By Benjamin Hong, Features Editor
On April 6th, River Hill hosted its third annual TEDxRiverHill conference. A sizeable audience took in the lavish decorations before walking into the auditorium, where they were met with a diverse array of 8 speakers across 2 hours, whose presentations ranged from Elon Musk to the apocalypse. At the end of the conference, visitors and speakers were treated to pizza and snacks, taking pictures together and exchanging congratulations while mulling over the day’s speeches, all of which fell under the event’s overarching theme: “Dare to be Different.”
The multiplicity of thought this theme fostered served two purposes. Alongside the obvious argument for an embrace of new perspectives, an additional key element is the discussion of what it means to healthily combine these perspectives and generate productive action. Founder and River Hill junior Ishaan Busireddy emphasized this in his opening speech to the assembled crowd, declaring, “You’re going to hear a lot of different things, but how can we put that together and create unity? Because that’s what actually drives humanity towards prosperity.”
The diversity of ideas Busireddy wants to promote was well-represented during April’s conference. Matthew Sotomey, a sophomore at River Hill, spoke about tech mogul Elon Musk’s story, highlighting elements of his rise to success that the audience could apply to their own ventures. When asked why he chose this topic, Sotomey stated “ I liked stories where people don’t expect someone to do well and then they shock everyone, and we see that a lot in Elon’s story, especially with SpaceX.” To those unable to attend his presentation, Sotomey had a simple message to give. “Don’t take no for an answer. I mentioned in my presentation how Elon Musk didn’t take no for an answer. If he did take no for an answer, even if he took risks and even if he thought outside of the box, everything would have ended there.”
Another prominent speaker who addressed the value of a different perspective was Dr. Denise Boston, the Equity and Restorative Practices Manager for the Howard County Government. Her presentation had a rather self-explanatory name: “What Advice Would I Give My 15-Year-Old Self?” It was a retrospective look at her teenage years, reevaluating nostalgic memories with the gained wisdom of lived experience. Her stated motivation for tackling such a nuanced subject was rather simple: “I wanted young people to hear what it felt like in the early days when Columbia was being built, the early days of Howard County, and how young people felt during that time. I wanted to give a little snippet of my experience as a teenager here.” When asked to summarize her message in a few words, Boston remarked, “We have very creative young people living in Howard County, attending all the schools. We have amazing parents who sacrificed to live here, and we are an excellent community when we really set our minds on it”
TEDxRiverHill will continue to influence countless future generations of student speakers, and Busireddy wants to ensure that his work can continue to impact those interested in public speaking. His advice to those who have ideas to share but are nervous about speaking in front of an audience is to focus on the purpose rather than the act of speaking. “We want to tell them something that we’re passionate about. If you focus on that, your confidence will naturally build up because you’re passionate about it.” This advice supersedes the act of speaking and describes the spread of ideas more broadly, the central tenant of any TED conference. By focusing on the purpose over the details, practical delays prove no obstacle, and students can continue to challenge each other to embrace the diversity of thought that makes the River Hill community truly special.