Abilene Christian University’s first TEDx event begins this morning in Cullen Auditorium, where its “ReThink” theme features 13 speakers making short presentations of “ideas worth spreading”.
Started as a conference in California 1984, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with many initiatives. At a TED conference, the world’s leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less. On TED.com, talks from TED conferences are shared with the world for free as TED Talks videos, and a new TED Talk is posted every weekday. TEDx initiative grants free licenses to people around the world to organize TED-style events – like TEDxACU – in their communities with TED Talks and live speakers.
ACU’s inaugural event features:

• Jeff Rogers (’02), graphic designer and illustrator, Brooklyn, N.Y., “Maybe You Don’t Have to Choose”
• Rabbi Phyllis Sommer, director of congregational learning, Am Shalom, Glencoe, Ill., “Dead is Dead: Euphemism and the Power of Words”
• Victoria Sun (’15), senior youth and family ministry and music major, Abilene, Texas, “Who Do You Think I Am?”
• Nika Maples (’96), speaker and author, Fort Worth, Texas, “Maybe You Don’t Have to Choose”
• Chip Townsend (’07), owner, Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers, Abilene, Texas, “Changing the World One Kick at a Time”
• John Siburt (’96), president and chief operating officer, CitySquare, Garland, Texas, “Build Ships: Sink Isms”
• Dr. Stephen Baldridge, assistant professor of social work, ACU, Abilene, Texas, “The More You’re Taught, the Less You Know”
• Dr. Rusty Towell (’90), professor of physics, ACU, Abilene, Texas, “Why Making Energy From Dirt Might Save the World”
• Sean Adams (’94), sportscaster and speaker, Austin, Texas, “The Real Importance of Sports”
• Jeff Christian (’94), minister, Bering Drive Church of Christ, Houston, Texas, “How My Tribe Created My TEDx Talk”
• Tom Craven, retired manager of the Entertainment Division, Walt Disney World, Windermere, Fla., “What Disney Can Teach Us About Inspiration, Creativity and Having Faith in Your Team”
• Jack (’78) and Jill (Thompson ’78) Maxwell, artists, Abilene, Texas, “Double Vision”

Sessions begin at 8 a.m. and run through 5 p.m.
Craven spoke Thursday to Abilene civic leaders and to students in ACU’s Lynay group at a luncheon sponsored by the university’s Center for Building Community.
Sun won an earlier competition among Abilene Christian students to choose a speaker for TEDxACU.
See the Fall-Winter 2015 issue of ACU Today magazine for coverage of TEDxACU.