By Ezra Caber

Ava Tasharrofi and Savanna Kimball, seniors and presidents of the TEDxGranada Hills Youth club, hosted a TEDx speaker showcase, “Pulse Of A Generation” on Thursday February 20. This student-led event gave the speakers the opportunity to speak out about social issues that are meaningful to them. 

The event featured several student speakers including: sophomores Tirenimioluwa Akindele, Emily Alexander, Sophie Mamyan, and Zachary Prasad, juniors Odeh Hilo, Om Patel, and Pravika Veen, and senior Nancy Javkhlan.

Several students presented topics related to language. Alexander explained the importance of language not only as a tool but also as creating connections. She emphasized that everyone has the ability to adapt with languages,  no matter their situation. Javkhlan challenged the flawed way in which society views feminism. She argued that practicing rhetorical feminism requires thinking about the true meaning of rhetoric to ensure that language can positively impact people. Prasad explored the development of non-lexical vocables to slang. Non-lexical vocables could prompt misinterpreted, offensive language, which Prasad advised would happen less with more research. 

Others gave presentations that offered methods to grow as people. Hilo communicated about how important it is to manage money well by starting at a young age in order to build financial confidence. Mamyan focused on using a balance of motivation and discipline to achieve success. Patel introduced healthier habits to truly benefit health including building keystone habits. Veen explored burnout, a common issue faced by many students and adults. She gave advice on how to reduce it, including writing down tasks, working with time blocks, and setting boundaries with social media. 

Akindele explored the relationship between music and African culture. She emphasized that music is considered a part of African people through history, to connect to one another through beliefs and culture. 

Members developed their own outlines, slideshows, and speech recordings to prepare for their presentations. They created an outline and wrote their scripts that were reviewed by Tasharrofi and Kimball. Through their slideshows, they provided visuals which represent key points from their speech. Lastly, they practiced and delivered their speech once it was finalized. 

Commitment to being a speaker for the presentation is reflected through the work they’ve done throughout the school year. The process of creating, memorizing, and delivering a speech couldn’t have been done without the club’s officers, especially with the help of the club presidents. 

Their club highlights the practice of public speaking, a valuable skill that the speakers have obtained. During club meetings, members were trained through the various forms of oration, like speeches, arguments, and improv. 

“Ava and I are both outspoken young women who are involved in a number of speaking organizations on campus which have given us opportunities to share our own voices,” Kimball said. “However, we know that joining public speaking teams or clubs may not be accessible to all students, so we wanted to create a club that would give all students the chance to share their own ideas. Collaborating with the TEDx organization allowed us to ensure that speaker voices would reach a large audience.”

With this new club, Tasharrofi and Kimball were able to create a new environment where people are able to share new ideas and perspectives. As more underclassmen enter the world of public speaking, an important skill needed for many professions, Tasharrofi provided advice for this. 

“Take a breath,” Tasharrofi said. “People feel that ‘speaking good’ consists of rapid-fire dialogue that’s often hard to digest. Instead, be intentional with your tone, speed, and body language. Remind yourself that you know what you’re talking about— don’t let your nerves overcome you.”