Seven speakers from the faculty and student body of Walla Walla University will present on Monday, April 11, at 5 p.m. for TEDxWallaWallaUniversity. The theme of the event will be Turning Points.

TEDx is the official independent brand of TED, a global interdisciplinary conference that seeks to propagate “ideas worth spreading.” Universities, cities, and grassroots groups around the world obtain licensure from TED to hold these independent conferences, which are recorded and submitted to the TED network of presentations. More than 2,000 talks can be viewed for free at TED.com. TED has featured multiple Nobel Prize winners and former U.S. presidents. Speakers have a maximum of 18 minutes to present their ideas. The same rules will apply for the seven speakers at TEDxWallaWallaUniversity. The WWU event will also feature two recorded talks from a previous TED conference.

“Our theme of Turning Points reflects the fundamental nature of ideas,” said Justin Dietel, senior mechanical engineering major and TEDxWallaWallaUniversity student coordinator. “A change of perspective can’t happen without having an idea. A cultural, technological, or scientific revolution can’t happen without first having an idea.”

“My hope is to create a platform for the university community to become inspired and motivated to think about the big pictures and new ideas that will change their community and to realize that anything can be improved upon,” Dietel said. “Amazing things can happen when people are unified, impassioned, and dedicated over an idea. I am so thrilled to be able to organize a TEDx event at my university, as this is an awesome way for people to share their passions and also get inspired.”

TEDxWallaWallaUniversity will take place on the Donnie Rigby Stage (Black Box) in the Canaday Technology Center from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and will be available beginning Tuesday, March 29, at 3 p.m. To secure a seat, patrons must complete a form that will be available at wallawalla.edu/TEDx on March 29. Fewer than 100 seats are available.

TEDxWallaWallaUniversity topics and speakers

How the Isolation of Chronic Illness Changed My Perception of the Social Media Community
Madeleine Boyson, junior history major

My Struggle with Authentic Identity Expression on Social Media and How I Solved It
Acacia Chan, senior biblical languages major

Suffering In Silence: The Emotional Abuse of Men
Timothy Golden, professor of philosophy

Welcome to Failing Gracefully in a World Content with Mediocrity
Katherine Heinrich, junior history and English double major

Why We Don't Appreciate New Information
Linda Ivy, professor of psychology

What You Should Know Before Your Next Volunteer Trip
Heather Ruiz, junior communications major

The Art of Alone: Intentional Solitude
Niqolas Ruud, freshman theology major

Eat Different. Be Different.
Forrest Sheperd, freshman health science major

Read more about each presenter at wallawalla.edu/TEDx.

Posted March 14, 2016