It’s the time of the year when deadlines are fast approaching and motivation to get work done is fast deteriorating. But after spending Saturday at TEDx listening to fellow students tell stories about causes they’re passionate about and experiences that changed their perspective, I left feeling inspired to get my own life together and live a little more boldly.
The day started out with the presenters challenging us to leave ordinary questions like “What’s your major?” “What’s your faculty?” “Do you live on campus or commute?” behind, in favour of “What inspires you?” What are you passionate about?” “What drives you to get out of bed in the morning?”— which seems like a bit much to ask upon first meeting someone, but at a “sharing new ideas” conference I guess that’s what you do.
The interdisciplinary conference featured talks on every subject — from environmental conservation and social justice, to community connections and technology. Students spoke about projects in technological innovation breaking the glass ceiling of the tech industry and using cryptocurrencies to breed and trade one-of-a-kind CryptoKitties.
Many more shared stories of how they learned something about themselves through traveling to a new place or working for a cause they believed in. One student even deconstructed UBC Confessions to show how online forums can foster a sense of belonging to a community.
Keila Stark, a fourth-year Marine Biology and Political Science student and speaker, shared her passion for environmental advocacy and ocean conservation on the TEDx stage.
“I really love the TED setting because it’s more conducive to storytelling,” she said, explaining how she spent a lot of time “crafting the language” to convey her main ideas in a story format that would leave an impact.
According to Stark, giving a talk is not as intimidating as it may seem.
“If you think you have something worth talking about you should apply,” she advised. UBC teams up with TEDx every year, so there’s plenty of time to mould your passion into an inspirational talk — with memes being a confirmed, valid option.