Theme: Beyond!

The ETSU Creative Writing Society is hosting TEDxETSU with the theme of “Beyond” on Monday, April 3rd, at 7 p.m. in the D.P. Culp Student Center ballroom. Seating is limited to 100 attendees for the live event in the ballroom; a link to the livestream can be found on the left or below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SNd0iqwuOY

ETSU Culp Ballroom
412 J L Seehorn Jr Rd
Third Foor
Johnson City, Tennessee, 37604
United States

Ava Yobst

Undergraduate Student

Ava Yobst is a sophomore at East Tennessee State University majoring in Health Sciences with goals to attend medical school and become a multifaceted physician in the rural Appalachian region. Ava is highly involved at her school through her many leadership positions such as President of CURE at ETSU, President and Founder of the Speech and Interview Club, and Vice President of the ACS Club. Ava also serves as a Supplemental Instruction leader for Biology I, conducts research with Dr. Foster and Dr. Fox, works as an intern in the Quillen College of Medicine Gross Anatomy Lab, is a member of the EQUIP program at Quillen, and is a student-athlete on the ETSU cheerleading team. During her time shadowing and volunteering in the hospital, Ava has seen first-hand some of the challenges that arise while seeking medical care in rural Appalachia. Ava hopes to shed light on these issues and offer innovative solutions to go beyond and set a new precedent for medicine starting in rural Appalachia.

Holly Todaro

Graduate Student

Notes to Ophelia, Beyond is a piece on reverence, of ushering someone to cross over, from one woman to another. It is a eulogy that takes place in the form of a conversation, one that occurs just before the death; it is an honoring and a remembrance. Holly Todaro is an emerging writer and English graduate student at East Tennessee State University. She has been published in The Mockingbird and is a former board member for the Poetry Society of Tennessee. When not writing, you can find her chatting with friends and strangers or watching movies.

Kaptza

Band

Kaptza is a (folk) band of musicians from Hungary and Felvidék. The ensemble was formed in 2022 thanks to the Petőfi Cultural Agency's scholarship programme, although fortunately the members were already good friends before that. With the scholarship, they are studying bluegrass and various musical styles at East Tennessee State University. In addition to their studies, they are working on an authentic Hungarian folk music album with Bea Salamon, which will be recorded in Nashville in May. Supplementing their repertoire of Hungarian folk music, they occasionally draw from musical treasures of other cultures, or even improvised melodies, depending on the audience's desires and the quantity and quality of the substances consumed. They take every opportunity to play music before flying home to Hungary. The band members: Levente Fajkusz - violin, vocals Fajkusz Domonkos - double bass, vocals Márton Lelkes - accordion, vocals Kőhalmy Ádám - cimbalom, vocals Mátyás Nyárfás - viola, vocals

Katie Parker

Undergraduate Student

Katie Parker is an undergraduate student at East Tennessee State University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, with two minors in Trauma & Resilience and Sociology. Katie is very passionate about trauma-informed care in teaching and how it can be used to better support students in the classroom. While completing her student teaching, she has seen first-hand the positive impact that trauma-informed teaching can have on individual students, as well as the overall classroom environment. Moving forward, Katie plans to get her master’s degree in School Librarianship, to further support her classroom with inclusive literature that can be used to integrate trauma-informed principles. Katie is extremely excited to begin her teaching career with these principles in mind and plans to create her own version of a trauma-informed classroom.

Macy Strader

Undergraduate Student

Macy Strader is nineteen years old and a scholar in the Roan Scholars Leadership Program at East Tennessee State University. She is double majoring in Psychology and Media and Communications with a concentration in Radio/TV/Film. Macy holds a senator position in ETSU's Student Government Association, advocating for student media as a writer for the campus newspaper, East Tennessean, and radio personality at the campus station, the Edge. Her love of media and storytelling has led her to pursue aspirations in creative writing, most notably as a horror novelist.

Noah Nordstrom

Undergraduate Student

Noah Nordstrom is Senior at ETSU studying International Affairs and Applied Spanish. Since the age of 18, Noah has been an activist and community organizer. As a student, he has been heavily involved in organizing efforts on campus. He has helped plan many rallies and events in defense of marginalized students. Noah has also worked on several local and statewide campaigns, most recently serving as the campaign manager for a local State Senate candidate. Through these experiences, he has learned that all of us have much more power than we realize. In his Ted Talk entitled “Beyond Powerlessness,” Noah will talk about his personal journey of becoming a changemaker and pose the idea that all of us have the capacity to be the change makers that our world needs.

Phillip Davidson

Undergraduate Student

Phillip Davidson been playing music since a very young age, and was captivated by Bluegrass, and Old-time Music. Phillip has since been studying Bluegrass, Old-time and Country Music Studies at East Tennessee State University and uses his love for music to tell stories about Appalachia and Southern America. His music captures the struggles, and resilience of the people of Appalachia, and he is committed to preserving the rich cultural heritage of the area.

Renu Swamy

Graduate Student

Renu Swamy is a graduate student at ETSU in Communication and Storytelling Studies. She is an actor, singer, and a voice artist by profession. Renu speaks seven languages and has lived in India, England, and is now living in the US. She also has a diploma in motion picture production. Renu likes to spend her time learning new languages and cultures.

Savannah Bennett

ETSU Staff Member

Savannah Bennett is a former graduate student and current staff member in ETSU’s Department of Appalachian Studies. She completed her master’s degree in Appalachian Studies and certificate in Heritage Interpretation and Museum Studies in December 2022. Savannah is the Collections Manager at the Reece Museum, where she works to preserve artifacts and artworks that represent Appalachian culture. Prior to her time at ETSU, Savannah earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Western Carolina University (WCU), where she also worked as a volunteer, collections assistant, and research assistant at the WCU Fine Art Museum. Savannah is passionate about studying the academic intersections between Appalachian studies, musicology, and gender and sexuality studies.

Victoria Harmon

Undergraduate Student

Victoria Harmon is a student, activist, and community organizer. Within her studies, Victoria is particularly interested in the intersection of ethics, social philosophy, and feminist philosophy in relation to disability. As a disabled person, Victoria aims for a wider understanding that all bodies and minds are vitally important.