This weekend, Aggies can get a glimpse into the diverse backgrounds of College Station through stories from unique members of the university and community.
On Sunday, the TEDxTAMU event titled “Gradient: Different Backgrounds Blending Together to Create Something Beautiful” will host 16 speakers in Rudder Forum beginning at 9 a.m. Sponsored by the Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow, the conference includes four sessions that each include four different speakers from the Texas A&M or College Station community that were nominated and selected for their unique perspective. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased online through the MSC Box Office.
There will also be a performance in each session by A&M entertainers. The performers include Apotheosis, Aggie Wranglers, Salsa Fusion Latin Dance Company and Fade To Black. A gallery near the reception area will showcase the top 12 winners of the TEDxTAMU art contest, in which the artists created what they believed represented the word gradient.
Engineering freshman and member of the Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow Kayla Lotz was on the committee that selected the title of the conference. She said the event is a chance for students to delve into other’s worlds and learn from their experiences.
“Different life stories can impact the way you live your life, your beliefs and how you see the world,” Lotz said. “For students at such a formative point in our growth and exploration of the world, gradient is a theme that can help us have a broader perspective of the world and even our fellow peers at Texas A&M.”
Conference director and chemical engineering sophomore Andrew Hebert said the intimacy the audience experiences during the event is what makes TEDxTAMU so impactful for students.
“Coming to TED is something that would really supplement the students’ education here,” Hebert said. “Most of the time we don’t get to witness people expressing their ideas in front of us — especially in a forum where you’re five feet away from the speaker. You really get touched by that.”
Finance freshman Morgan Bush plans to attend one of the sessions and said the event allows participants to understand a point of view that they may not have previously considered.
“I chose to attend TEDx because I think it’s really interesting to hear people whose perspectives may differ from your own,” Bush said. “[The speakers] challenge you [to] think about the different situations people grew up in and how that’s affected who they are today.”
According to Hebert, the event is intended to represent the diverse values that A&M has and inspire students to share their perspectives.
“People going in, watching these talks, understanding these values and ideas, and going out and spreading their own is the most valuable thing,” Herbert said.
For more information on the TEDxTAMU conference, visit tedxtamu.com.