Season 2 of “Blue Table Talk” announced

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Season Two of “Blue Table Talk” is under production. The series is a talk show hosted by Dr. Talia Carroll, the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In each episode, Dr. Carroll has candid conversations with OCU students and alumni.

The first episode release date has not been set but should be released in the 2022 spring semester. Dr. Carroll plans for the episodes to be released at monthly intervals. Each episode will be published on the university’s social media accounts.

Dr. Carroll said the new season will focus on how law intersects with diversity, and how strategy and branding fit into marketing. The panel list has not yet been released. Carroll says that panelists will “provide real and inspirational perspectives.” 

“We are seeking to highlight the experiences of historically and systematically marginalized, underserved, and minoritized people. There are often unintentionally missed opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate the important leadership of our alumni who hold a range of identities,” Dr. Carroll said.

“The diversity of identity, thought, and lived experiences were illuminated throughout each of the conversations. There is much to learn when we carve out time to center real discussion,” Dr. Carroll said regarding season one of Blue Table Talk.

Blue Table Talk is a series by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The Department of Communications and Department of Alumni Engagement will both assist in the production of season two. 

“I love that OCU is setting the example of what a healthy conversation can be like and inviting students and alumni into a communal space,” said Ian Weston, a photographer and videographer from the OCU Communications Department.

Episode one, season one was titled “Advocating for Yourself and Your Community.” The episode featured former SGA President Bobby “Trae” Trousdale and Bailey Perkins, the State Advocacy and Public Policy Director at the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. The panelists discussed their efforts to advocate in their communities and how others can be advocates too.

Episode two, season one was titled “Race and the Arts.” The episode featured Timothy Long, an Associate Professor of Opera at the Eastman School of Music, and Nasir Panjwani, a Music Theatre student. The panelists discussed racial barriers in the art industry and their personal struggles in overcoming these barriers.

Episode three, season one was titled “Small Business Set-Up and Management.” The episode featured John Veal, the District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Oklahoma District Office, and Tara Ramakrishnan, a finance student. The panelists discussed ways to overcome uncertainty in business and life by taking advantage of resources.