Pick a date (always a Friday) that is not yet assigned a host.
If there are no dates available, or even if there are, you can
offer to help someone with their Tea Time; this is a good
idea for first-time hosts. The Hosting
Schedule has links to each host's web page, which makes
it easy to contact someone.
Try to think of a theme or menu (e.g., Mexican, salads, etc.),
and email the Tea Time Tsar
your plan.
Keep in mind that people have different dietary tastes
and/or restrictions. Many people in the department are
vegetarians, and others may be religiously prohibited from
eating meat on Fridays.
When in doubt, think vegetables, low-fat, low-calorie,
and low-spiciness. (You can always bring along extra
spices, sauces, and tubs of butter).
Step 2: Shop and/or Cook
Do your shopping (or cooking) early, but not too early. Some foods
can keep in your fridge for a few days, but others are best served
fresh or warm. Plan ahead. You need the food ready to eat at 4:00 on Friday.
Make sure you buy or cook enough food for everybody.
Expect around 30-50 people (20-30 in the summer)
to show up, most of them hungry.
REIMBURSEMENT: The CS department will reimburse you for
up to $100 ($75 in the summer).
Amounts more than $100 ($75) should be preapproved
(talk to Wendy) to guarantee reimbursement. Turn all receipts
in to Wendy, and allow around two weeks for the reimbusement check.
Step 3: Get the Room Ready
Tea Time is at 4:00. Start getting ready early, like around 3:30.
The normal Tea Time room is 228-E. Most of the time this room
will be available for the Tea Time. If it is not, you should put
a big note on the door saying "Tea Time will will be held in
___ " or some other available large room.
Tea Time supplies (see the box below for details) are
stored in the CS lounge, usually in the cabinets above and to the right of the sink.
If you will need to make coffee and hot water:
It takes around 30 minutes for them to get hot; you
can start them at 3:30 in the CS lounge and then move them
over into the Tea Time room at 4:00.
Coffee filters and grounds will either be in the Tea
Time cabinet or near the coffee makers on the other side of the
lounge. You will need to poke a hole in the middle of the
filter. Use approx 1 teaspoon coffee per cup.
Coffee pots are under the sink and to the right of the sink;
use one of these pots to make hot water for tea. Please put the pots back in their boxes after Tea Time's over.
Most hosts move the tables in 228-E around so that coffee pots and
drinks are on the table under the blackboard. That way, you can
plug pots in under the blackboard by the door.
228-E shares a partition with room 236-D. If you need more space for a popular
week, see if 236-D can be used (check to make
sure beforehand), then you should open up the partition.
Step 4: Clean Up
Get a couple of people to help you. And then help them
when they host. Yes, just like Kindergarten.
Get all the trash out of the room. The trash bins are
in the CS lounge. Crush cans and plastic bottles
so that they can be easily recycled.
Wipe down the tables well, and put them back in their
original places. Make sure you get rid of any stickiness.
Clean up any trays you may have used, and rinse out any
coffee pots. Return trays and coffee pots to their original
locations in the lounge.
Leave any extra non-refrigeratable leftovers on the tables in the
lounge; they should get eaten pretty quickly. Do not stuff the fridge
full of TeaTime leftovers, because the fridge is crowded enough already.
Either take the refrigeratable leftovers home, give them to someone else, or throw
them away.
Supplies
Check the Tea Time supply cabinet for supplies and
leftovers. It is in the CS lounge, on the right side of
the cabinet to the right of the sink.
Please don't expand to the left side. [I think we already have.]
If there are no supplies here, you need to buy them.
Supplies that might already be in the CS lounge:
Non-Perishables - usually available
coffee cups (make sure we have at least 20)
cold cups for soda (make sure there are about 30)
coffee
coffee filters
tea
sugar
napkins
toothpicks
forks or other utensils
plates
platters for fruit etc. (see top of frig)
bowl for ice (see top of frig or above cabinets)
coffee stirrers
coffee makers (under sink)
Perishables - rarely available
ice (1 bag is enough) - can store in freezer
fruit of your choice - grapes and strawberries require little prep
chips of your choice - ~2 bags
~5 liters of soda of your choice
- usually 3 coke, 1 caffeine free diet coke, and 1 sprite
small (pint) of half and half or milk
dip of your choice for chips
Note: The perishables are really your choice
- these are just suggestions.