| "body"> | | | | and Adults alike come into an Art Workshop to learn |
| "Art impacts on every aspect of our lives whether | | | | how to become Picasso and they walk away with so |
| we are aware of it or not." | | | | much more. |
| The Randy Pausch infamous "Last Lecture" circles the | | | | - The arts teach kids to be more tolerant and open. |
| internet like it was brand new, hot out of the stove. | | | | - The arts allow kids to express themselves |
| He gave the lecture months ago before he didn't | | | | creatively. |
| have much time left. It's ironic that the hypothetical | | | | - The arts promote individuality, bolster |
| Last Lecture hits so close to home for us all. | | | | self-confidence, and improve overall academic |
| Hypothetically if you were dying, what would you | | | | performance. |
| say in your last lecture? For Randy Pausch, that isn't | | | | - The arts can help troubled youth, providing an |
| a hypothetical. He was diagnosed with Pancreatic | | | | alternative to delinquent behavior and truancy while |
| Cancer and the doctors only gave him a few more | | | | providing an improved attitude towards school. |
| months to live. | | | | - Has a measurable impact on youth at risk in |
| So walking on the stage at Carnegie Mellon where he | | | | deterring delinquent behavior and truancy problems |
| was a professor, he delivered his Last Lecture. A | | | | while also increasing overall academic performance |
| lecture that was video taped and downloaded over | | | | among those youth engaged in after school and |
| six million times. The lecture was transcribed into | | | | summer arts programs targeted toward delinquency |
| notes and the file has been copied, emailed, posted | | | | prevention. |
| and read by millions of people. The lecture has been | | | | With all of that going on in mind of the art student, |
| made into a book by Wall Street Journal writer Jeff | | | | how could schools ever think of taking Art out of |
| Zaslow, a writer Randy affectionately considers the | | | | the curriculum? Yet, schools across the country are |
| fastest writer on earth. | | | | cutting Art because certain educators think it's a |
| Randy's Last Lecture landed him on CBS Evening | | | | waste of time when students could be learning |
| News with Katie Couric, ABC World News with | | | | Writing, Reading and Arithmetic. Not everyone can |
| Charles Gibson and Good Morning America with Diane | | | | play football and not everyone is interested in |
| Sawyer. He even gave a shorter ten minute version | | | | football. Art is a necessary part of a child's life that |
| of the lecture on Oprah. To say the least, there are | | | | should be at least introduced to every student who |
| very few people in this world who are up to date on | | | | enters school. |
| news and society who don't know the name Randy | | | | "In Sampson County, North Carolina, standardized |
| Pausch. | | | | test scores went up two years in a row. The only |
| While his audience caught the main thrust of his | | | | thing that had changed in the county during those |
| message and walked away with, "Don't pity me." I | | | | years was the introduction of arts education." Chip |
| walked away with something else. While one reporter | | | | Zullinger, superintendent of the Sampson County |
| indicates that he has watched the lecture twelve | | | | (N.C.) Schools. |
| times getting something new out of it each time, I | | | | If that's true, if students are actually performing |
| have to say that I do too. But, I got one very critical | | | | better after Art Education was introduced to the |
| message that will stay with me forever. | | | | curriculum, why would anyone want to exclude it |
| When Randy Pausch talks about the head fake, he's | | | | from their kids' lives? Just like football was for Randy |
| talking about football. When he was a child, he | | | | Pausch, so I've seen art change peoples' lives. It may |
| wanted to play in the NFL. He had other dreams too | | | | not seem to affect us directly. But, it does the head |
| like being in zero gravity, being like Captain Kirk, | | | | fake. Just when you think you're becoming Picasso, |
| winning stuffed animals at the amusement park and | | | | you realized more about yourself than you ever |
| being an imaginer at Disney. But, being in football | | | | imagined. |
| taught him so much more than just the three point | | | | If more people were on the PTA and voiced positive |
| stance or how to read a play. Football teaches | | | | opinions about the inclusion of art in the education |
| players things like, "Teamwork, Sportsmanship, | | | | curriculum, it would never be taken out of schools. |
| Perseverance...etc." That's the head fake. Kids go into | | | | But if you face the reality that art might be taken |
| something like football because they enjoy it. But, | | | | out of your child's school, look into offering art to |
| they get out of it life's lessons that they will carry | | | | your community yourself. If you don't think you can |
| with them once their days of playing football are | | | | learn art well enough to teach it, partner with a local |
| over. | | | | artist who can. Open a workshop and make sure you |
| I listened to Randy talk about that and I realized that | | | | are in position to offer your community art when the |
| I had been saying that about Art. What Randy was | | | | schools no longer do. It's that important! |
| saying about football is true of Art as well. Children | | | | |