The U of M Matcha Club (UMMC) announced its opening on Instagram on March 10 as ”a welcoming social space for matcha enthusiasts to sip, study and repeat.”

The club started with Johann Tan, UMMC vice president, wondering why there was no matcha club on campus. He then spoke to Arian Andes, UMMC president, and they eventually got to planning.

“Not a lot of students have access to go [to] downtown due to car issues, transportation issues,” Andes explained. The club thought that bringing vendors to campus would be convenient for students. These local pop-ups also benefit a larger student audience.

“Drinking matcha, when you find others that love it too, it’s very sociable. You can meet a lot of people and make lots of friends just by drinking it,” Tan replied when asked about what matcha means to him personally.

Andes explained how their vision with the club is to have matcha workshops and cafe hopping to create a social space on campus for people who might not already have that social circle.

Their first event, UMMC X MARO MATCHA on March 19, a collaboration with a local matcha shop, attracted people beyond their expectations. This event also featured an exclusive UMMC drink, the Dubai chocolate hojicha.

John Maraneta, UMMC treasurer, explained the importance of having this event in the middle of the stressful midterms season. “It’s always nice to have this socialization, this community to come back to and just realize that we can take a step back and just chill out.”

To learn more about the U of M Matcha Club and keep up with their events, follow them on Instagram @ummatchaclub.