“If I know you, how can I possibly hate you?”

Six years ago, a group of brave souls came together to birth Irvine Talks. Founded on the idea of human connection, Irvine Talks shows us how important it is to connect through our shared experiences; it’s a night where student performers come together to share their stories, whether that’s through speaking, showing their art, poetry, or singing. Our hope is for you to find pieces of yourself in every story you hear, to take these stories with you wherever your life takes you, and to take a chance on the idea behind Irvine Talks. With the chaos that encompasses our lives, we rarely take a moment to pause and think about the small moments in our lives, the ones that define who we are, but we keep hidden. It's the moments when we’re on a car drive by ourselves, when we’re up late talking to a person we love, or when we listen to music that makes us feel some sort of emotion, that define our human experience. 
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The past six years have been about exploring what it means to Be Human, sharing our Perspectives, describing Movement, taking a step back for Reflection, uncovering the invisible Pieces of You, and discovering who you are Becoming. This year, our theme "Embrace" prompts you to reflect on the intricate dance of life that pushed you to be who you are today. We hope you dig deep and find past stories that mean a lot to you, and show how your story helped you evolve to be what you are now.
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Irvine Talks Ch. VII Board