Bates to explore ‘transformative power of difference’ at TEDx event

Michelle Pham '15, Shamreen Fatima '16 and Daniel Oyolu '15 have organized TEDxBatesCollege.

Michelle Pham ’15, Samreen Fatima ’16 and Daniel Oyolu ’15 have organized TEDxBatesCollege.

Inspired by a phrase from the Bates College mission statement, eight Bates students will address the concept of the “transformative power of our differences” in the college’s first homegrown TED-style event at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, in Schaeffer Theatre, 329 College St.

TEDxBatesCollege is open to the public at no cost, but because of limited seating, tickets are required. Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/tedxbates14.



For more information, please contact co-organizer Michelle Pham at mpham@bates.edu.

“Every day, we see our classmates, professors and other members of the Bates community,” says Pham, of Vancouver, British Columbia. “But you rarely get to know someone else’s story. This is a great opportunity to hear those stories on a much deeper level.”

Developed in California 30 years ago, TED presentations are driven by short, engaging presentations on trending themes. (“TED” stands for “technology, entertainment and design.) Bates was the venue for a TEDxDirigo event in 2012, but TEDxBatesCollege is the first such program originated by members of the campus community.

Pham is organizing it with Samreen Fatima, a junior from Karachi, Pakistan, and Daniel Oyolu of Houston.

Bates College adopted a new mission statement in 2010. Central to the four-sentence text are these words: “With ardor and devotion . . . we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action.”

“It’s a stimulating and challenging idea to think about as members of communities and of an evolving and changing society,” says Pham. “So many people at Bates have riveting, unique experiences. The TED model is a great platform to share those ideas comfortably.”

Here are the eight students who will speak at TEDxBatesCollege:

Jalen Baker is a junior sociology major from Lancaster, Texas. In his discussion of the “transformative power of our differences,” he will draw on his personal experiences to underscore the importance of putting this concept into practice, and will examine factors that prevent us from being transformed by each other’s differences.

Julian Bardin of Madison, Conn., is a junior double-majoring in politics and studio art. Describing himself as “fascinated with working at the intersection between digital media and business to create products that positively affect people’s lives,” he will discuss the entrepreneurial ventures he has taken on and what they have taught him about engaging different people.

Allen Kendunga is a Bridge2Rwanda scholar and first-year student from Kigali, Rwanda, who plans to major in politics. Her TEDxBatesCollege talk, We Are All Rwandan: Lessons from Rwanda’s Post-Genocide Renewal, will offer insights from that nation’s history of ethnic division, the 1994 genocide and the civic transition of the past 20 years.

Olivia Krishnaswami of Seattle is a senior women and gender studies major. She was co-founder of a business, Sarifold, that empowers disadvantaged women in rural India by selling scarves that they make. Her TED talk will address the power of stories to shape behavior and culture, particularly around issues of race, gender and sexual trauma. This talk contains topics that may be triggering for survivors of sexual violence.

Akachukwu Obi is a senior studying chemistry and mathematics. Now a Lewiston resident, he grew up in Nnewi, Nigeria. After Bates, he plans to get a doctorate in chemistry and teach at the academic level. Exploring paths to self-knowledge through writing, his TED address is titled What childhood taught me about personal identity.

Phathutshedzo Rambau is a sophomore from Morebeng, South Africa. A 2013 graduate of the African Leadership Academy in Honeydew, South Africa, his TED talk will be about entrepreneurship and the challenges of bringing projects from idea to implementation.

Max Silverman of Tarrytown, N.Y., is a junior with an interdisciplinary major that combines sociology, politics and education. The founder of the Bates chapter of Active Minds, a national organization dedicated to raising campus awareness of mental health and stigmatization, Silverman will devote his TED talk to this topic, underscoring the importance of understanding mental illness as biological.

Cody Tracey is a senior Spanish major from Baltimore who is particularly interested in men’s engagement in feminist movements. He will discuss his summer 2013 experiences with the Men’s Initiative, a branch within the organization Jane Doe Inc., and his creation of a discussion guide — or “Guyde” — aimed to create thoughtful dialogue among boys and men around issues of sexism and hurtful behavior toward women.

Categories BatesNews
Tags