Peering into Le National on Feb. 4, one entered a world of spinning red and blue lights, mixing as they bounced off celebratory balloons. The audience in the antique theatre hushed as the TEDxMcGill event began. The one-day conference, dubbed “Kaleidoscope,” was the latest showcase of the annual TEDx event initiated in 2009.
“With Kaleidoscope, we tried to put in really unique, personal perspectives to open the door for all kinds of interests. It’s meant to encourage a kaleidoscope of ideas, identities, and people,” Chelsea Wang, U3 Arts and TEDxMcGill Chair, said in an interview with The Tribune.
The stories ranged from the importance of mental health to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting personal, global, and social issues. Each of the eight presenters connected their topic to the McGill community, empowering the audience to make small differences in their own lives.
“We have a really strong speaker batch this year. You can tell that they are incredibly passionate about what they are talking about. Even if it’s topics that I wouldn’t even think were interesting, [after hearing them], I’m interested now,” Hanna Eik, U3 Arts and TEDxMcGill Memberships Coordinator, said in an interview with The Tribune before the event.
Many talks highlighted challenges that were particularly relevant to students. Elaine Xiao, U2 Science and the first speaker of the day, shared her story about the consequences of burnout and emphasized how vital it is for students and young professionals to reevaluate their expense of time and energy.
Xiao noted that we all have spoons of energy to give, and if you “give away all your spoons, you will have none left for yourself.”
On another side of academia, McGill philosophy professor Oran Magal advocated for expanding the philosophical canon to recognize more Eastern philosophies, so we can teach diverse ideas and philosophies—like the TEDx event does.
Some speakers at the event focused on combating gender norms. Nicholas Chomsky, U0 Arts and Science, opened up about how traditional masculinity has negatively impacted his mental health and often prevents men from reaching out for help. He advocated for redefining masculinity to include the value of discussing emotions openly. Chomsky also expressed the importance of creating safe spaces with friends and family to help break down those barriers.
Nithya Mahasenan, U1 Management, discussed the pressure placed on women in the workplace to compete not only against their male colleagues but especially against other women. She broke down the perception that women must hide or amplify their femininity for work and advocated for a “gender-neutral workplace” to allow women an equitable way to advance professionally.
Ramiro Almeida and Ryan Chen, CEO and COO of TRAM Global Inc., a Miami-based technology company dedicated to reducing carbon emissions, spoke about reducing our environmental impact. Walking and taking the metro, they say, are some of the best ways to lower our carbon footprint. While not affiliated with McGill, they came to inspire the McGill community to take action against the changing climate.
Bradley Crocker, PhD student and lecturer in Kinesiology, described using eye-tracking technology to measure how people consume health information.
“[Crocker is] using his own research to explain how two people can be looking at the same website and interpret it very differently,” Eik noted.
The event also featured two performances from local artists: Kreation Montreal lit up the stage with an upbeat K-pop dance cover, and McGill students Desola Ogunlade and Lily Mason, both U3 Arts, delivered a heart-melting vocal performance.
According to Wang, applications to become a TEDxMcGill speaker for the 2025 conference will open next fall.
“There isn’t really a profile that you have to fit,” Wang explained. “It’s really just about the ideas you have and your ability to relate it to a popular audience. That’s another thing that I think is really wonderful about TEDx: Everyone that has something to say is equal on the stage.”
Lily Mason is an editor at The Tribune. She was not involved in the writing or editing of this piece.
