TEDx inspires attendees in Carson City

If the goal of TEDx was to stimulate and motivate, then Carson City’s first event was a definite success.

“It was awesome, so inspiring. The young lady who spoke inspired me. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I wrote children’s books to entertain my kids. I have manuscripts at home on paper,” said Margie Benitez, an attendee. “Now I’m going back and write.”

The young lady was Shaylin Segura, a Carson High School junior who delivered a talk in the morning called “Changing Your Reality: One Thought at a Time.”

The all-day event Friday at the Brewery Arts Center featured 16 speakers and performers.

Each took the stage for not more than 18 minutes to talk or perform on the theme “creating the community you want to live in.”

Bryce O’Connor, a 16 year-old from Carson City, spoke in the afternoon on “Encouraging Passion in Education.”

He said teens are stressed out with six hours of school, three hours of homework and all the pressures put on them to succeed.

At the same time, the educational system places too much emphasis on core subjects and not enough on other subjects that might ignite a students’ passion, he said.

“A perfect GPA is not the only thing that matters … We’re not giving young people the time to find out what they love to do,” said O’Connor. “They need to learn compassion and critical thinking before they learn every number of pi.”

The event also included 3D printing and drone demonstrations during morning and afternoon breaks and lunch provided by Nevada Nosh, Simple Fare Catering and Tahoe Tenderloins.

TEDx Carson City was sponsored by Farmers Insurance and Carson Tahoe Health.

Gina Lopez Hill, Brewery Arts Center executive director, who obtained the license for the TEDx event, said she hopes to bring it back again for a larger audience.

The event was also streamed live to the arts center’s Performance Hall for an overflow crowd and online.

“I was watching on streaming and it’s amazing,” said Pam Houghton, who was volunteering at the event. “It’s exciting that Carson City has this.”

Brad Barnes, an attendee at the sold-out event, agreed.

“I was second in line when the tickets went on sale,” said Barnes. “I have a TV but all I watch are TED talks. They are always inspiring.”