Since its establishment in 2013, Colgate University’s Tea Club has provided students with a welcoming space to decompress throughout the semester. During their biweekly meetings on Fridays, the ALANA Cultural Center conference room is filled with the joyful sounds of Tea Club members socializing over a freshly brewed cup of tea and a plate of Asian snacks. As students relish good company and free refreshments, they are also expanding their cultural awareness through the common language of food.
Sophomore and Tea Club co-president Vincent Chen commented on the community built through sharing a cup of tea.
“Even if there are people we aren’t familiar with at our meetings,” Chen said, “we know that everyone has a common connection with tea.”
Chen reflected on the relationships he had built while attending Tea Club meetings his first year and how they created a secure base of knowledge for him as a new student. Now, as a member of the Tea Club executive board, he strives to maintain the same hospitable atmosphere he experienced.
“The bonds between underclassmen and upperclassmen made at meetings can be helpful,” Chen said. “We talk about life at Colgate and help each other out.”
Of course, the best addition to any conversation is food and drink. Sophomore and co-treasurer Jonah Kim spoke about how refreshments foster dialogue during the club’s meetings.
“I mean, do you ever only drink or eat something? No, it’s like teatime – while you’re speaking with someone, it’s nice to have some snacks as well,” Jonah Kim said.
Whether Tea Club is serving Pocky, a popular biscuit-stick snack, or Hi-Chew, a tangy, chewy candy, their members are guaranteed a delicious treat with their tea. These snacks have left a lasting impact on returning members and newcomers alike because they increase Tea Club’s visibility and attendance, encouraging connections between a larger number of people.
Beyond their service in feeding students, the Tea Club has also carved an important sanctum for students of color to celebrate their own and learn about other cultures by highlighting different teas from across Asia. At their most recent meeting last Friday, sophomore co-treasurer Sean Kim served his members pu’er tea – an earthy-flavored, fermented tea from China’s Yunnan province that is not as widely known in the U.S. as it is in Asia.
“We’re very grateful for the opportunity that the Tea Club has given us to introduce more Asian culture at a predominantly white institution,” Sean Kim said.
Their open-door meetings at the ALANA Cultural Center allow for any student to easily pass by and be enticed by the warm scent of tea, especially as ALANA is already a popular space for students to visit. Evidently, Tea Club’s growing community is a testament to their dedication to bridging differences between people.
“Tea is not limited to just Tea Club,” Sean Kim said. “Every culture has tea, and it’s a good medium to get rid of apprehension between people.”
As their membership increases, the Tea Club has recognized how they are mainly emphasizing Asian culture and want to expand their own intercultural sensitivity by possibly collaborating with different minority groups on campus.
“It’s up to us to educate ourselves in different cultures because we don’t have any specialists on our [executive board],” Chen said. “This semester, we want to utilize our standing as an ALANA cultural club to do more partnered events that will promote diversity.”
On the surface, Colgate’s Tea Club merely appears to be a club about drinking tea. However, at its core, Tea Club is a network of friendly people who are open to forging new bonds by conversing over tea and food. Perhaps the next time you have an excruciating week, you may find yourself checking @colgateteaclub on Instagram for information about the Tea Club’s next meeting and joining them for a delightful cup of tea and snacks.
