Today@Sam Article
Third Annual TEDxSHSU Event Sets Minds Ablaze
Oct. 31, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd
On Oct. 9, Sam Houston State University hosted its third TEDxSHSU event, which featured 15 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, faculty, alumni and Bearkat community members discussing an array of topics. The carefully-curated speaker series sought discussion ideas that would center around this year’s theme, “Ignite.”
“When we considered the theme being 'Ignite,' we thought of the ways that one idea can ignite someone’s passion for changing the world,” TEDxSHSU Co-Director Paul Eaton said. “One idea can change our communities in ways that are going to be really impactful because you never know what sparks are going to come off of that one idea.”
As part of the program’s talent search, students, faculty, staff and members of the community apply to present on a topic of their choice. Desirey Delara, an Elliott T. Bowers Honors College student and criminal justice major, titled her presentation “Erasing ‘Why Don’t You Leave?’ from Domestic Violence Conversations.”
Delara was introduced to the possibility of presenting her knowledge when she attended Francisco “Paco” Usero Gonzalez’s discussion on assisting bilingual learners with dyslexia during last year’s TEDxSHSU event. After experiencing for herself how ideas can change minds, she decided to speak on her experiences supporting women going through domestic abuse.
“I worked at the Montgomery County Women’s Center during my internship last year, but that wasn’t the reason I wanted to talk about domestic violence,” Delara said regarding her choice of discussion topic. “My mom went through domestic violence when we were growing up, and I thought it was a really unique story to use because she didn’t leave.”
In her talk, Delara was able to connect her mother’s story to some powerful advice she received from her internship mentor. She and the other volunteers were told that their purpose at the shelter was not to sit back and tell the women seeking aid to leave their situation, but to provide them the support and resources that they need as they work up the courage to leave on their own. When the time came to prepare her speech, Delara knew that she wanted to pass the wisdom her mentor imparted to her onto those attending her TEDxSHSU discussion.
While domestic abuse is already a difficult topic to discuss, Delara was faced with a great challenge, presenting her information without the support of notes or a teleprompter. To prepare for the daunting task, Delara and the other speakers started a rigorous six-month preparation process that would involve conceptualizing, crafting and condensing their speeches. After refining their talks, the orators were then tasked with memorizing their final scripts.
This process involved one-on-one coaching as well as speaker circles, where all of the speakers and their coaches would come together, listen to one another recite their speech, then provide feedback. What makes these discussions unique, according to Eaton and his fellow TEDxSHSU Co-Director Renée Gravois, is the equalizing effect of getting feedback.
“All speakers are equal in a speaker circle,” Gravois said. “This means that students participate alongside faculty, staff and community leaders. Everyone supports each other in developing and presenting their best talk.”
Delara was initially intimidated at the idea of presenting alongside professors, but after attending her first of four speaker circles, she was pleasantly surprised to see how valuable her input was to the people she learns from. During the event itself, the speakers’ status as equals was unmistakable as they seamlessly transitioned from one well-crafted speech to the next. What stood out to Delara, as well as the co-directors, was the joy that radiated from the speakers as they left the stage to roaring applause.
“One of the things that leaves people feeling empowered is the fact that when we get to the part of the process where they have a final script, their talk is perfected. Then we tell them they have to memorize this verbatim,” Eaton said. “Everyone thinks there is no way that they can memorize a 15-minute talk then recite it on stage, but they all do it because we have supports in place. We know how to help people get to that place, and once they do it, they feel as though they can do any of the things that they set out to do.”
As the cycle of preparation for TEDxSHSU begins again, Eaton and Gravois hope to increase involvement not only across campus but from the greater community as well. To do so, they plan to market the event in Houston, Bryan, Madisonville and other surrounding cities.
On top of expanding the reach of their marketing, the TEDxSHSU team hopes to livestream future events to meet prospective viewers wherever they may be. The idea for livestreaming is influenced by the group’s aim of providing greater access to the event for those who are unable to attend in person.
“The impact of TEDxSHSU goes beyond the day of the event because when these talks are posted online, they get seen by people outside of the university community, which can present endless possibilities to our speakers,” Eaton said. “When the speakers post about their experience, I see them use words and phrases like ‘growth,’ ‘transform’ and ‘pushed myself out of my comfort zone,’ and it’s been great to hear that from their own perspective.”
Delara is no exception to the seemingly life-changing effects, as someone aspiring to work in the FBI, she feels that tackling such a mountainous task has set her up for future success. Following her experience, she is advocating for her fellow students to take the same leap and apply to present at TEDxSHSU.
“I think participating in the talks is really important because you get to find your voice by doing it,” Delara said. “The impact that it left on me was I found my voice and my confidence. It also gave me even more passion for what I want to do in the future and made me feel like I am cut out for the line of work that I want to do. So I feel like it’s really important for students to join in doing it because you never know what you’re capable of.”
TEDxSHSU is supported by its title sponsor, The Elliott T. Bowers Honors College, and numerous partners across campus. A full list of partners and more information about this year’s speakers can be found on the TEDxSHSU website.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.
TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues. In addition to the TED Talks curated from our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed) and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages and distributed via partnerships around the world. Each year, thousands of independently run TEDx events bring people together to share ideas and bridge divides in communities on every continent. Through the Audacious Project, TED has helped catalyze more than $3 billion in funding for projects that seek to make the world more beautiful, sustainable and just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net-zero future, and in 2023 TED launched TED Democracy to spark a new kind of conversation focused on realistic pathways towards a more vibrant and equitable future. View a full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives.
Follow TED on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X.
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