Press Release

Media contact:  Noelle Lemoine, communications assistant; tele: (413) 597-4277; email:[email protected]

TEDxWilliamsCollege Coming in January

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., October 17, 2013—Williams College will host TEDxWilliamsCollege on Saturday, January 25, 2014. Six Williams faculty members and three students will present talks from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the CenterStage of the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance. A reception will follow in the CenterStage lobby.

Many of the talks, which will address such topics as galaxy collisions, the philosophy of the mind, and pop Orientalism, have been inspired by or developed from ideas explored in tutorials at Williams. In these courses, adapted from the Oxford University model, two students are guided by a professor in an in-depth examination over the course of a semester. Students develop independent work, alternately creating and critiquing. With the support of their professor, students sharpen their critical thinking skills as they acquire comprehensive knowledge of the subject.

The college is seeking potential audience members for TEDxWilliamsCollege. Seating is limited to 100. TEDx events are intentionally small, designed to be intimate events that provoke discussion and promote connection. Williams is seeking an audience representing the broadest possible range of the community: students, faculty, alumni, and staff at Williams, as well as local residents and other members of the general public who are inspired by ideas and interested in connecting with others who share the same passion for knowledge.

Visit the TEDxWilliamsCollege website at tedx.williams.edu for more information.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California almost 30 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes on a diverse mix of topics. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The TED2014 Conference will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia, along with the TEDActive simulcast in neighboring Whistler. TEDGlobal 2014 will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; and TEDBooks, short e-books on powerful ideas. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world get help translating their wishes into action; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDNews, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED.

For information about TED’s upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/registration

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Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college’s 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students’ educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions on U.S. applicants are made regardless of a student’s financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.

To visit the college on the Internet: http://www.williams.edu/ Williams College can also be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/williamscollege and Twitter: http://twitter.com/williamscollege