TEDxYouth@TampaBay a Celebration of Heroes
But TED and TEDx set the bar high, and for a neophyte TED fan pulling together a TEDx event for the first time – and in just six months to boot! – became a monumental task. But the TED experience – in large measure because of the TED community – has a remarkable way of taking on a life of its own, of becoming what people believe of it, and hope for it, especially if you keep the spirit of TED – the passion, the joy, the wonder and curiosity – at the forefront of planning. And so we went from an initial planning team of four people - to a team of seven, and from our slow start of one speaker – to a dozen, and from a half dozen interested participants - to over fifty, from limited media interest, to being featured on local community radio station WMNF. In addition to our wonderful event space at the New Port Richey Library, videography, stage and event art, graphic arts services and printing services were donated, as were event activities, like our green screen souvenier photos. Videography, which became our biggest Achilles heel, was finally wrestled under control and made beautiful and enduring, by volunteer Jon Adair, who spent two full days before the event – his vacation time no less! – working with Livestream to understand it and make the best use of it. Our event streamed beautifully, with no glitches, and within three days of our event – right before Thanksgiving - Jon had edited and uploaded all our video to the TEDx Youth YouTube channel. The only cost incurred was food – and so for $80, and on the kindness of dozens of wonderful people -we spent a remarkable afternoon being entertained, inspired and moved to action in the best TED tradition. Emcee Ghelder Arriaga, a librarian by practice, a devoted youth advocate by heart and soul, gamely managed everything from a gentle interview with our youngest presenter, 10 year old great ape advocate, Brandon Wood, to balky sound equipment, and infused the day with his warmth and graciousness. 23 year old Ray Land – a bit of a wild card presenter whom I’d tracked down online after reading about him in Bloomberg Businessweek, where he was one of the magazine’s top 25 Young Entrepreneurs – was our first speaker. After an uncertain start that left us all wondering where he was headed, Ray blew us away with a message about loving what you do, being light of heart and spirit, and giving the world your biggest, most heartfelt smile whatever you do, and set the stage for the rest of the day. Artist Bob Barancik, our oldest presenter at 60, showed us youth dwells in our hearts and minds, and mesmerized us with a blend of art and music that allowed us fresh perspectives on climate change. Ten year old Brandon Wood, soft-spoken but articulate, sincere and determined, opened with a moving video he’d created to encourage others to save our nearest genetic kin. Brandon had come to us even though he hadn’t been feeling well and had a fever, and then he stayed as long as he could and presented me with a beautiful tote featuring his own art and told us how much fun he’d had. Early breaks showed immediately that everyone “got” what we were doing. Speakers and audience members were talking, sharing, trading business cards and clearly interested in one another. Our next speakers, college students Dan Cannon and Eric Stewart, showed us two different ways of being the Change we want to see regarding Climate Change. Dan called for no less than a revolution of thought and political action. Eric called for us to make local, sustainable change, and later they talked and found ways to build on each other’s messages. Drummer Steve Turner with his partner, Dr. Jim Porter, of Giving Tree Music, provided a highly interactive anti-bullying presentation, providing each audience member with percussion instruments and we drummed and thrummed and rattled our way through a look at the rhythms of heart and spirit that unite us and should compel us to support and protect each other. And suddenly, a theme began to pull together – it was a thread that had begun with Ray Land, and was personified in young Brandon Wood, and was now given shape by the rhythmic ministrations of Steve Turner and Dr. Porter – We are not just the change we want to see, we are the heroes we need to make it all happen!
Dr. Porter highlighted research suggesting that possibly as many as 46% of youth will take the initiative to quell conflict between others with a word or gentle action. That means, he said, that almost half our work is done for us, and that there is a large population of peace makers already out there. We just have to unite and support them. TEDxYouth@TampaBay , it seemed clear, was doing just that. And a new energy filled our little space!
Long time youth activist, Joe Scarfone, urged us to see the strength in our numbers and the ways he, himself, has experienced the power of convictions to change things for the better. 20 year old college student, Andrea Willingham, shared five lessons she learned from living abroad for four months, at the age of 19. Among them, “Leave your valuables but bring your values”, “Stay positive,” and “Don’t just dream it, do it!” – urging youth to step out into the world, embrace it, experience it, learn from it and work to make it better.
Thirteen year old Mike Imbasciani, a Blues and Classic Rock prodigy, rocked TEDxYouth@TampaBay with renditions of Red House and more, sharing a bit of the history of American rock and Blues, and how it moves and inspires him. Mike’s skill on the electric guitar brought a few audience members to their feet, and one young listener to some cool air guitar moves.
Kelly Addington and Becca Tieder brought a more somber story to us, about sexual violence on college campuses, but made it a celebration of the power of one student – especially when the one student joins the voices and actions of many others. High school students Marc Romera and Brian Rodriques, both new to anything remotely like TEDx, were so fired up by the time their turn to speak arrived, that they looked like old pros. They came to speak about not giving into angst or despair, and about how young people can and should help one another work through life’s heartache’s, and not distance themselves from one another through cliques and surface differences. They turned the L on the forehead loser symbols, into the hearts we all share. And they, too, it turned out, were speaking of the power of “One Student.”
Beti Gathegi wrapped up our afternoon with an energetic and inspiring romp through a life well lived, urging us to act on dreams and interests, to live with curiosity and wonder, and to celebrate every moment. Don’t wait till everything is perfect to do something, she said, or you’ll never get anything done. Just do it!
I’m so glad we just did TEDxYouth@TampaBay. Everything wasn’t always perfect, and quite a few things were rough and tumble, but it was all fun and deeply inspiring, and the spirit of TED infused it all with the warmth and energy and camaraderie that seems to happen when groups of people who want to live with meaning and purpose in the world get together for an afternoon.
I remain enchanted, as I was by my first TEDx experience, with the way a central theme seems to emerge from an ostensibly disparate collection of talks. None of our presenters knew much, if anything, of one another before coming together at our event, and yet by the end of the day, they were all essentially talking about the same things – courage to live intentionally in community with one another, to follow our passions and support others in theirs, to be heroes in our own lives and that of others.
It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever had the honor of being part of, and it was immensely satisfying to create – like a wonderful living piece of performance art that only pleases the senses, but makes the spirit soar – just like all the paper dream planes we sailed into the room at the end of our event.
I can’t wait to see what TEDxYouth@TampaBay 2011 has in store! We’ll be continuing to act as an aggregate for youth news online, and a focal point for youth and those who work with them to connect and network to help empower youth throughout the Tampa Bay area and beyond. TEDxYouth@TampaBay has just gotten started!
Terri Willingham
