Bergen Community College Hosts TEDx Event

Musicians, Filmmakers, Writers, and Social Activists Share Experiences From Musical Epiphany to Survival in the Sudan.

Bergen Community College, one of only 20 colleges and universities in the world to receive a TEDx license, will host a TEDx event that brings musicians, filmmakers, writers and social activists together to share their experiences on Friday, April 26, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Ciccone Theatre on the College’s main campus in Paramus. Musician Gary Lucas will perform acoustic guitar at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It was created in 1984 to bring people together from three different areas: Technology, Entertainment and Design. Its mission has become even broader throughout the years. During a TEDx event, three TED videos are shown that provide background on the nonprofit organization and also highlight education and creativity; and live speakers talk for a period of no more than 15 minutes on the subject of their choosing.

The event at Bergen will feature an assortment of speakers including:
• Gary Lucas, a legendary guitarist who the New Yorker called “The Thinking Man’s Guitar Hero.” He has toured with his long-time band mates Gods and Monsters. Mr. Lucas also wrote two of late singer Jeff Buckley’s most famous hits “Grace” and “Mojo Pin.” He has released more than 20 acclaimed albums in multiple genres and performed in more than 40 countries.

• Terrence Smith, a filmmaker, graduated from Syracuse University in 2011 with a degree in communications and rhetorical studies. As a student, he balanced his academic career with artistic pursuits in mass media including hosting two prime-time television specials in the Bahamas and performing at a leadership seminar in India. He dedicated his senior year to conducting extensive research to develop a cultural and political profile of the Balkan region. Mr. Smith is finishing his documentary “Inside These Walls” which utilizes non-traditional stories to describe genocide and conflict and post-war life in the Balkans.

• Glenn Kurtz is the author of “Practicing: A Musician’s Return to Music.” The New York Times hailed the book as a “thoughtful and fluid meditation.” His second book “Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Home Movie” will be published in 2014. Mr. Kurtz’s writing has been featured in the New York Times, Lost and other publications. He has taught at Stanford University, San Francisco State University and currently teaches at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

• Gabriel Bol Deng’s story of survival and hope in the Sudan is the basis of a new documentary “Rebuilding Hope.” He works with children, particularly girls, in his former village to ensure they receive access to education. Mr. Deng tours the world as a specialist to discuss issues children endure during conflict.
For additional information about the event schedule, please visit http://tedxbergencommunitycollege.com/

The event is co-sponsored by the College’s Center for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation, the College Council and Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community colleges.
Seating is limited. Please RSVP to efeig@bergen.edu  by Monday, April 8, 2013.

Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu)  based in Paramus is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling more than 17,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields.