On 9 March, the LSESU TEDx society organised their annual event that brought together people from all walks of life to spread ideas that are making waves in the society, in the hope to inspire others to disrupt things in a similar vein and bring about positive change.
The event encouraged people to think about issues that hold importance currently, from music and climate change, to gender balance and the internet. The eight speakers who were lined up, coupled with the video stream and an A Capella performance, all contributed to making the event truly LSE-style, where people left the room inspired but also curious.
The event started off with Laura Coryton talking about her journey of fighting for the tampon tax through petitions and the power of the internet. She emphasised why the idea of power needs reimagining and how the internet can help bring that about.
Following suit, Angela Muruli talked about issues surrounding gender based violence and the ways in which marches and local networks can help the movement. Focusing on individual women and their struggles, her efforts have proven to bring forward positive results. Thomas O’Neill brought to light the issue of deliberate destruction of the planet by people in power and how people on the ground level can mobilise and prevent that from happening. A general theme of issues relating to power and how that can be addressed through the internet, emerged.
Rafe Offer shared his story and how he discovered his love for music and founded a company that appreciates music and gives importance to listening. His idea is revolutionary in today’s age where music tends to become a background noice, he reiterated. Moving from music to creating business, successful entrepreneur Jamie Bolding, discussed why the way we receive advice from other people should change to have more of a positive impact on us.
TEDxLSE is really a catalyst for bringing about that change in our perspectives and making us look at things in ways we have not thought of before
Equally talking about career, Dina Bayasanova pointed out how we need fresh ways to present our resume. “All of these talks were very thought provoking and what I liked the most was the diversity in the discussions,” said Ana from the audience.
What really made the event stand out were the two student speakers at the event. Earlier this term, the society held an undergraduate and postgraduate-level competition that would allow two people to be selected to speak at the event. Arzucan Askin was the undergraduate winner who talked about her passion for dance, and how the power of dance can address the pressing issue of climate change. The postgraduate speaker Ali Amhaz, studying Organisational and Social Psychology, addressed the issue of self help books generalising solutions to complex problems. He emphasised the importance of critical engagement with such texts. These two talks by the young ideators really stood out for everyone present.
Benjamin, an MSc student was really intrigued by the talks, and said “TEDxLSE is really a catalyst for bringing about that change in our perspectives and making us look at things in ways we have not thought of before.” All in all, the event was a great step towards inspiring young minds at school and spreading ideas that are worthy to be talked about.
Words and image by LSE Social Media Ambassador Yashi Jain