2020 Break Through Conference Recap

Hey TEDxErs!

We’ve just come back from the event that is the peak of our TEDxUTAustin semester, the culmination of all the planning and hard work that every single member and speaker has poured into this organization: the 2020 speaker conference. 

Hopefully, you were able to catch at least a glimpse into the wise words of our speakers and found something to take away from the talks, but if you missed it, fear not, because the recording of our event can be found here.

But perhaps you want a little more context about the event before you dive head-first into the recording. Perhaps you feel as though you have some background knowledge on each speaker before you listen to them share their wisdom. Well, that’s what we are here to give to you. So let’s get into the break-down of our amazing speaker conference.

The Theme

This is a topic that’s nothing new if you’ve kept up with our blog posts. Every year, the TEDxUTAustin team comes up with an overarching theme for the conference that each speaker’s topic is related to. The theme for this year was Break Through, seen as two separate words with a gap in between that visually symbolizes its very meaning. Break Through is all about breaking the status quo, shattering previously held expectations and perspectives to evolve and grow into a new person, a new era, a new mindset. Simply put, Break Through is the opportunity to shatter what you think you know, who you think you are, and where you think you're going. It is the answer to life’s questions and the solution to its biggest problems.

Performances

This year’s conference also included various performances that moved us to our core. They were unique and truly something that went beyond anything we could’ve imagined. Our performances comprised of:

[50:48] Creative Culture Dance Company : “To Walk the Moon” 

They shared their experience as a dance company in the middle of a global pandemic. When they were no longer able to share their usual space, they had to reimagine ways to connect and the film they provided fit perfectly into our breakthrough theme. 

[1:54:43] ComeTry : “Signs” 

ComeTry utilizes an energetic and exciting way of storytelling to provide audience members with various ways in recognizing various signs of depression. Their storytelling is the harmonious blend of performance poetry with stand up comedy to truly provide a memorable performance for viewers.

[2:18:43] Hypatia : “Ballroom Breakdown” 

Ballroom Breakdown pays tribute to the Southern ballroom scene, an underground LGBTQ+ subculture in which people “walk” for trophies and prizes at events known as “balls.” Ballroom breakdown highlights real people and performances to allow audience members to engage with contemporary queer culture.

If you’re interested in watching talented creators portray their perspective on their passions, be sure to check them out. You will surely not be disappointed.

Speakers

Now onto the main stars of the show: the speakers. Six amazing speakers, all with a unique twist on something we’ve probably heard or experienced before. All part of the Break Through movement of TEDxUTAustin.

Kelly Choi - Not Your Model Minority

It is difficult but necessary to get comfortable with critiquing the spaces where I am in. Kelly Choi, a junior at UT Austin studying Government and Creative Writing hopes to empower Asian American youth to show up for their communities and create change. She has had many difficulties as an Asian American and a member of the March for our Lives movement in 2018, a student-led demonstration in support of legislation to prevent gun violence in the United States. Despite the difficulties, she continues to show up and push forward.  

“Facing discomfort and trying to understand why something makes you uncomfortable is how we start to unlearn and dismantle the sugar coated version of this world we were taught in schools.” 

Maytal Eyal - The Mental Health Shift We All Need

We are experiencing a mental health crisis, and Maytal Eyal, PhD in Counseling Psychology, a trained therapist and certified yoga instructor tells us why there is a need to redefine how mental health spaces reintegrate themselves into our everyday society. After a striking experience in her research working with groups of exhausted elementary school teachers, she came upon the realization of changing systems rather than succumbing to them. She proposes the development of new dominant mental health models that are innovative, preventive, models that bolster and supplement what already exists. 

“The onus of mental health care cannot just fall onto individuals, it must fall just as much, if not more so onto our existing social environments.” 

Pooja Trivedi - Designing with Green Intention

Sustainability is becoming a more widespread practice as people are facing the realities of climate change. But there are still so many ways we fall behind when it comes to partaking in the green initiative. Pooja Trivedi addresses this lag in her TED talk, and encourages the audience to think of the recycling industry from the consumer and the engineer’s perspective. 

“Everything nature made is grown; everything man makes is assembled”

Timia Bethea - Why Should Your New Normal be Anti-Colorism?

Timia is an International Business graduate from UT Austin committed to social impact work that promotes diversity and inclusivity. She was a part of the color complex team with the President's Award for Global Learning to research on the extensive effects of colorism. She explains to us how the current definition of colorism is lacking two crucial parts: featurism and texturism. Through qualitative research, her team found that colorism is reinforced by everyday language and social encounters. Her personal experiences are sure to captivate and inform you about the reality behind this complex issue! 

“Colorism is not just this intangible thing that you can't see or feel, it’s real and tangible”

Michael Pyrcz - A Professor’s Secret Weapon

In this digital era, social media is no secret. It’s something we’re all familiar with, in some way, shape, or form. But Michael Pyrcz, a professor at UT, has been utilizing social media in a way to promote an open-door education system for his students. In this talk, Michael, better known as the GeoStatsGuy, discusses how open education and sharing knowledge on social media can help break down the barriers surrounding academia. 

“I can offer my students something beyond the semester.”

Oscar A. Lopez III - The Digital Divide

As we move increasingly towards incorporating digital platforms into our everyday lives, we may sometimes take access to the Internet for granted. However, in the midst of a global pandemic and the shift towards online learning and working from home, Oscar A. Lopez III, a native of Laredo, TX, reminds us that access to the Internet can pave the pathway of our future in a way that we may not think about. 

“For so many people, access to the internet is not a luxury. It’s the path towards socioeconomic mobility.”

We are so grateful for the endless support, we had 1000+ RSVPs from all ages and from all over the world.

A big thank you to everyone who was able to come out and watch the conference live and to everyone who is now watching at their own time as well. We’ve all learned so much this year from being a part of this amazing organization. From learning flexibility during a pandemic and adapting to our ever changing world, there were always challenges faced that we overcame together, growing stronger as individuals and a team. And with our 2020 conference in the past, we will now be working towards the conference for spring 2021, we are very excited to bring on new members and see everything that we can achieve. We will continue to be active as we integrate and welcome new team members to TEDxUTAustin, so expect only great things coming your way. Thank you for staying true to our mission, ideas and most importantly, a part of our amazing community. 

Until next time we connect,

-TEDxUTAustin