By Stephanie Robbins Boeding ‘99
Photos Julie Pagel Drewes ’90 and Matthew Ohl ’20

When Alejandro Salazar ’19 wanted an event where the Wartburg community could inspire one another with ideas, he set about to make it happen. “As a freshman, I realized there was a lot of potential among our students,” said the international relations and political science major from Ecuador.
“But there wasn’t a space or event to share those ideas.” 

He was looking for a format with more focus than the college’s annual RICE Day and with an opportunity to stop and reflect on the information being shared. Salazar began to look into creating a TEDx event on campus. Based on the format of the well-known TED Talks, TEDx events are independently organized and devoted to spreading ideas through short, powerful talks. 

“I looked around for people who were capable enough to help pull off an event like this. Someone who will work with marketing, video, coordinating and choosing the speakers, and stage managers,” he said. The planning committee recruited about 20 student volunteers. 

The next step was to create the lineup of speakers for the daylong event. Through an application process, the TEDx team fielded more than two dozen proposals and whittled those down to nine diverse speakers and subjects that fit the TEDx theme, Embracing the Future.

“We liked how it leaned to technology and social media, and also the idea of vocation, so you can see your future and think about it in a different way,” Salazar said.

A fan of TED Talks online, Johanna Kluck ’19 jumped at the chance to be part of Wartburg’s inaugural TEDx event. An environmental science major with a love for communication, Kluck sent in a proposal bringing those two passions together. 

“Right now, I see this big disconnect in the way that scientists are talking about things and the way that everyone else is understanding them,” she said. “I tried to find a way for people to understand what scientists are talking about when they read a lab report or scientific journal, and also give tips to scientists about how they can communicate with everybody else.”

Kluck and four other students, plus two faculty members, one staff member, and the executive director for Iowa Safe Schools, were chosen for the TEDx lineup. For weeks before the April event, the speakers worked on drafts, practiced their presentations, prepared slides, and memorized their talks for the big day. As the stress mounted, Salazar and the team were supportive.

“Trust yourself to tell your topic, so don’t be scared and don’t give up,” Salazar told the speakers. “Be motivated that you can educate the community and reach a global community.”

The speakers were videotaped by a student crew as they presented to a live audience of about 100 in McCaskey Lyceum. 

“Under our basic theme, everyone went in so many different directions,” said Kluck.
“It was so cool to hear about everyone else’s story and get to hear what they wanted to share with everyone else.” 

The recordings were then put on YouTube by the TEDx Talks channel. After a successful event, the team is looking to go bigger next year. 

“We would like to have more alumni come,” Salazar said. “We’re already thinking about a theme for next year, maybe something with gender. We have a social work program here, a science department, sociology, politics … all of these can talk about this.”

Kluck recommends the speaking experience for anyone who has something to share. 

“Even if it’s something that’s been in the back of your mind that you’ve always just thought about, go for it and try. Just put yourself out there, and it will be a good experience.”