Students Celebrate International Tea
By: Kendrah Su
Flags from various countries hung over the stairwells and around the science building entryway inside Grainger Auditorium. These decorations celebrated International Tea, an annual event hosted by the International Student Alliance (ISA) to escape the cold, rainy weather and learn more about the home countries of different members of the Exeter community.
The ISA Board began planning International Tea after winter break, dividing the members into different committees for each aspect of the event.
A tea station featured leaves from all around the world from which students could customize their drink. Snacks such as mini cannolis and cheesecakes were available as well as dipping foods like strawberries, pretzels and marshmallows for the chocolate fondue fountain. Inside Grainger, one half of the hall was filled with tables for students to sit, eat and converse. The other half was left empty as a dance floor, save for the small stage where the dance teacher taught styles such as salsa, merengue, tango, foxtrot and swing.
Many students arrived before 8 p.m., the official start of the event, to get boba tea. This year, the boba was packaged and catered from Mr. Wish in Portsmouth, a change from previous years where the ISA board members filled the cups themselves.
Upper and ISA board member Alana Yang explained the change in boba. “It was a lot easier on us: the people who were organizing it,” she said. “I remember last year, when people were helping out, it was really busy because the boba is what brings in a lot of people in the beginning.” Indeed, the drink practically disappeared from the table—150 cups of boba were gone by 8:15 p.m.
Other students, like senior Lenny Chen, focused on the event’s decor. “The table decorations were extremely unique,” he said. “It looked like the people who set up put a lot of creative effort into them but weren’t given a lot to work with.”
For many students, a highlight of the event was the dancing, which varied in style and was taught by a professional instructor. The dance styles had origins from all around the world—from Cuba’s salsa to Harlem’s swing. Some of the forms were fun to try out alone or with a group of friends, while others required a partner across the floor.
While some students were avid fans of the dancing, many opted to sit down and watch from the tables. “I wish people would have gotten more into it because I had fun when I did,” lower Siona Jain said.
However, none of the dances required professional training, and most students successfully replicated the moves. “You definitely didn’t have to be a good dancer to follow along,” lower Alexandria Westray said. “We got to try a lot of new things in a short time, which made International Tea really worth it.”
International Tea, at its core, is an opportunity for Exonians to connect with each other, prep Oliver Brandes concluded. “I think it brought together people of different backgrounds over food,” he said. “Everybody left the event feeling happy and connected to the Exeter community.”