ETSU kicked off this year’s Festival of Ideas with speakers from the podcast “Pantsuit Politics.”
The Festival of Ideas started Tuesday with podcast co-hosts Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. The event started at 7 p.m. and allowed anyone to join the conversation.
Students, faculty, and members of ETSU’s community were welcomed to listen and get involved in the conversation. Holland and Silvers discussed and shared ideas with the audience and gave everyone an opportunity to ask questions.
“Our belief is that you cannot have curiosity, connection, and change without conflict. Conflict is an essential ingredient in that recipe, so what we’re trying to do is say how do I extract the flavor from the conflict without it overtaking the dish,” speaker Silvers said.
Speakers discussed their experiences in politics and political discourse. They shared ideas on how to start conversations and share ideas without sending the wrong message and being respectful. Talking about politics with others who think differently is not always easy, and the speakers discussed how to overcome that.
Being self-aware and understanding how to address certain topics were some tips given to listeners. Becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable was an idea given to help people understand how to communicate about hard topics.
“I think for Pantsuit Politics, for Sarah and Beth I think their niche is that, again early on, really modeled how you might be in community in a space with folks who have varied political views,” said Joy Fulkerson, director of Leadership and Civic Engagement.
Fulkerson said because ETSU is so diverse it is important to be able to share ideas, which is what makes the Festival of Ideas so important and beneficial to students. The event opens conversations on different topics and allows listeners to think and engage with speakers.
The Festival of Ideas will continue this week and welcome different speakers to share their thoughts and ideas.
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