Following its first year on campus, Tide Talks is currently taking applications for the 2014-2015 executive team.
Tide Talks provides University of Alabama students with opportunities to share their experiences with other students and the community through monthly events, each showcasing four UA students. The executive team, composed of UA students, is responsible for organizing and executing all Tide Talks events.
“We believe bold ideas can cause revolutionary change if they are shared among a diverse community of people,” David Phelps, the outgoing president, said. “Tide Talks provides a unique platform for students at The University of Alabama to highlight their experiences, trials and successes. In line with our mission to empower others, Tide Talks is entirely organized by students, for students.”
Applications are currently available for vice president, event coordinator, director of speaker development, director of social media, director of marketing, director of finance and video editor. Phelps said there are two steps in the application process.
“Stage one: Complete the online application found on our website by Friday, January 17. We require some basic information, two short essays and a current resume for this first stage,” Phelps said. “Stage two: Attend a 30-minute in-person interview. This interview will give us a better sense of your personality, skills and purpose in applying for the Tide Talks exec team.”
Sam Gerard, a junior majoring in history and political science, spoke at Tide Talks in October and said the executive team assisted in making him feel comfortable through his experience and embracing each speaker’s individuality.
“Despite my ridiculousness, [the executive team] still tolerated and respected me as a speaker and made me feel very confident in myself going into the speech, and they praised me following the speech,” Gerard said. “I’m sure my Tide Talks experience differs from other students’ experiences, but I don’t see much that they did during my talk that really required a change.”
Gerard said Tide Talks provides students with an important opportunity to listen and learn from their peers.
“Tide Talks offers a chance for students who do not have a sufficient venue to exchange ideas to do so in the form of a short lecture,” Gerard said. “It is crucial to a college experience, because it is an attainable echelon of interdisciplinary discourse that many people can relate to, as fellow students have an opportunity to teach.”
Katerina Peña, the outgoing vice president, said applicants should expect to be challenged to continue to help Tide Talks grow, if selected.
“Every new officer is expected to bring new fresh ideas to the meetings and with that the experience thrives and stays exciting in every way possible,” Peña said. “The meetings are the best part. It is where revolutionary ideas are born.”
Phelps said they’re trying to find new students who can continue to shape the organization in new ways.
“While Tide Talks tries to avoid doing anything that’s really ‘traditional,’ this will be our first big leadership transition. To be clear: We are not looking for candidates to exactly reproduce the current executive team,” Phelps said. “We much prefer applicants that will innovate, not replicate. We are looking for candidates that authentically exemplify our five core values: humility, creativity, passion, joy and professionalism.”
Peña said applicants, if chosen, should expect nothing less than a revolutionary experience.
“Tide Talks has single-handedly changed my university experience,” she said. “This is an organization that was built from the ground up and will continue to change and evolve as new students take over, which is a beautiful thing.”
Applications for the 2014-2015 Tide Talks executive team can be found online at tidetalks.ua.edu and are due Jan. 17.
