Two members of the O’Neill School community are scheduled to speak Saturday, April 17, at TEDxBloomington — a local, independently organized TED event “committed to the goal of spreading big ideas in Bloomington and beyond.”
The theme of this year’s annual event is “The BIG Questions.” Speakers will take an out-of-the-box approach to challenges across society, health, creativity, and leadership.
“Train your brain to improvise and solve life’s essential problems”

Monika Herzig is a senior lecturer at the O’Neill School, where she teaches arts administration. She’s also a touring jazz artist who has performed at prestigious jazz clubs and festivals around the world and released more than a dozen albums.
About her talk:
Jazz musicians train their brains to improvise on a daily basis and practice taking risks during every performance. Improvisation is also at the core of solving problems and moving forward in uncertain situations, it’s an essential life skill. Just like jazz musicians, everyone can train their brain to improvise and solve life’s essential problems.
“Raise and reinforce awareness of how we talk about mental health in black men”

Malissa Sanon, O’Neill’s assistant director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will provide helpful tips on how to support someone who is struggling with their mental health. Sanon recently successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, which explored mental health issues within the Black community, particularly in Black college men. She is passionate about using her research to help her community and the students she interacts with through her work in student affairs.
About her talk:
After talking with six Black male college students discussing their experience with suicide ideation, “If you Can’t Make A Sound, Make a Peep” was a quote that one of the participants explained is important to share with other Black men dealing with mental health issues. It is important to emphasize when a Black man makes a peep, how would you respond?