Do you know TED? It stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. TED events are kind of like conferences that center around talks from any of those three categories. Talks are 18 minutes long or shorter, focused on “Ideas worth spreading.” From their website, “TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world.”

TED allows communities to organize their own TED events, called TEDx. “The TEDx Program is designed to help communities, organizations and individuals to spark conversation and connection through local TED-like experiences. At TEDx events, a screening of TED Talks videos—or a combination of live presenters and TED Talks videos—spark deep conversation and connections at the local level. TEDx events are planned and coordinated independently, under a free license granted by TED.” Students at Columbia College Chicago came together this academic year to spark their own TEDx event, and after months of planning and preparation and rehearsal, TEDxColumbiaCollegeChicago allowed eleven speakers and five performers the ability to speak and work on a TED stage. Dozens of Columbia students helped to pull off the event. I was asked to be one of the speakers.

The event was an amazing opportunity. I talked about storytelling and how we use stories to show ourselves and our vulnerabilities so that we may allow others access into our shared human connection and create good communication and inroads for empathy. From other presenters, I learned about crowd-sourced ideas and why it’s important to get science into the hands of third and fourth graders, specifically girls, because we are losing out on training future scientists. I learned about starting a revolution by planting carrots and about healing from trauma and depression.

The ideas were there. Columbia’s TEDx event showed that artists are thinkers and are movers and shakers in this world. It showed are ability to be innovators and creative problem solvers. If you didn’t have a chance to check this out, there should be links to different talks soon. I encourage you to check this out next year!