“There’s been a terrific increase in interest this year” -McMillan
Jacqueline Perlin
Assistant News Editor
@jackieperlin
The world-famous TEDx talks are about to begin their second round at York.
The Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) Conference is set to take place March 10 at York’s Glendon campus.
The talks are part of a number of globally-occurring conferences that are owned by the private not-for-profit Sapling Foundation, which began in 1984 and aims at addressing a number of issues within science and culture.
“There’s been a terrific increase in interest this year,” says Ross McMillan, one of the co-curators of the event.
McMillan adds that the event has already received many more applications from students eager to participate in the talks than the 100 spots available.
Some of the speakers set to present at York include a student talking about her research on domestic violence and aboriginal women, and a York vice-president presenting his take on how universities are changing to meet the demands of the future. Past presenters in the talks include figures such as Bill Clinton and Bill Gates, though they were not at York campus.
All speeches fall within the overall theme of this year’s conference, “Impact Matters.” Speakers are encouraged to highlight their stories about making differences in their communities.
Ross calls the event a “one day symposium,” where participants will spend the entire day listening to the twelve speakers and watching two performances.
“It’s really a cross-section of the York community,” says McMillan, who notes that organizers are looking to cultivate an audience from all walks of life that can not only attend, but also engage in talks with other participants who they would not normally interact with.
The last day to send in an application is February 29. For those unable to attend in person, the event will also be streamed online.
