International Tea
Students gathered in Grainger Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8:30 pm to celebrate their cultural identities at the International Tea event. The area was lit with candles and string lights and lined with tables, each with its own array of pastries, food, drinks and other representations of many cultures. Exonians dressed in traditional attire from their countries of origin, performed multiple cultural dances and engaged in activities such as origami and henna art.
“[The event] was great, especially at the very beginning when different students got to do their cultural dances. I was like, ‘Wow!’ Exeter is full of talented kids and I was glad I got to witness it in a way I don’t generally see it.”
The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and the board of the International Student Alliance (ISA) organized the event. The students on the board worked with faculty members to order supplies and set up the event in conjunction with the Facilities Department.
The wide selection of teas, desserts, dances and games truly “brought the globe to Exeter,” as International Student Coordinator Jennifer Smith said. Students enjoyed different types of teatime delicacies. According to attendees, the refreshments were a highlight of the event. Students tasted different pastries, dipped fruit into a chocolate fondue fountain and sipped fresh teas in glass mugs. The bubble tea booth, a new addition this year, attracted a long line of students.
Cultural performances of Bollywood and Indonesian dancing, followed by a Latin dance workshop, allowed attendees to experience different expressions of culture. In this Latin dance tutorial, students and faculty partnered with one another for salsa dancing.
In addition to International Tea being, in Smith’s words, “a night out” in the middle of winter term, the event was a time to reflect and learn from each other. Smith intended for the social event to showcase the cultural diversity of PEA’s community. “I think that students learn a lot just by participating and soaking up the cultural environment around them,” she added.
The ISA board and the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs worked hard to provide a large selection of booths and activities in order to represent as many cultures as possible. “We try our best to bring multiple elements from different countries and regions without any form of bias,” senior Pedro Repsold De Sanson said “While the event is superficially a celebration of the international experience, we hope that students will use this tea as a learning experience.”
Having worked the henna booth for the past two years, senior Claire Melvin values the event. One of her favorite aspects was “seeing so many people share their cultures with the rest of us” and “taking pieces of [the cultures] back to the dorm and talking with people about what their favorite part was.”
Upper Emily Oliphant enjoyed the food and dancing that she experienced throughout the night. Administrative Intern in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs Jessica Alvarez also expressed her satisfaction with the gathering. “[The event] was great, especially at the very beginning when different students got to do their cultural dances. I was like, ‘Wow!’ Exeter is full of talented kids and I was glad I got to witness it in a way I don’t generally see it,” she said.
With the many different kinds of food and drink available along with cultural performances and activities, International Tea allowed students to immerse themselves in multiple cultures. They were also given the chance to embrace their own heritages by dressing up in cultural attire and showcasing other aspects of culture. Some students, such as prep Kilin Tang, took advantage of this opportunity. “I’m not an international student but I wanted to reclaim my Asian heritage. I wanted to be proud of who I am as a person, so that’s why I came here to support International Tea and to support all the different cultures that we have at Exeter,” he said.