How to host tea
Contents |
Quick Links:
- Hosting sign-up sheet
- The standard tea grocery list.
- To get reimbursed, save your receipts and give them to Nilmini (sabeyrat@umich.edu).
Step 1: Pick a Theme
Tea Time is more fun with new and interesting food. If you're motivated, pick an interesting theme or food idea and run with it.
Past ideas:
- Ice cream
- Grilled kabobs
- Smoothies
- Crepes
Step 2: Go Shopping
The night before or earlier during the day Tea Time is on, go to a grocery store (Meijer, Kroger, Costco, etc.) and buy all of the food you need for tea time. The current budget is $125.
Sample shopping list: [1]
FAQ:
What is tea?
CSEG teatime is a food-filled social hour that happens every week on Wednesdays at 4:30pm either outside on the fourth floor balcony of BBB or inside in the third floor alcove by the stairs.
Why do I need to host?
Because hosting tea is great! You pick up groceries for us, so that we don't have to go get them ourselves every single week. We love our hosts!
Do I have to spend money?
We will reimburse you! That's right, you don't lose any money! You just need to go to the grocery store! And help set up on the day of tea!
Why should I bother doing even that much work?
Because just a little work from you is a lot less work for us. Your effort means that tea will keep happening every week. Plus, we will put your name on a fancy sign, so you'll be famous!
But what should I buy?
You just need to buy food! We take care of other supplies, like plates, napkins, cups, the coffee machine K-Cups, etc. Here is the standard grocery list.
But I don't have any fancy ideas!
Sometimes hosts do fancy things for tea (like smoothies, liquid nitrogen ice cream, etc.). If you have fancy ideas, that's great! However, you don't have to be so fancy. We're quite happy if the standard delicious food shows up every week.
Okay, so let's say I buy food. Then what do I do with it?
On Wednesday, bring the food and meet up with the CSEG tea chair Meghan Clark (mclarkk@umich.edu) around 3:45 pm - 4:00 pm wherever tea is going to be. If the weather is nice, this will be outside on the fourth-floor balcony, and if the weather is not nice, then tea will be in the third floor alcove by the stairs.
Once we rendezvous, we can start preparing!
The steps for setting up tea:
- Obtain one or two tables from the loading dock. If Brian Rice asks, just tell him it's for tea.
- Rearrange the space.
- Push chairs to edges of the space. No one sits in them and they get in the way when people try to walk around and socialize.
- Set up a table by an electrical outlet so you can plug in the coffee machine.
- Obtain tea supplies from the student lounge.
- You need a key to get into the CSEG cabinet in the lounge. Meghan, Quentin, and Pat can open this for you.
- From the cabinet, retrieve the coffee machine and the big box. The big box has everything you should need for tea (tablecloths, plates, napkins, forks, cups, fancy platters and bowls, etc).
- Also get the easel and whiteboard from the lounge. Write "Today's CSEG Tea is hosted by: <Host's Name>" on it and set it up by the tea area.
- Prepare spread.
- Put tablecloths over tables.
- Move all food from its original container to a fancy bowl or platter. Presentation makes a big difference.
- Fill the coffee machine reservoir with water and flip the power switch in the back so it starts heating.
- Set out plates, napkins, forks, cups, etc.
- Quentin should send out an email to the cseg and cse-faculty lists alerting everyone to tea.
- Clean up. Throw things away, wash things, put things back where you found them.
- Get reimbursed. Save your receipts and give them to Nilmini (sabeyrat@umich.edu).
This might seem overwhelming, but don't panic! You will get lots of help. Most of these steps will probably be done for you by the CSEG officers.
Ultimately, if there is free food and people socialize and are happy, tea is a success! Thank you for all of you hard work!!
