Ideas Worth Spreading

23 October 2018Amelia H, Allard ‘20

TEDx’s motto is, ‘Ideas worth spreading’ and that is precisely what the students of Brentwood heard at our TEDx on Saturday. For those who have never had the pleasure of experiencing TED, it is series of talks organized by a non-profit organization which strives to share ideas on a variety of topics through a series of fascinating, albeit short, talks. In an effort to spread this amazing organization even further around our small globe, Brentwood independently organizes its own TEDx conference, known as Brentwood TEDx. This was our fifth consecutive year. On one Saturday morning of the year students excitedly miss classes, get all dressed up in our Western Business attire, and head down to our beautiful Bunch Theatre. Ten speakers, from students, to teachers, to alumni, and even including some non-Brentonian experts, all shared their passions with us in one incredible morning. The true power of these talks is not only the facts they present to us, although that is also impactful, but also the emotion of the speaker. With a theme as broad as ‘Impact’, it was evident that all the topics were chosen with authentic enthusiasm for the subject. Not only that, but also genuine expertise. This produced diversity within the topics that guaranteed no person in the audience was left uninterested. From student Grant D’s experiences with communication, and the importance thereof, to alumni Sharon Shelby’s talk on anxiety, we experienced tonal shift after tonal shift, with the only consistency being the promise of a well-researched and wonderfully-executed talk. Lulu J, our Head Prefect, spoke eloquently on the cultural benefits of a diverse society, saying that we should “Take advantage of the opportunity in front of us to have a conversation about where we all come from and how it all matters”, which resonated especially with us who have the incredible opportunity to live in such a diverse community. At the end of the day, whether it was a newfound outlook on climate change, or a deeper understanding of noise pollution and killer whales, every student left with having had, at the very least, a small epiphany. Amelia H, Allard ‘20

Where Students Choose To Be