The University of Rhode Island Women’s Center carried an aroma of freshly brewed tea as women of all majors and ages came together for an installment of the “Spill the Tea” event series on Wednesday, March 6.
Celebrating International Women’s Day, the Women’s Center collaborated with the International Student Center to put on the latest weekly “Spill the Tea” event. This week’s event focused on celebrating international women as a collaboration with the International Student Center. “Spill the Tea” was an idea that Women’s Center Director Ana Barazza brought with her when she came to URI in May 2023.
The idea came from her colleague at Brown University, who always offered tea in her office, Barazza said.
“I thought that was such a welcoming way to come into someone’s space,” Barazza said.
The collaboration with the International Student Center featured presentations on tea by international students at URI. Students represented an assortment of countries, including Sri Lanka.
“Tea plays a role as an ambassador in my own country,” graduate student Helani Singhapurage said.
Singhapurage walked guests through her childhood on her family’s tea plantation in Sri Lanka and the process of turning tea leaves into the beverage in front of guests. In her current life as a student pursuing a doctorate in physics, Singapurage said she uses tea to unwind after a long day. Tea also ties her to her family.
“I have been raised with this tea for a long time and I feel like it’s a major part of my life,” Singhapurage said.
The event brought together both student and faculty women, providing a space for conversation. “Spill the Tea” is a weekly event that brings speakers to discuss their experiences in various industries.
“I think it’s important to have women who’ve been successful in those spaces come back and talk to our students about some of the challenges they’ve been met with, but also some of their successes and what success looks like to them,” Barazza said.
Student engagement at the Women’s Center has been a collaborative effort. The center’s most attended event this year was an event during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for Greek life at URI supported.
“Our existing students might not be aware of the Women’s Center or what the Women’s Center does,” Barazza said.
The Women’s Center is also open for men and non-binary students.
“I think it would help for male students to also understand and know about the resources of the Women’s Center to help be a good ally for their female colleagues,” Barazza said.
The Women’s Center’s website outlines some of the resources they provide for students, including support for those impacted by dating and domestic violence or sexual assault, as well as pregnant and parenting students.
The Women’s Center is hosting a Women of Color Conference on Saturday, April 13, in partnership with the Center for Student Leadership Development. The event will feature alumni and female entrepreneurs, one of which was spotlighted on Oprah’s “Favorite Things List” in 2023.
“It’s a day-long conference for students to be able to engage with women who are professionals with some alumni to be able to connect them in a meaningful way,” Barazza said.
“Spill the Tea” events are held every Wednesday at 3 p.m.. The next event will be held at the Galanti Lounge, spotlighting women in the military. The URI Women’s Center is located at 7 Quarry Road, Kingston RI. Students can drop by the office or email Barazza at [email protected].