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and staff are bound by nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) not to discuss the topic, the existence of NDAs in the fi rst place calls into question what is being concealed. "This point sticks out to me mostly because as someone who's in the process of opening a shop/concept and also in the process of codifying/in- corporating a coffee nonprofi t … There's nothing in a contract/ legal document that doesn't benefi t either one party or both parties. That NDA benefi ts someone, and we don't know whom because there's an NDA, which becomes a problem with the trust that the SCA membership has with its board." The town halls were a hodgepodge of information, and while SCA and WCE members attended most of the events, other town halls were simply there for baristas to air their concerns and come together as a community to show dissat- isfaction with the DCP. "The SCA town-hall meeting that we held was more like a talk-back: We gathered in a café after close, I answered as many questions as I could being a brown and queer competitor this season," shares Oodie Taliaferro, who organized the Dallas/Fort Worth town hall. "A lot of what we initially talked about was perspective: How do we allow ourselves to open up to other people's experiences, etc? As a whole, the reaction to the SCA's decision—even to those that would be unaffected—was negative." Overall, most baristas were upset with the lack of commu- nication and transparency from the SCA, but struggled with how to move forward—should baristas go on to compete? How does one show dissatisfaction with the SCA without throwing away the hours spent preparing for competition and the opportunity for career advancement that competition provides? "It's really upsetting to learn that some baristas have been criticized for choosing to continue partic- ipating in this competition cycle even after this announcement," says Dawn. "The frustration fueling these criticisms is valid, but it's hitting Oodie Taliaferro led a town hall in Dallas, Texas, on November 19 at Cultivar Coff ee. This was one of the few town halls not a ended by a member of the SCA leadership, so baristas and coff ee pros came together to express their feelings and brainstorm solutions, like supporting small, local competitions and demanding more inclusion on the SCA leadership board. PHOTOS BY REED J. KENNEY F O A M : N E W S + T R E N D S Look for a redesigned website in spring 2018! To include: chatroom, inter national events calendar, videos + photo galleries from past Coffeewoman events, and much more! t h e c o ff e e w o m a n i n 2 0 1 8 Don't miss our first event of 2018: The Coffeewoman Houston, Texas March 31 Now seeking new members for our task force. Email thecoffeewomanTCW@gmail.com for more information. Follow us on: This year's going to be epic! The Coffeewoman @thecoffeewoman @thecoffeewoman 28 barista magazine