Nine members of the GPS TED Ed club presented their speeches to family and friends Friday
Nine members of the TED Ed club wrote their own TED scripts and presented them to family and friends, demonstrating their skills in essay writing and public speaking.
In its third year at GPS, TED Ed has been a club for girls interested in viewing TED talks by people in a range of fields and in writing their own TED scripts to deliver them before club members who offer advice, critiques, and encouragement.
Members of the club presented their TED Ed talks to an audience of friends and family on Friday. After a welcome and introduction by TED Ed founder and president Anna Shaw, nine members demonstrated their skills in public speaking, delivering thoughtful and humorous essays.
The talks began with Nadia Herrera drawing comparisons between people and otters, who, she noted, teach themselves, use tools, and care for one another. Next, Leighetta Sherrill drew upon the piano as a metaphor for life, noting that both “take practice.” Sarah McDougal celebrated Isaac Newton, an inspiration and dreamer.
Effie Rustand’s talk was about social media and its control over one’s feelings of insecurity; Samantha Jackson’s thoughtful presentation spoke of culture and the color of one’s skin. “The sunset, in all its various hues, is seen as perfect,” she said, before asking why the hues of skin color can’t be seen the same way. Rebecca Torrence presented advice on how to have a conversation with someone of a different political persuasion that is polite discourse and that seeks to understand the other’s view.
Procrastination was a topic made funny by Emily Wu, who said, “We can always depend on it to ruin our lives.” Jayden Doan questioned the power of censorship, and Lindsey Wyatt spoke of her desire to tell people’s stories, in particular the things people don’t say.
The TEDx event (the x meaning that it was independently organized) gave credence to the words of TED CEO Chris Anderson, who said, “The only thing that truly matters in public speaking is not confidence, stage presence, or smooth talking. It is having something worth saying.”