Blunts and Bibles. Never the twain shall meet ... except in Richardson Towers' sundry store. Condoms, cigarettes, Bibles and Pepsi products are all for sale in the store on the bottom floor of The University of Memphis dormitory.
The store, operated by Tennessee Enterprises for the Legally Blind, is the only place on campus where U of M students can purchase tobacco."I've been working here for six months," said a female store clerk, who would not give her name. "I probably sell five packs of cigarettes a day."
Mike Rebich, regional director of Tennessee Enterprises for the Legally Blind, said that the store's manager, Terry Underwood, died recently and the current manager was a "sighted employee."
Drinks and other food items stock the shelves of the store where the counter has a sign that labels it The Little Shop of Towers.
"We're provided this space by the State of Tennessee to operate this store," Rebich said.
Blunts appear to be a hot item in the store. Following multiple uses in print media, the Oxford English Dictionary added the slang term "blunt" to its volumes.
A blunt is a cigar whose wrapper has been emptied of tobacco and filled with marijuana.
"We sell Swisher Sweets and Black and Milds," the clerk said. "I sell at least 20 to 30 each day."
Including tax, the small cigars sell for 71 cents. The clerk said that she sells more on Mondays and Fridays than any other day.
"Nobody knows that we're here," she said. "We talked to The University about advertising, but it's not financially feasible."
When asked about the store selling Pepsi products on what has traditionally been a Coca Cola campus, a man who would not confirm if he actually worked there refused to give his name and said that this was "the only store on campus that has Pepsi products."
The University of Memphis' exclusive contract with Coca Cola states: "The University shall not permit competitive products to be sold, distributed, dispensed, served, sampled, advertised or promoted on The University campus."
The anonymous man said, "I have vending machines that sell Pepsi products in Richardson Towers, Clement Hall and Mitchell Hall."There are two generic vending machines in Richardson Towers selling Pepsi products and one Pepsi Americas machine.
He declined to identify himself saying, "I'm in enough conflict with The University already. Talk to Edwina Washington."
Washington is the assistant vice president of business services at The U of M.
Washington returned a phone call Thursday but declined to comment.
"I was instructed at the beginning of the year to direct all comments to Curt Guenther, director of U of M communications," Washington said.
Guenther could not be reached Thursday.
When asked about The U of M's exclusive contract with Coca Cola, the anonymous store employee said, "It must not be that exclusive. I'm in the money making business, not in the contract business."
Vending machines in Clement and Mitchell Halls sell Pepsi products alongside Coca Cola products. The generic machines in those University buildings have no contact phone numbers or visible Tennessee Department of Revenue stickers.
The Little Shop of Towers is located on the first floor of the Richardson Towers dormitory and has no posted hours of operation.
