Saint Peter’s University held its very first TEDx event, a daylong conference on “Future Utopias – Realistic and Sustainable Ways to Better Our Societies,” on March 21 in Roy Irving Theatre. Speakers from different fields including human rights, journalism, science and spirituality, presented their ideas and offered insight into creating and sustaining a peaceful world.
TEDxSaintPeter’s was an independently organized TED event organized by Saint Peter’s University students, who chose the day’s topic, selected the speakers, ran the program and more. Semiray Kasoolu ’13 was the organizer, and co-organizers were Prajwal Niraula ’15, Yanitsa Toneva ’13, Ivani Proano ’15, Shaoour Mir ’15 and Shailesh Khadka ’13. Faculty advisors were Associate Professor of Political Science Anna Brown, Ph.D., and Rachel Wifall, Ph.D., associate professor of English and honors program director. The program was sponsored by the honors and social justice programs.
“We are still infused with the day’s events and had a lot of fun organizing it,” said Kasoolu. “Our student organizers were great in making sure that things went well throughout the day. I found the diverse speakers tied by a common theme to be fascinating, and hope the students attending the talks felt the same way.”
TED is a nonprofit started in 1984 and devoted to ideas worth spreading. The TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. According to the TEDxSaintPeter’s mission statement, “Saint Peter’s University has a long history of being at the hub of important social, political and scientific developments. TEDxSaintPeter’s aimed at upholding this tradition and bringing it to the attention of a wider, international audience. TEDxSaintPeter’s also aimed to increase student involvement and interest in academic conferences.”
“I have watched tons of these talks online and I think they are great,” said biology major Michael Marmora ’13. “I was really excited to hear Saint Peter’s was running one.”
“My philosophy professor told us to come today because the talks relate to topics we’ve discussed previously in the semester,” added psychology major Rachael Fishbein ’14. “I think it’s great that students organized this event because it gives them a sense of independence.”
Rev. Robert Kennedy, S.J., author of Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit and Zen Gifts to Christians, began his presentation on “Zen and the Creative Artist” by utilizing hand-painted work from Zen artists and poetry from throughout the ages to explain the philosophy behind Zen, a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures. It emphasizes the attainment of enlightenment and the personal expression of direct insight in the Buddhist teachings. As such, it de-emphasizes mere knowledge of sutras and doctrine and favors direct understanding through zazen and interaction with an accomplished teacher.
“Indeed there is no orthodox Zen teaching,” he said. “There’s no Zen at all until you begin your journey step by step.”
Dixie Duncan, a CPA in WashingtonD.C. and executive director and founder of Wheels to Africa, spoke on “Changing the World: One Bike at a Time.” In her presentation, she detailed the history behind her organization and the impact it is making on the lives of those who are less fortunate in Africa.
“Wheels to Africa was started by my son when he was 10 years old and we went as a family to Africa,” Duncan said, recalling how her child came back home to the United States wanting to help the people he met in Africa, who – without funds for a car or bicycle – walk miles to obtain vital things such as food, water and medicine.
Wheels to Africa is a nonprofit organization whose principle purpose is to work with local youth, ages 10-18, to organize local bike collections and send the donated bikes to communities in Africa. The bikes are used to provide basic transportation for people to reach school, food, water and medical care. It also serves as a cultural and educational forum for children and youth to educate them on how their quality of life compares with the poorest world communities.
“Think about what you have done to put joy in somebody’s eye?” Dixie asked. “It’s a sparkle that comes and you can see it sometimes. That’s what makes this project wonderful. It gives sparkles in people’s eyes.”
Other speakers included William Gutsch, Ph.D., professor of the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Peter’s University, who spoke on “Utopias in Space”; John McCall, Ph.D., director of the Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics and professor of philosophy and management at Saint Joseph’s University, who spoke on “Business Purposes and Business Reforms”; Paul Levinson, Ph.D., professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University, who spoke on “Transmedia Transnational Video Journalism”; Walter Wifall, Ph.D., professor of biblical studies in the department of theology at Saint John’s University and a Lutheran minister, who spoke on “The Best Way to the Future: Realistic Biblical Studies”; Andrew Zwicker, Ph.D., a physicist and science educator, who spoke on “Creating a Star on Earth: The Path to Fusion Energy”; Yifat Susskind, the executive director of the international women’s human rights organization MADRE, who spoke on “Fighting the Poverty of Imagination: Building a Future That Has Never Existed”; John Ruppert, Ed.M., professor and laboratory coordinator for the biology department at Saint Peter’s University, who spoke on “Love: A Natural Sciences Framework with Social Applications”; and Simon Harak, S.J., Ph.D., professor of theological ethics and director for the Center for Peacemaking at Marquette University, who spoke on “Training Students for Nonviolence.”
Student organizers hope TEDxSaintPeter’s becomes an annual event, and look forward to more exciting presentations on future topics.