TableTalk podcast host wants to 'combat Penn Face' in new season

TableChat, a podcast from TableTalk Penn that aims to promote candid conversations about student life, is set to resume in the spring with Wharton freshman Derek Nhieu as the new host.

While the podcast initially aired last spring, Nhieu is revitalizing it after a hiatus this fall. He plans to host weekly episodes featuring primarily student guests from various communities, clubs, and backgrounds on Penn’s campus. Nhieu, who is also the Class Board 2023 president, said he wants to bring a new focus to talking about challenging topics such as mental health and adversity. 

“I want it to be something for people to share their stories, get people talking,” Nhieu said. “But not just that, I also want to use it as a tool to combat ‘Penn Face’ around campus.” 

TableTalk Penn, the Penn branch of a national organization aimed at fostering conversation within college campuses, is one of the first TableTalk chapters to host a podcast, College senior and TableTalk Penn co-president Dan Hayes said. 

Hayes said he initially launched the podcast last spring when he was looking to add a new, innovative component to TableTalk Penn. Previously, the group had focused on activities such as speaker events and themed discussions with different campus groups. Hayes said he hosted five episodes of the podcast last spring through live broadcasts on WQHS Radio and the TableTalk Facebook page. 

“I really wanted to expand the reach of TableTalk and get more students to know what the organization did and what the mission of it was,” Hayes said. 

Hayes said once he became the co-president of TableTalk Penn, he was no longer available to continue hosting the show. Wanting to continue expanding TableTalk’s presence on campus, he sought out a new host. Hayes said Nhieu's large reach on campus and enthusiasm about TableTalk's mission made him the perfect choice. 

Nhieu said the release date for the second session is not yet confirmed, and the list of Penn community members who will appear on the show is not yet finalized. While the show’s time slot is not yet confirmed, Nhieu said it will probably air on Tuesday evenings. 

“I want the podcast to be a place where we can have genuine conversations that really showcase the best of people but also the worst of people," Nhieu said. "I want [guests] to show people the adversities they’ve faced, the problems people have overcome, and also not overcome, and that it’s ok not to be perfect all of the time.”