Let's (TED) Talk About It

Representation on-screen changes the way we see ourselves and the world around us. The 2018 short film from Pixar Animation Studios, “Bao,” presents an emotionally-driven story not typically seen in the Hollywood eye, and as a result has sparked discussion across the globe. This episode dives into just how important it is to see your heritage on the big screen, and how these new perspectives can open us all up to a more beautifully diverse world.

Though TEDxUF has established and bringing people together for ten years, a speaker event with a year-long build-up is bound to draw some questions. To give listeners more insight into how TEDxUF originated and functions today, this episode dives into the history of TEDx and TED, as well as the formation and meaning behind the infamous “salon” events.

Conversations about mental health are often regarded as taboo, especially on college campuses where productivity is lauded and academics trump all else. Valeria Hernandez, a past TEDxUF speaker, is all too aware of these stigmas, and has worked tirelessly to start the discussion about the ins and outs of mental health awareness, especially for the University of Florida student body. In this episode, Hernandez discusses her own development as an activist, attests to how the pressure to succeed can often be crushing, and shares her ideas about how to start taking care of not just the people around you, but yourself.