While some of us basked in the sun on Memorial Glade, explored the various booths and activities on campus or took on the slip ‘n’ slide at a frat on Cal Day, others attended the annual TEDxBerkeley conference. The conference is a speaker series independently organized by the University, welcoming over 1000 students and faculty for an entire day at Zellerbach Hall. Inspired by TED Talks, this year’s speaker events, entertainment components, and discussions were organized around the theme “Catalyzing Change: Pioneering technologies, fresh thinking and new ideas that will foster creativity and action around the world.”
Speakers at the event ranged from professor to entrepreneur to economist to chef. Speakers engaged the audience in three different sessions respectively named “Dream,” “Create,” and “Impact.” Speakers covered a variety of topics including online education, consumption of organic foods and internal change.
Notable speakers included UC Berkeley’s very own Alex Filippenko who spoke on the expansion of galaxies and Ananya Roy, UC Berkeley professor and founder of the ever popular global poverty and practice minor, who spoke in regards to poverty and our notions of it.
Aside from open discussions and speaker series, the day was chalked full of live entertainment including the women’s acapella group, the Golden Overtones, pianist Victoria Theodore, light show Ambience and choreography by Yaelisa.
The event has been help on campus since 2010, and we can’t wait for next year.
Sources: http://www.dailycal.org/2013/04/22/tedxberkeley-2013-explores-themes-of-innovation/