The second-ever TEDx talkat Northern Illinois Universityhappens 9 a.m. Saturday. This time, the event will feature a student speaker.
The talks will revolve around a single common theme: hidden superheroes among us.
Maria Senf is a senior psychology major at NIU and director of TEDx NIU. She was inspired to start the student group in 2013 after she attended a similar TEDx event at a Chicago college.
One group member suggested the hidden superheroes theme, and Senf says she loved the idea.
"There's a lot of people with different stories, and we just wanted to embrace that and tell people what great superheroes are out there," Senf said.
Iris Sidikman is a junior music performance major at NIU. She will be the first student speaker to participate in the day's festivities.
Sidikman decided to speak about her own experiences with dieting and body positivity. She hopes people who hear her will be more mindful about how they discuss food and body image.
"Because...it is hidden, you know? Things like this, you can't see that someone's struggling with it," Sidikman said.
The independently organized TED talk was put together by a recently recognized student group at NIU. The day's events will also feature speakers such as a 9-11 first-responder and a therapeutic horseback riding instructor.
