We often lose the value of our classes at their end simply because we’re thrilled with the fact that they indeed are ending. We don’t need to settle for the “delicious desserts” we encounter this season. Our desserts in this case are mediocrity and complacency.
Rather, we can pursue the delicious chocolate cake that is excellence and greatness, and TEDxPhoenix gave me the opportunity to witness that.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to volunteer at TEDxPhoenix, held at the Mesa Arts Center. TED —Technology, Entertainment, and Design — came to be in 1984 with a simple aim to spread ideas.
Since then, TED has become a worldwide network of innovators, engineers, entrepreneurs, artists and individuals with ideas deserving of acclaim. Each year a global conference, TEDGlobal, brings together concepts and world-shakers that could steer the global population into a more empathetic direction.
TEDxPhoenix — the ‘x’ represents an individually organized TED event — was much of the same. The theme of the evening was ‘_____ for a change.’ Of the 19 speakers, no appeal for change was alike.
Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz encouraged the evening’s attendees to merely look up at the night sky.
Rick Guidotti, who spent 15 years in Paris as a photographer for fashion magazines, spoke about his company Positive Exposure.
Taking a permanent break from the world of fashion, Guidotti takes photographs of individuals more deserving of the limelight. His clients are diverse, ranging from albinos to children born with cleft palettes.
Needless to say, the inspiration was an electric charge that swept through the lobby and auditorium of the venue. The TEDxPhoenix event ended pleasurably, as the guests and evening’s speakers mingled while enjoying cake.
Gatherings such as these are representative of the potential each individual has within their grasp. Do not settle for the mediocre fruitcake, when we can seek out more mastery and virtuosity.
The reality of our situation is that students here at ASU, and across the nation are inherently given a multitude of chances to spur a movement of their own—no matter what shape it may take. Considering the diverse group of youngsters in New York taking part in Occupy Wall Street, along with those at the local Occupy Phoenix — the message of the moment, or the season, is to change something.
Study for your finals with vigor and greet your distant relatives with utmost care. Don’t let the little things in life get you down. Worry about larger issues, like leaving a mark on the world. Never miss a chance to start a crusade of your own. Have some cake.
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