Story by Haley Stoklosa
The TEDx BellarmineU event returns March 15 for its sixth year and has the theme of “Community Resilience.” The seven speakers will dive into how and why communities become resilient.
Bellarmine Associate Professor and Director for Design, Art & Technology Dr. Shawn Apostel has organized and directed these events since TEDx BellarmineU started in 2018. The idea came from Apostel and then-student, Quincy Nelson, watching TED Talks together in 2012. Nelson suggested to Apostel that Bellarmine should have a TED event, so they started researching how to make their dream a reality.
Bellarmine communication instructor Angela Miller has been the co-coordinator of the TED event since 2018 when Apostel needed help setting up the first event.
“He handles all the licensing and helps guide the students to pick speakers, and then when it comes to the actual event happening, that’s when I come in,” Miller said.
Senior business administration major Gisela Martinez manages the budget and finances. She also recruits volunteers and trains them in their roles.
Martinez started with TEDx in her sophomore year just because she loved TED Talks.
“I went to see what it was all about. I turned out to really like the people and made great connections with them. I really like it a lot and it helped grow my skill set," Martinez said.
Apostel said this event is different from those of years past because there will be performances not just speakers. A few acts students can expect are bluegrass music, a world-renowned pianist from China, tango dancing, bourbon and coffee tasting and baby goats that guests can pet.
“It just gets bigger and bigger every year, and it’s really exciting to see,” Apostel said.
Miller said TEDx does not fall only under the communication department umbrella. Organizers need and welcome students from all majors. This year, they are working with students from the theatre and music departments.
“I'm excited to see the expansion from what could be just a communication club or group to being a university club," Miller said.
Martinez said she is excited to see the whole thing play out for her final year at TEDx BellarmineU.
“We have a lot of great speakers this year, and we’ve put in a lot of work. It's been a lot of hard work for everybody involved,” Martinez said.
Miller said students should consider getting involved because it looks good on resumes and helps them get jobs. The work the students do during the event isn’t just projects for an assignment, they are putting their work out into the community, she said.
“It catches people’s attention because Ted Talks are visible, and people recognize them. They know what those kinds of events entail,” Miller said.
There is a process that goes into students getting involved in TEDx BellarmineU. Apostel said students should attend the meetings and participate in helping with the event, then the group will allow them to be official members of the core team. The meetings are every Friday at 1 p.m. in the Fishbowl (BCCH 204) and are held throughout the academic year.
TEDx BellarmineU will take place from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Cralle Theater. Tickets start at $25, but students can use the promo code BU-SGA for a discount.
The 2023 TEDx core team celebrate after their event. Photo courtesy of TEDx BellarmineU’s Instagram.
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