Students produce TEDx event at Connecticut College
TED is coming to Connecticut College.
A group of Connecticut College students organized and will host TEDxConnnecticutCollege on Saturday, April 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Evans Hall of Cummings Arts Center. A reception will follow.
TEDx events are offshoots of the popular TED conferences hosted by the nonprofit organization of the same name. TED's slogan is "Ideas Worth Spreading," and the two annual TED conferences bring together many of the world's leading thinkers to deliver what TED calls "the talk of their lives." TEDx gives communities the same experience on a local level.
Manuel Jimenez '12, one of the organizers of TEDxConnecticutCollege, said, "We aim to provide a platform where the smartest thinkers, greatest visionaries and most fascinating teachers will be inspired and will have the opportunity to inspire others in our community. Our conference will be centered on the theme of 'Rethinking Progress.' The diverse group of students, faculty, alumni and members of the community who will make up the audience will be able to learn from one another, both as speakers and as participants, and will leave the conference driven to creatively improve our collective future."
Jimenez and the other student organizers received permission from TED after submitting their proposal and list of speakers, which includes an extreme sports photographer, a sustainable food entrepreneur, a cancer researcher, a non-verbal theater group, an architect and a filmmaker.
Three faculty members are also on the program: - Eugene Gallagher, the Rosemary Park Professor of Religious Studies, will speak about American religious culture and millennialism - Afshan Jafar, professor of sociology, will speak about women's bodies - Lawrence Vogel, professor of philosophy, will speak about the origins of modern progress.
"TEDxConnecticutCollege is an example of the creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity that a liberal arts education at Connecticut College fosters in students," said Jimenez. "And it is not just a conference; it is an experience that aims to immerse all participants in a continuum of conversation, introspection and action. TEDxConnecticutCollege will serve as a catalyst to spark discussion on pertinent issues in our communities, both local and global."
College sponsors of the event include the Connecticut College Sustainability Grant, Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts, Office of the Dean of the College, Student Government Association, Student Activities Council and the departments of Government, Economics, Philosophy, Art History, Biology, Anthropology, Education and Asian Languages and Cultures. Other sponsors include Campus Pizza, Muddy Waters Café and private donors.
To view a trailer for TEDxConnecticutCollege, click here. And for a complete list of speakers and other information, visit the TEDxConnecticutCollege website. Tickets are $20 and are available here. The event is open to the public. To view other events on campus this month, visit the Connecticut College calendar of events.
April 9, 2012