International Tea Celebration

By JANIBEK SUBKHANBERDIN and CELIA VALDEZ

On a cold January evening, the aroma of a vast array of teas wafted through Thompson gym. Accompanied by live music and dressed in formal and cultural wear, the crowd of attendees filled the room – packing tables and lining up at booths piled high with finger foods and tea. By the end of this year’s International Tea, many students found themselves having enjoyed the night and its activities. 

This year, the organization for International Tea proved to be a lengthy process: senior Chengyue Zhang, a board member of the International Student Alliance, detailed that preparations for the event dated back to “hell weeks,” wherein the board first began brainstorming ideas. 

Senior Nhan Phan explained that one key aspect of preparation was the issue of relocation. “The space we were working with, Thompson Gym, was starkly different than that of Grainger (now a dining hall). This space was finicky to work with because we needed to be able to gauge the scale of our design and make sure that we can make the space feel intimate even in such a large space,” Phan said. Continuing, he went on to explain that a key difference between Thompson Gym and Grainger was the lighting and how to preserve the cozy feel of International Tea in the new space. 

Board member and senior Tanya Syed echoed this sentiment. “Because this is our first time hosting, and in Thompson, it was very different for both the board and the club members.”

Despite this setback, the board and other international students came together in Thompson to physically set up the event in a way that would seem most, as Phan describes, “intentional and inviting.” 

Students learn Chinese characters

Courtesy of @pea.stuact

Phan goes on to highlight some changes that were made this year to differentiate the International Tea from last year’s and appeal to students. “This year, we had live music at the start with Nathi Lomax on the tenor sax and Ethan Ding on the violin and then ballroom instruction for the latter half. We used to do ballroom before I was at Exeter so this was a nod back to how we used to do International Teas pre-pandemic.”

Another key aspect of preparation was the aim to educate attendees and make it a truly “International” tea. Syed, for one, specified a way in which she helped prepare that connected the event back to her own roots. “I got, I went back home to India over break, so I got some tea from back there to have like a little bit more of a personal touch to the event. ” 

Syed later continued to put a spotlight on the event’s diversity in its selection of teas. “Even in the tea selection, we have teas from Morocco, China, Japan, South Africa, India, and so many other places. I think that is a snippet of the diverse international community at Exeter. And I think that is something that I hope people take away from it.” 

Phan also emphasized this diverse assortment of teas. “I hope that attendees would grow an appreciation for the different teas and where they came from, and really recognize that each culture and region has their own unique tea that encapsulates the geographical, cultural characteristics of that region.”

By the end of the International Tea’s organization, Syed recounts that the process helped bring many members of the international student body closer. In banding together to prepare for one of the club’s largest events, new connections and bonds were formed between members who may not have otherwise interacted. The overarching goal of this year’s International Tea was described by board member and upper Ava Helbig as the creation of “a fun and stress-relieving event for Exonians.” 

The International Tea this year was generally received as a success. With activities such as henna, origami making, and ballroom dancing, there was plenty to keep students entertained, and when they weren’t dancing, students enjoyed the boba, fresh tea, and finger foods. 

With “tea” being in the name of this event, the beverage is always a highlight of the night for most people. People enjoyed a wide selection this year, from Chai to apple cinnamon teas. When asked what her favorite tea was, lower Maya Shah replied, “There was like a Darjeeling tea from India. It gave me home vibes.” 

Many others were delighted with the welcome addition of boba milk tea this year. “I really liked the boba, it’s a fun change from the usual snacks,” lower Asha Masoudi added.

Prep Lake Zhou agreed. “My favorite tea was the bubble tea.” 

While the drink selection was a large part of what made this event so memorable, another important aspect for many students was being able to celebrate their countries and fellow students’ countries, along with the opportunity to dress up in traditional or formal attire. “I hope that attendees take away an appreciation for all the different cultures of the world,” said Helbig. 

Zhang echoed that same sentiment. “There are the international students at Exeter, you know, there’s a big community of that, and I hope everyone can come here and celebrate their own culture.” Zhang continued, “But I also feel like besides international students, there’s a lot of people whose parents are first-generation immigrants, although they might not be considered like international students.” In that same vein, Zhang noted how International Tea is an opportunity for all students to appreciate Exeter’s community. “I think the tea is for everyone. Everyone from whatever background can just come here to celebrate.”

While this event garnered much positive feedback, several students also noted some differences from last year’s event, particularly the change in location. “Well, ideally I wish we could have had this in Grainger. But that was kind of out of our bounds, and I wish maybe we could have had more tables for people to sit down and really enjoy the experience,” Syed said. 

She continued, saying, “I remember last year when we had the event in Grainger, we had actual China for the tea. That was really nice, and I wish we could have done something like that. But again, because this is our first time hosting it in Thompson it was very different for both the board and the club members.”