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Feature
Tampan Is Part Of Group That Spearheaded Opening Clothing Store On B-CU’s Campus
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Visits to antique and thrift shops may have inspired Tampan’s desire for clothing store.
As a child, Lesley Cole- man often visited antique and thrift shops with her mother and grandmother. “We’ve al- ways believed in being thrifty, especially because of the envi- ronment. So my mother and I loved antique and thrift shops and Lesley would come with us,” Lesley’s mother, Hosetta Coleman said. Her father is Albert Coleman.
When Lesley went off to college, she still intended to be thrifty. The current junior at Bethune-Cookman University heard some students “com- plaining” about how their budget would have to be stretched to include the busi- ness attire ‘required’ for stu- dents studying business at the institution and that sparked additional conversation.
Her thriftiness aided in her being one of 4 students who worked diligently over the past 3 years for the opening of M&E Upscale Resale Clothing Boutique on the campus of B- CU.
According to Mrs. Jen- nifer S. Spain, Administra- tive Assistant to the Dean, College of Business & Entre- preneurship at B-CU, students in the School of Business are
required to wear professional attire every Tuesday, and all students must wear business attire on Wednesdays, she ex- plained during a telephone in- terview.
So, when the 2 freshmen students (Lesley Coleman and Joanna Nichols) went to the then Dean, Ida Wright with the complaint about business attire being so ex- pensive, she suggested they start their own store and stock it.
“We are adamant about the students creating their own way,” she said about the
complaints. They held bake sales, and asked for donations. “I even solicited my corporate friends who donated lots of suits and other resources,” Mrs. Coleman said.
Along with Lesley and Joanna, Roslyn O’Neal, a current senior, and Ilona Halkides started to working. The Dean found them a stor- age room that became their first shop. But once the Board of Trustees (President and Provost) heard what they were planning, they picked up the project and assisted. They moved from the small room they were in to a former com- puter lab, which gave them
more space. “We spent some long
nights lugging and sorting through clothes, getting them priced and ready for sale,” said Lesley. “But our dream was brought to reality.” That hap- pened on Thursday, January 19, 2017 when the grand open- ing of M&E Upscale Resale Clothing Boutique was held.
The business is named for
Minnie Mae Moorehead and Estella L. Hanks, mothers of trustee Joyce Hanks Moorehead and husband, Thomas Moore- head, who contributed so much to the project.
For Lesley, who is major- ing in Psychology and plans to
work with animals to see what and how they are thinking, opening the store was not only about setting up the shop. “They taught us about opening a business, how to go about getting an LLC, and so many other things about operating the business,” the 21-year-old said. Added Mrs. Spain, they also learned accounting and policy and procedures.
The boutique is open Tues- days and Thursdays, 11:30 a. m.–1:30p.m.Noonegets paid. Many of the students need community service hours, Mrs. Spain said and so far that’s worked. The bou- tique is even open to the com- munity.
Joanna Nichols, Ilona Halkides, Roslyn O’Neal and Les- ley Coleman (Tampa native).
Lesley Coleman, Ilona Halkides, Joanna Nichols, and Roslyn O’Neal,
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