TEDxNorthviewHS is bringing voices to Northview students and beyond.

Rachel Everett, Staff Writer

TED talks are a staple throughout the world; a place where speakers can share their ideas with others. Many people dream of speaking at a TED event. TEDxNorthviewHS is giving a voice to those who want to showcase their talents. 

TEDxNorthviewHS all started when license and chief organizer, sophomore Christie Peng, watched a TED talk and wondered about what it would be like to have a TEDx event in the Johns Creek community. Thus, she sought to acquire a license for the event.

“You had to make your own website and detail why you wanted to apply for this license, and how you would contribute to your community by starting a TEDx event. And the whole process took about seven weeks,” Peng said.

Applications were sent out to fill the speaker positions. The TEDxNorthviewHS had plenty of applicants to choose from, some even from outside the Northview area. These speakers then began a mentorship process with some of the officers of the TEDxNorthviewHS team. The process included a speaker and a member of the team working together on the speakers’ speeches, whether it be drafting it up or finalizing it. Mentors also aid in the performance aspect of the speech, working with speakers to discuss how they might present themselves or emphasize different parts of the speech.

“If you want to speak at TEDx you don't have to be a super, well-accomplished speaker, you just have to have those ideas. It’s up to the mentors to help coach the speakers through the process,” website manager sophomore Eileen Chen said.

Sophomores Joline Tran(left) and Christie Peng(right) are the licensee and organizers of TedxNorthview.

Photos courtesy of Joline Tran and Christie Peng

The mentorship process all leads up to the final event. The theme, Outside the Box, allows speakers to take the liberty to interpret it however they want.

“We encourage our speakers, and perhaps their audience, to think outside the box and reflect on something that they maybe don't have as much knowledge about or something that [is] pretty unique,” Peng said.

Many people think of TED talks as serious speeches about hardship and overcoming such obstacles. However, these speeches can encompass a variety of topics as the speakers give them with the purpose of sharing insightful advice, or possibly a new perspective on things. These events allow for new ideas to bloom and cause the audience to really think. This would allow them an outlet to give insight into ideas that may not have been heard before.

“TEDx is a place to showcase all these creative ideas in these wonderful speakers and let them truly express their thoughts on something that you've probably haven't heard of before,” Peng said.

TEDxNorthviewHS is not yet a school club. The leadership team wishes for it to become one in hopes of opening it up further to the Northview community. This would allow for more speakers and more frequent events.

“They're going to give us a new topic. And we're just going to try to find more speakers from Northview to participate,” licensee and co-organizer, sophomore Joline Tran said.

Looking into the future, Peng aspires to expand TEDxNorthviewHS further into the community. Though she first introduced it as a club at Northview and allowed more people to sign up and participate, her plan now is to encompass the whole Atlanta area and create a TEDxAtlanta for high schoolers and young adults.