About this Event
Come hear incredible stories from our speakers that challenge our preconceived notions of community, belonging, and culture.
Megan Balani
GCIE candidate, MSIE candidate (MET’28), BU Alum’23
Angry Women, Joyful Bodies: Finding Freedom Through Muay Thai
What if anger isn’t something to suppress, but a gift - an untapped source of power, joy, and transformation? As women, we are often shamed for expressing anger and taught to bury it, but through my experience training in Muay Thai, I began to ask: what does it mean to build a relationship with anger as an adult, to define it for ourselves, and to give ourselves permission to express it fully? Through consistent physical practice and the power of community, I discovered how the body can create new emotional memories, transforming anger into joy and creative energy - and ultimately changing the way we see ourselves and how we believe we can show up in our lives.
Eric Christine
BU GRS, MSEPP candidate; BU GDPC-ECI, research assistant
The Hidden Economy of Food, Soil, and Waste
Industrialized food systems are disrupting the biological processes underpinning crop production, food digestion, and organic waste reintegration into soil ecosystems. In each of these circular systems, diverse microbiomes enhance economic efficiency without compromising productivity, yet current production and consumption practices prevent those gains from being realized. By tracing this full circle, I demonstrate that agricultural sustainability, human nutrition, and organic waste reduction are not mutually exclusive goals. They can be achieved together through policy.
Amy Issaraphithakkul
Political Science and Economics Student (CAS’29)
Bridging the generational divide in Thailand’s Democracy
Large political divide between the older and younger generations in Thailand. Younger generation raised during political instability and economic downfall whereas older generations lived alongside traditional values and thrive in social stability to maintain peace. As a result, some begin to slowly lose faith and accept the current politics whilst others are actively advocating/ fighting for change. Is Thai democracy at risk because of this? What could be done, policy wise & socially, to help reduce this incongruency?
Muskandeep Jindal
BU-GRS, Master’s in AI 2026, Software Engineer at RedHat
Show Up Before You’re Ready
We spend so much time trying to prepare for the right opportunity that we sometimes forget to simply be present for opportunities we couldn't have planned for. Opportunities rarely come from being the most qualified person in the room. Sometimes they come from being willing to show up, start a conversation, and let people know what you’re capable of. Most conversations don't lead anywhere and that's okay. You don't have to know where a door leads. You just have to be willing to walk through it. You cannot always plan your opportunities. But you can increase the number of opportunities that can find you, by just showing up.
Lee Dwyer
COM Journalism
An Answer to Climate Confusion: How Should We Address Climate Communication?
There is still so much confusion around foundational issues of the climate: what 1.5° of warming actually means, how to make a difference individually, what the future of climate change looks like, and many other questions that comprise the field of climate communication. Scientists need to rethink methods of communication for broad audiences—we’ve got to make sure that people with no scientific background know how the world is warming, what the effects will be, and how they can contribute to the solution(s). Climate change is a complex system made of complex systems, and through refining how we approach the field of science communication, we can break these systems into comprehensible components for everyone. And with more understanding comes greater action: if people understand the problem more effectively, they can build solutions more efficiently. The problems affect us all; the solutions must be built by all.
Jillian Almendral
Information Systems and Business Analytics Student (QST ‘28)
Everyone I've Ever Loved Is Still Talking Through Me
Yes, we are a mosaic of everyone we’ve ever loved, but i’m trying really hard to not be a representation of what i left behind.” in many ways, it’s well known that we are all a combination of other people who have played a big role in our lives, whether it’s our favorite song off an album, a subconscious habit that is unchangeable, or even the order we put on our clothes. however, this idea often leaves out the uncomfortable part of our personal mosaics: not everyone we’ve loved is someone we want to become. some of what we inherit comes from people who have hurt us and left behind reflexes, defensiveness, or a pattern of behavior that we swore we would never repeat to another person, but inevitably we do. it’s hard to watch yourself become someone you didn’t choose to become. it’s even harder to stay in a relationship with your own history instead of running from it. eventually, we all have to decide which tiles in our mosaic are still catching the light and deciding again and again, which tiles we are willing to let go.
Event venue & nearby stays
Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.