LEWISTON — Inspired by a phrase from the Bates College mission statement, eight Bates students will address the concept of the “transformative power of our differences” in the college’s first homegrown TED-style event at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, in Schaeffer Theatre, 329 College St.

TEDxBatesCollege is open to the public free, but because of limited seating, tickets are required. Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/tedxbates14.

“Every day, we see our classmates, professors and other members of the Bates community,” said Pham, of Vancouver, British Columbia. “But you rarely get to know someone else’s story. This is a great opportunity to hear those stories on a much deeper level.”

Developed in California 30 years ago, TED events are driven by short, engaging presentations on trending themes. TED stands for technology, entertainment and design. Bates was the venue for a TEDxDirigo event in 2012, but TEDxBatesCollege is the first such program originated by members of the campus community.

Pham, a Bates senior, is organizing the event with Samreen Fatima, a junior from Karachi, Pakistan, and Daniel Oyolu, a senior from Houston.

Bates College adopted a new mission statement in 2010. Central to the four-sentence text are these words: “With ardor and devotion . . . we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action.”

“It’s a stimulating and challenging idea to think about as members of communities and of an evolving and changing society,” said Pham. “So many people at Bates have riveting, unique experiences. The TED model is a great platform to share those ideas comfortably.”

The eight students who will speak at TEDxBatesCollege are:

Jalen Baker, junior sociology major from Lancaster, Texas; Julian Bardin of Madison, Conn., junior double-majoring in politics and studio art; Allen Kendunga, Bridge2Rwanda scholar and first-year student from Kigali, Rwanda, who plans to major in politics; Olivia Krishnaswami of Seattle. senior women and gender studies major.

Also, Akachukwu Obi, senior studying chemistry and mathematics, a Lewiston resident, who grew up in Nnewi, Nigeria; Phathutshedzo Rambau. sophomore from Morebeng, South Africa; Max Silverman of Tarrytown, N.Y.,  junior with an interdisciplinary major that combines sociology, politics and education; Cody Tracey, senior Spanish major from Baltimore.

For more information, contact co-organizer Michelle Pham at [email protected].