Northwestern’s International Club will be doing things a little differently this year. Instead of the I-Club Coffeehouse, the I-Club is proud to announce the first ever Chai Khana.
Chai Khana means Tea and House. This event will be centered around tea and will take place in the Fireside Room in Ramaker on Nov. 15 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
This event will look a little different than the original Coffeehouse in that it will be more of a place of gathering than a space for entertainment. Lisa Li and Juki Saito will be dancing, but the focus is on getting to know people. I-Club vice president Tori Buckler is excited for the event and wants to remind everyone that this event is campus-wide, not just international students or I-Club members.
“I think some people think I-Club is just an intercultural club, but we are trying to recognize that you don’t have to be from another country to have a different culture,” Buckler said.
It is important to remember that even people from the United States may have different cultures. People who look the same as you, may have a completely different way of life.
This tea house will be an excellent opportunity to learn and grow with each other. Buckler hopes the event will be a chance for groups of friends or individuals to create bridges into other groups of people and find new people they connect with.
I-Club hopes this event will challenge you to step outside your comfort zone a bit and meet new people.
Chai Khana is meant to be a space where students can detach from their busy lives and the demands of schoolwork and find fellowship with other Raiders. So, come alone, or with a group of friends and meet new people, share in new experiences and maybe learn a thing or two about a different culture.
The I-Club core members will be providing a variety of teas for the event, and students are asked to bring their own cups to reduce the paper and plastic waste from the event, going along with our campus-wide 30-day eco-challenge.
Not only will this event feature tea, it will also be a dessert potluck. The core members of I-Club will be providing desserts, but students are also welcomed and encouraged to bring some desserts of their own.
I-Club decided to switch things up this year due to so many entertainment and talent-based events that are going on or have just wrapped up, including Ballyhoo and NCDC. There was a fear that students would be burned out by this point, and I-Club wanted this event to create a more laid back atmosphere without the nervousness of performances.
For those wanting to contribute to the dessert potluck, please email a list of the ingredients or the recipe of your dessert to either Tori Buckler at tori.buckler@nwciowa.edu or Kevin McMahan at kmcmahan@nwciowa.edu so they can provide a list at the time of the event for those with allergies.
