In less than 24 hours, the fourth annual TEDxLFHS talks kick off once again. This year has a star-studded list of speakers, including our own principal Dr. Holland, English teacher Mr. Dewar, and former NFL linebacker Kevin Bentley, who put down his pads and helmet to earn his MBA. This is still a TEDxYouth event designed to highlight LFHS students, and one influential speaker will be Clara Finley, a senior at Lake Forest High School. She will be attending the College of William & Mary in the fall, majoring in English and Secondary Education. I decided to sit down with Clara and ask her a few things about her upcoming TEDxLFHS Talk.

What is the topic on your TEDx talk?

“The topic of my talk is why literature and the study of literature in school is relevant and important to our society today. A main argument is that literature builds empathy in its readers.”

Why did you choose this and where did the idea come from?

“I choose this idea because literature is extremely important to me and, sadly, I seem to be witnessing the death of it. I am planning to major in English and Secondary Education in college, with the intention of teaching English at the high school level. When I went earlier this year to shadow an old middle school English teacher, I found that at the middle school, they no longer read novels. Instead, they read short stories or nonfiction pieces. I was truly surprised by this because this is not by any means a study of literature, and the students in middle school now are missing out on the learning experiences I had reading novels like Tom Sawyer and Fahrenheit 451 at their age. After seeing this, the idea solidified that I wanted to address this decline in the study of something I am so passionate about.”

When did you decide to do this talk?

“I was very inspired last year when I worked the TEDxLFHS event for New Media and was able to witness the amazing talks of my friends and peers. Seeing them express their passions in different ways encouraged me to do the same, so I decided that day to try to give a talk about literature this year.”

Have you ever done anything like this before?

“When I was a freshman, I gave a talk at the event. I’ve also given small talks at various events, but nothing this intimidating. I like public speaking, because it’s one of the only times people don’t tell me that I’m speaking too loud!”

Are you excited, nervous, or another feeling perhaps for your talk?  

“I am both excited and nervous for my talk. I am excited because it is the perfect setting to talk about something I am so passionate about and feel it is a wonderful accumulation of that which I have learned through high school. I am nervous because it is a very nerve-wrecking experience, as to be expected. As a freshman, I was freaking out backstage and anticipate a slightly similar reaction this year. But, if I wasn’t nervous, I don’t know what kind of person I would be. Maybe a person who had practiced more?”

Why should people come to hear your talk?

“People should come hear my talk because it is on a topic that is not being talked about often but has great bearing on society. Literature has been a guiding force of culture for hundreds of years, and where it was once common knowledge, it is becoming a selective field of study. I would hope that people would come to hear my talk simply to be exposed to ideas about something they might not have considered important before.”

What do you hope listeners take away from your talk?

“I hope that listeners leave my talk with something to consider and think about and maybe even foster a discussion about it. I am not going into it with my heart set on conversion of others to my viewpoints; I’m aware of the importance of personal and unique passion, and understand that literature is one of many art forms deserving of attention. However, it is also an important part of our high school education, and I hope that my listeners ponder how literature has affected them and maybe even consider picking up a book on the way home.”

If you didn’t get your ticket for this exclusive event, don’t worry–there’s going to be a live stream of all the talks from the David Miller Theatre tomorrow starting at 10:30. The link is available at www.tedxlfhs.com, make sure to tune in.