On December 1st, TEDxIroquoisRidgeHS hosted its second TEDx event, with the central theme of Rejuvenation. 11 speakers took to the stage, delivering speeches on a wide range of concepts, from anxiety and communication to climate change and innovation. We had the opportunity to interview the executive team behind the event, who worked tirelessly to make it possible. Below are the questions we asked, as well as highlights from various answers.
What was your favourite part of organizing this event, and why?
“Watching it come together. We weren’t really expecting much at the start, but once it got going, it was a very nice feeling.”
“Interacting with experts. We had a photographer, tech support, a videographer, and more all bringing their expertise. We had the opportunity to shadow professionals who were very supportive to us. We also had a connection to a food truck, which was very generous and handled feeding guests and speakers. It involved a lot of reaching out to community partners and everything came together in the end. A lot was happening at the last minute.”
“Most TEDx events are done at universities, businesses, and other large entities, so it means a lot that we were able to get TEDxIroquoisRidgeHS going. We started planning in April, received support from the school board, and applied to TEDx in order to get a license to do the event. Now, we have the intention to run it on an annual basis.”
“From a teacher advisor’s standpoint, seeing the development of the executive team and their leadership skills was a highlight for me. They stepped up, they were on top of things, and they developed skills for event organization. It was very fulfilling to watch.”
The TEDx executive team. From left to right: Anisa Ali, Vivaan Chugh, Rushil Dutta, Nikhil Khosla, Kabir Bedi, Amrik Bal, Julia Kacarevic, and Ms. Patterson.
Which speeches were your favourite/the most inspiring to you, and why?
“Aasha Khan’s speech about how to have a constructive conversation. After being isolated during the pandemic, this was so timely.”
“Rainaa Kanabar spoke about surrendering to our discomfort. She had some challenges during her performance and was able to overcome them, essentially surrendering to her own discomfort.”
There was also a general consensus across the team that Blake Fleischacker’s speech was one of the most engaging.
Many people have said that public speaking makes them nervous. What are some benefits of public speaking and writing a speech?
“It comes down to practice. Doing TEDx is a way to develop skills and it gives you the opportunity to get better. It teaches you what you need to improve on.”
“Public speaking builds your confidence as a human being, knowing that you can express your opinion and have a constructive conversation, that people are listening and hearing what you have to say. Overall, practice makes perfect.”
More Details
TEDxIroquoisRidgeHS aims to run every year, and represents a significant opportunity for everyone involved. Details about the most recent event can be found at https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/50543. Below is a list of the speakers and their topics, in alphabetical order:
Neu-Anne Burke
Adulting 101 - By bringing light to topics ranging from sexual education and anatomy to healthy relationships, we can rejuvenate the things we’ve never truly learnt.
Emily Elliot
How do you truly know if it is time to quit? In order to feel rejuvenated, you need to make unpopular decisions and follow your inner voice rather than outer noise.
Blake Fleischacker
How to become more memorable - Relationships are the cornerstone of life, but sometimes people get forgotten. Every relationship in your life can be rejuvenated simply by making others feel seen, noticed and remembered.
Lorraine Jordan
How to unleash your Superpassions - Learn how to access the power that will rejuvenate your goals, dreams and bucket list items.
Janna Jorgensen
Are you having the impact you want? A tiny shift in perspective, energy and attention can rejuvenate your life and the lives of those you seek to impact.
Rainaa Kanabar
Surrendering to our discomfort - Achieving success comes from leaving our comfort zones and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Aasha Khan
How to have a constructive conversation - We must be willing to let go of our fears, understand each others’ perspectives, and engage in difficult conversations, so that we may rejuvenate our social discourse to help build the foundation for a brighter tomorrow.
Monica Laurence
How to be predictably lucky - Stories about Monica’s life in Fiji to demonstrate how to predictably create lucky outcomes, accelerate your impact and experience true rejuvenation.
Caleb Lo
How our mindsets contribute to a lack of innovation - The rejuvenation of the world and fighting global problems, is iterated by the way we think.
Yandan Ma
How to save the world: a step-by-step guide - Discussing the effects of climate change, fossil fuels and industrialization, as well as providing a simple guide on how we can make a difference.
Raymond Zhu
Self improvement, rejection, and masculinity - Sharing his inner struggles with masculinity, internet culture, and self-improvement, and his subsequent journey towards reaching a healthy new and “rejuvenated” ideal.
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