TEDx youth came to Cherokee High School on November 7, allowing students and faculty to speak on ideas that they are passionate about. The event was held in Cherokee’s auditorium to 100 Cherokee students and other various guests.
According to TED.com, a TEDx talk is a showcase for speakers to present their ideas in under 18 minutes. These talks are under 18 minutes in order to demand the audience’s attention for a short period of time, therefore decreasing the chance of minds daydreaming or wandering. The “x” of TEDx Talk means that it is an independently organized TED event.
The TEDx event, Cherokee High School’s first, featured student, teacher, and administrator speakers. Seniors Noah Reyna, Lauren Taylor, Edward Tsui, Ashlynn Kim, Michael Garcia, Zachary Caskey, and Francessca Sicillia all took the stage to speak about topics that are important to them. Teachers Bethany Thomas and Kyle Davis and administrators Rodney Larrotta and Charley Ingham also spoke at the event.
The theme of the event, connect, allowed speakers to voice their ideas about how to connect with others through personal stories and varying allusions to pop culture. For example, Lauren Taylor discussed her battle with anxiety and how overcoming her fears allowed her to connect with herself and others around her. Edward Tsui dove into his own personal experience with the foster care system and how making connections is the most valuable item that a foster child could have. Moreover, Michael Garcia used an allusion to the popular tv show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” in his speech to describe his point to the audience.
“Today’s theme is all about connections, and this one touches close to home for me because I’m all about making connections. Making connections has made a big impact on my life and the person I am today.”
Marissa Lakes, TEDx Talk emcee and CHS teacher
This theme of “connect” was perfect for an event with an audience of high school students. These talks provided students with examples of different ways that the speakers had connected with peers, themselves, and the world around them. The TEDx event also allowed speakers to connect with the student filled audience in a deeper way than just saying “Hi!” to each other in the hallways.
As an audience member, this event was eye-opening. It allowed me to hear about more ways that I could better connect with others around me. Personally, I believe that high school is about making connections that will last a lifetime.
Overall the event was a huge success! But don’t worry, if you missed out because there is a high chance that Cherokee will host an even larger TEDx Talk next year!
Information on recordings will be made available soon.
THE WARRIOR WORD 