Let's (TED) Talk About It

Have you ever thought about how bees impact your day to day life, beyond just honey? In this episode, Erika and Virginia speak with Robert Schulte, an Industrial and Systems Engineer student at the University of Florida, as well as the proud owner of Karen's Bees.  Join them as they discuss the importance of bees and how these small creatures can transform the world of business and engineering. 

Beyond the Talk is back! Dive in with new hosts Erika and Virginia for season 2. In the first episode get to know the new faces as they get to know each other and recap last years record breaking conference. 

For the very last, audience-dedicated episode of Beyond the Talk, Zoe and Apeksha answer questions directly from listeners. Thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast for the past eight months - your incredible commitment to exploring the expansive world of TEDx Talks has inspired us beyond measure. We hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as we have. 

In the penultimate episode of the semester, Zoe and Apeksha dive into the recent college admissions scandal, “Operation Varsity Blues,” and discuss the implications of educational privilege from a university-student point of view. 

In a very special episode of Beyond the Talk, UF’s 12th and current President, W. Kent Fuchs, dives into detail about his non-traditional path to university leadership, his methods of remaining accessible to the student body, and his vision for the University of Florida’s future. President Fuchs helps to define and discuss the meaning behind “Legacy,” the theme of the 10th-annual TEDxUF conference. Few university presidents have become a relatable, visible presence on their campuses, but President Fuchs has managed to do just that, while constantly encouraging people to love one another and always have fun.

 Where does healing begin? Join us this with Gretchen Casey, an advocate and facilitator for Restorative Justice. With a long history of aiding victims and perpetrators, Gretchen explains what restorative justice is, her experience with sex crime victims, and her own journey to closure.   

In this episode of Beyond the Talk, Zoe and Apeksha interview Devon Mims, a first-year student pursuing a combined Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health. An episode that has something for everyone, Devon speaks to the added pressure of being a first-generation student, the importance of inclusivity in academic and extracurricular settings, and the intersection between animal care and disability services. 

 This episode of “Let’s Chat” covers a TEDxWestminster College talk given by Kalina Silverman, titled “How To Skip the Small Talk and Connect With Anyone.” Small talk can be exhausting and pointless in forming meaningful relationships, making unfamiliar situations such as freshman year of college feel isolating. Apeksha and Zoe discuss the importance of “Big Talk,” and how conversations that stretch beyond the weather can build impactful friendships that last a lifetime. 

In this episode, listeners learn about what goes into the creation of a TEDxUF salon event from the salon curator herself, Hannah Lyons. Additionally, Hannah speaks to her extensive involvement on campus, career goals, and lessons learned while holding influential leadership roles. Listen to get a unique, behind-the-scenes look into the creation of four highly impactful events over the past semester and a half.

 The “Let’s Talk” series returns for the spring semester with a discussion of Ann Morgan’s TEDGlobal Talk, “My Year Reading a Book From Every Country in the World.” Morgan, a UK-based author and blogger, discusses the impacts of reading only books within our comfort zone, a discovery that came after she took a year to expand her literary horizons in a spectacular way. The talk raises some pertinent questions: how do we interact with the international community, and how could our own reading use a lesson in global-mindedness?