LFHS hosted TEDxLFHS on March 19 which allowed students and staff the opportunity to speak about something they are passionate about. The two emcees this year were senior Siobihan Boyle and sophomore Claire Keiser, who helped make the show come to life.
This year’s event included seven speakers, three of whom were LFHS staff members: Jackson Sorensen, Lainey Laughton, Carolyn Stach, Simon Back, Mr. Mizwicki, Mr. Soffer, and Mrs. MacBlane. Included between the speeches were five musical performances by Marcel Meyer, brothers Kashyap and Karnick Prasad, Lilly Arenas, Matthew Hahn, and Nate Arch.
“This year the theme was ‘Wonderworks,’ relating to a theme park— where people have fun but also wonder at the same time,” producer Mrs. Laura Grigg said.
The audience went on a “ride” as there were speeches from the history of salt all the way to learning to juggle. If you didn’t have the opportunity to see the performances, you can watch it using this LINK.
The following highlights a few of the inspiring and memorable acts from this year’s event.
Mrs. Kelly MacBlane: Finding Joy Through Challenging Times
History teacher Kelly MacBlane spoke about her personal struggle of having a stroke. She had to recover largely on her because of the pandemic and expressed how difficult of a time it was. Hearing a story about the challenges someone overcame and how to find happiness through it all left a long lasting impression for the audience.
“I had been working on a piece for The Moth (a story slam program) about my recovery from my stroke for some time as a way to help me heal mentally and emotionally, but I had been too afraid to actually go and perform,” MacBlane said. “I said yes to speaking, first to prove to myself I had the courage to do it, and second to model to all my students— especially my theater students— how to overcome fear and do something outside of your comfort zone.”
Sharing such a personal story from someone in our community, provided insight on how we should never take a moment for granted; and instead, find happiness in our lives.
“I was so appreciative to have an opportunity to finally share my talk. And I appreciated all of the support I got from the LFHS community afterward,” MacBlane said. “I know I grew as a person, and I would encourage other students and staff members to give a talk about something they are passionate about in the future.”
Not only did MacBlane share her journey to recovery; she incorporated how wearing bright colored shoes made her find happiness, even if she was going through a challenging time. She encouraged the audience to find something in their life that makes them feel happy and reminded them how important it is to live in the moment.
“I was really moved and inspired by Mrs. MacBlane’s talk, and I’m so proud to be her colleague,” history teacher Michael Soffer said.
Carolyn Stach: How Teacher Assistants Can Make A Difference
Senior Carolyn Stach opened her speech sharing about her experience with food allergies. She then talked about how she chose to be a Teacher Assistant (TA) so she could closely connect to students, regardless of their learning strategies.
“I was also really excited at the opportunity to talk about being a TA, since I might want to go into academia or be a professor eventually,” Stach said.
What made her speech stand out was how she included the audience’s opinions on their learning preferences. She also personalized her story by including humor, keeping the audience engaged throughout the speech.
“I reviewed it in sections, starting from the beginning. I would repeat the section from the beginning every time I messed up,” Stach said. “It also helped that I wrote the speech exactly how I talk, making it more memorable to me.”
Starch also mentioned how she has made mistakes before and hasn’talways had an answer for a student. But one of the best parts of being a student TA, she said, is how you can work through problems to come up with a solution.
“To any LFHS students thinking about giving a talk: apply! It is such an awesome experience and really facilitates better public speaking skills,” Stach said.
Kashyap and Karnik Prasad: Piano Duet
Brothers Kashyap and Karnik Prasad returned for their second year performing at TEDxLFHS. The piano duo performed three songs— one of which they had the audience guess the title of the song.
“My brother and I have been playing piano duets since 2020, and we’vebeen learning solo piano for over 10 years now. Performing is one of those things that one gets better at over time and repeated exposure,” Kashyap Prasad said.
They performed “Skyfall” by Adele, “We are the Champions” by Queen, and “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey.
“Having the opportunity to go out under the lights and share music with others is an experience like no other, and the feeling never gets old,” Prasad said. “The crew is super supportive, and overall, it’s a very relaxed and stress-free atmosphere.”
