With the new academic year, come new opportunities and events at LCC International University. However, this time a new and exciting opportunity presented itself for the students at LCC. Gevorg Hayrapetian, a sophomore who is studying International Business Administration, is on his way to receive an official license by the TEDx platform to organize the TEDx LCC event next semester on our campus. We asked Gevorg a few questions about how he came up with this idea, who is the organizing team, and what is the theme of our first ever TEDx LCC event.

Where did you get the idea to organize the TEDx LCC event?
Watching TED videos has always brought inspiration to me. I got acquainted with the whole concept during my high school years when I attended the first TEDx conference in Yerevan. TED speeches were the ones that caught my attention and encouraged me to conduct more research. So the dream of becoming a TED speaker has been developing in my mind for several years already. But when I learned that there is a possibility to receive a license and organize an official event in the local community I understood that it can help bring not only my skills but also the ideas of my friends and peers into reality.

Are you cooperating with the TEDx platform?
The process of organizing a TEDx event is a huge responsibility. As an official licensee to organize a TEDx event, TED gives you full freedom to organize the event the way you want to. Nevertheless, there are plenty of rules to keep in mind, which can sometimes add up to 150 pages long. While you have the freedom to make the event look the best, you have to receive many approvals.

What is the theme “Know the Unknown”?
TEDx event organizers have the freedom to choose a theme for their event. Even though it is not a requirement, we have decided that a theme will be highly beneficial. It helps the event be more focused and puts you towards a particular path when brainstorming, designing, and realizing various ideas. I wanted to have a theme that would be unique, a bit challenging but, at the same time, understandable for the public. After careful consideration, it was decided that the theme for TEDxLCCUniversity will be “Know the Unknown”. As long as TEDx is a platform for sharing new ideas, it will encourage people to develop new perspectives and get to know more about the things they were familiar with but perhaps did not fully understand. This is the main idea behind the phrase - know the unknown.

What is the benefit for LCC students to participate in such an event?
I believe that the benefits for LCC students are countless. Those who want to spread their unique ideas and practice their already developed public speaking skills get a chance to speak on an official and unique stage. TEDxLCCUniversity is an excellent practice for them and a huge advantage for future careers. Moreover, students who will be involved in the backstage process will receive a great experience of organizing a large formal event. TEDx events are different. These are not just student initiatives that allow total freedom of expression. Instead, TEDx official events are established around specific rules and require much preparation, determination, and knowledge. The organizing team and volunteers will work on achieving the best outcome and, as a result, advance their expertise in various areas, improve communication and time-management skills, and receive critical training essential for their growth as professionals.

What are your hopes for this event?
I hope that the organizing team will be able to create a high-quality TEDx event that will meet all the requirements and guidelines. I can already see that many students show their interest in participating in the event by helping with the organization process. Also, as any other event organizer, I hope to see that it is enjoyed by the students, staff, and faculty. It would be great to hear positive comments and see how people share their experiences from the event with each other and on social media. Finally, my biggest goal is to make this an annual event.

Why now?
I believe that this event will be suitable in any situation but now it is highly beneficial for the LCC community. Current situation in the world separated us for a considerable amount of time without the ability to communicate live on a daily basis. Thus, TEDxLCCUniversity event will be a great opportunity to share some insights people did not think about before, and bring new ideas into existence. Besides, it will make the community closer since we will be working on the same goal of creating a high-quality event.

You are also assembling a team for the year 2020/2021 to help you coordinate the project. How do you see LCC students contributing to this project?
Once I receive the approval and the license, organizing an official event will require a lot of work and I will not be able to do that alone or with just a few other people. There are many processes that should be taken care of; consequently, I will need a lot of help from LCC students in the following months. Some of the tasks cover marketing, copy writing, creation of social media platforms, a search for sponsors, and selection of speakers. Each LCC student has a chance to participate in these processes according to their skills and preferences. I am sure that the selected team will do its best and have the most positive results in the end.

Who are the people behind the approval for TEDX LCC and how did you contact them?
Any individual who has a basic understanding of TED and TEDx can apply for a license. It’s a standard process for everyone, just an application and many questions to be answered. Then you wait for a month or two to get the decision.

While this is a huge event for LCC that you’ve worked to get started, we assume you don't want to stop here. Would you mind sharing some other plans you may have with our audience?
As the core organizing team is already working on the project, I am sure the event will become a great success. This is not the finish line, and I do have more plans for the LCC community. While I do not want to share everything I have planned, I do know for certain that my future plans are directly associated with the Student Council.