Photo Courtesy of Sabin Shrestha
Hailey Nelson
News Editor
From within the confines of day to day life, educated minds are pushing the boundaries of perceived normalities in 2019.
On Oct. 26, TEDxISU provided those inclined an opportunity to listen to various speakers at the Stephens Performing Arts Center. This conference’s theme was “2030. Where are we headed?” and a live stream of the day was shown at the Bengal Theatre for those who did not attend the event in person.
Katie Wright, co-organizer of the event, said in an email to the Bengal that she felt “very fortunate” to have been part of the behind-the-scenes planning with each speaker.
“Their ideas shaped my perspective, which is truly what TEDx is about,” Wright said.
Many speakers discussed fear as a barrier between daily interactions and societal progression.
Olivia Ngadjui, a doctoral student in Idaho State University’s counselor education and counseling program, repeated an oft-used quote that states “fear is false evidence appearing real,” which the word “fear” itself is made an acronym for.
Ngadjui talked about the perceived boundaries of culture, and how great things can come of those who venture past fear, or false reality, to create connections with different types of people. Others spoke on the importance of not allowing fear or shame to get in the way of general understanding.
Ritesh Yadav, organizer of the event, said in an email to the Bengal that the goal of the conference was to inspire. A variety of people volunteered to speak, which eventually lead to a lineup of speakers vibrant in their difference of culture, opinion and background.
“All ideas are unique in their own way,” Yadav said. “Our diversity explained it.”
Designed for progressive minds, TEDx Talks open opportunities for local people to speak out on issues facing communities across the world. TED’s general motto is “ideas worth spreading.”
“I want to give our community a global stage to represent the ideas we have worth sharing,” said Yadav.
Throughout the conference, ten different individuals spread their perspectives, experiences and educational findings into the ISU community. President Kevin Satterlee, Alex Bolinger, Adam Velasquez, Tori Force, Shannon Fox, Cameron Staley, Evan Rodriguez, Princess Young, Liz Beuker and Ngadjui all presented their carefully-constructed ideas, proposing change and inspiring action among audience members.
Organizing so many different speakers as well as incorporating performances and breaks into one day at ISU was no easy feat, but Yadav and Wright did not do it alone. In addition to the speakers, local sponsors, coaches and managing teams were all involved.
“There is no end to the help we received,” said Yadav. “For the first year, I was surprised we were able to pull off such a great event.”
Education, connection, and interaction were all common themes throughout the presentations, showing that this TEDx conference inspired common goals among the ISU community. Though the community may be diverse, unison and positive intention can be expected from ISU’s educated minds moving forward into the year 2030. The organizers said they expect that this will not be the last TEDxISU conference.
“The many brilliant and unique voices we heard from were just the start of an event that will hopefully stand the test of time,” said Wright.
