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TEDxSUNYPotsdam Videos Now Available

Talks from First-Ever TEDxSUNYPotsdam Event Featuring Faculty, Students & Guest Speakers Now Posted Online for All to See

Potsdam, NY (09/09/2019) — SUNY Potsdam is proud to announce that videos of engaging talks led by faculty, students and guest speakers from the College's first-ever TEDxSUNYPotsdam event have now posted online.

TEDxSUNYPotsdam focused on "The Future of Creativity," and was hosted on April 6 at the College's Performing Arts Center. An independently-organized TED event, the daylong gathering gave participants the opportunity to consider the future of creativity in its widest sense, a transformative forum for intellectually stimulating discourse, exchange of ideas and innovative creative practices across disciplines.

The day featured professional, student and faculty-led research, but what united the talks was the pursuit of excellence and the spirit of intellectual generosity, of sharing "ideas worth spreading," following the TED theme.

Everyone can appreciate the stimulating conversations that were sparked that day, by checking out some of the videos that have posted on the official TEDx Talks YouTube channel and social media feeds, including:

TEDxSUNYPotsdam was organized and produced by two faculty members, Marc Ernesti (executive director of the Crane Institute for Music Business and Entrepreneurship) and Joshua Vink (arts management program coordinator). They led a team of students who worked on technical production, marketing, fundraising and event management, gaining valuable skills along the way, to help make the TEDx event a success.

"I was involved in a TEDx at Aldeburgh, in England, with a team of 50+ professionals behind it. What we have seen here in Potsdam, delivered by a cohort of our current students, was nothing short of impressive: a testimony to the next generation of professionals in arts management and music business," said Ernesti.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event.

Thanks to the success of the inaugural College's TEDx, the organizers are already beginning to plan SUNY Potsdam's next TEDx event. For more information, visit http://www.tedxsunypotsdam.com.

TEDxSUNYPotsdam was made possible by a Lougheed Applied Learning Grant, thanks to the generosity of Donald and Kathryn Lougheed '54.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit http://www.potsdam.edu.

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Media Attachments

From left, guest speakers Clemens Prokov (head of creative) and Nick Prokov (head of sound) of TYE: Shows of Düsseldorf, Germany, spoke at TEDxSUNYPotsdam. Their talk, titled “How Technology Threatens the Arts,” is now online.

Joshua Vink, arts management coordinator at SUNY Potsdam, welcomed guests to TEDxSUNYPotsdam.

Dr. Anthony Betrus, a professor of educational technology and business administration, led a talk, “Esports is Real Sports,” during TEDxSUNYPotsdam.

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