The ‘Ears of East’ podcast club allowed me to apply various skills and gain more skills through an exposure to a variety of topics and developing the ability to articulate ideas. I worked on various kinds of topics and even got to lead a conversation on Environmentalism and Eco-fascsim. Joining the podcast club was a very meaningful experience for me in terms of applying my knowledge about an academic area that interests me and learning new ways of expressing myself. The biggest hesitation that I had before joining the club was my lack of experience in verbally articulating my thoughts.
As I listened to people talk about issues that they were passionate about and did my own research to strengthen my views, I became more confident to do the same. It was important to be surrounded by people who genuinely wanted to learn more about other issues, as it acted as a motivation for everyone else to share their ideas. The most valuable aspect was that all our ideas were welcome and validated. There was a space for everyone and the environment was a safe space for sharing thoughts. All of our skills complement each-other well, some of us preferred writing, some preferred speaking and everyone had the opportunity to choose their roles.
I decided to challenge myself and speak as much as I could. Through my experience at ‘Ears of East’, I hope to bring forward my ability to embrace challenges and my confidence to be able to do well. I have learnt the value of communicating and most importantly, communicating well. It is a necessary skill in the field of politics for people to be able to understand and implement your ideas. It also adds credibility to your ideas and ensures that you know your subject of discussion well enough to explain yourself.
