On April 10th, the highly anticipated annual event, TEDxUISG, went live in action. TEDxUISG has gradually become a meaningful tradition among the UISG community members. Every year, TEDxUISG provides a platform for students, teachers, or any welcoming individuals to share unique and inspiring ideas, experiences, insights, or scopes into their stories.
Every year’s TEDx carried a wide spectrum of themes. Just Push Play” was the theme for this year’s TEDx event, reflected by the speakers in unparalleled narrative. The four speakers this year featured a combination of teachers and students: Mr. Martin Grist and Mr. Lance Yurt; Colin Seo from Year 10 and Peisen Ye from Year 11. Each and every one of them demonstrated extraordinary oratorical skills and collaboratively rendered a spectacular and immersive experience for the audience.
The first speaker who kicked off the event was Mr. Martin Grist, who is also the head of secondary at UISG. He deftly played out his speech in reference to the stereo buttons, building a strong response to the theme “Just Push Play”. He tapped into each stereo button: record, rewind, play, pause, and fast forward; explaining the profound significance of each to him at different stages in life.
Following Mr. Martin Grist, the house had PeiSen Ye from Y11. Peisen’s presentation centered on his nuanced speculation of the human mind. He began his speech by placing a strong emphasis on a rather insightful statement: A person’s mind is not exactly equivalent to his or her brain. Peisen incorporated multiple scientific discoveries in psychology. He particularly mentioned a famous case of a Neuroscience patient Phineas Gage, and successfully linked Gage’s story to the focal point of his presentation. At last, Peisen concluded his presentation with an appeal to the audience – an invitation to “push play” in embarking on each’s self-discovery journey through practicing a healthier and more meaningful lifestyle.
Resumed from an intermission, Colin Seo from Y10 rose to the stage and continued the show. Colin brought up his past memories in his Korean hometown Paju, where he spent 11 years before moving to Guangzhou. He traced back to his early years in Korea as an introverted kid, who feared to build connections with his peers. He then panned the camera to his life after moving to Guangzhou with his family, which he described as “a big challenge for me because I spoke no words of English, and I was very shy…” He began showcasing his personal growth by listing a multitude of accomplishments here at UISG, including mastering English as a foreign language, winning as a year representative, and giving a speech to the whole community to run for the school president. His story told with his most genuine expressions, not only evoked waves of laughter but also encouraged every listener to step out of their comfort zones, embrace challenges, and “Just Push Play”.
Last but not least, Mr. Lance Yurt was called to draw a conclusion for the event. Mr. Yurt demonstrated incredible oratorical and presentation skills in his incisive discussion of the idea of “gratitude”. A combination of logical reasoning and personal experiences reinforced his statement, prompting the audience to reflect on themselves in the context of gratitude. Mr. Yurt brought up several examples throughout his life, which he described as meaningful experiences that deepened his understanding of gratitude. The speech was concluded with Mr. Yurt’s final invitation to the audience to “push play” in abandoning the arrogant idea of entitlement and practicing gratitude to the people and world around us. What a compelling and inspiring speech!
TEDxUISG 2024 was truly an unforgettable experience shaped by all the talented speakers, operation crew, and present guests!
“TEDx was a wonderful opportunity not only for the speakers but also for the audience and the organizing crew to recognize the moments that we “push play” on the stories we wish to create for ourselves and for the world around us. Let’s carry on the spirit of TEDx wishes us – a spirit of curiosity, courage, and inquiry. The 2024 TEDx crew looks forward to seeing you all again next year, albeit with a different crew, but shared spirits!”
Anna Oh (Y11) | Co-Leader of TEDxUISG 2024
Photography: Betty Zhong (Y10) & Lucia Chen (Y11) & Caroline Lambert (Y9)
Written By: Toby Cheng (Y10)
Edited By: Elaine Li (Y11)
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