From Internet radio to the apocalypse, Ithaca College’s first ever TEDx event had a little something for everyone. After what was to become the national TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference began as a one-off session in 1984, TED is now held annually with speakers such as Jane Goodall, Al Gore, Bono, and Bill Gates sharing “ideas worth spreading.” In the last few years, TEDx conferences, independently organized TED-like experiences, have sprung up across the country. The college’s event last spring, organized solely by three students, brought together 16 speakers including students, alumni, faculty, and community members.

Highlights of the TEDxIthaca College Events

• “Xbox Apocalypse” by Rachel Gray ’15 and Rachel Wagner, associate professor of religion

• “Waking Up To Your Wonderful Life” by Michelle Courtney Berry, principal and CEO of Courtney Consulting Enterprises, LLC

• “Click Here: Blended Learning and the Future of Education” by Monique Markoff, lecturer in the Department of Education

• “Spreading the Conversation about Mental Health: Break the Silence with Vulnerability” by Aileen Tartanian ’15, a student in the physical therapy program

• “Growing Local Music,” by Doug Turnbull, assistant professor of computer science

• “Town-Gown Transformative Action: Community Unity Music Education Program” by Nia Nunn-Makepeace, assistant professor in the Department of Education

• “Rethinking the Student Body,” a talk about research on college students with disabilities, by Mary Bowers ’13  

View more videos from the IC TEDx event