It is November now and the temperature has changed significantly. As a result of the change in temperature, we see that students, faculty, and staff have shifted from t-shirts and shorts to hoodies and warm boots.

This time of the year is often referred to as the Cozy Season. This season places a large emphasis on thick socks, movie nights, and warm food. 

My favorite Cozy Season meal is Chili. The regular kind with ground turkey, kidney beans, onions, and cheese. 

While you probably will not have the opportunity to eat a warm home-cooked meal until Winter break, there is one thing that we do have on-campus that will definitely warm you up, tea!

Many of us grew up not really liking hot tea that much just because we would drink it when we were sick and it would be mixed with medicine, honey, and lemon. The most familiar tea that is broadly recognized is sweet tea.  However, there are many benefits to drinking tea. 

According to PennMedicine.org, some of the benefits of tea include: 

• Chamomile 
•  Helps to reduce menstrual pain and muscle spasms
• Improves quality of sleep and relaxation
• Reduces stress
• Peppermint
• Contains menthol, which has properties to treat upset stomach and serve as a cure for constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and motion sickness. 
• Pain relief from headaches and migraines. 
• Black
• Increase of flavonoids that combat inflammation and support immunity

On campus, you can find a variety of tea in Williams Dining Hall. If you are familiar with the bagel station in Williams Dining Hall,  you will find that the tea is located exactly to the right of the bagel station. 

Williams Dining Hall offers a variety of tea flavors that include:

• Chamomile
• Jasmine 
• Peach
• Black (Contains Caffeine)
• Peppermint
• Green

According to Morgan Rogers, Sophomore, Animal Science student from Durham N.C. The Peach flavored tea is the best. “I had the Jasmine tea, and I did not like it, but the Peach tea was really good,” Rogers said.  “I didn’t get to finish it because it was so filling”.

I also spoke to a NCAT Dining employee to gain their insight on how Aggies like tea. They opted to remain anonymous. 

“The kids love the fruit punch! Yes they do!” I don’t really see any of them really mess with the hot  tea like that, maybe the sweet tea,” the employee said. ”Some administrators will come in from time to time and get some, but that doesn’t happen very often.” 

For the Aggies, who have yet to try the tea and are hooked on coffee and sweet tea, STOP! 

That was a joke. However, please keep in mind how much caffeine and sugar you are allowing yourself to consume, caffeine is a drug and it does seriously affect your brain. A mass amount of sugar intake is not beneficial either, this can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Instead, try the tea at Williams, they are all very good, and good for you as well. 

You can find Williams Dining hall online at https://www.ncatdining.com/dining-near-me/williams-dining and on Instagram @ncatdining.