BeBoba! It’s About Building Communi-Tea

By Lauren Rodgers '27

The Annandale Advocate had the opportunity to talk with Javy Polanco, the new co-manager of BeBoba!, a boba tea project on campus that is morphing from a boba tea shop into a community-involved program that helps Trustee Leader Scholars (TLS). Read on to hear about BeBoba’s inspiring goals and all the changes that are underway. 


AA: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

JP: I’m Javy Polanco, a kinda-everything guy here on campus. I work in civic engagement with the Center for Civic Engagement and the Open Society University Network and I have just recently taken on the role of Co-Manager at BeBoba!, which is a boba tea shop.

AA: How did the Beyond 30 Campus Road Bubble Tea initiative come to fruition?
    
JP: BeBoba! is sort of a legacy project. The original founders are two Bard alumni, Alex and Julius, who started BeBoba! as a way to support themselves throughout their time in Annandale. It worked well! The shop was sustainable for them. When they graduated, Naseem Nazari took it over as a small business and had plans to incorporate a more social justice aspect into it. He came up with the idea to have a decent amount of our profits go to TLS projects, helping TLS scholars focus more on their work than fundraising. He also wanted to use the process of selling our boba as a way to advertise for these TLS projects and help them recruit volunteers. This called for expansion, and that's when they hired me to help BeBoba! achieve their goal in assisting TLS scholars. 

AA: What does this project mean to you?
    
JP: BeBoba! is more than just tea; it's about community. TLS Scholars are the best of us, often doing the justice work that matters in real and tangible ways. For example, the first TLS project we are helping out with is “Creative Play," which supports arts education for displaced children in Malaysia. This project is helping them, in the best way it can, to focus more on their work than their funding. If BeBoba! can become something bigger, it can be a direct step in fostering a community that goes beyond 30 Campus Road (pun intended).

AA: What changes have you made to the BeBoba! program since coming into a leadership role?

JP: Since joining the team I’ve been putting on a lot of hats to let Naseem focus on the business related aspect. I play a social role. My job is to connect with different people and develop BeBoba!’s identity on campus. So far, my job has been making tea and doing interviews. But in the future, a lot of changes can be expected – we're workshopping a new brand name, a logo, lots of events, and a social media presence. Currently we're working on getting BeBoba! established in the campus center and developing a convenient system for ordering and paying. Naseem and I do this as a team, so even the things he doesn't do have his influence and vice versa. Next year, I will become the manager of BeBoba!, as Naseem is graduating. Then just like Alex, Julius, and Naseem, this project will become mine to develop and pass along. 

AA: What impacts do you hope the Beyond 30 Campus Road initiative will make on the Bard community? 

JP: I hope BeBoba! becomes something as regular as CodeRed or the ISO. I want us to be known as a way to support and engage with the community, as a way to stay knowledgeable on what people are doing and how they can be a part of it. Even if it's just buying our tea, (which is pretty good), the smallest interaction with BeBoba! is bringing you one step closer to the action of TLS projects and the heart of our campus community. 

AA: Are there any upcoming events you’d like to share with us? 
    
JP: Keep your eye out for us in the campus center, we'll be selling publicly soon. There is also a chance we'll be catering your class dinners or club events. Say hello, we’d love to chat!

The Annandale Advocate thanks Javy Polanco and the BeBoba! team for this interview. 

Post Date: 02-23-2024