Kingwood Talks hosted its first event on Tuesday, December 10th, 2019 in LGI 2210 during the lunch hour. The event was centered around the theme, “Discomfort”, with talks being made by student speakers Madeline Duncan (The Stigma Surrounding Mental Health), Neha Shaw (Civil Discourse), and Daphne Han (Seeking Discomfort). Some adults have questioned the purpose of this club. How are teenagers, who haven’t really experienced the real world, qualified to talk about issues in our community and society? Why aren’t we inviting more “qualified” and grown adults to speak on these issues? 

The answer is quite simple. More often than not, there is a rather large disconnect between the younger and older generations, especially when it comes to very current and modern topics. While adults have been around for a long time and have experienced more of what the world is really like, it is difficult for teenagers to relate to them. The world is changing so fast and the environment that many adults grew up in may not be the same as the environment teenagers are currently growing up in. 

Kingwood Talks is based loosely around the concept of TEDxTalks. It gives students a voice, a platform, an opportunity to speak out on issues or important topics that they otherwise might not get to speak on. It gives other students and adults in our community the chance to open up their minds to issues they might not be aware about. It gives students a way to share their story to others and for those who have experienced the same things to not feel alone. There is so much tension in our society today that it is incredibly important for students to be in an environment that facilitates growth and discussion and this is what Kingwood Talks provides.

Currently, anyone can apply to be a speaker as long as they are from Kingwood High School. In the future, we hope to expand this beyond Kingwood High School and engage all students in the Kingwood community. Our next event date and theme have not been planned yet, however; it will most likely be on a Saturday in May when Kingwood High School is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the community! If you have a message you want to share, please keep an eye out for announcements on our social media and the broadcast system at school.