International Tea
As winter term comes to a close and finals week looms just around the corner, students seek an escape from the stress of daily life at Exeter. The International Students Advisory Board (ISAB)’s Interntional Tea event was therefore a perfect getaway to help students take their minds off of work and allieviate stress.
On Feb. 21, ISAB hosted the second annual International Tea open to the entire student body. Students filled Grainger Auditorium and were busy talking, dancing and sampling different teas and cuisines from around the world. The tea served at the event accommodated every personal preference, as students customized their own tea bags and decided what and how much to put in each bag.
“Overall I really enjoyed it and I think it's a great event to have.”
A wide selection of dessert foods from different countries accompanied the tea, such as sesame mochis, cannolis, turkish delights and a popular chocolate fondue station. The broad selection and quality of food proved to be one of the highlights of the event. “My favorite [part of the Tea] was probably the food,” Lower Kaitlyn Kang said.
This year was the second year that International Tea was open to the whole student body; previously, only international students were invited. ISAB decided to include the whole student body so domestic and international students could have a chance to get to know one another. This classy event brought the school together in a fun environment by adding ballroom dancing and various food samplings from around the world. “[By inviting the whole school], it promotes a much more inclusive atmosphere between the international community and native students,” Andy Wei, a senior from Taiwan, said.
The board hoped students could learn about different cultures and about the international students coming from various countries. “I think that International Tea serves as a way for the international community to share its culture with native Exonains. It highlights that while there are differences among international and American students, these differences are worth celebrating and learning more about,” senior Natasha Lim said.
International students compromise 12 percent of the student population at the Academy. By hosting this event, ISAB hoped students would recognize those who live abroad. “[We hoped that this event would] help people learn a little bit more about international students and recognize our presence on campus because we are a small part of the student body, but we are a part of this school,” senior Abby Shukan, a member of ISAB and one of the organizers of the event, said.
Melody Nguyen, an upper from Vietnam, agreed that in terms of campus events, there is not sufficient recognition of international students at the Academy. “We don’t have a lot of presence in this school in terms of events or even at assembly. We don’t have a lot of global events that are talked about or things that are related to us. So, this is a form of integrating [us into] the student body.”
This year’s International Tea was distinct from last year’s as there was more tea, a wider variety of foods and ballroom dancing. Last year, instead of ballroom dancing, there were a number of student dance groups that performed, and one senior from the Academy’s Bollywood dance group Shakthi taught people how to dance. But including the different types of dance groups also made the event more cultured by allowing students to listen to international music and witness dances from around the world. “[This year], the central theme ended up being only ballroom dancing, which is not very versatile nor exactly international,” Wei said. “So, that's what I would like to see more in the coming years. But, overall I really enjoyed it and I think it's a great event to have.”
The event was a popular hit for students and gave the opportunity to learn more about international students and cultures around the world. For next year’s International Tea, ISAB plans to retain fundamental aspects such as desserts and tea, but hopes to change some of the smaller parts, such as the dance, to provide variety. “I think the fundamental idea behind International Tea is a good one, and if it is preserved in the coming years, the coming years should be just as fun as this one,” lower Rudi Ying said.