Boba Nation: Like Beer Nation, But Not

What’s the difference between black tea and oolong tea? Will Stim Table be back this semester—and will it have boba? What would a boba garden look like? 

Ask Boba Nation, a club that was founded this October after a Beer Nation-related debate in the Missed Connections. 

“It started as kind of a joke that blossomed into a club,” Boba Nation signator Tucker Twomey said. “Boba [isn’t] alcoholic, but it could be enjoyed in similar social settings, and it had the nice ring to it.” 

The idea for the club originated from a Missed Connections post last September. Beer Nation had received more money from Funding Circus than any other club, despite only ranking 25th. The MC lamented this funding choice, saying “How: does beer nation/ get: money????,” and suggesting “We should/ make: boba nation because/ boba: is far superior to beer.”

A Missed Connections debate about the role of Beer Nation on campus continued for several weeks, but the idea of Boba Nation didn’t go away. On October 4, now-signator Ella Crotty made a Missed Connections post saying “You: lowkey wanna take [Boba Nation] seriously….join: the boba wave,” with a link to the club Discord server.

“There’s for some reason a circle around Reed on the map where there are no boba places, despite how popular it is,” club member Connor Gilligan said. “It’s just hard to get around here.” 

The club aims to fill this void by hosting boba-based events. Though they currently don’t hold regular meetings, events are planned through their Discord server. This December, Boba Nation held its first big club event – reviving the Stim Table in the library during Reading Week.

“We contacted Joyous Whimsy Club and Reed Traditions Club about bringing back the stimulants table, but with boba,” signator Sofia Pomeroy said. 

Stim Table, a table in the library with free snacks and energy drinks during Reading Week, is a Reed tradition. However, this is the first time it has occurred in several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and the first time homemade bubble tea has been among its offerings. 

“We had black tea and oolong,” Gilligan said. “Black tea is like your typical tea, [and] oolong is a little lighter and more delicate, not necessarily something everyone has tried before.”

In addition to tea, the Stim Table also had coffee from Paradox, energy drinks, multivitamins, and snacks. The event was a success; in addition to caffeinated drinks, the student body consumed 55 pounds of oranges in four days. 

This spring, Boba Nation ranked 15th in Funding Circus, receiving $678.98 – 66.7% of their requested budget. They plan to use this funding for spring semester events. 

“We’re planning on doing Stim Table again, [and] we were discussing a boba garden,” Pomeroy said. Since boba is non-alcoholic, the garden would be open to all members of the student body. 

“It would be kind of like a sub-free version of the beer gardens that Beer Nation hosts, except we would not be charging for entry,” Gilligan said. 

“People would get together in an environment that facilitated socializing, while Boba Nation would serve various boba drinks,” Twomey said. “People [could] broaden their horizons and try different forms of tea.” 

If you are looking for boba near Reed, Gilligan recommends Yoonique Tea as an option close-ish to campus, or Ding Tea in downtown Portland for those willing to travel a little further afield. 

If you are interested in joining Boba Nation, reach out to one of the signators (Tucker Twomey, Ella Crotty, or Sofia Pomeroy), for a Discord invite link.