Diversity discussed over tea

By Layla Aslani

HOUGHTON - Michigan Technological University has reengineered a past event known as Tech Teas to create a forum where faculty, students, staff and community members can discuss diversity issues openly over tea and snacks.

Tech Teas version 2.0 is now called "DiversiTeas" and will be held the third Thursday of each month. The first Tea was held Thursday in the Memorial Union Building on campus and featured the Batucobre Samba Band, a community group that plays Brazilian music.

Chris Anderson, one of the Tea organizers and special assistant to the president for institutional diversity said music was chosen as the first discussion topic because it is something everybody enjoys and can discuss openly. She said diversity is a broad issue and that future Teas may focus on subjects such as ethnicity, religions and lifestyles that would bring many perspectives to the table.

Anderson said that the teas were developed because campus feedback indicates that people want a forum for communication, intellectual growth and the exchange of ideas among faculty, students, staff and the community. She said the goal of the Teas is to create an informal atmosphere where a dialogue can occur between students, faculty, staff and community members.

"It's a way to get the culture developed for joining together around discussions," she said.

Thursday's Tea started with a welcome from Dean of Students Gloria Melton after which Batucobre founder Charles White explained how the group started.

He said he became intrigued with samba bands after he saw a documentary while housesitting for friends with a satellite dish. What impressed him the most was the complexity of the beats. He was so interested with the music that he wondered "not just how they do that, but how can I do that?" He conducted research, spoke with friends and formed the group. Brazilian drums were purchased online, while some instruments, like a metal shaker, were made from a steel can and BBs.

After Batucobre played music for the audience, the audience asked questions. One of the questions discussed was whether it was okay that a group of non-Brazilian people were playing the music.

Aurenice Oliveira, an assistant professor in the school of technology, is Brazilian and was in the audience. She said that she was happy other people were trying her culture's music. She said she was impressed.

"Considering that this is very hard to perform and they don't practice very often, they are doing a good job," she said.

Batucobre Member Mike Irish, who is also a director of jazz studies at Michigan Tech, said that trying on somebody else's culture was a great way to learn about it and the the issue of diversity in general.

"I can read about it and talk to people, but if I attempt to do this, I have a better understanding," he said.

Teas are free and open to the public. The next Tea will be Oct. 16 at which Dr. Ciro Sandoval will speak about the resilience of Andean indigenous cultures. On Nov. 20 Dr. Joseph L. Brown will speak about social identity and academic achievement. Organizers will not hold a December Tea due to final exams.

For more information about DiversiTeas, please call Michigan Tech at 487-3539.

Layla Aslani can be reached at laslani@mininggazette.com