On Feb. 16, UNC will host its annual TED Talk Conference: TEDxUNC. The conference's mission is to spread ideas and allow communities to engage in the TED Talks program.
UNC students, faculty and speakers from around the country will give short talks on a topic of their choice. TEDxUNC will take place in CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio, with different sets of speakers at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to attend either show, but not both.
“TEDx is a platform to share ideas that have the potential to alter how we live our lives as individuals and function as a society,” said Moss Rerkpattanapipat, UNC student and TEDx speakers search committee member.
All speakers will give their own interpretation of the abstract theme: flow.
Sophomore Valentina Arismendi, one of two selected undergraduate student speakers, said flow is an undefinable topic.
”I think that's what makes it a great TED theme, because you can come at it with so many different perspectives and define different versions of flow,” Arismendi said.
Arismendi, a media and journalism and psychology major, is speaking to help humanize immigrants by explaining how stories are told about them, following her experience moving to the United States from Venezuela. She said it is a very good feeling to be chosen as a student speaker and to feel like people want to hear what you have to say.
Ryan Lawton, UNC senior and the other selected undergraduate speaker, said giving his TED talk would be a final step to culminate his four years. He will be talking about “imposter syndrome” and how many successful students often feel as if they are unqualified for opportunities.
“Not only are you getting students from the campus to speak, which is two of us every year, but you're also bringing in professionals and people who have worked in their field for years," Lawton said. "They come to this campus presenting what they're passionate about, and the passion shows."
