Talk the ‘TIC Is Back on Campus!
Ron Sweeney – DC Student
Talk the ‘TIC is coming. To some, those few words are enough to cause sweaty palms, nervous twitches, and butterflies in stomachs. Sadly, to many, it means absolutely nothing. What is Talk the ‘TIC, you ask? Simply put, it’s a contest showing how well you really understand and communicate chiropractic. Arguably, participation in this contest is just as important, if not more so, than sitting for your National Board exams. How can that be, you ask? Talk the ‘TIC forces you, the participant, to take a good, hard look at yourself and ask the question, “How’s your health talk?”
Talk the ‘TIC was first conceptualized by Dr. Erik Van Slooten in November, 2006, following an incredibly vivid dream. He dreamt a student was on stage, passionately sharing the principles of chiropractic with an audience of thousands. Even though he was only a student himself at the time, Van Slooten recognized this dream for what it was—a call to action. He knew that he and his fellow students could rekindle the understanding of the importance of the chiropractic lay-lecture. As he pored over ways to bring students together, he came up with the idea of a health-talk competition. And thus, Talk the ’TIC was born. I believe Dr. Van Slooten says it best—“Talk the ‘TIC is a beautiful story. It’s a story of dreaming, believing, creating, organizing, and delivering. It is the story of a student, a chiropractic brotherhood, a student body, and a multitude of institutions. Indeed, it is a story that is being woven in to the fabric of the chiropractic profession, perpetuating a conversation that joins together students and practitioners, associations and organizations, past and future generations.”
Over the last five years, Dr. Van Slooten has worked tirelessly alongside his brothers in ΔΣΧ (Delta Sigma Chi, chiropractic’s oldest professional fraternity) to share this competition with every school that wants it. Currently, approximately 15 chiropractic schools around the world participate in Talk the ’TIC on an annual basis. Last year, nine schools participated, with each sending a finalist to Parker University in Dallas, Texas. Among the nine was Life University’s Mackenzie Hubert, who represented Life with passion and verve, but was beaten out by Julia Pinkerton of Life College of Chiropractic West, Magalie Lefevre of Palmer College of Chiropractic Iowa, and Derrell Pratt-Blackburn of Parker University. In addition to the accolades of victory, the top three contestants took home cash prizes: $500, $1000, and $2000 for third, second, and first places, respectively.
Following the registration and informational meeting, scheduled for May 15, the competition consists of three rounds of single-elimination presentations, carefully graded by a panel of judges. Successful participants move on to the next round, before one finalist from our school will be chosen to represent Life University at the grand finals, this time being hosted by Life College of Chiropractic West in Hayward, California August 3-4. The schedule for the events is as follows:
Informational meeting & Express Registration — May 15-11am C125
1st Round — May 23, 7:30pm
2nd Round — May 24, 7:30pm
Local Final — June 2, 8:00pm-Ampitheater
National Finals — August 3-4
Event coordinator Ben Rubinstein has successfully reached an agreement with the administration to have the local presentations take place on campus. Not only does this make it more convenient for students to participate, but it provides the rest of the student body with the opportunity to watch their colleagues hone their craft. Please contact Ben Rubinstein for more information, using the Facebook group “Talk the ‘TIC 2012”. In the meantime, sketch out your ideas, get started on your PowerPoint or Prezi presentations, and get ready to bring your A game!
