Three Penn State Behrend students, along with other speakers and performers, participated in the second TEDxPSUBehrend on Saturday. The theme of the event was “Just a Moment” and featured talks about a variety of topics. In addition to the talks, there were two performers, including a magician and a performer of Indian classical dance.

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The event was divided into two halves. During the intermission, attendees and speakers had the opportunity to mingle and try a variety of different flavors of coffee, provided by one of the event’s sponsors, Out of the Grey Coffee. At the end of the event, food was provided and the attendees and speakers were able to discuss the talks and performances.

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Three of Behrend’s own delivered talks. Jui-en (Anthony) Hung, an international student from Taiwan, spoke about the importance of understanding between people who are part of different cultures or speak a different language. Certain translations are not the same between languages, as Hung explained in his talk. He used the example of a situation in which the police are speaking to a man through a translator, but the translation does not account for the difference in culture. The translator asks if there are any other people in the house, but the man understands it to include only males, therefore endangering a girl that walks into the room. Through his experience as the president of the International Student Organization (ISO), Hung has gained valuable experience in helping other international students and promoting diversity.

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Joseph Keogh, a freshman physics major, also delivered a speech. In June of 2016, Keogh witnessed a shotgun suicide. Although this traumatic event was the basis of his talk, Keogh focused on how he overcame it. He emphasized how people can lie to themselves and to the people trying to help them about their mental state of being, but that he had to face himself in order to heal. Keogh considers himself a “nerd” and referenced the science behind what he experienced and how he healed. The neurological impact of trauma can differ from person to person depending on the severity of the event and if the trauma is repeated. Keogh had the one experience, so someone who has had several traumatic experiences, such as a victim of domestic abuse, may have a harder and longer road to recovery.

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The final speaker of TEDxPSUBehrend was Seun Babalola, a sophomore Political Science major. Babalola’s talk focused on building better relationships with law enforcement, particularly focusing on the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement officers. During his speech, Babalola referenced his own experiences with law enforcement, which have been positive, but he also looked at the negative experiences other people have had. Through doing research and hearing stories, Babalola focused on a three step process to help build better relationship with law enforcement: de-escalate, train for better reactions; demilitarize, separate the police and the military; and diversify, reflect the community.

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The other speakers focused on various topics, such as being a “girl boss”, mental health, nourishing creativity, and how thoughts affect what people experience physically. Four videos from past TED events were played to mix things up during the event.

For anyone who missed the event or wishes to watch the talks again, the livestream can be found at https://livestream.com/Tedx/PSUBehrend