This year marks the ninth TEDxSUU hosted by The Speech and Presentation Center at Southern Utah University. Focused on bringing people together to discuss ideas, the TEDxSUU motto is Ideas Worth Spreading.
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. According to TEDxWinterPark it is described as “a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world.”
Since its inception, it has focused on bringing people together to share ideas and grow as a community.
This year’s TEDxSUU had 4 speakers who work with and around SUU.
The first of which was Jonathan Holiman, an assistant professor in the Communication Department here at SUU. His TED talk was named “Tell Me Your Story.” He encouraged the audience to be more curious.
“When was the last time you showed up to a conversation ready to wonder?” Holiman said. “Curiosity takes what you thought you knew and opens up a whole new world of discovery.”
Next, SUU Photographer Asher Swan took the stage to give the audience a glimpse into the world of photopsychology. He shared how photos don’t capture emotions, but instead generate them.
“Images reveal truths that sometimes we don’t always have a language for,” Swan stated. He issued an invitation to the audience to stop the next time they look at a picture and think, “What is this image trying to make me feel?”
The third speaker, Michelle Lambert, SUU Director of Concurrent Enrollment, spoke about the power of seconds and time management. She related to the audience the moments in her life where she realized she could be better with her time.
Lambert offered small bits of advice, including “time is far more flexible than we realize,” and “small actions repeated over time compound and result in significant change.”
Finally, Madison McBride, assistant director of health and wellness, closed the event with a talk on suicide prevention. She referenced the popular play ‘Every Brilliant Thing,’ which showcases the main character finding the small joys in life after the attempted suicide of their mother.
She challenged the stigmas that suicide has in culture and asked the audience questions on how they felt when she brought up the subject.
“It takes courage and curiosity to find a new way to look at things, especially suicide,” she added.
Jonathan Holiman was asked about his opportunity to speak at this year’s TEDxSUU and noted both the challenges and benefits of doing it.
“I’d like to say, it’s just one of those things that you work really hard for, and when the event is over, you think to yourself, ‘I can’t believe I actually did that’,” he said.
Author: Jake Palmer
Editor: Fanny Felixine
Photos by Jake Palmer
life@suunews.net
