WFU to host TEDx ‘Hearts & Minds’
Wake Forest students are very entrepreneurial in their thinking and their activities. A few years ago, they started TEDx events on campus – these are local versions of the TED Talks you might have seen on YouTube.
The organizers of this year’s event wanted parents and families to know about TEDx ‘Hearts and Minds’ for two reasons – 1) to invite you to attend if you are able, and 2) to encourage your students to take advantage of this exceptional lineup of speakers. Their formal press release is below and it includes information about how to register.
To go back to one of my favorite analogies – Wake Forest is like a wonderful smorgasboard buffet. The more bites you take of all we have to offer, the richer your experience is. If your student hasn’t tried TEDx, maybe it’s time to take a spoonful and put it on the plate?
— by Betsy Chapman
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Wake Forest University will host TEDx, an independently organized event licensed by TED, on Feb. 21 from noon to 5 p.m. in Wait Chapel. The student-organized event will feature thought leaders ranging from the CEO and founder of an online therapy site to a best-selling author exploring the intersection of technology and health.
Nine health and wellness speakers will present TEDx talks, including:
Larry Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health
Al Vernacchio, a sexuality educator, former TED presenter and author of “For Goodness Sex: Changing the Way We Talk to Teens about Sexuality, Values and Health.”
Jennifer Pharr Davis, long-distance hiker, author and 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year.
Wake Forest Hall of Famer Hunter Kemper, a four-time member of the USA Olympic triathlon team and the most decorated U.S. triathlete in history.
A complete list of speakers is available on Wake Forest’s TEDx website.
Registration and tickets for TEDxWakeForestU 2015 are available online. Tickets are $10 for the general public, $5 for non-WFU students, and free for Wake Forest University students, faculty and staff. Registration is required to attend.
“The theme ‘Hearts & Minds’ represents innovative thoughts surrounding the health and wellness field,” said senior student organizer Katie Franklin, Director of Publicity. “All of us will be able to relate to issues the speakers will address, and I am so excited that these ideas will be shared with the Piedmont-Triad community.”
The TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level.
“The really powerful contribution of TEDx talks is not just each of the talks themselves, but the interplay of ideas between the talks,” said Polly Black, assistant vice president and director of Wake Forest’s Center for Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship. “This enriches the experience exponentially.”
Visit the TEDxWakeForestU 2015: Hearts & Minds website, like the Facebook page and follow @TEDxWakeForestU #TEDxWFU2015.