TEDx takes center stage
November 8, 2017
The inspiration of TED Talks has extended its reach to Diamond Bar High School, as the Wellness Center will host its first independent TEDx event on Nov. 28.
The talks will be given in the theater during periods one through six, with two to three speakers per period. Not all classes will be able attend, so teachers can sign up on a first come first serve basis.
Teachers will have the choice to sign up according to the topics they would like their students to hear correlating with the subjects they teach.
Student tryout sessions ended earlier this week, and final decisions on which Brahmas will speak will be made late this week.
“We always do some kind of fall event that promotes some aspect of wellness, so I was trying to think of something that would be a little bit different,” Wellness Center coordinator Sandy Davis said. “I use TED Talks all the time when I’m teaching; I really find them engaging and quick and informative, so I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we got students to talk about their passions and how it connects to wellness?’”
The event is to replace last year’s week-long Respect Matters campaign hosted by the Wellness Center. According to Davis, she hopes these talks will pave a path for students other than peer counselors to be involved in promoting mental and social health at school.
A variety of topics may be presented in the talks, as long as the message encompasses wellness. Besides the content of a speaker’s message, confidence is also a key factor in selecting the student speakers. According to Davis, the talks should also be engaging and rouse student interest.
While the topics have not yet been determined officially, a few potential subjects which students have tried out for include overcoming fear, identifying with one’s emotions and teen dating. If the talks exhibit potential in being an event that enough students seem to be interested in, it may be hosted again in future years. However, this is not the first time TED-inspired talks have come to DBHS.
A group of students on campus have been hosting TEDx Talks for the past several years, independant from the Wellness program.
“I wish I had known so I would’ve contacted them first,” Davis said. “This is an experiment; we’re hoping that we meet our objectives of getting more people included and starting to shift the paradigm in the thinking that wellness is just about eating right or just about physical wellness when actually, it’s important to be balanced, because not only will you be able to be a better student, you’ll be able to have healthier relationships.”
