by Camryn Hervey and Jadzia Santiago
When you see or hear the phrase “On the Horizon,” what happens in your brain? What images does it bring up? What does it make you feel? What does it mean?
Each of our speakers will provide their own answers to this question through their talks, so we asked each of our team members to write down their own.
For one of our team members, On the Horizon means “possibility” and “potential.” For another, it means “only looking ahead.” Another shared that it means, “good things are on the way,” and “the future is getting brighter and soon enough it will be in front of you.”
It’s often said that the youth are our future. As Gen Z steps into adulthood, entering universities, the voting booth, and as Gen Alpha enter the world during the golden age of the Internet, what should we expect from these generations? What should they expect from us?
Nora O’Toole and Dr. Priya Kumar will give their perspectives on these questions and more during their talks as they discuss the power of the college student inside and outside of the voting booth, and how a digital footprint is tied to the mark a generation makes on the world.
For another one of our members, the horizon is where “different ideas and opinions meet each other and differences are united.”
Today, many issues divide our world into halves. But when the sun rises and sets on the horizon, the sky becomes a gradient between night and day. Dr. Bernice Hausman and Dr. Michael Berube will navigate the areas where contrasting ideas fade into one another through their talks by navigating the nuances of polarizing issues.
Our members also associate the horizon with “Harvesting new ideas, like a new perspective."
In the age of information, humanity has more knowledge than ever. However, there are still many things we have misconceptions about. In Divine Lipscomb's talk, he will be exploring new perspectives about different communities of people by delving into the assumptions many may have about them.
Similarly, a team member said “On the Horizon” means pushing boundaries, and another said it means changing and challenging our perceptions.
The issues that the world faces are numerous and complex. At times, the truth about these issues gets blurred or distorted, and this can stop us from moving forward in solving them. In their talks, Jonathan Marks and Dr. David Gamson will dig up the roots of recent issues and provide clarity where the truth has been blurred.
For one member, “On the Horizon” means “growth and change.”
There are many things in this world that some of us may lack understanding of, from both new and familiar technology to our own (and other people’s) brains. This lack of information holds us back from improving the lives of others and/or our own wellbeing. In their talks, Dr. Marc Dingman and Christine Palmer will demonstrate how if we take the time to learn how things work, we can change the world.
But no matter what our perspectives are, there’s only one thing “On the Horizon” for all of us at TEDxPSU, and that’s you.
Join us for our 2024 conference on February 11th, and get ready to redefine what “On the Horizon” means to you.
