Talking TEDx

TEDx Halifax, part of the independently run off-shoot of the legendary, cerebrally stimulating "TEDtalks," had Dalhousie students and community members roaring with laughter, wide-eyed with curiosity and stomping along to banjo-slinging poets Sunday.

TEDx Halifax, founded and curated by Dalhousie student Greig Oldford, was held at Dal this year with the Dalhousie Student Union as the chief sponsor. Organizers gathered a plethora of inspiring speakers in the McInnes Room to share inspiration and insight on a wild array of topics, ranging from Dalhousie microbiologist Patrick Lee's talk on utilizing viruses as anti-cancer agents, to biologist Hal Whitehead's look at the language of whales.

The engaging and diverse talks were also interspersed with musical performances by local music names and some of Dalhousie's own student songsmiths.

"TED provides a couple of format specifications – you need to have 25 per cent video content from TED, sessions need to be an hour and a half long, things like that," says Jamie Arron, DSU vice-president of student life and one of the coordinators of the event as well as its co-host. "But ultimately, they're really hands off and it can be incredibly free-form and creative. We decided to take advantage of that.”

The event attracted dozens of volunteers, friendly students with smiling faces and bright red shirts peppering the crowd.

Making knowledge accessible

"TEDx is a great initiative," says volunteer and Dal student Rob Ironside. "They make higher learning much more accessible. They stream all of these amazing talks, they let you connect with people who are the top in their field that you otherwise would never get to see speak.”
    
Dubbed "Connections Can," this year's TEDx Halifax was, indeed, all about connecting, whether that meant exploring remotely accessed medical technology used by Dal neuroscientist Ivar Mendez, analyzing the amount of connection you may have to a certain cup of coffee with the founder of Two If By Sea, or delving into ourselves and exploring loneliness and the human condition.

"People think we're a have-not place," said opening speaker and multi-instrumentalist Julia Feltham about her native Nova Scotia. "We've been poor for so long, people forget how rich we really are as a province. We're the education province, supposedly, but the scariest thing to do is try to live our dreams." She then snapped together her cello and serenaded the crowd with a soaring provincial elegy, the rich timbre of creaking timbers and frozen, rope-pulling fingers.

Exploring the human condition

There was a rich dichotomy of humor and hardship throughout the talks; the playful and comic Dalhousie duo George Woodhouse and Uytae Lee lead the crowd in a lovely guitar and ukulele singalong about the many connections in life, contrasting with the heavy-handed catharsis of author Kate Inglis' harsh, yet beautiful exploration of her experiences as a bereaved mother.

"We try to find connections, we try to find people with similar difficulties, we seek empathy," said Ms. Inglis of her situation. "It's both horror and wonder intertwined... I had to write my way through it. You have to immerse yourself in the guts and bones and marrow of it all, it's a horrifically difficult but illuminating journey.”

Student presenter Sagar Jha. (Devin McLean and Randal Tomada photo)

The latter section of the talks, "Inspiration," was composed almost exclusively of Dalhousie students, a choice which Mr. Arron says was a no-brainer.

"When you book these big names for talks, they always deliver great material... but you expect it, you know they're great. We had the idea of getting students, even first-year students, to speak, because then you get to see real passion and real inspiration. They have something to prove.”

True to Mr. Arron's words, the crowd was roaring in applause for student Sagar Jha as he paraded his passionate beliefs—half slam poetry, half inspirational mantra—ferociously around the stage. "We are gifted and cursed with inspiration," said Mr. Jha. "But remember, fires spark new fires. You didn't miss your shot. We just need patience."
    
Closing out the talks, banjo poet Old Man Luedecke's "follow your heart" storytelling and dulcet tones had the crowd relentlessly stomping along. "Take your heart's candle and re-light it / don't let them take the joy you make on your own," he sang, and the crowd understood exactly what he meant.
    
For those seeking to relive the enlightening experience or for those who are bummed about missing their chance to soak in inspiration and unforgivingly witty banter, fear not, for TEDx Halifax will soon have all the talks uploaded for your streaming pleasure.