10 days of TEDxUNC aims to increase student involvement

The second TEDxUNC conference is only one month away, and this time around the organizing committee is getting creative in order to have a greater student presence in Memorial Hall.

The student-run committee responsible for the event has planned a “10 Days of TEDxUNC” campaign that co-director Mackenzie Thomas said will increase both the hype and momentum leading up to the event. This year’s conference theme is “Common Threads.”

Thomas said the campaign was planned as a response to the enthusiasm about the student speaker contest that was organized last semester, in which students competed to speak at TEDxUNC. Videos were submitted by 37 students.

“We had no idea we would gain such a wide following,” Thomas said. “It’s tough for us to think of our limits, which is exciting and scary in a good way.”

The festivities are a mix of events beginning with a photo contest, which started taking submissions Jan. 1.

Competition winners will receive tickets to the actual conference in February, Thomas said.

Mysha Sissine, the photo contest organizer, said the winner of the photo contest — and possibly some runner-ups — will also be featured in a slide show at the conference.

“Our criteria for the photos is that ‘wow’ factor,” she said.

There is also a Twitter hashtag challenge, an Instagram photo challenge, and a spoken word competition — all of which are aimed at increasing student involvement, Thomas said.

“We’re giving students the chance to get tickets through unconventional ways rather than just online clicking,” she said.

Thomas said she hopes to showcase as much student participation as possible from these events.

“Any way, shape or form that we can incorporate the ‘10 Days’ into the actual conference, we will,” she said.

Junior Chex Yu, student speaker event coordinator, said the committee wanted more student representation at the conference to showcase what the University has to offer.

Yu has attended Yale University’s TED conference and helped organize TEDxBeijing but said that of all those she has attended, UNC has had the highest standards.

She said the finalists for the student speaker contest were so impressive that they could probably put together a conference all by themselves.

Thomas emphasized that the opportunities the committee is offering are great for student involvement.

“Students can see their friends get up on stage and give some of the best performances of their lives,” she said.

“It’s TEDxUNC for a reason,” Yu said. “We have to show that this represents Carolina.”

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