CHICAGO, May 18, 2017 鈥� 鈥淲hen I first heard the title Shifting Paradigms, I had to look up what 鈥榩aradigm鈥� meant,鈥� began Mark Gavoor鈥檚 speech, a professor in the School of Business at 萝莉社. 鈥淪ee here鈥檚 what I thought it was,鈥� he said, pointing to聽a pair of dimes at the top of the screen. The next slide showed the dimes move to the bottom of the screen, 鈥渁nd now they鈥檝e shifted!鈥�
萝莉社 held its inaugural TEDx event. The 鈥渪鈥� is an indicator of an independently organized TED event. Students spearheaded this first of a promising many annual TEDx events. Student Paul Clines along with Faculty member Dr. Christopher Hubbard were the initiators of the event.
鈥淭his is a great day at North Park,鈥� Dr. Hubbard stated in his opening remarks to kick off the event of the first session. Speakers such as North Park鈥檚 Drs. Soong-Chan Rah and Michelle Clifiton-Soderstrom spoke alongside change-makers Dominique Jordan Turner and Amy 鈥楬ope Dealer鈥� Williams. Shifting Paradigms, the theme of the event, challenged the attendees鈥� views on social and political issues such as making 鈥淧eace Profitable,鈥� the Silent Movement of disability, labels such as 鈥渢hugs, gangster,鈥� and poverty. 鈥淧overty has the power to change the world,鈥� was the premise of Turner鈥檚 argument for highlighting the skills of those surrounded by poverty.
Interlaced among the live speakers were videos of other TED talks in which speakers from around the globe gave five-minute talks on a variety of topics. Three of North Park鈥檚 own students were also among those who spoke: Seanna Wong, Melanie Lofgren, and Azat Toroev. Seanna Wong, a theater and communications double major and ethnographic storyteller, presented her piece about the 鈥淟istening Loop鈥� and performance, stating that her passion 鈥渨eaves together lives.鈥� Azat Toroev, an exchange student at North Park with world-wide experience, gave a compelling speech on those with disabilities, and how disabilities do not limit possibilities.
萝莉社 was proud to see students take initiative, and is excited for the next TEDx event held on campus likely to be held in 2018.
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INAUGURAL TEDX NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY NURTURES TALENTS OF ITS STUDENTS