TEDx at Binghamton University is back for another year of presentations from individuals across the country, including this year’s chosen student speaker, Jonathan Caputo, a junior triple-majoring in psychology, philosophy and Italian.
Caputo’s talk, titled “It’s OK To Not Love Yourself,” will discuss the implications of loving oneself and how it impacts mental health.
Drawing from his studies in psychology and philosophy, Caputo said he got the idea for his topic by challenging an accepted norm — that people should be happy with themselves.
“I gained interest for this topic because it is a common notion that you need to love yourself first,” Caputo said. “But I think that concept is wrong and may actually work against our well-being.”
Every year, TEDx opens an application process for one student speaker to host their own talk. Applicants present a five-minute pitch of the proposed talk that they would present. Second-round applicants are then invited to an interview process where one speaker is ultimately chosen.
According to Bridget Shanley, director of TEDx at the University and a senior double-majoring in English and psychology, the student speaker role is reserved for someone with an idea that inspires, engages and encourages the audience. Shanley said Caputo fit that role perfectly.
“When we’re looking for a student speaker, the TEDx team looks for someone that has an idea that they’re really passionate about and wants to share,” Shanley said. “Jonathan submitted an idea to us that we, as a team, wanted to know more about, so we knew our audience would want to hear it too.”
Although the overall theme for this year’s event hasn’t been announced, Shanley said Caputo’s idea was what they were looking for, drawing from his personality and background to present a relatable and prevalent topic.
“Jonathan stood out because his idea is worth spreading, connects with his own life and could easily connect with college students,” Shanley said. “His personality and his passion for his topic were the perfect combination for our event. He had us laughing throughout his entire pitch.”
Caputo, who is also a resident assistant in Roosevelt Hall of Hinman College, said his decision to apply for the role was based on a variety of factors, including inspiration from other TED talks. This was Caputo’s first time applying for the event.
“I really enjoy listening to people speak and I was immediately attracted to TED talks when I first learned of them,” Caputo said. “Becoming a speaker for my own talk is an amazing opportunity and I am excited to do something I have been interested in for a long time.”
Every year, TEDx at the University hosts its presentation event with speakers from varying career fields and backgrounds, which grew from a small group of students in a classroom to a full-day event.
Since 2015, the event has included undergraduate student speakers alongside its guest panel of professionals. In 2015, Jack Fischer, ‘17, gave a presentation on the pervasiveness of pornography on the human mind and in relationships. In 2016, Kyrin Pollock, ‘18, and Matthew Gill, ‘18, focused on virtual reality. In 2017, Mollie Teitelbaum, ‘17, presented on peccadillic behaviors and biases. Last year’s event, themed “Infinity,” featured Stone Geise, ‘18, whose talk, titled “Live Your Life Half Empty,” challenged common notions of optimism and pessimism.