University hosts first TEDxMHK event; invites video challenge participants
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University will fuel human existence at the first TEDxMHK, an independently organized TED event.
The event — with the theme "Fueling Human Existence" — will bring together the university and community to discuss technology, science, creativity and sustainability.
TEDxMHK will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union. The event will be simulcast in the K-State Alumni Center. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at tedxmhk.org. Tickets for the live event are $3 for students/military members and $5 for members of the public. The simulcast will be free of charge, but a ticket must be printed from tedxmhk.org.
TEDxMHK will include university and community speakers on topics such as climate change, Ebola, electric vehicles and children's literature. Each speaker will present for 18 minutes or less on a relevant topic.
A team of Kansas State University students partnered with the Union Program Council and the Office of the President to bring the TEDx event to Manhattan. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to ideas worth spreading, and TED Talks combine video and live speakers to spark discussion and connection. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.
"We are having the first TEDxMHK so people from our community can enjoy and experience the TEDx atmosphere where 'ideas worth spreading' will be shared," said Márcio Goncalves, 2015 doctoral graduate in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Brazil, and the TEDxMHK curator. "The local community has so much to share regarding fueling human existence through top-notch knowledge related to technology, agriculture and science. Uniting these ideas at a central event allows this knowledge not only to spread regionally for those present, but also worldwide through the Internet."
To encourage community involvement, event organizers are holding a TEDxChallenge. University and community members can submit ideas that have potential to change workplaces, communities and the world. The winner will be invited to share his or her idea as a TEDx talk at TEDxMHK. U.S. residents of any age are eligible to participate.
Idea submissions must include:
• An original idea in the form of a two to three minute video posted on YouTube.
• A clearly written summary.
The YouTube link and summary must be sent as a message to the TEDxMHK Facebook page by 11 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7.
"We would like to hear thought-provoking ideas that articulate how our society is to continue in the future among generations with changing perceptions of 'fueling human existence' or, science, technology, social dynamics and food production," said Corey Carpenter, doctoral student in animal sciences and industry, Manhattan, and one of the event organizers. "The TEDx challenge gives our community members an opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas on a platform that has the potential of reaching people outside the immediate boundaries of the community."
For more information about the TEDxMHK event and the TEDxChallenge, visit http://www.tedxmhk.org/ or www.facebook.com/TEDxMHKpage.
About TEDx — x = independently organized event: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED — TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes or less. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.
The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Vancouver, British Columbia, along with the TEDActive simulcast event in nearby Whistler. The annual TEDGlobal conference will be held this October in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world get help translating their wishes into action; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self- organized TED-style events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
