TEDxMeritAcademy is TOMORROW, 9/15

Don’t forget that TEDxMeritAcademy is TOMORROW, 9/15 at DNA’s Comedy Lab in Santa Cruz!  Tickets are only $18 at the door, so stop by and catch these amazing talks by students who want to change the world:

“Influence on Teenagers” by Sethumadhav Perumalla

Sethumadhav discusses online misinformation that only a clown could believe. He explains how teenagers are easily influenced in ways that harm themselves and others. Acting on and spreading false medical information can lead to illnesses and deaths. Insulting people online leads to mass cyberbullying through copycat behavior. People shouldn’t be swayed into believing or repeating online information without enough evidence. How teens act online can negatively affect them and other users of social media. His advice can help teens avoid becoming stupid clowns.

“Animal Abuse in Eco-tourism” by Shreya Agrawal

Shreya will shed light on how animals are mistreated behind the scenes, and how many tourists are misinformed about animal cruelty and the ecotourism industry. She will also discuss how to evaluate various types of wild animal businesses. Shreya hopes that you will support humane ecotourist destinations to end animal abuse for our entertainment.

“Ode to Advance Directives” by Nicole D’Arcy

This music video about advance directives was a Stanford Medical School project.  By using a bit of humor and music, Nicole D’Arcy and Anna Krawisz encourages everyone to write their advance directives to make it easier for loved ones when health and life decisions need to be made in the future. Audio produced at the Stanford Videography Department.

“Why Plastic Belongs in the Trash” by Spencer Balliet

Plastic is piling up all over the country, and we only have ourselves to blame! Spencer Balliet will talk about the problems facing the recycling industry and what can be done to fix it. This includes information about the misconceptions of plastic, what has happened to the recycling industry over the past two years, what you can do right now, and his project H.E.A.R.T. Plastics that intends to save millions of pounds of plastic from landfills all over the country.

“What is Your Backstory?” by Nicole Jones

“What if We Restructured the School Calendar?” By Zachary George

Zachary proposes that we alter the traditional school schedule by replacing long summer vacation with seven, evenly distributed, one-week breaks. This revised schedule would have the same amount of learning time, just spread out to encourage a better work/life balance. By adopting Zachary’s new schedule, students will benefit by not losing academic momentum during the summer, having a consistent and supportive schedule, experiencing less burnout, and increasing their school attendance. Zachary’s schedule is not only advantageous to students but also to parents and teachers.

“Why Fires Pose Such a Great Threat — and How to Prevent Them” by Arul Mathur

Millions of acres of land are destroyed across the nation each year as a result of wildfires. What if a fire were to erupt near your home? Arul Mathur discusses the threats that fires of all types pose to our everyday lives, and calls for a solution to control the damage being done by them. He also explains the effects that fires have on our society, and presents an idea which may help in stopping this crisis.