. We greatly appreciate it when the students come back to town because when summer rolls around, it can kind of be like a ghost town ... It’s more lively [now] - more energy in the air.”

Kudu is influenced by English pub culture, says Bell.

There is no wifi, something he has taken heat for over the years while standing firm in his decision. Kudu is a social scene - a place where people of all ages and walks of life gather to drink coffee and be merry. “If we had wifi,” Bell said, “do you think as many people would be talking as they are right now?” He believes not providing wifi is a good way to foster communication and interaction - people meeting people rather than people meeting screens.

Bell recalls what it’s like to be a freshman in college.

He strives to be more than just a coffee shop for students, but a place where they can always feel welcome. One student in particular, he remembers, came in every morning early to do homework. “Tara, who ended up working for us...I remember her coming in as a freshman in college. It’s funny to see them come in at orientation or their first week of college and then after a year or two, three, four...we’ve been able to watch people develop so much.”

“I hope that we influence the students by giving them a place to come and feel like they are a part of the community, but also feel safe,” Bell said. “I remember being a freshman in college...it was one of my more insecure years ever. It’s scary. You’re in a new place and you’re moving into this grown up phase.” Bell knows the value of hiring a relational staff. It’s giving people a familiar face, he says, that makes them want to keep

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coming back.

“Look around,” he says, pointing to a local chef he knows. A prominent local business man sits in the courtyard. An older couple shares a shaded table in the courtyard. “There is an interest in the craft behind the product, in the people behind the product...there are so many personalities within the food and beverage industry in this city...we have our story, just like everyone else.”

Growing up, Bell never expressed an interest in owning a coffee shop. He did hang out in coffee shops, though he always found them a little too quiet.

Charleston’s coffee scene can only grow from here. A community of local businesses that support one another, Charleston fosters healthy relationships between all of its independent, local businesses. Social media has played a crucial role in coffee culture growth, according to Bell.

Someone today is more likely to go to the quaint local business he or she finds on Instagram before the chain with 100 half-decent ratings on Yelp. People want personal experiences, experiences unique to Charleston. Anyone can walk into a Starbucks anywhere in the world knowing what to expect from the atmosphere and the menu. That is what distinguishes independent coffee shops from chains - their independence.

Coffee’s influence in society is ubiquitous. In Ray Oldenburg’s The Great Good Place, he discusses the idea of the “third place.” Third places, according to Oldenburg, play a vital role in promoting civil society, democracy and civic engagement. Beyond that, they are essential to human nature in that they help to establish a sense of place within a person. “Third places,” Oldenburg writes, “are anchors of community life and facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction.”

Coffee shops are culture’s visible soul - places where everything is better and everything is safe.

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Letting it shine the city behind the nine

by COURTNEY EKER

photo by Wesley Vance

Charleston Responds The Holy City, alit with the brightness and buzz of the bright and buzzing people who reside in it, oscillated as Friday nights downtown normally do. On the Charleston skyline, church steeples speckled the horizon, looming over all the bars, hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions.

The energy, the spirit of Charleston on a summer night, the life of a city whose light comes from its people -- all shot to darkness at 9 p.m. on the night of June 17, when 12 parishioners closed their eyes to end bible study with a prayer: “The Lord watch between you and me, one from the other. Amen,” as the traditional Benediction goes.

Before they could open their eyes, a 21-year-old boy opened fire on the 12 people at the Bible study in the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, killing nine in the most tragic hate crime in recent South Carolinian history.

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The Holy City lay still.

It later came out through his hate-filled online manifesto that Dylann Roof had targeted the church because of its African American history. He wanted to ignite a race war.

While he awaits a presumed death sentence in a Charleston jail, Roof would cringe if he knew that what he ignited in the African Methodist community, in the College of Charleston community, in the city of Charleston and in the South as a whole was the exact opposite of his intention.

In the words of Reverend Eugene Collins Sr., pastor at the Shiloh branch of AME Churches in Downtown Charleston, “What Dylann Roof meant for evil, God turned into good.”

But this story is no longer about Dylann Roof. This story is about people. This story is about Charleston.

And Charleston responded with love.

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Now, almost exactly four months since that devastating June night, members of the Charleston community continue to bond through vigils, rallies, moments of silence, church services and forums in order to bring back the light that once illuminated the city. Light from candles continuously lit in memory of the victims. Light in the eyes of an 11-year-old survivor with hope for a brighter future.

Light in the darkness of today’s twisted society, in which hate is perpetuated instead of addressed with institutional change.

The hubbub of the media died down. Charleston slipped out of the mouths of national and international newscasters as other petty stories about Donald Trump’s constant blubbering and Hillary Clinton’s email scandal began to resurface. To the world, the AME shooting was just another ephemeral catastrophe - just adding to the plethora of racially driven tension amid our society. But for October 15

Charleston, the conversation has only just begun.

There are 12 Charleston families who are still in immense pain. They lost friends; they lost relatives.

12. Not just nine.

The three survivors of the shooting often go unrecognized throughout the media coverage. The unfortunate reality is that journalists can be like sensationalizing vultures circling in on tragedy. They flock to carnage.

Hope doesn’t sell.

Muhiyyidin d’Baha, a prominent organizer of the Black Lives Matter Movement in Charleston, talked about the media’s repulsive tendency to make tragedy into something “spectacular.” “The media spotlight creates the story that everybody replicates,” d’Baha said. “And so when the media decides that they’re going to uplift black lives that are no longer existing, then black death matters and black lives don’t matter.”

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