By Ryan McCormick ’14

Photo by Steve Tringali ’13/ The Lafayette

In today’s fast-paced world of constant texting, daily Facebook updates, and Twitter messages, the individual is often lost. These methods of spreading information connect the world in ways once thought impossible. In many cases, it has become no longer about being a part of one country, but rather part of the global community.

It was this idea that the independently organized and run student organization TEDxLaf struggled with during last Saturday’s TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Conference in Kirby Hall of Civil Rights. The topic, “Redefining We,” asked students what made them who they are. More directly, the lecture series asked individuals whether or not they really controlled the actions they make.

The mix of speakers, ranging from Lafayette alumni to a 20-year-old Egyptian citizen speaking via Skype, attempted to tear down the audience’s preconceived notions regarding their individuality and society’s role in it.

As alumnus Christopher Caine ‘78 noted, the number of people visiting social networking sites has increased significantly in recent years.

Through the series, the lectures hoped to inspire in the audience a glimmer of hope. From the Iranian electronic-rock band The Casualty Process — who played their music live, a right denied to them in Iran — to Egyptian citizen Ali Darwish, who charismatically shared his experiences from the protests that contributed to President Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow — a message of optimism permeated the lectures.

Lafayette TED Club invited a diverse group to speak. From businessmen and alumni Caine and Michael Whitman ‘82, to philosopher, author and human rights activist Austin Dacey, and University of Pennsylvania Professor Laura Sicola, each lecture offered a unique perspective on the role of individuality, and how students should engage their environment.

Sacrificing a six-figure salary, Anthony Badillo ‘07, the last speaker, gave up a lucrative career on Wall Street in order to pursue teaching for Teach for America. He stated that every day he worked on Wall Street, he died a little bit on the inside. In a line that seemed to epitomize the event’s message, he described how simple it was to be the person that he wanted to be, while helping contribute to the entire world.

“Sometimes you have to give up the life you think you were supposed to have, to have the life you were really meant to have,” he said.