Despite their change of location and some rainy weather, Tide Talks filled Russell Auditorium on Friday with its sixth installment, featuring four student speakers: Samuel Guggenheimer, Joana Hubickey, Jessie Ashton and Angie Bartelt.
David Phelps, outgoing president, opened the event with a reminder of the importance of the platform that Tide Talks provides student ideas.
“Ideas are revolutionary. Ideas have the power to transform communities, but they only do that if they’re shared amongst a group of people,” Phelps said. “You have to be given a platform for your ideas to really inspire a group and that’s what we’ve give out four tremendous speakers and our three artists.”
Guggenheimer, a senior majoring in economics and international affairs, kicked off the night, talking about the importance of understanding modern-day Turkey through a historic lens.
“Turkey is kind of a bridge between different forces in terms of a historical perspective, as well as in present day. It plays an important role in the region politically and culturally,” he said. “The other thing to remember about Turkey is that it’s not just a bridge. It’s also a home, and it’s been a home to people for thousands of years.”
(See also “Tide Talks expands to India, plans 6th event“)
Hubickey, a senior majoring in biology and Spanish, then took the stage. She referenced her research in Laura Reed’s laboratory on campus, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the role of DNA in diet and weight.
“It’s not just your genes to blame, and it’s not just the high calorie food environment of today,” Hubickey said. “Differences in DNA and how those differences react to their environment is what we’re looking at in our research. As you can see, everyone produces a distinct reaction when their genes react with their environment. We’re trying to see if we can see these differences in reactions in weight two different diets in the fruit fly.”
Ashton, a senior majoring in kinesiology and Spanish, shared her transformation from a woman who discounted feminism to someone who embraces it, saying, “Feminism isn’t an f-word.”
“I was just a regular old Ann Coulter. Feminism was still this idea of burning bras and women who hated men,” Ashton said. “Except I ended up at The University of Alabama. I got to campus, got involved and started meeting a bunch of new people. I found a passion for social justice issues.”
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Bartelt, a junior majoring in telecommunication and film and political science, rounded off the night with a talk about mental limitations people create for themselves.
“We all lack something, whether that’s a boyfriend, a girlfriend, money, a car, a place to live. Every single one of us has something we think we need to succeed, and what I’m here to tell you is that’s not true,” Bartelt said. “We put false senses of limitations on our own lives based on what we think we need to succeed. We all put mental barriers on what it means to be a success[ful] person.”
The event also featured three student performers: Lee Johnson, Will MacGavin and Dana Sweeney.
This event also signified a transition for the Tide Talks team. Phelps and the rest of the original officer corps handed off the reins for the new 2014-15 team, headed by president Kevin Pabst. Pabst, who served as director of marketing for the outgoing team, said they have been working on transitioning since February.
“While we always strive to improve the aesthetics of our events, from stage design to fluidity to sound and lights, our real growth comes from developing and expanding the substance of the evening, which is where the mind, body and soul come into play,” Pabst said. “I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but expect to see some new things down the road.”
(See also “Tide Talks sparks conversation“)
