In the basement of Hendricks Chapel, the scent of hazelnut wafts down the hallway. Five construction workers sit on benches lining the basement, balancing half-empty coffee cups on their knees as they trade prospects on the upcoming Syracuse University basketball season. Music plays softly in the background, drowned out by the sounds of more than a dozen students and faculty members sharing greetings and laughs while waiting in line for their order.

It’s the Friday morning rush hour on campus, but time seemingly stands still at People’s Place.

Established in 1971, People’s Place is a nonprofit, student-run coffee shop located on the lower level of Hendricks. Cycling through a variety of specialty roasts, teas and chocolate-infused drinks, People’s Place appears to be a typical coffee shop. But beyond that, its primary goal is fostering a sense of community for students and faculty alike.

“The focus here isn’t business,” said Baylee Wright, one of three student managers. “We’re not looking to make money because we’re a nonprofit. We’re here more so to serve everyone.”

The beauty of People’s Place, she said, extends from its location at the heart of campus. Residing in Hendricks has helped to cultivate a more inclusive environment for visitors to grab a cup of coffee and share a conversation.

“The chapel is non-denominational, and it already is a harbor for all people to come and hang out here,” said Andrew Idarraga, a senior Bandier student and employee. “There’s a huge list of people I have where I see them and I know their coffee order, and I ask them about their day.”

Wright said that when she thinks of home at Syracuse, it doesn’t resemble a freshman residential hall or an off-campus apartment. It’s the small counter at People’s Place, with watercolor paint splattered on kitchen cupboards and a refrigerator in near-constant need of a milk delivery.

“This place helped me to grow in college, and that’s one of the main things that I’m thankful for,” she said. “In my highest moments and some of my lowest moments here, this is where I come on campus.”

Zach Pearson, a junior drama student and employee, said People’s Place’s commitment to inclusivity extends from the people who inhabit its space.

“In one day, you’ll have the Muslim chaplain, a Catholic chaplain, a Protestant chaplain come through,” Pearson said. “Religiously, it’s very eclectic, which is very cool.”

Coffee shops have traditionally been regarded as a facilitator of community engagement. People’s Place prides itself on its active participation in issues both on and beyond University Hill.

Following the 2016 presidential election and then-candidate Donald Trump’s win, People’s Place remained closed the following day, Nov. 9, to stand in solidarity with marginalized communities. In a sign posted on their front counter, they urged customers to “fill the world with something better than hate.”

It was that same energy, Wright said, that inspired members of their staff to remain open during the Hendricks Chapel open forums following Theta Tau’s expulsion from campus in April. The fraternity was expelled after the university confirmed it was involved in the creation of videos depicting behavior Chancellor Kent Syverud called “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and hostile to people with disabilities.”

“Being able to contribute, if anything, to make someone’s night easier by just giving them tea or coffee is worth it,” she said.

Hayley Bermel, one of the co-managers, watched as students, faculty and community members congregated in the chapel and spilled out into the hallway in search of a place to voice their anguish over the contents of the video.

“It was really hard to see everyone so alone,” she said. “There was just a discomfort and a tiredness that you could see in everyone’s eyes.”

It was in that moment, Bermel said, she made the decision to not only keep People’s Place open for the entirety of the forum, but also to hand out coffee and baked goods, free of charge. She said that for her and everyone else working at People’s Place, it was a time to show their “true colors.”

The decision to stay open for the students, Bermel said, was an act of solidarity that needed to happen.

“When you’re oppressed, it’s not like you have a choice not to participate in that discussion,” she said. “It was a choice for us to stay open and to provide that comfort.”

People’s Place exists as a space for students to find their place within the greater SU community. Bermel said. For those who haven’t yet found their home on campus, she hopes People’s Place can bring a little bit of solace to them.

A bulletin outside People’s Place features photos of student employees and staff members who work at the cafe. Madeline Foreman | Staff Photographer

“I think a lot of people feel comfortable with us, especially freshmen, because they don’t have a home on campus, or they think that they have to conform to something that they aren’t,” Bermel said. “The people that come here, they’re a part of us.”

The longevity of People’s Place’s presence on campus isn’t about the coffee they brew or the prices they charge, she said — it’s about enriching the lives of their patrons and seeing them as people first, and as customers second.

“We have customers that have been coming here since ‘93, and before that even,” Bermel said. “There’s a history there. And I think people can feel that when they come by.”

When Bermel thinks back to that April night, one memory always sticks out in her mind. A Muslim woman walked up to her, sitting with her on the pews lining the chapel doors. Taking Bermel’s hands in hers, the woman rubbed lavender oil on her wrists and walked her through a short meditation to help her find a sense of peace in the eye of the storm.

She doesn’t remember the woman’s name, and the woman likely doesn’t remember hers. But that doesn’t matter, Bermel said.

“In that moment where I was giving service and I was trying to help those who were there, there was this woman who was vulnerable, and she took that time to give back to me?” Bermel said. “That’s what People’s Place is to me.”

Published on September 26, 2018 at 9:40 pm

Contact Kelsey: katho101@syr.edu | @writtenbykelsey